Natural Born Charmer (Chicago Stars, #7)

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Natural Born Charmer (Chicago Stars #7)

by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Goodreads Author)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 12,799 ratings · 717 reviews

NO ONE CAN RESIST A NATURAL BORN CHARMER
A gorgeous football player ...
A Lonely Colorado highway ...
A woman dressed in a beaver suit.
Life's funny that way.

It wasn't every day a guy saw a headless beaver marching down the side of a road, not even in Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard's larger-than-life world. He slammed on the brakes of his brand-new Aston Martin Vanqu...more

Mass Market Paperback

Published (first published February 6th 2007)

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Aug 08, 2011 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: humorous people???

Shelves: ball-busting-chicks, second-best, zomg-i-must-have-him, reviewed-2011, lit-for-the-chicks, romance-contemp

I have to start with this: WTF??? Headless beaver? Seriously?? I was on the floor laughing because of this. I didn’t read the summary (as my bad–and-not-so-bad habit dictates) so the surprise was awesome! I knew I’d fall in love with this book, and I did. It was insanely good.

It’s been a while since I laughed so much from reading a book. My mum was giving me awkward faces because of the stupid grin I had. Sooooo many funny moments! If I’d have to pick my favorite quotes from this book I’d just c...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Lisa Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, genre-romance-contemporary, re-read-for-comfort, auto-buy-author, sports-hero, amazing-secondary-characters, authors-e, authors-p, authors-s, character-blonde-hero, vocation-artist, sport-football, 2012-in-2012-group-challenge, theme-fake-fiance, animal-dog-in-story, m-audio-cd-to-ipod-touch, setting-usa-tennessee, theme-road-trip, zzcover-orange, genre-romance-love-laughter

Tennessee Farm

★★★★★ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Man-oh-man! I love this book. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read it. It is on my “re-read-for-comfort” shelf, which I desperately needed now. My life is currently too crazy to sit and read, so I popped in my ear buds and tried the audiobook this time, narrated by the wonderful Anna Fields.

I have heard nothing but great things about this reader, so I don’t know why I waited so long to listen to a story she narrates. If a character speaks softly, she delivers the line softly. If they turn sarcastic, she complies. If they gasp, she gasps. Their voice breaks, so does hers. Astonishing as it sounds, not all readers do this! Some dialogue doesn’t have adjective queues; nevertheless, this talented raconteur intuitively knows how to delivery Ms. Phillips’ clever quips or tender moments in context. She definitely kicks this story up a notch. I highly recommend her as narrator.

As far as the storyline, what can I say? I love these characters in the seventh book of the Chicago Stars series and I adore their love story. Ms. Phillips sure knows how to set up a “meet cute,” and this one, taking place on a highway outside of Denver with Blue Bailey walking down a hot dusty road in a beaver costume – plus a killing rage – is perfect. When Dean Robillard, rich superstar quarterback, crosses her path, he is taken by surprise in one humorous situation after another on their road trip to Tennessee. Nevertheless, each scene carries a Real Life believability that lets us get drawn into the deepening depths of their relationship.

Ms. Phillips also knows how to write amazing secondary characters and these are some of her best. There is one scene between an aging rocker and his neglected, vulnerable young daughter that still has the ability to make my throat swell, my eyes tear.

This story can be read as a “standalone”; however, you would probably enjoy it better if you read this series in order. A younger Dean is deviously charming in Match Me If You Can; while in this one he is still deliciously witty, but confronted with those demons in life that make one run or stand and mature.

Dean’s Gypsy Caravan

(less)

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Nov 25, 2007 Ummi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chicago-stars

Could a book makes you deliriously happy? I mean, really. But then, this book did it for me. I grin like a fool after reading this book. I feel deliriously happy it was ridiculous. After all, it is just a book. Not just any book , though. It's the latest one from the Chicago Stars series. And I love every single second of it! I really do. It makes me sigh with longing to have what Blue and Dean have with each other. Pathetic, I know. But the book done that to me. Better than fairy tale.

