Review - Kiss an Angel

Title: Kiss an Angel
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 1996
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: A+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: Received a free copy at the 2016 RT convention.

As far as I know, Kiss an Angel is not part of any series by SEP.  Daisy Devreaux's mother was a famous model, with whom her father had a fling with once and never married.  Daisy was raised by her unconventional mother and has lived a life of privilege.  Since her mother's recent death, Daisy has racked up a substantial amount of debt, enough that she could serve jail time.  Her father is willing to pay off Daisy's debts and keep her out of jail as long as she agrees to marry Alex Markov.  Alex owes Daisy's father a debt and Alex always pays his debts.  Alex is tasked with reigning Daisy in and teach her how to grow up and be responsible for once in her life.

As you can see from my rating, I absolutely adored this book!!!  Daisy might just be my favorite heroine ever.  At first you think, oh God, she is going to be a brat.  And this is exactly what Alex assumes, as well, when he meets her.  But actually Daisy nothing like you would think.  She is actually such a sweet caring person you can't help but fall in love with her.  She is very naïve about things and assumes the best of people and that it gets her into trouble.  Right after she marries Alex, he takes her to her new home, which is a run down trailer in a circus.  Yes, that's right.  A circus.

Let me tell you this book had me in stiches.  Some of the exchanges between Alex and Daisy are hilarious.  Daisy gets a few over on Alex every once in a while, but most of the story, Alex is ruling the roost.  Even though at first you think Alex is the stronger character, the reader quickly realizes that Daisy is the stronger one.  SEP always takes her heroines to rock bottom, only to have them strengthen their resolve and face the challenge head on.  Kiss an Angel has so much heart, and laughter and tears.  I loved it.  And this book has to have one of the best grovel scenes I have ever read.  I love, love, loved it!!  What are you waiting for??? Seriously, go and read this book!!

Review - First Lady

Title: First Lady
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 2000
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I listened to the audio version that I borrowed from my library.

Cornelia Case wants nothing more than to escape her life in the public eye. After her husband, the president of the United States was assassinated Cornelia longs to experience the ordinary. She manages to disguise herself and elude the secret service men tasked with her safety. On her adventure she meets up with Matt Jorvich who finds himself the guardian to two children Lucy and Button. Lucy at 14 whose Mother recently died has been raising Button by herself. Cornelia finds herself on a journey with the Jorvich to find the girls' grandmother. Along the way Cornelia finds herself part of a family.

First Lady was an enjoyable read. I thought the characters were endearing. The adventures they found themselves in were fun to listen to. First Lady isn't my favorite book by SEP. I can't really put my finger on why. I enjoyed the characters. Although I thought maybe towards the end that Cornelia and Matt were extremely stubborn in their resistance to their feelings for one another, Matt especially about having a family. If they would have just talked about things, misunderstandings could have been avoided. I know this review is short, but I just don't have much more to say about it. I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't my favorite by SEP. That about sums it up for me.

*Interesting factoid:* Lucy makes an appearance in SEP’s latest release Call Me Irresistible as Teddy Beaudine’s fiancé.

Review - Match Me if You Can

Title: Match Me if You Can
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publication Date: 2009
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: A-
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I borrowed the audio version from my library.

Match Me if You Can is the sixth book in Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars series. Annabelle Granger is desperate to land Heath Champion as a client for her new match making company, Perfect for You. With such a prestigious client, her new company will be sure to succeed and in doing so will get her family off her back. She is basically the black sheep in the family. Heath Champion is a very well known sports agent who is as ruthless as he is handsome. He is looking for a wife and has unrealistic expectations of the type of woman he is ready to settle down with. Annabelle has her work cut out for her if she is to be successful in finding him his perfect match.

I had a lot of fun listening to Match Me if You Can. First of all the narrator Anna Fields does an excellent job of getting the humor just right. She is able to use really good inflection when delivering those zingers. There is a lot of really great dialogue between Annabelle and Heath. These two go back and forth throughout the book and readers who love a lot of banter between the hero and heroine are going to really enjoy this book.

I loved Annabelle. She is my kind of heroine. She is funny, smart and completely driven and focused. She was a little insecure but it was only a small part of her character. Heath too was an excellent match for her. He is just as driven, funny and smart. He too has his own little insecurities to get over. I thought this was a great read with many memorable scenes. The dialogue is fantastic and is chock full of rich characters. I even found the secondary love story between Portia and Bodey a treat. Two thumbs up. I highly recommend it.

Review - Call Me Irrisistable

Title: Call Me Irresistible
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: January 2011
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased an eBook from Barnes and Noble for my Nook eReader.

