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    Hold Me
    Hold Me
    Hold Me
    Audiobook8 hours

    Hold Me

    Written by Susan Mallery

    Narrated by Tanya Eby

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery's classic blend of lighthearted humor and intense emotional conflict works its magic on two newcomers to the California town of Fool's Gold, which Library Journal calls "a setting so real and appealing readers will want to start scoping out real estate."

    Destiny Mills believes passion has its place—like in the lyrics of the country songs that made her parents famous. After a childhood full of drama and heartache, she wants a life that's calm. Safe. Everything that Kipling Gilmore isn't. Her temporary assignment with the Fool's Gold search and rescue team puts her in delicious proximity to the former world-class skier every day. Part of her aches to let go for once…the rest is terrified what'll happen if she does.

    Though an accident ended his career, Kipling still lives for thrills—and a hot fling with a gorgeous redhead like Destiny would be a welcome diversion. Yet beneath his new coworker's cool facade is a woman who needs more than he's ever given. With her, he's ready to take the risk. But love, like skiing, is all about trust—and before you soar, you have to be willing to fall.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateApr 28, 2015
    ISBN9781491504437
    Author

    Susan Mallery

    No.1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives - family, friendship, romance. She's known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur.

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    Reviews for Hold Me

    4/5

    110 ratings7 reviews

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    • 1/5
      at this point, forget the festivals, Fools Gold's claim to fame is unprotected sex on the part of otherwise intelligent adults, followed by marriage, which the characters seem to think is a great sacrifice on their part. *Every* book is the same. I started reading the series because some of the characters were mentioned in "Second Chance Girl" which was better. I think I'll jump to the rest of the Happily Inc series instead.
    • 3/5
      Hold me by Susan Mallery is a 2015 HQN publication. This book is the sixteenth in Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series. I have not read all the books in the series and have followed it in an erratic fashion, popping in and out from time to time. I picked this one up from my overdrive library hoping to catch up with the series a bit because I signed on to read and review an upcoming release. Kipling, an Olympian who suffered a career ending accident, is putting his life back together now, and is the leader of the local search and rescue team as well as the owner of a new bar- The Man Cave. Destiny is in Fool’s Gold to test out her STORMS system that aids in search and rescue operations, which means Kipling is one of the first people she meets. She is also the sole guardian of a half-sister, Starr, a fifteen year old girl she had never met. Kipling is a good guy and gives Destiny a shoulder to lean on and patiently listens to her problems. Destiny’s biggest fear is to fall in love, or lose control over her reasoning power, which is something her famous parents have done time and time again. This fear also keeps Destiny from embracing her talent as a singer, and from taking risks in life. But, Kipling challenges all that, which causes Destiny to lose her battle against falling in love. But, does Kipling feel the same way? What will happen when Destiny’s job ends and it is time for her move on?As is often the case with a long running series, one book will come along that doesn’t have the same polish and shine as the others. This one falls into that category. While there are some emotional moments in the story, the chemistry between Kipling and Destiny is more like a dull butter knife than a razor sharp blade. I liked Kipling right away, even if he was a little over confident, but I nearly lost all respect when he visits a doctor in one of the most ridiculous scenes I’ve ever read. It was funny on one hand, but irritating in another, and highly, highly, improbable. Then there were his reasons for holding back is feelings for Destiny, which didn’t make a lot sense if you really get to thinking about it and so as the book progressed I ended up with mixed emotions about him. I’ve read several novels that delved into the lives of the children of famous rock stars, all of them painting a grim, sad picture of the effects of fame. Destiny and Starr bear the scars as children abandoned by their parents, who put career first, and were so self-absorbed they didn’t even know their own child’s birthdate. This area of the story was the most compelling, I thought. Being responsible for a teenager who desperately needs a foundation and suffered the same disappointments she did, was an eye opening experience for Destiny who began to mature in ways she never would have imagined. Destiny’s character development was the strongest area in this story, with the romance taking it on the chin a little bit. Naturally, there is a HEA and the story is enjoyable enough, and has merit, it’s just not on par with the other books I’ve read in this series.3 stars
    • 1/5
      Hold Me
      1 Star

      Destiny Mills has come to Fool's Gold to work with its search and rescue team headed by former Olympic skier, Kipling Gilmore. For Destiny, a lifetime of her infamous parents' intense emotions has made her wary of passion and romance. Likewise, Kipling, who has come to town to recuperate both in body and spirit after a horrific accident, is reluctant to risk his heart. Can these two lost souls find each other?

