This Week's New Releases

It's that time again. This summer is flying past and I continue to find new additions to the TBR pile. Do you know that next month we'll start seeing holiday releases? Speaking of holidays, I'm already seeing Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations and candy in the stores! I resisted the temptation of candy corn purely on principle. I can't think about Halloween when people are still wearing swimsuits!

First up is the latest from a long time favorite author. Susan Elizabeth Phillips aka SEP, is back to her fan favorite Chicago Stars series with the eighth installment. I'm hoping I like it more than her last release, Heroes Are My Weakness. Confession time: I couldn't finish Heroes. The heroine having conversations with her puppets? It didn't work for me at all.

First Star I See Tonight
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Contemporary Romance
Chicago Stars Series/Book 8

A star quarterback and a feisty detective play for keeps in this sporty, sexy, sassy novel—a long-awaited new entry in the beloved, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author’s fan-favorite Chicago Stars football series.

Piper Dove is a woman with a dream—to become the best detective in the city of Chicago. First job? Trail former Chicago Stars quarterback, Cooper Graham. Problem? Graham’s spotted her, and he’s not happy.

Which is why a good detective needs to think on her feet. “The fact is...I’m your stalker. Not full-out barmy. Just...mildly unhinged.”

Piper soon finds herself working for Graham himself, although not as the bodyguard he refuses to admit he so desperately needs. Instead, he’s hired her to keep an eye on the employees at his exclusive new nightclub. But Coop’s life might be in danger, and Piper’s determined to protect him, whether he wants it or not. (Hint: Not!) If only she weren’t also dealing with a bevy of Middle Eastern princesses, a Pakistani servant girl yearning for freedom, a teenager who just wants to fit in, and an elderly neighbor demanding Piper find her very dead husband.

And then there’s Cooper Graham himself, a legendary sports hero who always gets what he wants—even if what he wants is a feisty detective hell bent on proving she’s as tough as he is.

From the bustling streets of Chicago to a windswept lighthouse on Lake Superior to the glistening waters of Biscayne Bay, two people who can’t stand to lose will test themselves and each other to discover what matters most.

Next is a release containing four new novellas, not previously published, by Nalini Singh. These four stories take place in her Psy-Changeling world. I've gotten a little behind on this series but I do remember Dorian. Curious to read his story.

Wild Embrace
Nalini Singh
Paranormal Romance
Psy-Changeling Series/Book 15.5

Echo of Silence
In a deep-sea station, Tazia Nerif has found her life’s work as an engineer, keeping things running smoothly. But she wants nothing more than to break down the barrier of silence between her and her telekinetic Psy station commander...

Dorian
A changeling who can never shift lives a life of quiet frustration—until he learns how to let his leopard come out and play...

Partners in Persuasion
Still raw from being burned by a dominant female, wolf changeling Felix will never again risk being a plaything. But for dominant leopard Dezi, he’s the most fascinating man she’s ever met. She just has to convince this gun-shy wolf that he can trust the dangerous cat who wants to take a slow, sexy bite out of him…

Flirtation of Fate
Seven years ago, Kenji broke Garnet’s heart. Now the wolf packmates have to investigate the shocking murder of one of their own. And the more Kenji sees of the woman Garnet has become, the deeper he begins to fall once more. But even his primal instincts are no match for the dark secret he carries...

This blurb had me hooked! The time period is uncommon, add in the alternate world politics and magic and this could be a favorite!

Breath of Earth
Beth Cato
Fantasy/Historical
Breath of Earth Series/Book 1

After the Earth’s power is suddenly left unprotected, a young geomancer must rely on her unique magical powers to survive in in this fresh fantasy series from the author of acclaimed The Clockwork Dagger.

In an alternate 1906, the United States and Japan have forged a powerful confederation—the Unified Pacific—in an attempt to dominate the world. Their first target is a vulnerable China. In San Francisco, headstrong Ingrid Carmichael is assisting a group of powerful geomancer Wardens who have no idea of the depth of her power—or that she is the only woman to possess such skills.

When assassins kill the Wardens, Ingrid and her mentor are protected by her incredible magic. But the pair is far from safe. Without its full force of guardian geomancers, the city is on the brink of a cataclysmic earthquake that will expose Earth’s powers to masterminds determined to control the energy for their own dark ends. The danger escalates when Chinese refugees, preparing to fight the encroaching American and Japanese, fracture the uneasy alliance between the Pacific allies, transforming the city into a veritable powder keg. And the slightest tremor will set it off. . . .

