We get 2 for the price of one with Second Chance Girl. We met Violet and Carol Lund in the first book of this new series, and now we get both of their HEAs!

I am new to the Susan Mallery worlds, however I am already pretty addicted to the people of Happily Inc. Those Mitchell brothers really are kinda something.

This is Mathias' story, and what a story it is. It is fun, it is flirty, it is cute and adorable, but it has its fair share of darkness and sadness.

Carol Lund is soooo the right woman for Mathias - even if she doesn't think she is good enough for him. Oy, she is so much more than she thinks she is.

The scene stealer in this story though is Millie - the giraffe! I have never wanted to own a giraffe so much in my life!!

Add to this Carol's sister Violet and her surly Duke, Ulrich and you have more than enough to keep our romantic hearts aflutter.

It may just be me, but as I was reading I was hoping that this would just be a lead in to Violet's story and we would get a whole book about her and the Duke, alas it was not to be.

The more of this series I read, the more I really really dislike the Mitchell father. He is an ar$e and every time he is on the page, the urge to throw my kindle across the room rises!

I really have become involved in the lives of the Happily Inc crew, and can't wait to see what comes next.


*going on blog and Amazon etc on release*

I'm just loving this new series by Mallery. I've been enjoying the Mitchell brothers and their mess of a family life. You've got to be a very brave girlfriend to join this crew.

For this second book we are dealing with Mathias Mitchell. I really liked him in the prior book and my feeling didn't change with his book. I was a little shocked but not really when Mathias confessed to us readers (in his thoughts) why he was gun shy about relationships. On the other hand I got it.

I think that Carol is the perfect person for him. He needs someone that won't take his shit and will call him on it. But she also makes him want more out of life then what he has now. You can't help but be glad about that.

You'll find this one just as fast paced and funny as the last one. You are also really starting to get into the characters and learn about them. I also was please with Carol's sister Violet's short, sweet secondary story. Happy but was kind of shocked to have Mallery do that. Either way, I enjoyed it.

Now after enjoying Second Chance Girl I can't wait for Ronan's story. That one has to be a kicker!

Step aside Fool's Gold - here comes Happily Inc!!
This new sweet romance series is a bit of a Fool's Gold spin-off.
We already met Mathias's family in FG - he and his two artist brothers moved to Happily Inc to get away from their dad.

Mathias used to love making art with glass. Now he's halfway happy making beautiful plates and bowls. He stopped with the 'real' art a long time ago.
But he's been inspired to start again. He's been drawing picture after picture of his pretty neighbor Carol and her giraffe Millie.
Carol took over the Wild Animal Preserve on her father's huge landfill property.
And she's been crushing on Mathias ever since he came to town. But he's only interested in the sexiest of bridesmaids who flock to this wedding town every weekend.
What she doesn't know is that he is definitely very interested in her.

And we also have a little second love story going on in town.
Carol's sister - the Buttons Lady - and a Duke from England!!! Also very adorable!

What will happen with our two couples??
Will there 2 HEAs in Happily Inc this time??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺

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Adorable!

This was such a sweet romance. Exactly what we're used to from Susan.
Plus it has lots of adorable animals and buttons and British Dukes and art and so much more! Soo funny and cute!

Of course it's not all insta-happy-endy. Mathias has those love problems. As in - he will never fall in love, because ever since his twin brother turned out to NOT be his twin brother after all, he swore to himself to never again be vulnerable like that...
And Carol - she thinks she's not pretty enough. Not sexy enough. Interesting enough.
But she SO is for Mathias - but it'll take a while for those two to get their stuff sorted!!!

And Violet and Ulrich are just as adorable. But he has to go back to his estate and duke-stuff in England. Will Violet come with him?

Two great romances in one book! I loved it. I would've preferred 2 books for those 2 couples, but I still loved reading it!
I enjoyed every second of it! Millie the giraffe and Sophie the beagle totally stole the show!! ☺

Can't wait to read the next Happily Inc book!

