Romance

The first installment in Susan Mallery's new series, Happily Inc, You Say It First is a sweet yet sassy romance between a couple who are both carrying their fair share of emotional baggage.

Nick Mitchell is temporarily staying with his brothers, Ronan and Mathias, as he waits to hear if he has been selected to create a sculpture that will take him to Dubai for two years. Working as a part-time carpenter for Weddings in a Box owner Pallas Saunders sounds like the perfect way to fill his time while he waits. Growing up with his famous yet extremely temperamental artist father, Nick has decided passion is to be avoided at all costs so he resists romantic entanglements. However, since his time in town comes with an expiration date, will Nick give in to his unexpected attraction to Pallas?

Pallas always planned to work in her family's bank but her life took a few surprising detours and she now owns a destination wedding business. Weddings in a Box is on somewhat shaky financial ground but with plenty of weddings booked for the next several months, she is hopeful she can turn things around. When her mother finally presents her with a long anticipated job offer, Pallas's reaction surprises both herself and her mom. She feels like she can never live up to her mother's expectations and she hates that she feels like she has to earn her mother's love. Because Pallas always falls short with her mother, she shies away from relationships since she does not want to feel pressured to earn a man's love. Since Nick is only going to be in town a short time, will Pallas decide to embark on a steamy no strings fling?

The romance between Pallas and Nick is slow growing and an absolute joy to watch unfold. Nick is honest with her right from the beginning that he is only interested in a short term relationship. Pallas is relieved there is no pressure on her to earn his approval or love, so there is a decided lack of conflict as they indulge in some steamy interludes. Outside of the bedroom, they are friends who work well together as they bounce ideas off each other after she is presented with an opportunity to stretch her creative wings for an upcoming wedding. Pallas grows both personally and professionally throughout their relationship but has Nick made any progress on conquering the demons that plague him?

You Say It First is a very heartwarming romance that is quite engaging. Nick and Pallas are brilliantly developed lead protagonists whose foibles and frailties that make them easy to relate to. The supporting cast of characters is somewhat quirky yet immensely appealing. Old and new fans of Susan Mallery will be absolutely delighted to immerse themselves in this first installment of the Happily Inc series. ( )

A good read dealing with difficult relationships with parents. ( )

You Say it First: A Small Town Wedding Romance (Happily, Inc.) by Susan Mallery  
You Say it First can be summed up in five words: "Laughter before happily ever after." That phrase seems to be working well because Ms. Mallery always comes out on top. From that stepping stone, she delivers tales of heartache, moments of passion and scatterings of hope. All with just the stroke of a pen and the soul of a dreamer. Humor is the beginning of life's most precious moments and through all the anger and pain it showed Nick and Pallas the road to happiness. ( )

You Say it First can be summed up in five words: "Laughter before happily ever after." That phrase seems to be working well because Ms. Mallery always comes out on top. From that stepping stone, she delivers tales of heartache, moments of passion and scatterings of hope. All with just the stroke of a pen and the soul of a dreamer. Humor is the beginning of life's most precious moments and through all the anger and pain it showed Nick and Pallas the road to happiness. ( )