Forced on the run, Ingrid makes some shocking discoveries about herself. Her powerful magic has grown even more fearsome . . . and she may be the fulcrum on which the balance of world power rests.

The next is the second in the series. No, have not read the first, but... you know. I have it on the TBR pile. :)  I am surprised at the Kindle price of $10.99 but hardcover and paperback are less? Odd.

Abbi Glines
Under the Lights
Contemporary Romance/Young Adult
Field Party Series/Book 2

Willa can’t erase the bad decisions of her past that led her down the path she’s on now. But she can fight for forgiveness from her family. And she can protect herself by refusing to let anyone else get close to her.

High school quarterback and town golden boy Brady used to be the best of friends with Willa—she even had a crush on him when they were kids. But that’s all changed now: her life choices have made her a different person from the girl he used to know.

Gunner used to be friends with Willa and Brady, too. He too is larger than life and a high school football star—not to mention that his family basically owns the town of Lawton. He loves his life, and doesn’t care about anyone except himself. But Willa is the exception—and he understands the girl she’s become in a way no one else can.

As secrets come to light and hearts are broken, these former childhood friends must face the truth about growing up and falling in love…even if it means losing each other forever.

This last one is young adult and could prove to be a good read but also a hard one to read given the heroine's diagnosis. This is not something I've ever seen portrayed in fictional writing. I can only imagine that it will be sad, like "Fault in Our Stars" sad but hopefully still good.

100 Days
Nicole McInnes
Young Adult/Contemporary

Agnes doesn't know it, but she only has one hundred days left to live. When she was just a baby, she was diagnosed with Progeria, a rare disease that causes her body to age at roughly ten times the normal rate. Now nearly sixteen years old, Agnes has already exceeded her life expectancy. 

Moira has been Agnes's best friend and protector since they were in elementary school. Due to her disorder, Agnes is still physically small, but Moira is big. Too big for her own liking. So big that people call her names. With her goth makeup and all-black clothes, Moira acts like she doesn't care. But she does. 

Boone was friends with both girls in the past, but that was a long time ago—before he did the thing that turned Agnes and Moira against him, before his dad died, before his mom got too sad to leave the house.

An unexpected event brings Agnes and Moira back together with Boone, but when romantic feelings start to develop, the trio’s friendship is put to the test.

Review: The Great Escape

The Great Escape
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Contemporary Romance
Wynette, Texas Series/Book 7
William Morrow/July 10, 2012

"Where do you run to when your life has fallen apart?"

Lucy Jorik is a champ at never embarrassing the family she adores--not surprising since her mother is one of the most famous women in the world. But now Lucy has done just that. And on her wedding day, no less, to the most perfect man she's ever known.

Instead of saying "I do" to Mr. Irresistible, Lucy flees the church in an ill-fitting blue choir robe and hitches a ride on the back of a beat-up motorcycle plastered with offensive bumper stickers. She's flying into the unknown with a rough-looking, bad-tempered stranger who couldn't be more foreign to her privileged existence.

While the world searches for her, Lucy must search for herself, and she quickly realizes that her customary good manners are no defense against a man who's raised rudeness to an art form. Lucy needs to toughen up--and fast.

Her great escape takes her to his rambling beach house on a Great Lakes island. Here, she hopes to find a new direction . . . and unlock the secrets of this man who knows so much about her but reveals nothing about himself. As the hot summer days unfold amid scented breezes and sudden storms, she'll also encounter a beautiful, troubled beekeeper; a frightened young boy; a modern-day evil queen; and a passion that could change her life forever.

Yep, been waiting for this one.  Was the wait worth it?  Oh, yes.  This is the other side of the story - the would be bride's side of what happened on that fateful day when the highly televised wedding came to a sudden stop.  

Lucy Jorik is very good at being perfect.  She is the perfect daughter, the perfect professional, the perfect fiance.  Then Lucy decides it's time to stop being so perfect and start being herself.  One thing I can say about Lucy - when she rebels, she goes all out!  I liked what I read of the young Lucy in First Lady and I liked her even more after she's all grown up.  After trying to bury her childhood insecurities and rebellious side for so long it was good to see Lucy simply be Lucy.  It turns out she's very likeable without being perfect.  