SECOND CHANCE GIRL was such an adorable and funny and romantic love story! 2 Love Stories, really. Run to your nearest amazon for your own Mathias & Ulrich - these are MINE! ☺

It's official, Susan Mallery has sucked me in once again with her world, Happily Inc. I never thought the woman could top her imaginative world of Fool's Gold but I think she's come darn close. AND, I think as she grows the world of Happily Inc, it will give Fool's Gold a run for its money! SO far, both stories in this series have been soooooo heartwarming and fun to read. THIS particular book had two HEA and I couldn't be more pleased with both! And if THAT doesn't suck you in .... you guuuuuuuuuuuuuuys, #TeamMillie <3

I can't say this enough, Susan Mallery writes excellent feel good!!!
She will make you laugh and smile and maybe shed a tear or two and her imagination holds no bounds. Her stories are captivating and just plain fun to read!

Copy provided for blog tour review

Artist Mathias Mitchell moves to Happily Inc. California where he follows his brother Ronan after discovering a family secret about their hateful father that nearly destroys them.

He meets gameskeeper Carol Lund who runs an animal habitat that she is currently trying to raise funds in order to find a herd for her lonely giraffe Millie.

This is another great story about the Mitchell brothers and how they find love despite the circumstances of their family life. I can't wait to see what's in store for Ronan.

A solid double romance book from Susan Mallery! Mathias and Carol had a friendship of sorts to begin with, but neither of them knew that they both felt more. I still want to throat punch the Mitchell boys' dad, and their Mom needs to grow up and put on the big girl panties. The secondary romance between Violet and Ulrich was my favorite part, but that's the fairytale part of the book. I'm really hoping Ronan is next!

I love Susan Mallery’s writing style. She has just the right amount of attraction to make the romance believable and had me turning the pages hoping these two couples would figure out how much they belonged together.

Carol holds a special place in my heart; she thinks she’s far too plain and practical to attract the likes of Mathias Mitchell, playboy extraordinaire. Little does she realize he has issues of his own. Their love story will soften even the hardest heart!

When Millie, the giraffe, causes an accident with British nobleman, Ulrich Sherwood, he ends up stranded in Happily Inc. under the care of the woman he’d accused of stealing from his family.

Violet should have apologized for her sister’s giraffe and left the injured Duke to manage on his own, but something about his distinguished good looks and that sexy accent drew her to offer her services. Will these two find a way to overcome their differences, or will their hearts be broken?

This is one of those feel-good stories that will leave you smiling long after the last page is turned.

I give Second Chance Girl 5 lovely kisses- highly recommended reading!

Mathias Mitchell is a one night stand kind of guy. Carol Lund is off limits as she is a keeper. The two are friends but it turns out Mathias is more into Carol than he thought. Mathias is one of the twins who it turns out are not twins and he is still suffering from the withdrawal of his brother. We get more of the drama around the Mitchell family but Carol finally convinces Mathias that she is not like others in his life. She is not giving up on him and she is not leaving. There are two love stories in the book as both Carol and her sister find their HEA. Neither have a easy time and that makes for a very good read. While there is a wedding in book two it just provides the framework for the two love stories. Oh and the giraffe plays an important part in the story and gets her happy ending too. In her case it does not involve a male.

The small town Happily Inc., known for being the destination of couples in love, and where several celebrities have used as an escape route to express their love, continues to offer the best wedding themed parties through Pallas' company.
But the town, with its wildness, has a reserve that houses the cutest giraffe in the world, Millie.
But Millie is also lonely and so Carol Lund, responsible for caring for the animal, is raising funds to bring a herd to Millie.
Carol ends up receiving help from Mathias Mitchell, brother of Nick and Ronan. The latter is famous for his glass sculptures, as well as their father, Ceallach Mitchell.
Mathias is not as talented as his father (at least it's what he thinks of himself) and his "twin" brother, but his pieces in glass also draw public attention.

