Finding Perfect
2 Stars

On the day she learns that she has inherited her BFF's frozen embryos, Pia O'Brian meets sexy ex-quarterback Raoul Moreno. Considering that she can't even take care of a cat, Pia struggles with the idea of becoming a single mother, and her inconvenient attraction to Raoul isn't helping, especially as he has suggested becoming her "pregnancy buddy".

Oy! This has got to be the most ridiculous, plot hole ridden storyline ever.
Why would Crystal leave her unborn children to a woman she knows doesn't have a maternal bone in her body? Why does Pia insist that having the babies is the right thing to do? Since when is having children out of a sense of obligation appropriate? Why would a man with as many trust issues as Raoul be willing to take on a ready made family?

Add in to the mix the fact that Pia and Raoul have zero chemistry and this book is a recipe for disaster.

Hopefully the next book will be better.

( )

This was a fairly good middle of the road read. Pia was amusing and had some fairly funny dialog. I didn't really care for the "not enough men in this town" theme. It was just unrealistic that all the firefighters and police and the mayor etc., were female. No matter the demographics of the town that wouldn't be true. Especially not the cops and firefighters. I'm not saying that there wouldn't have been some women in those jobs just that any existing men would have gravitated to those jobs and guys looking for jobs from out of town would have moved for a job. Some of the guys in my family are in small town law enforcement and they go where the vacancies are. ( )

Pia O'Brian's life is turned upside down when she learns that a good friend left her the embryos she and her husband had not had time to birth. Pia is astonished and certain that she isn't the right person for that awesome responsibility. After all, no one in her life has stayed. Her father committed suicide when she was a Senior in High School and her mother decamped to Florida with no intentions of coming back or asking Pia to go with her. A few boyfriends along the way also left her.

Pia has made a good life for herself in Fool's Gold, California. She works for the City planning events and festivals and is wonderful at the organization and details needed to make each event a success. She is supposed to have a business meeting with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Raoul Moreno who has moved to Fool's Gold and is in the process of setting up a camp for underprivileged city kids. The first meeting doesn't go well because she is still so floored by the lawyer's news but Raoul is both nice and sympathetic.

Raoul is speaking to a class of fourth graders at one of the Elementary Schools when the school catches on fire and is totally destroyed. He volunteers to let the school use his camp since the summer season is over. Pia manages to arrange a fundraiser to get supplies for the new school in just three days. Raoul connected with one of the fourth graders from his class and becomes concerned about him fearing that he might be being abused. After the school takes over his camp, Raoul forms a friendship with young Peter and even takes him in when Peter breaks his arm falling off some playground equipment and his foster parents can't be found.

Meanwhile, Pia has decided to have her friend Crystal's embryos implanted even though she isn't sure that she'll be able to handle the responsibility. Raoul offers to be her pregnancy partner and even offers to marry her. He's offering everything but his heart which was trampled on by his first wife Caro who kept an awful secret from him and lost his trust.

Pia goes along with this engagement for a while but breaks it off when she realizes that she's in love with him and not conent to marry someone who doesn't love her just as much. It takes interventions from many of the people of Fool's Gold before their situation is resolved.

This was a great romance and well narrated by Tanya Eby. Fans of small town romances will enjoy this excellent addition to the Fool's Gold series. ( )

Hard to read the last couple pages with tears in your eyes. But I managed to do it. ( )

I love everything that Susan mallery writes! ( )