Call Me Irresistible is the story of Teddy Beaudine who is all grown up. Readers were first introduced to Ted as the ugly, awkward child of Francesca and Dallie from the book Fancy Pants. But now Ted is all grown up and is about to marry Lucy Jorik, a woman with whom everyone believes is perfect for Ted, including Ted. Although much to everyone's surprise, Lucy leaves Ted at the Alter and everyone needs someone to blame. That someone just happens to be Lucy's best friend and maid of honor, Meg Koranda. Meg finds herself stranded in the small Texas Town of Wynette with no friends and no money and everyone including the mayor himself, Mr. Ted Beaudine is out for blood.

Once again Ms. Phillips has out done herself with another fantastic novel. Ted and Meg are great characters. I instantly loved Meg. She has this way of seeing straight to the truth of things at least for other people, but when it comes to herself she has always felt like she never measured up. In Call Me Irresistible she learns exactly what she is capable of, just how strong and smart she is and realizes she has plenty of self worth. She is the perfect counterpoint for Ted whose success comes so easy to him. His whole life he has been nothing but the golden boy. For once in his life, Meg is his first glimpse at having to work for something.

The drama of the town, Meg's presence and the difficulties she goes through in order to learn her lesson are all extremely griping and entertaining. I could hardly put the book down. I couldn't wait to see what outrageous thing would happen next. There is great dialogue, wonderful characters and an exciting conclusion. I loved it and would recommend it to fans of SEP or contemporary romance.

Review - Lady Be Good

Title: Lady Be Good
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 1999
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: A-
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I purchased a used copy.

Lady Be Good is loosely related to Fancy Pants, another book by the illustrious Susan Elizabeth Phillips, AKA SEP. Kenny Traveler is a professional golfer who has been suspended from playing in tournaments for bad behavior. He is determined to clean up his act and lay low for a while to get back in the good graces of the golf commissioner. He has been asked to chauffeur Lady Emma Wells-Finch around Texas as she does research for a paper. She is the head mistress of a private institution for young ladies in England. She has never been attached to any scandal and is looking to ruin her reputation. Her motivations are complicated. Put Emma and Kenny together and they are fire and ice.

God, I love SEP! Her books entertain me endlessly. Right off the bat, Kenny and Emma both mistake the other. Emma thinks Kenny is just a hot body with no brains and Kenny is struck by Emma's beauty but once she opens her mouth her bossy demeanor has got to go! Kenny loves toying with Emma's serious, straight-laced personality and shaking up her world. Boy does he ever! But don't let Emma fool you, she shakes up Kenny's world and surprises him at every turn. He thinks she is going to react one way, but she never fails to turn the tables.

I really enjoyed this story. Kenny and Emma's characters are great. Kenny is a super, spoiled rich kid with whom nobody has ever really gotten to know. Emma is practically an orphan who has never had a family to call her own. These two manage to find and balance each other out. Emma is the first person to really see Kenny. I love that the major focus of this book is these two characters and their relationship is front and center. Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a master story teller and this is a wonderful read. Fortunately, for those of you who haven't ever had the pleasure of reading her can start with this one. Even though it is loosely connected to Fancy Pants you don't have to have read that one to enjoy Lady Be Good.

Review - Fancy Pants

Title: Fancy Pants
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 1989
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased an ebook for my Nook from Barnes and Noble.

Fancy Pants is the first book in Susan Elizabeth Phillips Texas Wynette series. It tells the story of Francesca Serritella Day, an English socialite heiress who ends up penniless in the Southern United States with only the clothes on her back. It is a tale of a spoiled, self-absorbed woman who at the lowest point of her life faces self discovery to become one of the best journalists television has ever seen. Along the way Francesca meets Dallie Beaudine, a golf pro who seems to be the one man immune to Francesca's charms.

Wow! What can I say about this book? First of all, if you haven't read a book by the famous SEP, what are you waiting for? Ms. Phillips pens an incredible story. Now, granted this is not my favorite by her, but hot DAMN, what a story! The book starts out a little slow because it sets up Francesca's childhood and even goes into the details of her conception. Really, though it is all still quite entertaining, it's just that I know romance readers and they will want the author to get to the main romance right away. Be patient and you will be rewarded.

Don't worry though, once Francesca and Dallie meet - BAM it is like fire and ice. If you like polar opposites attracting then these two characters are right up your alley. Like cats and dogs these to fight with each other and their first encounter is especially memorable. I give Ms. Phillips and A+ for originality. That is for sure.

Now, this story is a little dated. It takes place in the eighties and some of the male perspective is definitely old fashioned. But these two characters are such strong personalities and the story is so entertaining I let a lot of the character's flaws go by the wayside. One thing that I really enjoyed about the story is that the characters GROW throughout the story. They are not perfect and because the story spans 15+ years Dallie and Francesca have time to learn from their mistakes. I really enjoyed this one. I wouldn't recommend this particular story to introduce people to SEP, but for those of you who have read her and liked her will want to read this one too.