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Feb 15, 2013 Tonya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cannot-stop-reading-over-and-over, favorites, reading-challenge-2013

“Life sure is easier when you're rich."
"And a natural born charmer. Don't forget that part."
"How could I?" she retorted. "It's the only thing we have in common.”

I actually had this at a 4 because I added it to GR after I'd already read it many times. But even though I haven't read it in a while I have to up this to a five since it's on my re-read list and is a good slump buster for me. I've read this book so many times. It just makes me laugh and makes me cry. It's even a little angsty. I just...more

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Aug 04, 2010 Zeek rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites-all-time, favorite-author-all-time, favorite-author, contemp-rom

Fun, fast read! I picked it up late one evening and kicked myself for doing so because I didn’t put it down til I was done- in the wee hours of a.m.!

The usual fare for SEP but somehow it doesn’t grow old for me. She consistently delivers and I’ve found she’s about the only contemp writer I can truly enjoy lately.

SEP hooked me right away when her uber sexy hero, Dean Robillard , spots the feisty heroine, Blue Bailey, walking down a country road he had diverted on to on his way to a well earned re...more Fun, fast read! I picked it up late one evening and kicked myself for doing so because I didn’t put it down til I was done- in the wee hours of a.m.!

The usual fare for SEP but somehow it doesn’t grow old for me. She consistently delivers and I’ve found she’s about the only contemp writer I can truly enjoy lately.

SEP hooked me right away when her uber sexy hero, Dean Robillard , spots the feisty heroine, Blue Bailey, walking down a country road he had diverted on to on his way to a well earned retreat from the bright lights of the NFL. (He’s the Chicago Stars star quarterback.)

The only thing is, she’s dressed in a Beaver costume of all things and mad as hell. Her ex-beau Monty has left her stranded in Hicksville after insisting she leave Seattle to be with him. (yep, as soon as she does he decides he can’t handle her “ball-bustinig” ways and has taken off with a leggy 19 yr old and the car Blue paid for).

Thinking she’s stuck because her bank account has been wiped out as well, she takes on odd jobs, including dressing as a beaver to wave in customers to an out of the way lumberyard. It’s at this point, The Dean roars into her life in his equally sexy Astin Martin car and Blue, being no dummy, latches on to his offer for a ride. He’s too gorgeous by far, but she hides her instant attraction well, and their banter is fun to follow from the get go.

She ends up sticking with him the entire way to his “retreat” and, despite her less then super star looks, makes her way into his heart.

The side characters in this book are eccentric and are really what SEP does best- that and witty dialogue! It’s fun watching Blue find her footing (yes, I did well up with tears when she finally took his shutting her out of his celeb life serious and decided to leave for her own good), and Dean’s angst is well earned, but his happily ever after is touching to say the least- which not only includes Blue, but his torn apart family as well.

4.5 out of 5 from me!(less)

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Oct 05, 2011 Nisha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who wants a good romantic comedy

Shelves: chick-lit, favorites, to-buy, sports-romance, starstruck, contemporary-romance, re-read

My original review is waaay below, which was written after the first time I read this. But after my 2nd time, more than 2 years later, I think that it's the right time to write an updated review.

I must warn everyone that I am a die-hard Susan Elizabeth Phillips fan. But at the same time, I know how to be critical of her stories when I need to be (really, I have been...for a few of them). This book is sorta an extension of the Chicago stars series, but even Ms. Phillips says that she doesn't rea...more My original review is waaay below, which was written after the first time I read this. But after my 2nd time, more than 2 years later, I think that it's the right time to write an updated review.

I must warn everyone that I am a die-hard Susan Elizabeth Phillips fan. But at the same time, I know how to be critical of her stories when I need to be (really, I have been...for a few of them). This book is sorta an extension of the Chicago stars series, but even Ms. Phillips says that she doesn't really consider it to be. It follows Dean Robillard, the hottest football star on the planet (seriously, he has a face/body of a movie star and a great sense of fashion to match). He happens to play for the Chicago Stars and we get sorta glimpses of Heath and Annabelle (from Match Me if You Can).

