Thoughts on ... Chasing Perfect

There was an interesting post on Facebook the other day. Something about investing more of herself in the lives of the characters in her stories than the real people in her life.

Color me guilty on that one. The is another small town that I've fallen in love with. Even better? Ms Mallery has a a website that really brings the town to life. check it out, here.

Chasing Perfect is the first in a series but we're dropped into a thriving community. Sure there is a shortage of men but the characters and their lives are already fully developed. Charity, the new City Planner, is the new girl in town and that's just how it feels. We're introduced to the town and the people as if we've just moved in. We jump into the middle of their lives, catching up with the ins and outs of feuds and relationships as we go. Just like the new girl in town. Guess I'm stressing that but it felt so real.

There are several twists on our way to happy ever after (this is a romance) and several hints of stories to come, last count: 9.  I wanted to say this was a quick read but it did take me most of the day. The thing is, Chasing Perfect kept me interested enough to finish in one day, despite real life's interference. The story left me satisfied but hungry for more.

Grade: B


Disclaimer: This is a book from my personal library. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of Barnes and Noble, Amazon and the publisher.


Chasing Perfect
by Susan Mallery

Publisher: Harlequin
Series: Fool's Gold
Mass Market Paperback
April 2010
18+ (I'd let my 9th grader read this)
Contemporary Romance
376 pages

availability: hardcover large print, mass market paperback, audio, and several ebook formats

Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Powell's Books, and as always ~ check your local bookseller

to visit the Author's website, click here


Product Description:

Welcome to Fool's Gold, California, a charming community in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. There's lots to do and plenty of people to meet, especially women. Because there's just one tiny problem in Fool's Gold: the men don't seem to stick around. Maybe it's the lure of big-city life, or maybe it's plain old bad luck, but regardless of the reason, the problem has to be fixed, fast. And Charity Jones may be just the city planner to do it.

Charity's nomadic childhood has left her itching to settle down, and she immediately falls in love with all the storybook town has to offer—everything, that is, except its sexiest and most famous resident, former world-class cyclist Josh Golden. With her long list of romantic disasters, she's not about to take a chance on another bad boy, even if everyone else thinks he's perfect just the way he is. But maybe that's just what he needs—someone who knows the value of his flaws. Someone who knows that he's just chasing perfect.

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