However, more than raising funds for Millie, more than working together to plan the marriage of the other Mitchell brother, Del, Mathias has a deep - and romantic - interest in Carol.
But nothing is as easy as it seems.
Both Mathias and Carol have their emotional problems.
The chemistry between them is very strong, but each of them needs to overcome their fears - and their dilemmas - if they want to be together.

Meanwhile, Carol's sister, Violet, needs to get away with a serious charge of stealing from none other than a DUKE (a real, charming one)!!

Fun, lots of romance, but also a pinch of subjects to make you think.
No family is perfect. Everyone deserves to be happy.

I really enjoyed the reading, but sometimes I liked more the story of the second couple, Violet and Ulrich. Mathias and Carol took a little long time to increase.
4,5 stars

From puppy love thru teenage crush to adult frustration, there is one major commonality. Heartbreak. Opening up to that chance of forever, only to discover that hope has turned to never. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Perhaps that's why Carol and Mathias are easy to identify with. A piece of ourselves shines through in every scenario. Self -doubt, sadness and a little bit of hopeful fantasy guides readers through a romance that is uniquely sweet and irresistible to the hidden romantic in us all. Carol is a woman with a ton of baggage but a huge amount of heart. She showers love on the animals she welcomes into her home, but wishes for someone to call her own. Mathias is a man that sees beauty, where others don't bother to look. He creates beauty using his mind, his heart and his hands. Can he allow his creative optimism to guide him in matters of the heart? Second Chance Girl begins as a long range dream and quickly becomes a tale of understated beauty and courageous second chances. What dreams are made of. The ability to hope.

excellent follow up to the first book in this series, You Say it First.

The author knows how to weave a tale and I really liked that there was more than one romance brewing in the book with some hints on future pair ups when she writes those books (or at least I think they were hints!)

I love the women in this town - they are all spunky and accomplished in their chosen fields. The men are interesting too since they do catch the attention of the women in town. And then who could forget Millie the giraffe? She is really the star of the book but you may not know it unless you read the book.

I enjoy the romance and the personal histories of the characters...it is like getting to know a new friend.

I had liked the previous book in this series, so I was eager to get to this one.

My main problem is that I didn't like Carol. Don't get me wrong, she's a smart and wonderful character. I loved her devotion to the animals and Millie in particular. I straight up hated her inner monologue, especially when it came to Mathias. She was constantly thinking she was plain and boring and not special and that got old reaaaaallllly fast. Mathias had promise, but I mostly found him lacking. The passion for his art {which is so apparent} doesn't translate to anything or anyone else.

Plot wise, there is a lot of drama and push and pull. Mathias has to deal with what's going on in his family and chooses to ignore all of it, which obviously doesn't resolve anything. And I just really wish someone would junk punch the dad already.

FYI: this isn't just a story about Carol and Mathias. Carol's sister Violet also has a plot line and with her love interest, there are four POVs in this book. And while I was mostly annoyed with all things Carol, Violet's thread was fun and filled with banter and sweetness and was quite enjoyable. Without Violet's story, I would have rated this 2 stars.

Overall, it there were parts that kept me reading, but I sort of wish I would have skipped it. I'll only be continuing this series if Ronan's book is next.

**Huge thanks to Harlequin Books for providing the arc free of charge**

Artists, Mathias, and his brother, moved to a new town to get away from their critical artistic father. Now Mathias lives next to a game preserve and becomes fascinated with Carol, the game preserve warden. The natural easy way she has with the animals, especially Millie the giraffe, captivate his imagination and inspire him to create amazing art. Carol has never felt special enough to attract a sexy good looking man like Mathias but that doesn't stop her from thinking about him. When they finally get together it's magic. This is the next book in the Happily Inc series.

Give me any title by Susan Mallery, she never disappoints! Her books make you fall in love again and again!