Well, Dean happens to be at the crossroads of his life, at 31 and just trying to figure out what its all about (or something to that effect). He comes across a headless beaver, more accurately, our heroine in a beaver costume missing a head. Blue Bailey is a seemingly different sort of SEP heroine. Her vagabond, artsy lifestyle (though not really of her choosing) makes it hard for us to really connect with her, at first. But knowing SEP, she's going to make us fall in love with the characters somehow. Blue is at the lowest point of her life, again. And it doesn't help that the shiny Dean Robillard is the only one around to give her a hand (and more if he can manage). These two look completely opposite to each other, have a lot in common and amazing chemistry to boot. And so continues the book, through the most sizzling, emotion-draining summer for both of them.

I know, I'm not revealing a lot, but I can say that it involves Dean's estranged parents, his half-sister, and a witchy old bat - all in a small town in Tennessee. And I actually really like this small town. Lots of regret and resolutions and good stuff.

I really liked Dean, despite all his flaws. He's a good guy, but he sorta selfish (though not as a lover, so he wins points there). He's been hurt a lot and had a basically unstable childhood, so he works hard to prevent it from happening again - not all that different from Blue. Blue isn't selfish, but she has been uprooted all through her life and has her share of instability. The problem is that she craves for stability but is so afraid to take that chance. They make a great couple, taking the worst (yet funniest) jabs at each other. Honestly, I just wish there was more book for me to read about them.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It stays true to SEP's formula, but it adds something different into the mix.

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June 16, 2009
This was the first of her books that I've ever read. Considering how I tend to not enjoy contemporary romances (don't really know why), it was surprising that I even bothered choosing this book. It was a spur of the moment decision (or more like, it was available at my school library and needed a fix). I picked it up last Wednesday, and already, I have finished about 5 of her books.
This has to be one of the best stories ever. The relationship is built beautifully and the humor, I loved it. Dean is simply hot. Blue is a great character that is easy to identify with, despite her strange upbringing and lifestyle. Their interactions are the best. I was cracking up constantly. The secondary love story was also a plus. I'm glad that she always adds another compelling couple in her stories.(less)

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May 07, 2008 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyonyone who loves a good romance

Shelves: chick-lit

This book was delicious! I loved it. I don't normally give rave reviews to inexpensive paperbacks--but I enjoyed this book so much. the characters were completely involving--maddeningly real and likable, with their own flaws and issues, but in a way that complimented each other. the book was funny, although without some of the over-the-top zaniness of many current romance novels. Like many of Phillip's books, the ending dragged on at least a little too long, but still, this book was like a choco...more

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Apr 15, 2007 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007, romance

Phillips is known as a romance writer. This, while it does contain romance in pretty heavy proportions, goes beyond traditional romance. It's a very well-written novel about just what makes up a family. Football star Dean Robillard meets Blue when she's down on her luck, and they end up at his new farm where they are tossed in with Dean's estranged mother, his rock star father, his runaway half-sister, and an old woman who appears to hate the world but just wants to belong. I couldn't put it dow...more

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Sep 17, 2007 Char rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book isn't perfect, and some of SEP's plot devices are repeats from other books, but my love for it is pure and strong. Why? For me, it's all about the characters, both Blue and Dean, but also Riley, Dean's parents, and Nita. I tend to whip through SEP's fun, funny books and, in the end, feel warm, tingly, happy and thoroughly satisfied. Love it! This one is my fave to date. It resonated.

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Feb 25, 2012 Madame X rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, vip-hero, cute-n-fluffy, weak-heroine

Natural Born Charmer is actually a pretty decent book, but...how shall i put it?...its eyes are bigger than its stomach. It's this light, frothy, contemporary romance between a quirky itinerant painter, Blue, and an all-star football player, Dean, with maybe a dozen sub-plots. There's Dean's relationship with his mother, Dean's relationship with his father, the relationship between Dean's mother and father, Dean and his half-sister, the half-sister and Dean's parents (individually and as a pair)...more

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Jan 21, 2010 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-contemporary, read-own, read-in-2010, favorites, ebooks

