Fool's Gold Books in Order
Part ofSusan Mallery Books in OrderSee the Fool's Gold books by Susan Mallery in order, with short summaries, series background, and help choosing where to start in this small-town romance series.
Last updated:
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).
Fool's Gold books in publication order
27 books
Almost Perfect
by Susan Mallery
2010
Liz Sutton returns to Fool's Gold with the son her former boyfriend never knew existed. Facing Ethan Hendrix again revives an old attraction, but their painful history makes trusting a second chance at love far from simple.
Chasing Perfect
by Susan Mallery
2010
City planner Charity Jones arrives in Fool's Gold hoping to settle down and help solve the town's shortage of men. Former cycling star Josh Golden complicates her plans, challenging her determination to avoid another disappointing romance.
Finding Perfect
by Susan Mallery
2010
Pia O'Brian unexpectedly inherits her late friend's frozen embryos and decides to become a mother. Meeting former football player Raoul Moreno introduces a new possibility, but both must reconsider what they believe about family and commitment.
Summer Brides
by Susan Wiggs
2010
A wedding themed collection of Susan Wiggs romances, full of summer settings, second chances, and the chaos that comes with planning a happy ending.
Only His
by Susan Mallery
2011
Nevada Hendrix applies for her dream job and discovers that her prospective boss is Tucker Janack, the first love who broke her heart. They agree to keep things professional, but working together makes their old attraction difficult to ignore.
Only Mine
by Susan Mallery
2011
Dakota Hendrix oversees a television dating competition filming in Fool's Gold. Finn Anderssen arrives determined to keep his twin brothers off the show, and their clash draws two people with painful family histories toward an unexpected romance.
Only Yours
by Susan Mallery
2011
Therapy dog trainer Montana Hendrix hopes to find love in the hometown she adores. Surgeon Simon Bradley avoids emotional attachments by moving between hospitals, but Montana challenges the habits that keep him from making a home.
A Fool's Gold Christmas
by Susan Mallery
2012
An injury brings dancer Evie Stryker back to her estranged family in Fool's Gold, where she agrees to stage the winter festival. Attraction to her brother's friend, lawyer Dante Jefferson, complicates her intention to leave again.
All Summer Long
by Susan Mallery
2012
Former model Clay Stryker returns home to build a ranching life, tired of being judged by his looks. Firefighter Charlie Dixon wants a family but struggles with painful memories, bringing two guarded people into an uncertain summer romance.
Almost Summer
by Susan Mallery
2012
Paige McLean longs to travel, but adventure arrives at her door when British surgeon Alistair Woodbury needs somewhere to stay. Their growing affection challenges his vow to remain alone and her expectation that his visit must end.
Summer Days
by Susan Mallery
2012
A dispute over Castle Ranch pits businessman Rafe Stryker against Heidi Simpson, who refuses to lose the home she finally found. Protecting their families keeps them on opposing sides even as their mutual attraction grows.
Summer Nights
by Susan Mallery
2012
Horse trainer Shane Stryker wants a quiet relationship and misjudges librarian Annabelle Weiss as too adventurous. When she needs his help with a town festival, spending time together challenges his assumptions about the woman he keeps avoiding.
Christmas on 4th Street
by Susan Mallery
2013
Noelle Perkins opens a Christmas shop to celebrate her fresh start, and recovering army doctor Gabriel Boylan offers to help. Their holiday attraction brings together her optimism and his unhappy memories, testing whether he can welcome something new.
Fool's Gold Cookbook
by Susan Mallery
2013
This companion combines 150 recipes with a Fool's Gold romance about returning chef Ana Raquel and restaurateur Greg Clary. Asked to collaborate on a cookbook, the longtime rivals must work together while confronting feelings their competition has concealed.
Halfway There
by Susan Mallery
2013
Business owner Fayrene Hopkins plans to establish her career before falling in love, making visiting worker Ryan Patterson seem safely temporary. But his approaching move to Texas becomes a problem when their relationship starts to feel lasting.
Just One Kiss
by Susan Mallery
2013
Patience McGraw's childhood crush returns to Fool's Gold to open a defense academy. Bodyguard Justice Garrett rekindles their attraction, but his troubled past and her fear of another abandonment complicate the possibility of a future together.
Three Little Words
by Susan Mallery
2013
Isabel Beebe returns home to run her family's bridal shop before pursuing her own plans. The arrival of Ford Hendrix, her old teenage crush, revives feelings that threaten to change what both believe they want from life.
