Status
Call number
Series
Genres
Collections
Publication
Description
Fiction. Romance. HTML: Locked in an unexpected land dispute, Rafe Stryker is trapped in the one place he vowed never to return to--the Castle Ranch in Fool's Gold, California. He made millions facing ruthless adversaries in the boardroom, but nothing could've prepared him to go head-to-head against stubborn, beautiful Heidi Simpson. No one is more surprised than Rafe to discover that he's finding Heidi--and life as a cowboy--much more compelling than he wants to admit. For Heidi, the Castle Ranch is the home she's always wanted. After a life on the road, the vivacious blonde has finally put down roots. She won't give that up without a fight, not even for a man whose late-night kisses make her yearn to be a little less...wholesome. As the two turn from passionate adversaries to passionate, period, they'll discover that summer love can last a lifetime.… (more)
User reviews
The story starts out by Rafe Stryker returning to Fool's Gold after leaving so many years earlier. He is back to save his mom from the deal she made with Heidi Simpson's grandfather to buy the ranch she once worked on. As you read on you find more about not only Rafe and Heidi's character but also their siblings and friends. This story was not only romantic and emotional. It was a true page turner to find out what happens in the end to Heidi and Rafe. I have been recommending this book not only to my family and friends but also to co-workers and acquaintances who I know will love this book!
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50
First thought when finished: I think I am going to love the next 3 books with more of the Stryker family :)
What I Loved: Rafe was a complicated leading man who had a lot on his shoulders from a young age. He fought
What I Liked: I really like the town of Fool's Gold. It is a great setting for so many of these stories to take place. It is large enough to have a city feel but small enough that you get a real sense of community. The friendships and love that form here all seem very organic and sweet.
Final Thought: I am excited for Heidi's friends to get their HEAs so bring on their books already :)
Reviewed by Stacey
Review Copy Provided by Netgalley
It is good to be back in Fool’s Gold! Susan Mallery takes us back to her wonderful fictional town with some new faces and many familiar ones. We met goat farmer Heidi Simpson in the previous series and she now
Like the Heidi from children’s classic, Heidi Simpson has grown up with her grandfather. Mallery’s Heidi comes complete with the braids but also with the quirky career choice of being a goat farmer and cheese maker. She’s not your typical romantic heroine but her vulnerable yet independent personality make you want to see her succeed in whatever she wants.
Unfortunately, Heidi’s grandfather is a little eccentric. He’s a former carny (yes, of the traveling carnivals) and is a real love em’ and leave em’ type of guy who also dabbles in swindling people. This time, he’s swindled a widow out of a quarter of a million dollars and the farm she thought she was purchasing and now her son is in Fool’s Gold to press charges.
Rafe Stryker has a history of his own with Fool’s Gold and would seemingly rather be anyplace else but there. His devotion to his mother brings him and keeps him in town where the four of them have to figure out how to amicably work out who is going to get the farm and how the money is going to be paid back.
Two more opposite character’s, I couldn’t imagine. Heidi is a farm girl and Rafe is a slick business man. With her running around in her braids and milking goats, it’s hard to imagine a city man like Rafe being attracted. As the story develops, however, Susan Mallery gives us a glimpse in to Rafe’s humble beginnings and it soon becomes very easy to see why these two characters can work.
As with all of Susan’s books, this was a great read from start to finish. We got to catch up on some of the inhabitants of Fool’s Gold from previous books while getting a glimpse of what is to come in the series all the while getting to know Rafe and Heidi.
If I had one complaint about the book it would be that I would have loved to see more of the actual relationship between Rafe and Heidi. We are privy to their thoughts when they are alone but once they become involved (and it took a while for that to happen), they had immediate obstacles to overcome that got in the way of a real relationship growing.
Being that Fool’s Gold is the land of happy endings, Summer Days certainly gives you one. It’s nice to read a book where the character’s are real people with real issues and I lift a glass to Susan for giving her readers yet another enjoyable read while keeping us in a place that we continually wish was real.