Review - This Heart of Mine

Title: This Heart of Mine
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 2001
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B-
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I purchased a used copy at a book store specializing in trades.

This Heart of Mine is part of Susan Elizabeth Phillip's Chicago Stars series. Molly Somerville is the younger half sister to Phoebe Calebow the owner of the Chicago Stars football team. Molly has had a long time crush on the quarterback Kevin Tucker, yet he has no idea she exists. To most people Molly outwardly seems like a woman who is sensible and kind and conservative. But actually Molly has these periods when a little chaos and impulsive behavior leads her into trouble. One such period occurs when Molly finds Kevin Tucker at the Calebow’s vacation home unexpectedly. Molly's behavior leads to some very dire consequences which eventually lead Molly and Kevin unning a camp for vacationers, which is where Kev and Molly learn about each other and fall in love.

This Heart of Mine out of the books I have read by SEP has to be my least favorite. It's a testament to SEP's writing that I gave this book a B- rating as the writing is really good, but Molly was a really hard character to like. I was absolutely appalled at her behavior towards Kevin at the beginning of the book. For those of you who have already read this book know what I am referring too, for those of you who haven't I will be vague because I don't want any spoilers in this review. (You can always email me if you want details. I'll be happy to divulge those to you personally.)

Despite Molly's despicable behavior, if you can move past it the rest of the book is actually quite entertaining and a love story finally unfolds. I liked that Kevin eventually unwraps this quirky spontaneous side to Molly and loves her that much more for it. There is also a secondary romance between Kev's Mom and a reclusive artist at the camp. SEP just makes all these quirky characters come to life and they are a treat to read about. If you can get past Molly's cringe-worthy behavior in the beginning then you'll probably be able to enjoy the book.

Review - Dream a Little Dream

Title: Dream a Little Dream
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 1998
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B
Sensuality: Hot

While Dream a Little Dream is not officially part of the Chicago Stars series, it is connected to Nobody's Baby But Mine. Gabe Bonner lost his wife and 5 year old son tragically in a car accident. Since then he has been lost, hopelessly mired down in his overwhelming grief. His brothers brought him back from Mexico to their hometown of Salvation, North Carolina, home of the once famous TV evangelist, Snopes. Rachel Stone, better known as the Widow Snopes, is desperate. She comes back to Salvation hoping to find the money her ex-husband stole from the citizens in the hopes of supporting her child. She currently has nine dollars in her pocket and is living in her broken down car on Gabe Bonner's property.

I love SEP's writing. It grabs me and doesn't let go. Whether I want to be or not, I am completely at her mercy. Whatever direction she wants to head in, I'm sitting in the passenger seat, lips sealed, seat-belt on, ready to go. With that in mind, I wasn't loving the premise of this book. It just sounded too depressing and too emotional. While to some extent this was true, I still really enjoyed Gabe and Rachel's story.

I think a lot of readers might be put off by the heavy subject matter of this story. It deals with grief and loss and desperation in a very honest manner. Nothing is sugar coated and some parts were just heart wrenching to read. Did I like this story? Yep, I sure as heck did. Rachel is one hell of a woman. What she has to deal with and overcome is nothing short of amazing. However, at times I found myself wondering if it wasn't all just a tad too dramatic and excessive; all the bad things that kept happening to her. Oh and Gabe - poor Gabe. He was just so damaged. As a hero, he was so flawed and messed up. But even so, I just couldn't help but like him and hope that he could find a little piece of happiness.

Talk about drama. I think SEP is the queen. When things hit rock bottom, damn they really hit subzero levels. Would I ever read this book again? Probably not. I was definitely entertained while reading it, but maybe it was too grueling for it to become a favorite.

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Review - Nobody’s Baby but Mine

Title: Nobody’s Baby but Mine
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 1997
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Hot

Dr. Jane Darlington desperately wants a baby. She is thirty-four years old and has spent most of her life alone. Jane, with an advanced IQ, obtained a Ph.D in physics at a record young age of twenty. Jane wants the father of her baby to be dumb. This is to counteract her own intelligence so her child is normal. When she see’s the Chicago Star’s quarterback on TV being interviewed, she thinks he would be the perfect candidate. With a crazy scheme from her next door neighbor, Jane sets out to make her dream a reality.

The major complication in this book is that Jane deceives Cal, right at the beginning of the story. Even though, what Jane does is unethical and I had problems with her dishonesty, I still could see where she was coming from, as well as Cal’s point of view. It was easy to like both characters because Ms. Phillips’s writing is so very engaging. The reader is completely invested in these characters.

There were numerous funny scenes interspersed throughout the book along with heart-wrenching ones as well. The creative interaction between the characters was outrageous and extremely entertaining. I liked how Jane and Cal challenged each other. There is one scene in particular where Jane surprises Cal by sabotaging his favorite breakfast cereal, Lucky Charms. What a riot! The “first date” scene at the drive-in movie theater, as well as many others, are very memorable and will stay with readers long after they have finished the book. There is a side story involving Cal’s parents that only added to the emotional impact of the story. I can see why SEP has made such a big name for herself.