Panda, if ever there was a classic hero name, that's not it!  But oddly enough it suits him.  He is opposite of the men Lucy is accustomed to and he's exactly what she needs.  He doesn't let her get away with anything but instead treats her like Lucy, the person instead of Lucy the public figure.  He does have a job to do and can be an ass while doing it, he's still turns out to be this funny, smartass and very likeable hero.  

Lucy's escape from perfection to her true self has her meeting up with some very unusual characters along the way.  They all help Lucy with her transition into finding who she really is and what she really wants out of life.  Panda is right there with her, not always happy to help, instead trying to get Lucy to go back to her old life.  He's not a firm believer in the new Lucy and he does take some convincing.   Of course the convincing comes in many forms one being physical, which turns out Panda and Lucy are very good at!  

Along with the romance is the classic humor of SEP.  From the slapstick comedy to the witty dialogue, there is such a well defined flow it, making the reading almost effortless.  It's not all laughs, Lucy, Panda and their friends take on responsibilities they don't always feel comfortable with.  There were a number of issues discussed and tackled and while I sometimes found myself wanting to get back to some of the lighter moments, the relationships were all so very interesting, I didn't want it to end.

Rating:  A-

Review: Call Me Irresistible

Call Me Irresistible
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Contemporary Romance
American's Lady/Book 3
HarperCollins/January 2011

From the inside cover ~

Lucy Jorik is the daughter of a former president of the United States.

Meg Koranda is the offspring of legends.

One of them is about to marry Mr. Irresistible - Ted Beaudine - the favorite son of Wynette, Texas. The other is not happy about it and is determined to save her friend from a mess of heartache.

But even though Meg knows that breaking up her best friend's wedding is the right thing to do, no one else seems to agree. Faster than Lucy can say "I don't," Meg becomes the most hated woman in town - a town she's stuck in with a dead car, an empty wallet, and a very angry bridegroom. Broke, stranded, and without her famous parents at her back, Meg is sure she can survive on her own wits. What's the worst that can happen? Lose her heart to the one and only Mr. Irresistible? Not likely. Not likely at all.

Is it just me or is that cover so very meh? It might be hard to tell, but seeing it in person, the hand looks like a maniquins hand. The the cover as a whole doesn't tell me anything about the story. Good thing the story inside was far better than the cover. :)

If you've read SEP's backlist than you're probably familiar with many of the players in this romantic comedy set in the small Texas town of Wynette. If not, that's okay. There is enough character background given to fill new readers in on the various relationships and histories of the characters.

The heroine, Meg Koranda, is one who starts out lacking in the obvious heroic traits. She's capricious, irresponsible, impulsive, brazen and a bit reckless. For all her faults she is a good friend. She is loyal to her friends and when she loves, she loves deeply. I liked what we saw of Meg in What I Did for Love. While she did exhibited all those traits, she was interesting and I wanted to know more about her. Meg is a work in progress, learning much as she goes. She's flawed, oh boy is she flawed. But I liked that about her. She's very relatable although I do hope I wouldn't make quite so many mistakes if I were in her shoes. When she does screw up, it usually isn't on purpose but more from good intentions or lack of knowledge. She was easily my favorite character of the book.

Ted - Mr. Irresistible, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Brilliant, Mr. God's Gift to Womankind, Mr. Pain-In-The-Ass - is so lacking in flaws it's beyond irritating. He is perfection in the flesh. He is the man who can do no wrong but apparently there is something wrong with him since his fiancée left him at the alter. HA! It took me a very long time to warm up to Ted, years it seemed. I didn't like how he or the majority of the residents of Wynett (aka Tedville) treated Meg. But boy did I love it when Meg made him loose his cool! And sometimes she wasn't even trying!

After the aborted wedding, Meg is stuck in Tedville with no money and no friends. Sure she's irresponsible, terrible with money and has a tendency to call Mom & Dad to help her out. But that's not an option. This time she's on her own. And you know what? She does okay. Not great at first but she does manage. She goes through some really rough times and I liked her all the more for her tenacity. She works at crappy jobs and sleeps in her car she calls the Rustmobile. Those were some emotional scenes - with Meg all alone, desperately needing a friend, a hug, just someone to care about her. She slowly becomes self sufficient and carves out a life for herself in the town that wants her gone. It gets to the point where it's a matter of pride for her to not be driven away.

