Why Not Tonight (Happily Inc., #3) by Susan Mallery on September 18, 2018
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Susan Mallery welcomes you to Happily Inc, where true love isn’t just for fairy tales…
Natalie Kaleta will do anything for the artists at her gallery, including risk life, limb and the effect of humidity on her naturally curly hair. Braving a downpour to check on reclusive Ronan Mitchell, Natalie gets stranded by a mudslide at his mountain home, where the brooding glass artist reveals his playful side, sending her inconvenient crush from under-the-radar to over-the-top.
After a secret tore apart his family and made him question his sense of self, Ronan fled his hometown for Happily Inc, but the sunny small town can’t fix his damaged heart. He won’t give in to his attraction for beautiful, perpetually cheerful Natalie. She’s untouched by darkness—or so he thinks.
Natalie knows that when a heart goes through the flame, it comes out stronger. Life may not be a fairy tale, but sometimes dreams do come true. Why not this one? Why not tonight?
~~Reviewed by Amy~~
I’d recently read a couple of dark historical romances back to back. While they were amazing, I felt like I needed a change of scenery. Something contemporary and lighter. Susan Mallery’s newest addition to her Happily Inc series was just the ticket. This one is guaranteed to bring you joy and tug at your heartstrings. If you’re feeling in a rut and looking for a little inspiration, why not try Why Not Tonight?
As part-time office manager of Willow Gallery, Natalie Kaleta was responsible for all the local artists. All 3 of them. The Mitchell brothers were Happily Inc’s local brilliant and extremely lucrative talent. At present, Natalie was dealing with the very handsome but brooding and reclusive Ronan Mitchell. She’d noticed his withdrawal and lack of production the last few months. While she was sure he’d see her as an annoyance, she was determined to get him back on track.
While Ronan Mitchell had made quite a living for himself as an artist, lately whatever creativity he’d had was gone. He’d lost his mojo. He’d come to Happily Inc to find himself again. After discovering the truth behind his birth, he felt betrayed and lost. He didn’t know who he was anymore. He’d distanced himself from the only family he’d ever known. When Natalie showed up at his mountain home with her sunny, excited personality, he was grateful for the distraction. And after torrential rains and mudslides left them stranded together, Ronan, who usually preferred to be alone, realized he didn’t want her to leave.
Ronan and Natalie built a friendship in their time alone together. She realized he was more open than she’d thought. In addition to his mad artistic abilities, he had a great sense of humor. Ronan liked Natalie’s zest for life and feisty attitude. Just being near her made him feel better. It was hard to brood when she refused to let him do it. He found himself slowly opening up to her about things he’d not even discussed with his brothers. Even after the storms subsided and she went home, he anticipated spending time with her. The more time he spent with Natalie, the more focused he became. He felt inspired. Not just to work but to spend time with his brothers too. Natalie looked forward to time spent with Ronan as well. He was kind, affectionate, handsome, and talented. She felt connected to him. Things quickly turned from friendship to something more. And when it did, both Ronan and Natalie were torn. Ronan didn’t want the darker spirit he’d cultivated the last few months to destroy Natalie’s optimistic spirit and vivacity. As quickly as she was falling for Ronan, Natalie couldn’t give her heart to someone who didn’t treasure their connection as much as she did. Ronan had already turned his back on his family. Could she trust him not to turn his back on her too?
Natalie and Ronan’s friends considered them to be too opposite for a relationship to work. There were definitely big differences between them. They came from completely different backgrounds. Ronan had taken his well-to-do upbringing for granted while Natalie had struggled for everything she had. Ronan brooded about his family, the secret that had been kept from him, and his fears of being like his father. Natalie had lost the only family she’d ever known but had worked to make the best of her life and find connections with friends. I think it was what they wanted in life and the way they encouraged each other that made those differences not matter so much. They were both artistic and encouraged and supported one another in their crafts. They both wanted to belong to family. Ronan had never really lost his. He just had to figure that out for himself. Though not related by blood, Natalie found she had formed her own family of sorts with her Happily Inc friends.
Ronan and Natalie really were cute together. I loved their teasing, competitiveness, and snarky banter. I found it funny that, even when Ronan was saying it would be temporary, he was cleaning out his closets and drawers for Natalie at his house. He just needed to quit moping and figure things out. Natalie pushed him to do that, and that’s why I loved her character so much. She didn’t back down. She said what she thought. When Ronan was acting like a butthead, she called him on it. He had sunk so far into anger and confusion about his family that he couldn’t find his way out. Natalie brought him back to the land of the living. With her, the dark things in his life didn’t seem so grim, and the good parts of his life were even better.
While I had read and loved the Fool’s Gold series, this was the first I’d read of the Happily Inc series. I was able to read it as a stand-alone but couldn’t help but feel like it would have been even better had I read the first two books in the series. There were so many references to previous happenings with characters that I felt like I wasn’t getting the whole picture. I’ll be sure to catch up before the next book comes out though because I am definitely intrigued by several of the secondary characters in this book.
It had been a while since I had read Susan Mallery. I’d forgotten just how vibrant and relatable her characters are. I love the wit, warmth, and wisdom I find in her books. If you’re a Fool’s Gold fan, you’ll fall in love with Happily Inc. Like that series, this one is brilliantly written, funny, moving, and sure to make you feel good about life, love, family, and friends, and all the crazy things that come with them.
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About Susan Mallery
With more than 25 million books sold worldwide, #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is known for creating characters who feel as real as the folks next door, and for putting them into emotional, often funny situations readers recognize from their own lives. Susan’s books have made Booklist’s Top 10 Romances list in four out of five consecutive years. RT Book Reviews says, “When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself.” With her popular, ongoing Fool’s Gold series, Susan has reached new heights on the bestsellers lists and has won the hearts of countless new fans.
Susan grew up in southern California, moved so many times that her friends stopped writing her address in pen, and now has settled in Seattle with her husband and the most delightfully spoiled little dog who ever lived.
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