What a great story to end the series and another one of my Favorite books. SEP comes up with the most unique stories and Natural Born Charmer is definitely one of them. You have everything from an artistic Heroine dressed as a Beaver who gets picked up by a charming football player in his fancy car, a famous Rock Star father, an ex-groupie and drug addict mother, a pudgy little half sister with a awesome singing voice and a grumpy old lady who owns the town...What more can I say? It all comes to...more

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Aug 11, 2008 Coffcat rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I'll be honest. I didn't finish this book. I got about 3/4 of the way through and had to quit. I thought the story premise was terrific but the author seemed to suffer quite a bit from the "lets see how many crazy/quirky characters we can stuff in one book" syndrome. There were too many extreme characters, too many plot lines happening and the heroine was just plain odd. Not a normal person in the bunch. Reading it was like playing a game of what if. What if you took a famous football player, gi...more

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Jun 26, 2007 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Any Romance Fan

I wasn't sure if I would like the book, since sometimes the female leads by Phillips bleed together at times. But honestly, I adored it. We met Dean in Match Me If You Can, as Annabelle's friend and decoy when around Heath. The over-the-top type personality, but with a lot of hidden depth and outright loyalty. The theme was carried over in this book, and little crop ups of Annabelle and Heath in this one. But it is wholly Dean's book, set a couple years later.

Blue was funny with a somewhat naive...more

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Jun 23, 2010 Chasidy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-ass-heroine, romance, sexy-hero, smokin-hot

What do you get when you mix a headless beaver, an All-Star quarterback, a maid whom you've never met, a rockstar legend, and a little girl who's as shy as a kitten? I'll tell you what you'll get, an amazing story of love, relationships, family, and a whole lot of misunderstanding.

I absolutely love this book! Then again, Susan Elizabeth Phillips never seems to dissapoint me.

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Mar 09, 2013 LuvGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dandies, dead-tree-book, aar-top-100, dead-tree-and-kindle, kin-p, drop-dead-gorgeous-hero, contemporary, owned-keeper, secondary-romance, favorite-secondary-character, sports, 3-half-stars

This started off a little rocky for me with the TSTL scenes of the heroine in the beaver costume and the battle with her ex and his girlfriend, but the hero sounded too delicious to give up on, so I stuck it out, and I'm very glad that I did. I really enjoyed the wise cracking heroine even though her aversion of getting involved with the hero was a bit long winded and started to grate after a while. The last 10 percent of the book was my favorite. I loved how they gave each other the opportunity...more

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Aug 23, 2008 Jc rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

This is definitely one of those situations where I have no idea why a publisher picked the cover it did. Natural Born Charmer is about Blue, a portrait artist, and Dean, a pro-football player. Blue wears combat boots and oversized sweatshirts, and isn't Dean's normal type (and not really the type to go twirling around in a dress like the woman shown on the cover). A pretty good romantic story, but for me the highlight was the verbal sparring that takes place between Blue and the crusty woman tha...more

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Jan 12, 2008 Jimmyjane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cotton-candy, favorites

The title says it all- this book charmed the pants offa me, hee! I loved it from the outset, when we meet Blue walking down the road in a bunny suit- heck, I knew I was smitten when I discovered her name was Blue. It just suited her to the ground, and from that beginning, it was another fabulous adventure on par with "First Lady". It weaves threads of relationships- mother, daughter, father, child, friends, lovers- with the scorching central romance and the effect is a terrifically fun read. I c...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Kath rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow. I loved Match Me If You Can, but this was even better. And you really should read Match Me If You Can before reading this installment. This is definetely a romantic comedy and I found myself laughing out loud at times.

Dean Robilard is introduced in Match Me and as a football star that ends up being a potential love interest and friend to Annabelle and he's absolutely adorable and there's more to him than meets the eye. Dean is traveling in Colorado and picks up a woman in a beaver suit who'...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Lucy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

I will admit, I did read it in one sitting. Was I highly impressed and fully involved in the story? I was up until a certain point when the story just somehow really got off track for me.

At a certain point, it started to feel unreal. Yes, people change as they meet other people, but all of our characters seemingly started to change to fit each other, and it just felt a bit forced and everything came together too perfectly.