Ted is one of those that says he wants her gone. He even offers her money. She doesn't take it. So Ted uses other, more dirty tactics to get rid of Meg. His family isn't crazy about Meg either, especially Ted's mother. Ted's problem is that while he wants Meg out of town, he wants Meg. Yeah, poor Ted wants the women who everyone thinks is the reason his fiancée ran out on him. When Ted and Meg do get together it's perfect because Ted is perfect. Meg thinks it's like he read every sex manual ever written and he knows exactly what to do. Except that it's not quite right and Meg can't figure out what the problem is.

The town and it's inhabitants play a major role in Meg and Ted's excellent adventure in romance. They all have their opinions of Meg, nearly all negative. They all adore Ted and are very protective of him. Not a good combination when you've got nosy "well-meaning" people butting into your life. When a potential developer comes to town, without trying, Meg manages to get involved and makes Ted's life that much more complicated. It was the humorous, classic SEP dialogue that I've always enjoyed.

There's is this one thing that kept coming up that I'm still not sure why so much attention was paid to it. It's the detailed description of what everyone is wearing. Seriously, every gathering, outing and nearly anytime a character came on the page, the wardrobe was described from the clothing, shoes, purses and jewelry. At first I thought it was to emphasize the vast differences between Meg's quirky, thrift store fashions and the designer fashions of Ted's family and close friends. There was a twist near the end the had to do with the clothes that Meg bought at the local resale shop but I think the detailed descriptions were overdone.

I did say it took me a long time to warm up to Ted but, eventually I did. While I still think he could have used a smack upside the head early on, I really did like him by the end. He and Meg made the best of couples. A good balance of responsibility and whimsy. Now that Ted and Meg got their HEA it's Lucy's turn next. I'm not sure what she did or where she went when she left the church but I know I'll be reading her story to find out.

Rating: B+

Books in this series ~

Fancy Pants
Lady Be Good
Call Me Irresistible

Mr. Beaudine and the plague...

Hey, SEP sent me a note this morning. Okay, she sent it to every one on her newsletter list but still it's cool to see "A Note from Susan Elizabeth Phillips" in the email subject line. I felt special. :)

The note was about her next book Call Me Irresistible, the long awaited story of Ted Beaudine and his heroine. And we have a cover!




If you want to read an excerpt go here and go here to enter the monthly contest. Up for grabs, $50 to the bookstore of your choice. The bad news, it's only open to US residents. :(

I'm looking forward to this book for two reasons. 1) I love SEP. Even her books that didn't wow me I still liked (except for that one historical). 2) I like Ted's heroine. I'm not saying who she is in case there's someone out there that doesn't want to know. And if you don't want to know, don't read the excerpt!


In other news. . . the plague has hit the ol homestead. Yep, we're all in various stages of the ickies. It started Tuesday with youngest waking me just before 5 am to announce that he had thrown up. Not the best way to start the day. Then Wednesday night, middle, not to be out done, decided to copy youngest - multiply times. Ugh! Today, they're doing better but now the teen and dh are home. And me? Well, I knew it wouldn't pass me by and sure enough yesterday was my day to spend on the couch or in the bathroom. I'm feeling better today, not great but getting there. I feel like I have a million things to do but not much energy to do them. And I'm actually hungry but afraid to eat much. Sticking with toast and crackers for now. Hope none of you are visited by the plague. *fingers crossed*

So, what have you guys been up to this week? Anything interesting I missed? What's everyone reading? I just finished Ilona Andrews' Magic Bleeds. It was good but not my favorite. That spot's held by Magic Strikes. I need to go through my library books and see what has to go back soon and get going on that pile. And, the library is holding the next J. D. Robb book Indulgence in Death! I hope I can pick it up tomorrow.

No plans for the weekend except rest. The holidays are coming fast and I need to get going on my shopping. I'm planning on doing a lot of it online instead of dealing with the crowds, not a fan of crowds. What's everyone doing this weekend? Anything exciting?

Numbers and Favorites of 2009...

2009 marks the first year that I actually kept track of what I read. I used a simple Excel spreadsheet, keeping track of basic information. I plan to do the same thing for 2010 with maybe a few more columns of information - like date reviewed and grade. I'm still playing around with it but it's getting there.

Total books read- (includes ebooks and audio books): 156

Out of those 156 there were 5 ebooks (I think I missed a few and this is higher) and 33 audio books. Which leaves 118 print books. What surprised me are the number of audio books. I did get a new mp3 player for a birthday present last month and it is wonderful! I download the books from the library website and then upload to the mp3 player all in under 5 minutes. It's so much better than lugging the CD's around. And I can do it all from home!

