Second Chance Girl

August 21, 2017
Mallery’s delightful second Happily Inc. contemporary (after You Say It First), set in a small California town that markets itself as the perfect wedding destination, is a heartfelt and genuine friends-to-lovers story fraught with emotional trauma that makes the happily-ever-after satisfyingly sweet. Perky Carol Lund, a gamekeeper at an animal preserve, is happy with her life, as long as her secret crush on Mathias Mitchell is just an intellectual exercise. She’s sure that she is too plain and ordinary for her charming, handsome neighbor. Glass artist Mathias enjoys his camaraderie with Carol, and he’s struggling not to act on his growing attraction to her, as he only does no-promises hookups. One night, after drinking too much, Mathias confesses to a recurring fantasy about Carol; they have the best sex ever, but the next morning he thinks it was just another dream. They continue as friends, wondering whether to attempt a romance, while also dealing with painful past issues. Slowly they realize that all romances don’t follow a stereotypical course, and accept what their hearts are telling them. A wide cast of sharp, well-drawn characters, a lonely giraffe, and a naughty beagle add depth to the story, as does the town of Happily Inc. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

August 1, 2017
An animal-sanctuary gamekeeper secretly in love with her artist neighbor is stunned when he shows her some attention, but as the two dance around a potential relationship, their emotional wounds get in the way.Years ago, the Mitchell family's famous artist father dropped the bombshell news that his son Ronan was illegitimate, though he'd been raised alongside the four legitimate brothers. In fact, Ronan and Mathias were told they were fraternal twins. Ronan moved to Happily Inc, California, and Mathias followed him, trying to mend their relationship, to mixed results. Feeling betrayed by his family and brother and mistrusting love, Mathias opts for one-night stands with the abundance of bridesmaids who visit the destination-wedding town. Still, he finds himself completely drawn to his neighbor Carol, the unassuming gamekeeper of the animal preserve that borders his property. Carol is just as drawn to Mathias, but she knows better than to expect that someone as handsome and talented as he is would be attracted to the likes of her. Yet as the two become friends, then closer, Mathias expends time and energy helping Carol raise money to create a herd for her beloved giraffe, Millie. However, when a planned gallery show sets up an emotional showdown within the Mitchell family, Mathias retreats to his typical safe distance and Carol can't muster the self-confidence to challenge him. Meanwhile, Carol's sister is dealing with her own romantic turmoil when an English duke comes to town and turns her world upside down. Mallery's second title in the new Happily Inc series (You Say It First, 2017, etc.) features her typical mastery of the romance format, with another quirky small town and a set of characters for her fans to love, complete with a mascot animal. The potent and prolific Mallery delivers again.

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September 15, 2017
In Happily Inc., a California wedding town, Millie is a lonely giraffe, and gamekeeper Carol Lund is on a mission to raise funds to acquire a herd for her. Glass-artist Mathias Mitchell is willing to help, even as he copes with tail-wagging, glass-breaking Sophie the beagle. Meanwhile, Ulrich Sherwood, Duke of Somerbrooke, thinks Carol's sister, antique-shop owner Violet, is conning his grandmother out of her fortune. Two very different couples find love in Mallery's second Happily Inc. novel (You Say It First, 2017), another heartwarming book from this talented, prolific, and popular author.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)