Shane Stryker’s dream has been to own his own ranch. He’s been in the business of breeding and training racehorses and has finally bought some land he’s going to build on in the open fields next to his mother’s house. Shane is divorced and while he’s happy that relationship is past him, he’s still scarred from the deceit and dishonesty of his ex-wife.

One evening, Shane walks into Jo’s Bar and is captivated by a redhead dancing on the bar. He’s instantly attracted to her, but knows he needs to leave immediately. Her behavior reminds him of his ex-wife and he doesn’t want to be around a temptation that could end up hurting him again.

Annabelle Weiss is the local librarian in Fool’s Gold and is preparing for a local town festival in a few months. She’s going to perform an ancient dance indigenous to the area in order to raise money for a bookmobile. The dance requires a horse, but the problem is, Annabelle doesn’t know how to ride a horse much less dance on one.

A mutual friend convinces Shane to teach Annabelle how to ride a horse. When Annabelle shows up at the stables, Shane is shocked to see the redhead from the bar. He instantly wants to back out of the agreement, but knows he can’t go back on his word. The goal now is to get through the lessons for a few months without losing control when Annabelle is around.

Summer Nights is the same light-hearted and entertaining book that Mallery is known for. The wit and attention-grabbing dialogue are enjoyable. Annabelle is a wonderful character that is kind hearted, independent, and very relatable. The story line progresses well and keeps the reader interested. You can’t go wrong with a Susan Mallery book and the Fool’s Gold series has another hit.

--Nichole Howell