My favorites of 2009:

Since I didn't review every book I read I decided to use the spreadsheet. As it turns out, I reviewed all but one on the list. I went through and selected my 10 favorite reads of the year. Why 10? I had to stop somewhere and 10 is a nice round number. Most do a top 10 list so I figured why not me? I decided not to include re-reads since many of those are keepers and would have probably taken up half the list. :)

When choosing, I picked the books that stood out and left the most vivid memories. Not all are A+ books but they all left an impact on me.

Stranger/ Megan Hart

Moon Called/Patricia Briggs

Magic Strikes/Ilona Andrews

Gabriel's Ghost/Linnea Sinclair*

Deathwish/Rob Thurman

Dream a Little Dream/Susan Elizabeth Phillips

A Reason to Live/Maureen McKade

The Hunger Games/Suzanne Collins

How I Live Now/Meg Rosoff

Joe’s Wife/Cheryl St. John

Special Mention ~ Promises in Death/J. D. Robb (audio) - this book was such an emotional read(listen) for me. It's definitely one of my favorites in the series.

*I don't know why I didn't review Gabriel's Ghost. I do remember reading it and getting sucked into the amazing world that Sinclair created. If you haven't read it, you're missing a wonderful story.

And that's it for 2009. Here's to some great reads for 2010!

Review: Dream a Little Dream

Title: Dream a Little Dream
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Chicago Stars/Loosely connected
Published: February 1998

From the back cover ~

A Desperate Young Mother

Rachel Stone's bad luck has taken a turn for the worse. With an empty wallet, a car's that's spilling smoke, and a five-year-old son to support, she's come home to a town that hates her. But this determined young widow with a scandalous past has learned how to be a fighter. And she'll do anything to keep her child safe—even take on. . .

A Man With No Heart

Gabe Bonner wants to be left alone, especially by the beautiful outcast who's invaded his property. She has a ton of attitude, a talent for trouble, and a child who brings back bad memories. Yet Rachel's feisty spirit might just be heaven-sent to save a tough, stubborn man.

Dare To Dream

Welcome to Salvation, North Carolina—where a man who's forgotten what tenderness means meets a woman with nothing to lose. here two endearing lovers will set off on a funny, touching journey of the heart. . .to a place where dreams just might come true.

Dream a Little Dream is technically not part of SEP's Chicago Stars series but it does tell the story of Gabe Bonner, brother to Cal Bonner the hero of Nobody's Baby But Mine, book 3 in the series. I've been wanting to read Gabe's story ever since I finished NBBM. I was taking a break from my J. D. Robb audio books and spotted DaLD at the library. I thought it would be a nice change from Eve and Roarke. Since I hadn't found the time to read it, I would listen instead. It turned out I don't spend near enough time in the car as I thought. Friday night I found myself looking through my bookcase for my copy of DaLD because I couldn't wait until Saturday to listen to it in the car. Even though I had other books I should have been reading I couldn't put it down. Finished it last night. I'm not one to cry much while reading, a tear or two will occasionally leak through but this time... yeah, more than a few leaked out. Phillips can pull a reader into the story and make you care about what happens to the characters. To feel empathy for people who only exist on pages in a book is a powerful thing.

Rachel Stone aka the Widow Snopes is such a dynamic heroine. She's had a string of bad luck ever since her marriage to the Reverend Snopes. It started with him controlling and using her as an excuse for his greed and ended with his death and her humiliation and loss of her home. Since she was last in Salvation she has worked any job she could to support herself and her five year old son Edward. She never planned to come back to Salvation but fate has brought her back and practically dropped her at Gabe Bonner's doorstep. One thing that I really admired about Rachel is that she is a proud woman but she didn't let her pride get in the way of doing what she had to do to take care of her son. Her tenacity and sheer determination were tempered by her love and patience for Edward. Her patience for Gabe however was in short supply. Their banter was just perfect. Rachel didn't coddle Gabe but used sarcastic remarks to get a rise out of him. When she found out about the tragedy of what had happened to him she still didn't coddle him but tried to get him to care about something, anything.

