Susan Elizabeth Phillips - Match me if you can

Publisher: Avon

ISBN-13: 978-0060794361

My rating: 4/5

You met star quarterback Kevin Tucker in This Heart of Mine. Now get ready to meet his shark of an agent, Heath Champion, and Annabelle Granger, the girl least likely to succeed. But that's going to change now that Annabelle’s taken over her late grandmother's matchmaking business. Why does the wealthy, driven, and gorgeous sports agent Heath Champion need a matchmaker, especially a red-haired screw-up like Annabelle Granger? When the determined Matchmaker promised she'd do anything to keep her star client happy . . . did she mean anything? If Annabelle isn't careful, she just might find herself going heart-to-heart with the toughest negotiator in town.

Chicago Stars Book #6 (www.susanephillips.com)

My thoughts

Being still on sick leave I wanted to read something familiar and something I knew I would like. And SEP delivered!!!

 This book is a feast for Chicago Stars fans! Not only do we get served the wonderful story between Annabelle and Heath, but we can also reacquaint ourselves with friends like Molly and Kevin, Phoebe and Dan as well as the Tucker campground.

In short, the plot is Annabelle Granger inherited a matchmaking business from her grandmother and with the help of her friend Molly she lands a deal with Heath Champion (Kevin Tucker’s agent) as one of her clients. But, she not only has to cope with his demands, but also with Portia Powers owner of the matchmaking competition.

A special treat is the subplot – Portia’s romance with Bodie, Heath’s bodyguard. I LOVED IT!

 So in true SEP style, it’s a great book. The dialogue is witty, funny and “just right”. The characters are loveable and all we are used to in Susan’s stories. I loved the chapters at the campground with most of the characters from previous books – Phoebe Somerville and husband Dan (“It Had to Be You”) and Molly Somerville and husband Kevin Tucker ("This Heart of Mine") ... plus quite a few little kids.

Phoebe is great and I loved every scene she was in. She’s a real character nowadays and IMO deserves another book!

Molly’s little one is a hoot and I loved every single line she and Heath were in it.

A great story and it made my days "in bed" enjoyable!

Susan Elizabeth Phillips - It had to be You

Publisher:  Mass Market Paperback

ISBN-13: 978-0380776832

My thoughts: 3/5


The Windy City isn't quite ready for Phoebe Somerville—the outrageous, curvaceous New York knockout who has just inherited the Chicago Stars football team. And Phoebe is definitely not prepared for the Stars' head coach Dan Calebow, a sexist jock taskmaster with a one-track mind. Calebow is everything Phoebe abhors. And the sexy new boss is everything Dan despises—a meddling bimbo who doesn't know a pigskin from a pitcher's mound.

Chicago Stars Book #1   (http://www.susanephillips.com/)

My thoughts

I accidently got hold of this book a few weeks ago and even though I had read a few reviews I started it not knowing what to expect. I’m not fond of the AFL here in Australia, hoping I didn’t need any knowledge about American Football for this book. I did okay.

Reading the book was a constant battle of putting it aside and wanting to keep reading. I disliked Phoebe Somerville and at the same time really liked her. We’re getting to know her as a “Bimbo” who has just inherited her father’s football team, with a serious of conditions. Initially Phoebe is running off ignoring the football team yet Dan Calebow is able to convince her to do her job – and so she does, with finesse that makes you shake your head and leaving a smile on your face.

A few things ... I would have liked for SEP to develop the side characters a little more, the Kindergarten Teacher and the angry father, but more importantly I would have loved to read more about Phoebe and Molly’s relationship.

Overall – the start was ridiculous and I nearly placed the book back onto the shelf. I persisted and liked the idea of the story, especially Phoebe’s background and how she’s handled life and was going to tackle the future. Yet, over the I-don’t-know-how-many pages we have to go through quite a few intimate scenes between Dan and Phoebe and their constant teasings and bickering as they both are slowly getting to know the truth about each other’s past. In my opinion – it took too long!