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Review - Heaven, Texas

Title: Heaven, Texas
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 1995
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: A
Sensuality: Hot

Heaven, Texas is book two in Ms. Phillip’s Chicago Stars series. It is a modern fairy tale type story. Gracie Snow, as she puts it, is a “homely” woman who grew up in a nursing home. As a kid growing up she always felt like the butt of others’ jokes. She has recently been given a chance to prove herself with a movie company and was given the difficult task of getting Bobby Tom Denton down to Texas to film a movie. Bobby Tom is a former pro football player who had to retire because of a knee injury. At 33 years old he feels lost because football has always been his life. What is he to do now? This movie he is supposed to star in doesn’t seem to appeal to him as much as he had hoped.

Oh my goodness, I just loved this story. I loved everything about it, from Bobby Tom and Gracie to all the town people of Telarosa and their annoying behaviors. I loved the silly antics that were constantly happening between Bobby Tom and Gracie. The opening scene is a classic when Gracie is mistaken for a stripper when she first meets Bobby Tom. I just loved the cleverness of the characters. Bobby Tom had finally met his match in Gracie.

There were so many wonderful moments in this story. It was sweet and poignant and at certain times I thought Bobby Tom would rip my heart out because it took him so damn long to realize that he loved Gracie and then when he does, Gracie mistakenly rips his heart out by standing up to him. Oh god. It was just so moving to watch Bobby Tom’s cool façade falter in front of the whole town of Telarosa. I just didn’t want this book to end. Ms. Phillips is a consummate entertainer. I laughed. I cried. I couldn’t have asked for more.

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Series Sunday - The Chicago Stars

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a new to me author. Gasp! I know. How is it I am just now getting around to reading her books? Shame on me, but I am correcting that problem this month. I just finished It Had to Be You, the first book that starts the series off with a bang. The series revolves around the fictional football team, The Chicago Stars. The books are set in present day Chicago and are straight contemporaries.

Do these books have to be read in order? I am not really sure. The impression that I got was that the books stand alone but characters from previous books make appearances in future books. Ms. Phillip states that Natural Born Charmer will be the last book in The Chicago Stars series. She does plan to have surprise appearances of familiar characters in future books. It is just that those books will not revolve around football.

Series Reading Order:
1. It Had to Be You (Phoebe Sommerville and Dan Calebow)
2. Heaven, Texas (Bobby Tom Denton and Gracie Snow)
3. Nobody's Baby But Mine (Cal Bonner and Dr. Jane Darlington)
4. Dream a Little Dream* (Gabe Bonner and Rachel Stone)
5. This Heart of Mine (Molly Sommerville and Kevin Tucker)
6. Match Me if you Can (Annabelle Granger and Heath Champion)
7. Natural Born Charmer (Dean Robillard and Blue Bailey)

* Dream a Little Dream is not officially part of the Chicago Stars series, but continues the Bonner family story that began in the book Nobody's Baby But Mine. It also contains Ethan's story.

*Fun Fact*
Bobby Tom Denton from Heaven, Texas makes an appearance in Lady Be Good.

Review - It Had to be You

Title: It Had to Be You
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publishing Date: 1994
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B
Sensuality: Hot

Phoebe Somerville’s father has recently passed away. He was a man’s man and all her life she has always felt like she was a big disappointment to him by never living up to his expectations. She left home at eighteen and hasn’t been back until now, to attend her father’s funeral. Phoebe is in for a big surprise though, because her father’s will now names her the temporary owner of his beloved football team, The Chicago Stars. Sparks fly between Phoebe and Dan Calebo, the coach of the football team. Dan can’t believe his bad luck that, this ditzy woman is now the new owner!

It Had to Be You is a fun, fast paced book. I had no trouble turning the pages of this one. There is a lot to like about it. Phoebe is a wonderful heroine. She is just the right combination of strength and vulnerability. She is very intelligent and resourceful. Phoebe is thrown into managing a football team, something that she knows next to nothing about and yet she comes out on top time and again. Some of the ideas she came up with to outmaneuver Dan or her other opponents were outrageous and laughable, but they worked.

Dan wasn’t my favorite hero to date. He is a bear of a man, used to bowling right over people and getting his way. The only emotion he is comfortable expressing is anger. He has temper and a mean streak that was too volatile for my taste. Sometimes he would just say the meanest things to Phoebe. I could have accepted it better with the addition of lots of groveling. One thing I can definitely say about Phillip’s writing is that the characters are vivid. They practically leap off the pages. I will definitely be reading more by Ms. Phillips in the near future.

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