As one reviewer pointed out, we have all these crazy characters with a g...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Patacaisse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Le dernier tome de la série des Chicago Stars… (ça fait mal de le dire).

Dean rencontre Blue en errant sur les routes. Blue est déguisée en castor pour faire la promotion d’une entreprise et veut rentrer étriper son ex. Dean n’ayant rien d’autre à faire et s’ennuyant décide de rester en compagnie de Blue et l’emmène avec lui voir sa nouvelle acquisition.
Ce livre m’a déçu. J’ai trouvé que Dean, le héros, était moins intéressant, son personnage moins approfondi que les autres héros de la série. Pou...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Teresa Medeiros rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can promise you that Susan Elizabeth Phillip's NATURAL BORN CHARMER will top a lot of "Best of..." lists for 2007 with this wonderful book.

Writers are a notoriously jaded and nit-picky lot so it's rare that we'll admit that we adore every word that comes out of an author's mouth. But for me, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (or SEP as she's known to her legion of equally adoring readers) has always been that author. I first fell in love with her work when I read FANCY PANTS, a book where she performed...more I can promise you that Susan Elizabeth Phillip's NATURAL BORN CHARMER will top a lot of "Best of..." lists for 2007 with this wonderful book.

Writers are a notoriously jaded and nit-picky lot so it's rare that we'll admit that we adore every word that comes out of an author's mouth. But for me, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (or SEP as she's known to her legion of equally adoring readers) has always been that author. I first fell in love with her work when I read FANCY PANTS, a book where she performed the impossible feat of making golf (and golfer Dallie Beaudine) incredibly sexy. Her fabulous earlier books like HOT SHOT and HONEY MOON had equal elements of romance and women's fiction. In 1994 she launched her wildly popular "Chicago Stars" series with the perennial romance classic IT HAD TO BE YOU. Since then those Chicago Stars coaches, players, and agents (Heath Champion anyone?) have been scoring regularly, both with Susan's heroines and her readers.

It's only fitting that Super Bowl weekend would bring us the latest installment in the series--NATURAL BORN CHARMER. I don't want to ruin a single delightful surprise from this book but it does boast one of the cutest "meets" I've ever seen in a romance when Dean Robillard slams on the brakes of his Aston-Martin after he spots Blue Bailey stomping down the road in a giant beaver costume. I never could resist a smart man with a smart mouth and their resulting banter reminded me of a Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant flick. The tone of their relationship is set when she tells him, "You look like an ad for gay porn" and he tells her, "You look like a national disaster."

Some of you may remember Dean as Annabelle's "buddy" from MATCH ME IF YOU CAN. As a hero, he's a delicious study in contradictions: a drop-dead gorgeous man who never looks at himself in the mirror; a smart man known more for his brawn than his brains; a generous man afraid to give away even a tiny portion of his heart. He's flawed and funny and oh...did I mention drop-dead gorgeous?

It's rare that you fall equally in love with the heroine of a romance but Blue Bailey is about as likeable and irresistible as they come. Her untidy ponytail, snappy comebacks, and scuffed-up biker boots hide a keen wit and a tender heart. When Dean asks her, "Who says you're not pretty?" she replies with, "Oh, it doesn't bother me. I have so much character that adding beauty to the mix would be greedy." And when his mother points out, "You're not his usual type of girlfriend," Blue zings right back with, "Once again, my three-digit IQ separates me from the pack."

A common theme of every Susan Elizabeth Phillips book (and perhaps one of the most primal themes of the romance genre itself) is the creation of a family where there was none before. Susan explores this theme beautifully in CHARMER as both Dean and Blue are forced to confront and lay to rest the ghosts of their childhoods. These subplots and secondary characters enhance the romance that's at the heart of the book instead of detracting from it. Perhaps her greatest strength as a writer is her ability to create empathy for EVERY character in the novel. She can write an insecure, overweight 11-year-old girl as well as she writes an embittered old woman hiding a heart of gold or a hunky football player. She unearths a universal truth in this scene: "As Dean gazed around the table, he saw a travesty of the American family. It was like Norman Rockwell on crack." Well, when it comes right down to it, aren't ALL of our families like Norman Rockwell on crack? It's the fact that we love them in spite of it that makes us noble creatures worthy of a happy ending.