All Heidi ever wanted to was to be able to have a place that she could call hers. All Rafe wanted to do was leave Fools Gold and never come back. Yet, when Heidi's grandfather sells the farm to Rafe's mom and then doesn't hand over the land - a court battle ensues, putting Heidi's home in jeopardy and bringing Rafe back to help out his mom.
I love Heidi's character. I love how she wasn't written as some "woe is me, I need a man to complete my life," woman. I also love that she was written as someone I could relate to. Instead of being written as some 6ft tall, blonde model looking woman. Normal people have love lives too! She is headstrong, knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. && underneath it all - she is a romantic.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
***“I don’t have an opinion,” she told him. “I guess the part I don’t understand is wanting to spend your life with someone you’re not in love with.”
“Love is an illusion.”
“You’re wrong about that. Love is very real and it’s dangerous. People do crazy things in the name of love. Bad things. Love is powerful and shouldn’t be played with.”***
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rafe was a puzzle in his own to read about. He is your drop dead gorgeous Alpha Male. Don't get me wrong, I love nothing more than that kind of person. What I loved the most about him was that he was so MUCH MORE than that. He's sweet, sarcastic, hilariously witty and downright easy to love.
I found some things about this book just... I don't know.. off? Like, a lawyer telling their client that if sleeping with the other party will get them what they want, to go for it. (Not that anyone in their right mind would object to that man) but seriously? Another thing would be that sometimes the story just seem to lag. For some reason it was like their were parts that just didn't blend well, which in turn threw some things off for me.
Aside from that, Susan Mallery wrote another great story with Summer Days. While it might not be my favorite in the series, it is def one worth reading if you are a fan of this series! The chemistry between Rafe & Heidi once it picked up was amazing. Following their story was just as amazing. While I might not have liked where she took it sometimes, I can see why she did it. One thing I do love about Mallery is that she writes amazing secondary characters. She includes almost the entire town in her stories, which makes it come to life that much more.
If you haven't picked up the Fools Gold Series, I would highly suggest that you do! These are some exceptional characters to follow and the stories are well worth the read!
Okay I am team Rafe. I have problems with some of the people being mad at Rafe in the book and blaming him for everything that goes wrong. Especially his family , after all he has done for them. Okay I know its a book but it mak es me mad.
Rafe comes back to Fools gold because his mother May
Heidi Simpson owns the ranch and raising goats, selling milk,cheese and fertalizer. The ranch is worn down she does not have much money. Her grandfather Glen raised her in a carnival and now lives with her.
His friend was dying of cancer and had no insurance and he wanted to help him. So he planned the fraud to pretend to sell Heidi's ranch.
Glen and a lot of people don't see the problem with that.
Rafe's mother worked as a housekeeper on the ranch for peanuts and the promise of inherting the ranch. They were so poor that Rafe went without food sometimes so his younger brothers and sisters could eat. He tried to take care of the family since he was 8. Rafe called the cops because his mother was being cheated out of the same ranch twice and now he could do somthing about it.
The judge order them to share the ranch till she could decide after some research. Heidi and May were willing to try and find a solution.
Rafe had ideas about the ranch that he thought he was buying with his mother. He was fixing up the place as he was asked to. Helped take care of Heidi animals when she was sick. Paid for all the repairs.
People were not happy with him when the others were the cheaters, lies and stealing.
Okay I got involved in the story and had strong reactions to the book. I want to read more about the town of Fools Gold. Thier were a few love scenes in the book.
05/29/2012 PUB Harlequin HarlequinHQN
Rafe Stryker has come back to Fool's Gold, he just couldn't say no to his mother.
Heidi Simpson came to get her goat that had blocked Rafe from going any further.
She sold goat products and that made the mortgage payments.
Fool's Gold is a town where the fire chief is a
lawyer who is a female, Judge is a woman, baliff is a woman, you get the picture.