At first Gabe is a difficult character to know. When we meet Gabe he's in the process of fixing up the local drive-in. He has a short supply of words and rarely shows any emotions. If he does show an emotion it's irritation at having his imposed reclusiveness disturbed. He makes it very clear to Rachel and her son that he doesn't want them around. He reluctantly agrees to hire her after trying to get rid of her by paying her off. He hires her on the condition that it's only temporary until he finds someone else and her son can not come to work with her. Gabe was a very reluctant hero. He had pulled away from life and was going through the motions but not really living. He comes across as a harsh man and doesn't want to be helped, just left alone. His only reason to keep going is his family - his brothers and his parents. If it wasn't for them he would have simply given up. Gabe didn't want to care about Rachel let alone be attracted to her but he could only fight it for so long. ~

She should have appeared ridiculous. The ragged paint-smeared dress hung on her thin frame, and her big, cumbersome shoes looked obscene against such small, trim ankles. But she held herself with a ferocious dignity, and he was drawn to her by something so elemental - maybe the pain that lived in his bones - that he couldn't fight it any longer. He wanted her as he hadn't wanted anything except death since he'd lost his family.

He didn't remember moving, but the next thing he knew, she was in his arms and he felt her body beneath his palms. She was thin and frail, but not broken the way he was. He wanted to protect her and fuck her and comfort her and destroy her all at once. The chaos of his emotions coiled around his pain, deepening the agony. page 106

I love this scene. The words show so much of what Gabe has been through and what he's still going through. I loved watching Gabe become more than just a shell of a man and actually start to care about the world around him. Rachel was the person who brought him out of that shell and gave him something to care about. SEP does a wonderful job of showing how these two broken and damaged characters come to rely on each other and themselves to really live again for themselves. Gabe was going through the motions and Rachel was living for her son, Edward. By the end they had both learned to enjoy life and each other.

I have three kids and while I love my kids I'm not always fond of kids in romance novels. IMO it takes a truly gifted author to write a child into a romance and have the child part of the story rather than a prop. The characters of Edward and to a lesser extent Cal's baby Rosie, were not only well written but Edward played an essential role in Rachel and Gabe's relationship. Sometimes when a child is written in a romance they tend to disappear. They're at the beginning and the reader is told/shown what a good parent the hero/heroine is and then the romance starts and the child disappears sometimes never to be heard from until the epilogue. This bugs the heck out of me because I keep wondering where's the kid? Who's watching the kid while the h/h are getting all hot and heavy? Thankfully that didn't happen here and Edward was still Rachel's primary focus. I felt the story showed a very realistic look at what it's like to be a single mom with minimal to no resources. There were times when my heart just broke for Rachel and everything she went through.

There is a secondary romance with Ethan, Gabe's younger brother, throughout the book that I also thoroughly enjoyed. It was funny and refreshing to have these two characters who thought they knew each other so well find out there were still some surprises left for them. Also, it was fun to see Cal and his wife Jane from NBBM again and revisit with them. Cal's character was needed to show how much these Bonner men care for each other, to the point of making complete idiots of themselves. :) The Bonner men are strong, caring males and their women are strong, determined women who don't let the men push them around.

To sum it up, I loved this book! It made me laugh, cry and even pissed me off a bit at some of the characters. It may have some flaws but for me they were minuet. The fact that this started out as an audio "read" and ended up as a "can't stop til you're finished" read says so much about what's inside. Susan Elizabeth Phillips and all of her wonderful books can be found here.

Rating: A+

Review: What I Did for Love

Title: What I Did for Love
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: January 2009
Contemporary Romance Challenge

What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas. Sometimes it follows you home, moves in with you and drives you crazy! At least that's what happens when you are two very public personalities like Georgie York and Bramwell Shepard. The former stars of the wildly successful Skip and Scooter sitcom are now grown up and going through some very difficult times. Waking up to find themselves married and not remembering the wedding night is the least of their problems. They must convince their friends, fans and the paparazzi that they are wallowing in wedded bliss. Pretty hard to do when you can't stand your spouse. But they are actors so they play their parts only to become the characters they merely thought they were playing.

I haven't read all of SEP's books but the ones I have read I thoroughly enjoyed. While What I Did for Love is not my favorite SEP novel it still provided a fun reading experience with the quick, witty dialogue that SEP is known for.