Badda bing, badda boom, it’s another of Susan Mallery’s trademark, unforgettable opening scenes. It’s one-thirty in the morning and injured gazelle Bronwen decides to kick gamekeeper Carol Lund in the stomach.

Carol Lund glared at Bronwen and the gazelle glared right back.

“You don’t get to have attitude, young lady,” Carol told her. “I’m not the one who insisted on going out by the rocks. I’m not the one who got scraped up, yet here I am, in the middle of the night, checking on your leg to make sure you don’t have an infection.”

The “compensation” for visiting Bronwen after midnight is “the perfect sky” above, twinkling with a million stars. When Carol’s almost home, she gets out of her Jeep and lies back on her jacket, in order to “get the best view of the wonder above.” Not a typical time to be visited by her neighbor but suddenly a “swoopy midnight-blue Mercedes sedan” pulls up.

Of all the gin joints in all the world, she thought. She watched a tall, dark-haired man step out of his car and walk toward her. It had to be after two in the morning, yet Mathias Mitchell looked more alert than sleepy. No doubt the lingering effects of the hunt, takedown and getting laid.

What’s up—Mathias asks her if she’s lost a contact lens. He dubs her an “odd woman” for being outside in the middle of the night, nurturing a gazelle aka a ruminant aka a cow (just like her favorite animal, Millie, a delightful giraffe).

“I’m not saying anything about her character, just pointing out that despite her being adorable and very tall, she is, in fact, a ruminant.” He leaned close enough for her to smell the perfume clinging to her body. “Which makes her just like a cow,” he added in a stage whisper.

She waved her hand in front of her face. “There’s a smell.”

Mathias nodded. “Yeah, she did get a little heavy with the scent.”

“Did the big boobs compensate?”

“I’m not actually a breast man. My requirements are more about general appeal.”

“If she’s slutty, you’re in?” She cleared her throat. “So to speak?”

“You wound me. There’s a process.”

“Not a very good one. You really need to shower before you go to bed tonight or your sheets are going to reek.”

“Excellent advice. Thank you.”

“My neighbor, the man whore.”

But Carol doesn’t really mean it. Mathias is the “opposite of a brooding artist.” He’s easy going and good-natured so when Carol tells him she doesn’t see what all the ladies see in him, she’s lying to herself and him.

Mathias was funny enough to be charming and sexy enough to be irresistible. She would admit that even she had had the odd fantasy or two about him. Not that she would ever bother to act—she knew her place in the world. She was the plain peahen, while Mathias was the classic peacock.

What could bring a peahen and a peacock together? How about a giraffe named Millie? Mathias desperately needs Carol’s help to organize an upcoming family wedding: the bride is out-of-town and everyone, including his parents, will soon descend on the wedding destination town of Happily Inc. Carol agrees to help and the more he sees her in action, the more he appreciates her quiet, kind competence. And then there’s his mother’s dog Sophie. Elaine announces to a shocked Mathias that since she’s going on tour with his hard-assed glass artist father, Mathias has to take care of Sophie, for a month. This is no easy task, Mathias realizes: “If there were trouble within a five-mile radius, Sophie found it, rolled in it, then brought it home as a prize.” Without Carol’s help and advice, neither Mathias or Sophie is going to make it through the month.

How does Millie fit in? Mathias learns that Carol is passionate about finding friends for Millie, because “the sweet giraffe was lonely and needed a herd.” Obviously, rounding up a number of female giraffes is an expensive proposition. When Mathias learns Carol’s considering a bake sale, not exactly the road to raising hundreds of thousands of dollars, he steps up and says he’ll help her organize an art auction. Think of it like putting on a play—Mathias and Carol are together morning, noon, and night. Carol is there when Mathias despondently drinks over his fraught relationship with his overbearing and dismissive father. How can she help?

“I should get you something to eat. You’ll feel better.”

“That won’t help at all.”

She ignored that and stood. He rose as well—to get out of her way, she thought. Or maybe to stop her.

