Tag Archives: Happily Inc

Happily This Christmas by Susan Mallery – a Review

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Happily This Christmas by Susan Mallery – a Review

 

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Description:
There’s no place like Happily Inc for the holidays…

Wynn Beauchene has a thriving business, a great kid and a mildly embarrassing crush on the guy next door—local cop Garrick McCabe. She’s a strong, independent woman who can’t help dreaming what-if about a man she barely knows. Until he needs her help…

Garrick’s pregnant daughter will be home for Christmas, and his house needs a woman’s touch. Garrick and his little girl were tight once and he’s hoping a small-town Christmas will bring her back to him. But thawing his daughter’s frosty attitude will take more than a few twinkle lights. Maybe sharing the holiday with Wynn and her son will remind her of the joy of family.

As the season works its magic on these wounded souls, Wynn realizes it’s time to stop punishing herself for a painful secret, while Garrick remains haunted by the ghosts of past mistakes. Will he allow Wynn to open the only gift she truly wants—his heart?

Read more in the reader-favorite Happily Inc series:
Book 1: You Say It First
Book 2: Second Chance Girl
Book 3: Why Not Tonight
Book 4: Not Quite Over You
Book 5: Meant to Be Yours
Book 6: Happily This Christmas

 

 

 

Review:

Happily This Christmas by Susan Mallery is the 6th book in her Happily Inc series.  I have not read the previous books in this series, but this did read very well as a standalone. 

Wynn Beauchene, our heroine, is a workaholic, with a thriving business and a teenage son. She also has great friends, some from previous books, in this small town. Wynn had a bad experience with her ex-boyfriend when she got pregnant years ago, and has spent her time building her business and bringing up her sweet wonderful son.  Wynn though likes to look at her next-door neighbor, who is hot.

Garrick McCabe, our hero, is a local cop who lives next door to Wynn.  Garrick is divorced, and lives alone; and has not seen his daughter in many years.  Garrick could never understand why his daughter wanted nothing to do with him.  Now she is pregnant, with her husband is deployed overseas; with her mother needing room, his daughter is coming to stay with him until the holidays.   Garrick is desperate to make things right, and asks Wynn to help him fix up his place to make it more female friendly.  Wynn accepts the challenge and their friendship builds, with her helping him buy things and set up before the daughter’s arrival.

What follows is a sweet heartwarming story of family and friends helping one another in this wonderful small town. I loved Wynn, as she was exactly what Garrick needed, inviting father and daughter for dinner, befriending Joylyn and helping her through her unhappiness, as well as opening her eyes to her father.  Wynn was a great heroine, smart, independent, a great mom, with a terrific group of friends.   I will say early on, I was not thrilled with Joylyn, though she was much better later on. She was nasty to her dad, who still did not know what he did wrong, as well as not wanting to do anything but be bitter.  It is Wynn who will help her, as well as finally open up to discovering the truth about why she ignored her dad.  I thought Garrick was great until later on when he hurt Wynn, but all ends well in this sweet holiday themed story.

Happily This Christmas was very well written by Mallery, as it was wonderful story and romance, with a great couple, family, and wonderful secondary characters.   Susan Mallery did a great job bringing all of this together. I suggest you read Happily This Christmas.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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You Say It First by Susan Mallery – a Review

Posted on by
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You Say It First by Susan Mallery – a Review

 

You Say It FirstAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
Sculptor Nick Mitchell grew up in a family of artists and learned from his volatile father that passion only leads to pain. As he waits on a new commission, he takes a day job as a humble carpenter at a theme wedding venue. The job has its perks—mainly the venue’s captivating owner, Pallas Saunders. Although he won’t let love consume him, for ecstasy with an expiration date, he’s all in.

Pallas adores Weddings in a Box. But if she can’t turn the floundering business around, she’ll have no choice but cave to her domineering mother and trade taffeta for trust funds working at the family’s bank. Then when a desperate bride begs Pallas for something completely out of the box, her irresistible new hire inspires her. Nick knows she doesn’t belong behind a desk, and she knows in her heart that he’s right—where she really belongs is in his arms.

 

 

Review:

You Say It First by Susan Mallery is the 1st book in her new Happily,Inc. series.  We meet our heroine, Pallas Saunders, immediately as she is in the midst of handling a wedding. Pallas is a wedding planner, in her ‘Weddings in a Box’ business.   What is Weddings in a Box?  It is different types of themes that are dreams of the bride and groom; such as Roman Empire, Aliens, Dessert, Ocean,etc.  Pallas inherited this business from her deceased friend, who she considered a father figure.  She loves what she does, but is under pressure from her mother to quit this business and work at the bank with her mother. 

Nick Mitchell is a famous sculptor, who comes from a family of well known sculptors.  Nick works with wood, his brother’s work with glass, etc.  Nick is in between work, as he is waiting for commission to work in Dubai for two years, but it will be a couple of months before he finds out.   He ends up helping Pallas, by dressing up as a Roman Warrior, as part of the current wedding theme.  Nick also notices some of the woodwork that Pallas has stored is old and decaying, but worth a lot of money.  Nick is determined to fix and renew the wood, since it is his hobby too.  Pallas will agree, and in time a friendship begins that will form into a slow build romance. 

Mallery has created a great group of characters, which included all of Pallas’s friends, who work locally and help her create the wedding designs.  Nick’s brothers were also a big part of this story.  I loved how they all bonded, and their creativity to create amazing wedding themes for Pallas.  Another major part of the story was the family issues surround both Pallas and Nick.  Pallas is always being pressured by her mom, but Nick will help her stand up to her mother.  Nick in turn has his own family problems with his famous father, and with one of his brothers, who learned he was adopted, and has become somewhat distant.   These were good stories that added to the overall storyline.

As Nick and Pallas’s romance heats up, she knows she has fallen in love with Nick. He cares about her, but is afraid to commit to anything permanent, since he feels it will only lead to hurt. Will Nick take the job in Dubai for two years?  Will Pallas tell Nick her true feelings? 

You Say It First is a very nice romance, wonderful characters and set in a sweet small town.  I recommend that you read this book, written very well by Susan Mallery.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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