As a writer, I'm in awe of descriptions like, "With her big blond wig, diamond chandelier earrings, and free floating pastel caftan, she looked like a parade float sponsored by a senior citizens' bordello." Susan writes smart books for smart readers and I laughed out loud several times during the book, even catching a few obscure cultural references like Blue calling Dean "Deanna" when he comes up to her and says, "You look pissed." (That would be empath Deanna Troi for all of you non-Trekkers out there.)

You'll have to forgive me if this blog sounds more like a valentine than a review but once again, SEP has created a cast of unforgettable characters who will live on in my heart forever. To me, that's the happiest ending of all.

(Originally published on the website of author Teresa Medeiros at www.teresamedeiros.com)(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-books-break-the-rules, made-me-laugh, no-politer-word-for-porn

When I first started on this book, I was like, "Seriously?", "You've got to be kidding me." and ".....really." I mean, this book was so unrealistic on so many levels it was just too much to bear for me. Surely a great novel can be produced even by adhering to the laws of reality, society and rationality?
But then, I was desperate to add this book to my "Read" repertoire and thought, What the hell, let's just pretend for once. And hey presto, this book was actually entertaining. I can't put a fing...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Lisa C rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's been tantalizing me since the first time I saw the cover, but I just wasn't sure if I could go for SEP. As mentioned in my last review, I'd heard that all her books were the same, and in my mind I tend to lump her with some other authors I'd thought I didn't care for (and have also recently tried and enjoyed). Once I'd finished Call Me Irresistible, I had to immediately check this one out.

And...it was exactly the same. First the gorgeous, wealthy, pro football player. Then the down on her l...more It's been tantalizing me since the first time I saw the cover, but I just wasn't sure if I could go for SEP. As mentioned in my last review, I'd heard that all her books were the same, and in my mind I tend to lump her with some other authors I'd thought I didn't care for (and have also recently tried and enjoyed). Once I'd finished Call Me Irresistible, I had to immediately check this one out.

And...it was exactly the same. First the gorgeous, wealthy, pro football player. Then the down on her luck, quirky artist with the brash attitude. But honestly, how can you not get hooked by a book that starts off with a guy stopping to talk to a woman walking down the highway in a giant beaver costume (sans head). That kind of outrageous, but completely workable humor is exactly what Susan Elizabeth Phillips fans love about her, and this book had plenty more vibrant, quirky, intriguing characters to keep you entertained. I had some moments where I had trouble getting past the overly-incredible guy falls for misfit routine (again), and started to wonder if this was not merely a product of publishers and agents pushing for more of what has already been successful for a single author and the industry, but also a representation of how an artist (or many of them) sees the world -- isn't everyone longing to be an out of work, misunderstood quirk, who's struggling to get their act together?

I will say that I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the last, although I've said before that I have a slight aversion to stories that include obvious characters from other books, despite how much the book stands on its own -- but there are so many in romance, that it's hard to stay away from them. This book on the other hand is entirely its own story. Or perhaps it's merely the first. Either way, there seemed to be a definite attempt to go a little naughtier than before. SEP does not seem to shy away from a well-depicted sex scene, but there was an unexpected kink to the scenes in this one that left me feeling a bit curdled. In light of the recent fascination with E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey, and subsequent discussions about how romance is always a bit hotter in books and movies during conservative eras, it felt to me to be a bit forced. The book is quite a few years old now, so the correlation is definitely only in my own mind, but I was still left with the feeling that someone behind the scenes said, "How about you turn this one up a bit?" Not only is it a bit disappointing in comparison to her other books, but it enhances the feeling that "this one," is just another, churned out title -- not very different from the last, and all a part of a vast machine -- with very little character of its own besides a couple of laughs and a few unusual people.(less)

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Apr 29, 2012 Tonileg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, seriously-damaged-h-h, funny-ha-ha, sports

