My take on: Only Mine

There is a man shortage in Fool's Gold, California. What's the best way to combat that? A rather no-it-all producer has an idea. Can you guess?? How about a few hints? They can be found on just about EVERY network. They're cheap to produce. And they're supposed to be UNSCRIPTED!! OK I give in, the solution is a reality show. Send couples to Fool's Gold, send them on dates, have the audience vote them off one by one, and the last couple standing is the winner. Sound great? Not to everybody in Only Mine by Susan Mallery.

Stoic and dependable Finn Andersson doesn't want his twin brothers, Sasha and Stephen, to participate. He would rather they return to Alaska and finish their last semester of college. Ever since the death of their parents, Finn has given up his life and time to care for them. His plan is for them to graduate college and join the family business. That's his plan, but the twins want a life of their own. Something Finn cannot understand. From a practical standpoint, I get it. Go back to college and finish. It's one lousy semester. Four years (I assume. You never know some people are super seniors!!) of hard work halted when you're so close to the finish line. But from the standpoint of 21-year-olds, I get wanting a life of your own. But wouldn't it make more sense to have a backup plan before jumping into the fire?

Enter, Dakota, one of the Hendrix triplets, to help Finn keep an eye on his brothers. Dakota would rather be continuing her career as a psychologist and working with the local community, rather than working as a go-between for the shows producers and the town mayor. Of course that job isn't easy. The sexual tension between Dakota and Finn is almost instant. But should she give in? Well of course she does!!! The love scenes between are rather hot and heavy, if you can't handle it skip the pages!!!

Sasha and Stephen are wrapped up in their own world. Sasha has big dreams. He has "dreams" of making it big in Hollywood. Yeah, right that's going to happen. He has no plan for making it big, but Sasha is certain it's going to happen. To that I say, "Naive idiot!!" I watch a lot of reality TV, and the shenanigans Sasha pulls behind the scenes ring true. Stephen is the more level-headed of the two. He wants to finish college and have a career, but not on Finn's terms. He wants a career as an engineer, not become a pilot like Finn. Stephen's bond with Aurelia, the woman he is paired with on the show, seems genuine. They offer each other friendly advice, despite it not making good television. But since she's older, Aurelia is afraid to like Stephen. Years of having a domineering mother have made Aurelia afraid of trying new things. Stephen does give her some confidence, but not enough to believe she deserves love.

Finn and Dakota are also unsure of what they want. A lot of things go unsaid. Dakota, despite being reproductively challenged, wants to have a family. Finn doesn't want to be at the starting gate again. Is there a future? The budding relationship gets tested early. You will definitely pulling for this couple. This is a funny and sweet romance. I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series, and you should too!!

Rating: Superb

Notes: I received a copy from the author's publicist (Little Bird Publicity) in exchange for an honest review.  Check out Susan Mallery's web site for details on how to win a Fool's Gold Christmas ebook and Man Shortage T-Shirt!!!