Georgie York is America's sweetheart but now her heart is broken and bleeding all over the tabloids. Her knight in shining armor has ridden off with another damsel who wants to save the world and look good doing it. And Georgie is left trying to sort out her life - both her personal and her career. She wants to get away from the mediocre roles she's been playing and take on more challenging roles. But convincing her manager, who happens to be her father, that she can do this isn't easy. Then there's the not so little complication of her new husband Bram Shepard. Her one time costar is now the bad boy of Hollywood. Georgie can't depend on his help because he only looks out for himself.

Georgie has a heck of a lot to over come. When Georgie was five her mother died so her father raised her, setting his acting career aside so he could focus solely on Georgie's career. So Georgie has learned from a very early age to depend on her father's judgment and leave the decisions up to him. She's now 31 and in desperate need to break out on her own but she doesn't know how. Oddly enough Bram is the one who helps her.

Bramwell Shepard is the type of bad boy women the world over love. He's got the looks, the charisma and the reputation that makes him so irresistible. But his career hasn't been going well. It's been eight years since Skip and Scooter went off the air. In those eight years he's managed to make a name for himself not by the roles he plays but by the trouble he causes. He's known as a playboy who drinks too much and parties the night away.

Bram was a real ass except when he was being nice, against his better judgment. At times it seemed almost painful for him to let Georgie think he was doing something nice for her. He wanted to continue to project that bad boy imagine. It got to the point where he had to convince himself that he needed to continue looking out for number one. It was the reason he went along with the fake marriage, because of what he could get out of it. But then this is a romance so Bram couldn't stay a total ass forever.

Bram and Georgie spend most of their time either hiding from the paparazzi, or the paps as they're referred to in the book, or using the paps to promote their "marriage". The fact that they had this history dating back to when they were teens only adds to the tension. The time they spent on their sitcom was not full of happy memories. So now that they are adults they not only have to pretend to be in love they have this history to get past. Seeing them interact and get to know each other as adults was believable because it happened in increments. And it wasn't always a positive step forward in their relationship. These two characters were very fragile in their ability to trust anyone.

The friends, family members and supporting staff of Bram and Georgie are well written characters with some additional secondary story lines. I especially liked Bram's Goth housekeeper Chaz. She's more than just a housekeeper, she's Bram's protector and champion. Her opinion of Georgie starts out very low but as these two women are forced to spend time together they get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship become more than just adversaries.

While I was reading WIDfL I couldn't help noticing the similarities between Georgie, her ex-husband Lance and Jade Gentry, the woman Lance left Georgie for. Georgie=Jennifer Aniston, Lance = Brad Pitt and Jade = Angelina Jolie. Lance is portrayed as a real jerk and while Jade wants to help the starving children everywhere she treats the hired help like crap. Georgie on the other hand was very likable, funny and genuine a nice person. Coincidence?

So while I wasn't blown away by the story I'm still glad I read it. It does give a lot of insight into the workings of the movie industry. How you're only as popular as your last film and what it's like to be under that microscope day in and day out. If you like reading about Hollywood and the life of the famous What I Did for Love gives an in depth portrayal of how stressful and rewarding the life of an actor can be.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips website has information on all her novels as well as a page full of quotes from her various novels. You can find all that and more here.

Rating: B+

Review: Natural Born Charmer

Title: Natural Born Charmer
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Chicago Stars/Book 7


Is that a...beaver? Yes, Dean that is a beaver. A big one too. But where's it's head?

The sight that greets Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard, while driving down a Colorado road, is nothing short of bizarre. In the beaver suit is Blue Bailey, an artist who's luck has abandoned her along with all her money and her boyfriend. Her car broke down and the only job she could find is dressing in said beaver suit. Sounds like a country western song gone wrong but things are about to change for Blue when Dean decides to give her a ride. Just to relieve the boredom he tells himself. Dean certainly gets a relief from the boring drive but Blue also gives him a heck of a lot more.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has done it again. What an entertaining story! I was laughing quite a bit with this one. I also squeaked out a couple of tears during a few scenes. What starts out as a comedy of errors transforms into a family drama. This was a story not only of Dean and Blue and their often times very rocky road to HEA but also the opening and healing of old wounds. The making of a family by blood and by circumstances.

As Dean and Blue head to Dean's farm in Tennessee they do what people usually do on road trips ~ get to know each other better and drive each other crazy. By the time they get to Dean's farmhouse the relationship has evolved from distraction to irritation to sexual frustration.