Two people that are sweet, kind and deserving of the best but on the family and personal relationship front should have that yellow/black police tape wrapped around them because their parents were non-existent. Blue and Dean have childhoods where they were passed around to schools, camps and strangers to raise them instead of any actual family. I really felt for these two people because they had made something good and strong out of themselves even though they had no guidance and bad role models...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Andreasoldier rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"It wasn't every day a guy saw a headless beaver marching down the side of a road, not even in Dean Robillard's larger than life world. "Son of a b---" Dean slammed on the brakes of his brand new Aston Martin Vanquish and pulled over in front of her.
"The beaver marched right past, her big flat tail bouncing in the gravel, and her small, sharp nose stuck up in the air. Way up. The beaver looked highly pissed.
"She was definitely a girl beaver because her beaver head was missing, revealing sweaty,...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Lyndi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: makes-my-morals-ache

I did't even make it to 20%. BUT I HAVE A GOOD REASON! I think so, anyway. The blurb above pretty much covers the 20% I read. You know Dean and Blue are headed to his summer house, where they will meet up with the lady taking care of the renovations. The scene in which they arrive is the scene in which I lose all faith in humanity. No, it's not that bad.

The scene:
Dean meets Mrs. O'Hara, the woman in charge of renovations, whom he has only exchanged emails with.
Mrs. O'Hara turns out to be Dean's...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have this thing about romance books -- a thing I look for that pretty much decides how much I'm going to like the book as I read it. That thing is what they called the "meet cute" in old movies, i.e. how the two main romantic couple meets. If that first meeting doesn't touch me somehow -- be it, make me laugh, make me interested, send chills down my spine, whatever -- then I pretty much give up on the book going from that point forward.

This book SO did not mess up the "meet cute." My GOD did i...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Teshii rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I just adore this book. I have read it 5 times in 3 years. Th story revolve around too very fickle human beings who cant trust anyone, which they themselves admitted. To see them over-coming their problems and actually decided not to contact each other just to prove that they are capable of trusting each other.Though Dean isnt that trustful as he went searching for Blue when he saw the newspaper but no doubt their marriage is a happy one. The other characters also brought more conviction to the...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Iris Blobel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay - those who read my "reviews" know I like SEP books! They're funny, witty, full of romance and make my day. I found the exception to the rule :-(

The story is simple: Blue gets picked up by Dean (one of the Chicago Stars) who's on a cross country trip to figure out what's missing in his life. So far so good! He gives Blue a lift and they somehow end up together on his new farm.

The usual SEP-recipe in her books doesn't work this time - we add Dean's mother, his father and his half sister - oh...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Yuchiyo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

Yay! My second novel of SEP. :) And I know, it's one of her most famous novel, now I know why. :) ♥

Once I started reading this novel, I'm already hooked. I can't bring the book down. Anyway, I put it down 'cause I still have classes the next day, so when I had the chance reading, I grab the opportunity and finished it today. :) ♥

I really love the story. I love that the heroine was witty and tough in some sense, you know not the typical that was always weak. I simply love Blue. Almost everythin...more

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About Susan Elizabeth Phillips

SUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS

The Huffington Post says the books of Susan Elizabeth Phillips provide a “gateway drug to the whole [romance] genre,” which she assumes is a good thing. Bookpage magazine calls her “the crown jewel of romantic comedy writers,” which is definitely a good thing. Since she wrote her first novel on a typewriter in her kitchen, her books have been published in over 30 languages...more

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Dream a Little Dream (Chicago Stars, #4)

Nobody's Baby But Mine (Chigago Stars, #3)

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“She thought it over, but couldn’t see any immediate loopholes other than the threat of her inner slut emerging, and she could darned well control that little bitch.” — 63 people liked it

“Do you really expect me to fall apart every time another woman throws herself at you? Because, if that's so, I'll be a nervous wreck before the honeymoon's over. Although, if they do it in front of me..."
He went still. "Did you just propose to me?"
She bristled. "Do you have a problem with that?"
The scoreboard lit up, and he gave the world a high five. "God, I love you.” — 41 people liked it

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Natural Born Charmer (Chicago Stars #7)

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