Review: Thrill Me by Susan Mallery

Title: Thrill Me by Susan Mallery
Fool’s Gold Series Book 18
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Meet the Mitchell brothers of Fool’s Gold, California—five gorgeous men who’ve left a trail of broken hearts in their wake… 

Maya Farlow learned the hard way to depend only on herself, so when she fell too deeply for the bad-boy charms of Del Mitchell, she did the only thing she could—she ran. Stunned, Del left Fool’s Gold to make his name and fortune in extreme sports.

Now ten years later, Maya’s been hired to promote her hometown’s new slogan, The Destination for Romance. The celebrity spokesman is none other than Del, the man she dumped but never forgot. Awkward!

Although Del’s not the type to hold a grudge, he’s determined to avoid falling a second time for the woman who broke his heart. He’s a daredevil, not an idiot. Trouble is, in all his adventures, he never found a rush as exhilarating as Maya’s kiss. Maybe risking his heart will prove to be the biggest thrill of all…

Review:

Thrill Me by Susan Mallery is a very charming second chance at love romance. This latest addition to the marvelous Fool’s Gold series is the first novel featuring the Mitchell brothers and in this outing, oldest brother Del meets up with ex-fiancée Maya Farlow when the pair work on a publicity project together. Surprisingly, they easily reconnect without anger or recrimination despite the abrupt end to their engagement ten years ago but trust issues threaten to derail their semi-rekindled romance.

Maya never thought she would return to Fool’s Gold but she is now happily established in her new job as communications manager for the town. She and her stepbrother Zane have repaired their relationship and she has renewed some of her old friendships. Maya is about to begin working on a new project to promote tourism when she is stunned to learn that she will be working with Del, who is visiting his family for a few weeks. Maya still feels guilty over the way she ended their engagement but she is happy to discover he harbors no animosity towards her.  Although there is no residual tension between them, Maya is quick to apologize for the way she handled their break up and their failed romance is pretty much a non-issue for them.

Del is not close to his extended family and his relationship with his artist father is particularly strained. He has more in common with his mom, but she is a little out of sorts trying to put the finishing touches on her husband’s upcoming birthday party. Del gets along well enough with his brother Nick, but he is a little taken aback by his brother Aidan’s hostility. Twin brothers Mathias and Ronan live out of town but they do put in a brief appearance at their father’s birthday celebration. Overall, there is a lot of discord in the family due to the many secrets they have been keeping.

Despite the difficulties with his family, Del is fairly easygoing and not much ruffles his composure. He enjoys working with Maya and he has learned a lot from her during their project. Both of them are still attracted to one another and they eventually act on their desire. Their relationship is a bit undefined since Del is leaving town soon, but Maya slowly realizes her feelings run deeper for him than just lust. Before they can decide what comes next for them as a couple, Del feels betrayed and lied to when he discovers Maya has been keeping a major secret from him.

Heartfelt and engaging with an exceptional cast of characters and a unique storyline, Thrill Me is a splendid addition to the Fool’s Gold series. Del and Maya are a terrific couple and their relationship is comfortable with a strong undercurrent of sexual tension. As always, the town of Fool’s Gold is warm and inviting and the townspeople are genuinely concerned for another’s well being. The glimpses of the Mitchell brothers are quite intriguing and it will be very interesting to see what Susan Mallery has planned for them in upcoming books. All in all, another sweet installment in a favorite series that old and fans of this wonderful series are sure to enjoy.