Bestseller Mallery’s 10th romance set in the Sierra Nevada town of Fool’s Gold, Calif. (after All Summer Long) brings together two people who aren’t exactly thrilled to be in town for the holidays. Dancer Evie Stryker feels like an outcast, and only returns to Fool’s Gold after a leg injury sidelines her performing career. Lawyer Dante Jefferson ends up in the tiny hamlet after his law partner, Rafe Stryker—Evie’s older brother—relocates their practice from San Francisco. Neither is looking for romance: Evie can’t wait to heal and get back to work, and Dante, whose mother was shot and killed as a “lesson” after Dante dated a gang leader’s girlfriend, is terrified of loving anyone. As Evie tries to forgive her family for a tough childhood and Dante wonders whether he can risk his heart, both experience the closeness and camaraderie of a small town where everyone pulls together. This sweet Christmas treat is a pleasant introduction to Mallery’s popular series. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Oct.)