      The compelling introduction of Kipling's character several books prior had me eager to read his book. Unfortunately, this book does not live up to expectations.

      Kipling and Destiny have both been damaged by their parents' behavior, and their issues are not conducive to a healthy relationship. Moreover, not only do they have zero chemistry, but Kipling's actions having sex with Destiny when she is drunk and his desire to "fix" her dislike of sex are reprehensible and completely undermine the romance.

      The minor conflict focusing on the rivalry between Kipling and Jo's bars is contrived and ridiculous. The town is more than large enough to support two bars catering to such different clientele, and the way in which Jo and the other women react does not present them in a positive light.

      Overall, this book does neither Fool's Gold nor Susan Mallery any favors.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      Hold Me is the sixteenth (sixteenth!!!!) installment in Susan Mallery's warm and inviting Fool's Gold series and it is just as fresh and appealing as the novels that proceed it. In this heartwarming addition, it is newcomers Destiny Mills and Kipling Gilmore turn to find their happily ever after.

      Destiny, along with her teenage sister Starr, temporarily move to Fool's Gold while Destiny sets up the software for the town's new search and rescue program. Her job requires frequent travel, so she really has no permanent ties or friendships but she immediately connects with many of the women in town. As Starr's newly appointed guardian, Destiny slowly realizes that it might be time to put down some permanent roots and Fool's Gold might be her final assignment. Her tempestuous and unsettled childhood with her country music star parents has given her a rather unique outlook on sex, love and marriage and by choice, Destiny has never had a serious relationship.

      After a career ending skiing accident, Kipling moved to Fool's Gold to head up the new search and rescue team. He is also partners with several of the men in town and they are about to open a bar where the men can hang out and watch sports. He is a firm believer that actions speak louder than words so when someone he cares for runs into a problem, he springs into action and finds a way to fix things for them. His younger sister Shelby is often the recipient of his problem solving and despite her exasperation with him, the two have a close relationship.

      Destiny and Kipling end up spending a lot of time together professionally and slowly but surely, an unexpected friendship forms between them. Kipling is attracted to her right from their first meeting, but he is only interested in a short term fling. Since Destiny witnessed firsthand how destructive strong emotion and passion can be, she decided to avoid romantic entanglements altogether. She does not recognize the strange yearnings that she feels around Kipling, but she does enjoy spending time with him. However, the one night Destiny unleashes her passion for music, their friendship takes an unexpected detour that could change the course of their relationship.