Once they get to the farmhouse things become even more complicated with family members coming out of the woodwork. All Dean wanted was some time to relax and recover from a shoulder injury. What he got was another chance at mending the relationship of some of the most important people in his life. He also got Blue Bailey in his life and soon he realizes that he can't be without her. It isn't that simple for Blue. She's used to moving around and never really having anything or anyone permanent in her life. But now she's coming to feel too much for these people. To care too much.

Blue was such an interesting character. A genuine original. She's self sufficient because she's had to be most of her life. She is determined not to get involved in Dean's personal life but keeps getting drawn into the drama of his relationships with his estranged family. Blue's childhood was a series of constant change. Change of location, change of what passed for family. She was raised by different people with some visits from her mom who had a "need to save the world" obsession which kept her away a lot.

Dean was lovable, sexy, sweet, sexy, caring, sexy, funny. Umm...did I mention sexy? LOL Yes, he might be one of my favorite contemporary heroes so far this year. His childhood was not even close to normal. His mother was what I would call a "casual parent" meaning that she didn't concern herself with his upbringing personally, merely hiring people to care for him. Unfortunately for Dean, she was too busy fighting her own addictions to give him the security every child needs from their parent. Dean became a man who places a high value on friendship, those he considers close friends he views as his true family. While his family members are viewed more as complications in his life that he tries to avoid.

I really enjoyed Natural Born Charmer. The dialogue was pure SEP and kept me completely entertained. It is part of the Chicago Stars series but IMO can be read as a stand alone. I've only read two other books in the series and had no problem following along. There is very little interaction with other members of the team since the story primarily takes place away from Chicago.

Rating: A-

Reveiw: Nobody's Baby But Mine

Title: Nobody's Baby But Mine
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Chicago Star Series/Book 3

Synopsis:

The Plan: Genius physics professor Dr, Jane Darlington desperately wants a baby. But finding a father won't be easy. Jane's super-intelligence made her feel like a freak when she was growing up , and she's determined to spare her own child that suffering. Which means she must find someone very special to father her child. Someone very...well...stupid.

The Target: Cal Bonner, the Chicago Stars' legendary quarterback, seems like the perfect choice. But his champion good looks and down-home ways are deceiving. Dr. Jane learns too late that this good ol 'boy is a lot smarter than he lets on - and he's not about to be used and abandoned by a brainy, baby-mad schemer.

The Explosion: A brilliant, lonely woman who dreams only of motherhood . . . A take no-prisoners tough guy who'll settle for nothing less than surrender . . . Can passion and physical attraction propel two strong-willed yet vulnerable people to a totally unexpected love?

So I'm not doing my usual type of review since I didn't actually read this book but listened to it. It was an audio book that I downloaded from the library and I didn't take any notes while listening and my memory isn't that great. So I've decided to just start with posting the synopsis from the back cover which can be found on Phillips' website.

So we've got the genius Dr. Jane and her would be sperm donor famous quarterback Cal Bonner. Let me just say that while I haven't read everything SEP has written what I have read I have thoroughly enjoyed and NBBM is no exception. Jane and Cal were wonderful. Their back and forth banter and misunderstandings had me laughing out loud. When the woman who set them up(can't remember her name) explains to Cal why Jane wanted him ~ because Jane thought he was stupid ~ priceless. Cal is not at all stupid and graduated from college with a degree in biology and a high GPA. Jane is not at all happy when she finds this out and accuses him of lying to her about his stupidity or lack of.

The chemistry between Cal and Jane is explosive. They both think the other is not their type but it's obvious that they had no idea what their type really was because they are so right for each other. I would say that the scenes with Cal and Jane arguing were some of the funniest. The times when poor Cal was trying to understand what Jane was saying and totally misunderstood were hilarious. Jane also has some moments when her IQ seemed to be lacking.

The process of them falling in love was believable and had a good flow to it. Phillips is wonderful at creating believable characters and settings. You feel like these people are real and even though Jane's plan is crazy, especially for someone whose suppose to be a genius, I still had no problem going with it and Jane to the final conclusion.

The secondary characters add humor and warmth to the story. Cal's family helps give the reader a perception of Cal's childhood that we wouldn't get from him. Watching Jane interact with Cal's family members gave a wonderful insight into what drives her to excel and why having a baby is so important to her.

Overall a wonderful, fun read. I would highly recommend it and will certainly be reading more from Phillips. This is listed as book three of the Chicago Stars series but it can be read as a stand alone. If you haven't read any of her books you're in luck because she has a huge back list which can be found here.

Rating: A-