What she didn’t expect was for him to pull her hard against him and kiss her as if she were the one thing he’d be waiting for.

No wonder “every part of her began to cheer.” Second Chance Girl is occasionally raucous (blame all those animals) and ribald but sweet and touching too. What a great addition to Susan Mallery’s new Happily Inc series—can’t wait to meet the next couple.

3 Stars
Susan Mallery fans will be happy with this latest series Happy Inc. Three brothers are the hub and we follow their finding love. In this entry we have one of the brothers who is interested in his neighbor...a need for more Giraffes and knowing when the person right in front of you is what you have been looking for all along.

I was given a chance to read this for a honest review from netgalley.com

So if your a huge fan of Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series then you will love this new series Happily Inc. This book is the second and the series and I loved both the first one and the this one. These two stories pick up where the last Fools Gold one left off with the Mitchell brothers.

Second Chance Girl is Mathias's story, and how sometimes that one person who your not looking for is right next door. Carol his neighbor and local gamekeeper of Millie the giraffe who becomes Mathias's muse. Both Millie and Carol inspire him to start working with glass again. I do not want to ruin the story for you but this is a must read for any Susan Mallery fan! I can not wait for the next book in the series!

This is the second book in the Fools Gold spin off series. Luckily for Fool's Gold fans we get to see some of those characters from that series. Three of the Mitchell brothers moved to Happily Inc from Fool's Gold. Nick got his story in book one and now it's Mathias' turn for a HEA. Mathias spent over 20 years thinking he was a twin. His dad blew that all apart when he announced that he had a affair and his mistress at the time was the mother of Ronan his twin. That broke the bond between the two brothers. Mathias is a glass artist like his two brothers and father but he gave up the fine glass work when his dad destroyed a piece of his finest work and told him it was crap. Now he makes dishes and vases. Carol is his neighbor and takes care of the animals at her families animal preserve. She thinks she's a plain jane and no where near in Mathias' league. These two start out as friends but are there for each other when they need it. There's also a side story with Carol's sister Violet that's sweet but quick. Much of the story is about helping Carol raise money for Millie her lone Giraffe at the preserve but also the relationship between the Mitchell brothers and their parents as they prepare for the oldest brother Del's wedding. There were some slow spots in this book but overall i really enjoyed it. If your looking for a good relaxing read with some funny bits this book will work for you.

Find out more about Susan Mallery and this series here www.susanmallery.com

The second book in the Happily, Inc series tells the stories of sisters Violet and Carol and how Millie the giraffe gets a herd. ARC from NetGalley. Review on GoodReads.

Mathias Mitchell's easy smile hides a world of hurt. After the worst kind of family betrayal, he moves to Happily Inc., California—the wedding destination town supplies a steady stream of bridesmaids, perfect for his "no promises, no pain" lifestyle. Yet he can't stop watching for his beautiful, elusive neighbor on the animal preserve behind their homes.

Gamekeeper Carol Lund knows she's not special enough to attract an alpha male like Mathias, so his offer to help her adopt a herd for her lonely giraffe is surprising—and his determined seduction, even more so. But just as she finally welcomes him into her bed, his careless actions crush her heart. Will she give him a second chance to prove she'll always come first in his heart?

This is the second in the Happily Inc series and I loved this one better than the first if that's even possible!! I always roll with the description of the author's towns because I want to live there and we're reading fiction...so if you're reading trying to pick out something that's realistic - then go look somewhere else.

The only issue I had with this book is that it didn't really describe Carol all that well. Carol sees herself as an ugly duckling, but apparently, we find out that she's not. It would have been nice to have a detailed description of her. Mathias on the other hand, is a sexy player of a man who can have any and all women he chooses and he chooses them frequently, but he's now chosen Carol and the two of them together....well I'll just let you read the book!! The backstory with the giraffe is sooo cute and adorable!! Mathias and his glass art is an awesome addition. This is well worth the read.

I was given an ARC from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated are my own and no one else's.