      In Hold Me, Susan Mallery once again works her magic and provides readers with another enchanting addition to the Fool's Gold series. All of the characters are multi-faceted with relatable flaws and believable problems to overcome. The setting is, as always, idyllic with a homey atmosphere. The storyline is realistic and delightfully angst free. It is another fun and heartfelt novel that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys sweet and steamy contemporary romances.
    • 4/5
      Hold me by Susan MalleryHave read most of the author's series works and was even on street team til i decided not to give a book 5 stars.I was dropped and now I read them when I want to.This book surrounding Fool's Gold is about Destiny Mills. She's part of the search and rescue team.Her firm had written the program for the computer and she trains those who will be using it, how to use it.Kipling, an Olympic athlete makes her feel welcome. His career is over since the accident but he runs S&R in FG. Good to catch up with all the regular residents also. FG is a town where all the major roles are run by women.Destiny's half sister Star is staying with her since her father's death. She's a teen. Destiny loves music and playing instruments.They had just met 10 days prior to arriving at FG. Struggles raising a teen and other secrets come to light. Sex scenes and lots of drama.Typical you know what's gonna happen, they will end together by the end. Unprotected sex, really?
    • 5/5
      Very good book about two newcomers to Fool's Gold. Destiny is in town for a few months to help install and train people on the new search and rescue software. Kipling was recruited by Mayor Marsha to run the search and rescue unit. Destiny is a woman who exerts a great deal of control over her life. She grew up with famous country music parents, whose volatile personalities had a big effect on her. After seeing each of them fall in and out of love countless times, she has decided that love and passion belong in the lyrics of a song, not in her life. As a result she has some very definite and interesting views on marriage and everything that goes with it. Her calm and well ordered life has taken a bit of a turn when she becomes the guardian of the fifteen year old half sister she's never met before. Kipling came to Fool's Gold after recovering from a skiing accident that ended his career. He really misses his old life, but finds satisfaction in his new job. He has his own issues from the past that have affected his life. After watching people say one thing but do another, he has decided that actions speak louder than words, which is perfect for him. Kipling is a man who, when he sees a problem, has to find a way to fix it. He still feels guilty that it took so long to rescue his sister from their father's abuse.Destiny and Kipling have chemistry from the beginning, but Destiny resists as hard as she can. Kipling is nothing like the safe and calm relationship she has in mind for her future. Kipling, on the other hand, finds Destiny to be just what he has in mind - a beautiful woman, in town for a short time, and perfect for a bit of a fling. He is intrigued by her outlook on relationships, and takes it as a challenge to show her what she is missing. He is determined in his pursuit, and some of the conversations between him and Destiny end up being pretty funny. Eventually he does tap into her passionate side, but it doesn't turn out at all the way he expected and only reinforces Destiny's opinion. Kipling's attempts to "fix" his mistakes is hilarious. The relationship between Destiny and Kipling builds slowly as both of them learn to face their fears. I really enjoyed the patience that Kipling had as he introduced Destiny to the passion that he saw in her. When he finally broke through that last wall, the change in her was amazing. At the same time, Kipling had to learn that action is great, but sometimes a woman needs to hear the words in order to believe that the feelings are real. It was especially fun to see what pushes them together and Destiny's reaction was priceless!I also enjoyed the changes that Destiny went through as she and Starr got to know each other. Starr's involvement with her music gave Destiny a connection with her. Destiny's love of music was one of those things that she tried to repress, until it would become too much and she would have to sing, or write, or both. Working with Starr gave Destiny an outlet she hadn't realized she needed so badly. I also loved seeing her make friends with the women of Fool's Gold.Kipling also had some lessons to learn. He has been used to seeing a need and doing something about it without really consulting anyone else. His sister is used to it, but has reached the point of having to explain to him that she doesn't want him to do that for her any more. Then there is the fix he got into with the bar. He saw that the men of the town didn't really have a place of their own, so he opened The Man Cave. Unfortunately for him, he didn't think about the effects on the long established Jo's Bar, and soon found himself running afoul of the women of the town. This spilled over onto his married business partners, leaving him especially confused. I loved seeing what he finally did, and how he and Jo worked everything out.
    • 3/5
      Fool’s Gold doesn’t disappoint. It follows the basic formula of Ms Mallery’s and that is a very good thing. We have the typical two people who are damaged in some way –either emotionally or physically –and in this book we have one of each. Kipling was an Olympic skier who was critically hurt in a skiing accident and Destiny is the product of a seriously dysfunctional family best known for their chart topping country western music and affairs.Kipling is called a fixer who likes to fix things for other people and doesn’t want to really settle down, and Destiny shies away from love and vows to only have an unemotional, calm marriage made-up of partners who are pretty much just friends. She also believes that making love should just be for procreation purposes. Naturally Kipling takes it upon himself to prove her wrong with the sex part!Toss into this merry mix Destiny’s fifteen year old step-sister, Kipling’s abused sister Shelby, (a tertiary character)Miles (a tertiary character also) who loves ‘em and leaves ‘em, and you have quite the recipe for disaster –Fool’s Gold style. The characters are seemingly well developed but I still found something to be a little lacking. So much of this book dealt with other things and not just one the budding romance. Normally this works for this series, but I found it to not work as well in this particular book. The plot seemed a little ho-hum also.All in all not a horrid book, but I felt it wasn’t the best of the Fool’s Gold series.