This is the first Fool's Gold book I've read and didn't realize there was a lack of
men in town.
His mother had given Glen $250,000 to buy his ranch, he never owned it and the money
went to a friend for medical expenses.
Never knew the things I learned about goats in this book, and about wine, glad they explained.
Judge has given them a few weeks til she can reach a decision. Her lawyer thinks
the solution is for Heidi to have sex with Rafe.
Glen and May, Rafe's mother have romantic tendencies. They are all living in the farm house
as it's a waste of money to stay at the lodge for indefinite length of time til the judge
gets back to them.
They decide to build up the ranch, fences, barn building and inside of the farmhouse to bring
it up to standards.
Spring festival sounds great, food, crafts and the locals all getting together and on Mothers Day
weekend.
May was bringing in more animals to the farm, sheep, llamas and others to arrive she said.
Rafe had looked over the new casino and 300 room hotel and was hoping when he won the ranch back he
could build a 100 home complex for the workers of the casino.
After spending the night together Heidi discovers the plans and thinks she has been betrayed. she will end up with nothing because he will win the ranch. Love the decision the judge did have to make.
His mom surprises them all with her purchases and he has no idea where that money came from.
All this and steamy hot sex makes this an excellent read and I will now go find the others in the series because I know they will just as good as this one.
Rafe and Goat girls story.
I was not impressed with this story which upsets me because I love heidi. She reminds me a lot of my own sister. Her personality and all.
I didnt like that her uncle swindled money from someone especially 250,000 with no consequences. seriously thats not realistic. Then to have Heidi
I do understand it was showing people do stupid things when in love and confused.
I did like the characters, I adore rafe. I just cant get passed the story line. I also feel Susan Mallerys books are becoming repetitive. it like reading the same book over and over with different characters.
I actually have to break the books up when I read them I read the first three then read a few novels then went back to the next three after a month and so on. its just hard reading the same novel over and over. with that said I do love the town and the people.
I was not impressed with this story which upsets me because I love heidi. She reminds me a lot of my own sister. Her personality and all.
I didnt like that her uncle swindled money from someone especially 250,000 with no consequences. seriously thats not realistic. Then to have Heidi
I do understand it was showing people do stupid things when in love and confused.
I did like the characters, I adore rafe. I just cant get passed the story line. I also feel Susan Mallerys books are becoming repetitive. it like reading the same book over and over with different characters.
I actually have to break the books up when I read them I read the first three then read a few novels then went back to the next three after a month and so on. its just hard reading the same novel over and over. with that said I do love the town and the people.
2 Stars
When his mother is the apparent victim of a wily conman, Rafe Stryker does the unthinkable and returns to Fool's Gold and Castle Ranch. Although the place is anathema to him, Rafe swears to retake it even if it means displacing the current owner, Heidi Simpson. But, Heidi and Rafe
The love-hate romance between Heidi and Rafe is intense and satisfying. Unfortunately, the rest of the plot is completely illogical.
***Spoilers Ahead***
To begin with, it is difficult to suspend disbelief and accept that a savvy businessman like Rafe would neglect to research the property his mother was buying, or that he would sign a document without reading it. Moreover, the land Heidi owns is worth a great deal more than the $250,000 her grandfather swindled from Rafe's mother. It beggars belief that a judge would award it entirely to Rafe even considering Heidi's questionable actions.
Another weak point is the characterization. Rafe's mother, May, is a dingbat, to say the least, and her eBay spending spree is simply ridiculous. Heidi's grandfather, Glen is a womanizer and a con artist. He defrauded May, but everyone behaves as if he's a misunderstood old man with a heart of gold.
Rafe and Heidi have great chemistry, but they are constantly lying to one another. Rafe is also a callous jerk who has no qualms evicting Heidi even after he realizes his feelings for her. Not cool!
Overall, not one of the better installments in this series.