Two of a Kind
by Susan Mallery
2013
Felicia Swift seeks an ordinary life and close relationships in Fool's Gold, only to encounter Gideon Boylan from her past. His military experience keeps him emotionally distant, challenging her hopes for the home and family she wants.
Before We Kiss
by Susan Mallery
2014
Former football player Sam Ridge flees a fling after mistaking stored wedding gowns for a marriage scheme. When his firm hires event planner Dellina Hopkins, working together forces him to confront both the misunderstanding and their unfinished attraction.
Until We Touch
by Susan Mallery
2014
Larissa Owens keeps her feelings for boss Jack McGarry private until her mother reveals them. The former football star's guarded friendship becomes an attraction, but a family tragedy has left him unwilling to risk another emotional loss.
When We Met
by Susan Mallery
2014
Bodyguard trainer Angel Whittaker has built a protected life after painful losses. Confident public relations professional Taryn Crawford catches his attention, but their attraction challenges the emotional defenses that have allowed him to feel safe in Fool's Gold.
Hold Me
by Susan Mallery
2015
Destiny Mills wants stability after growing up with volatile celebrity parents, but a search-and-rescue assignment brings her close to thrill-seeking Kipling Gilmore. The former skier's interest forces both to consider how much trust a relationship requires.
Kiss Me
by Susan Mallery
2015
After trouble at work, Phoebe Kitzke helps a friend at a Fool's Gold ranch, where reserved cowboy Zane Nicholson must lead a tourist cattle drive. Their attraction unsettles his carefully controlled life and her uncertain plans for the future.
Marry Me at Christmas
by Susan Mallery
2015
Bridal boutique owner Madeline Krug helps organize a Christmas wedding alongside the bride's brother, movie star Jonny Blaze. He wants an ordinary escape from celebrity life, but their growing affection makes the holiday assignment unexpectedly personal.
Thrill Me
by Susan Mallery
2015
Maya Farlow returns to promote Fool's Gold and discovers that her celebrity spokesman is Del Mitchell, the man she left ten years earlier. Their professional reunion rekindles attraction while confronting the distrust left by their painful separation.
Best of My Love
by Susan Mallery
2016
Baker Shelby Gilmore seeks a male friend to help her learn to trust, while Aidan Mitchell wants to change his reputation for casual affairs. Their agreement to avoid dating becomes complicated when friendship begins turning into something more.
A Fool's Gold Wedding
by Susan Mallery
2020
Schoolteacher Abby Hendrix helps plan her sister's wedding and shows the groom's brilliant but awkward brother around Fool's Gold. Surgeon Joaquin Kincaid finds unexpected acceptance with her, but his private reason for visiting threatens their growing connection.
Where to start with Fool's Gold
Start with the first romances: Chasing Perfect → Almost Perfect → Finding Perfect
For the Hendrix triplets: Only Mine → Only Yours → Only His
For the Stryker family: Summer Days → Summer Nights → All Summer Long
For holiday romance: A Fool's Gold Christmas → Christmas on 4th Street → Marry Me at Christmas
Series background & context
Fool's Gold is built around a fictional California town that works the way the best comfort-read settings do. It feels friendly, busy, a little nosy, and full of people whose lives keep crossing in useful and inconvenient ways.
That is the point.
Across the series, Susan Mallery follows different residents, newcomers, and visitors as they find romance, rebuild after disappointment, and figure out how to belong. Some characters arrive in town looking for a reset. Others think they already know their future and then discover Fool's Gold has other ideas. Each book stands on its own, but the pleasure of the series comes from watching the town fill up with familiar faces, local businesses, family ties, and friendships that continue from book to book.
The setting matters a lot. Fool's Gold is not just backdrop. It shapes the rhythm of the stories through festivals, town projects, community drama, and the simple fact that everybody eventually knows everybody else's business. That gives the books a warm, social feel, even when the central couple is dealing with very private pain. Mallery usually balances romance with broader questions about family, identity, motherhood, trust, and starting over.
Readers can expect contemporary romance with a generous ensemble cast. There are weddings, reunions, career pivots, complicated relatives, and plenty of moments where characters have to decide whether they are brave enough to build a real life instead of the one they planned in their heads.
If you like small-town series where each installment spotlights a new couple but the larger community keeps growing around them, this is very much that kind of read. The tone is warm, relationship-driven, and easy to settle into, with enough ongoing continuity to make the town feel lived in rather than invented for a single story.
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shape MRB and its growth.












































Comments
Did we miss something? Have feedback?
Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts