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It Had to Be You (Chicago Stars #1)

by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Goodreads Author)

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 19,512 ratings · 719 reviews

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 m...more

Mass Market Paperback, 376 pages

Published August 1st 1994 by Avon

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Community Reviews

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Apr 21, 2008 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of romance novels

Shelves: romance

Okay, now I can understand why everyone is so crazy about SEP. The funny thing is I almost stopped reading this novel after the first 50 pages. I’m not into football or sports of any kind, and the characters hadn’t grabbed me enough to continue. Plus, the book was published in 1994, and I didn’t know what the sex scenes would be like (I had visions of purple prose…eek!). So while I was working on computer yesterday I grabbed the book and started flipping through, looking for the sex scenes while...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Ronyell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-books, american-hero-or-heroine, best-books-of-2011, book-series, books-i-want-to-own, chapter-books, contemporary-romance, drama, favorites, humor-satire, manners, read-in-2011, reviewed-books, sexy-tough-heroine, sexy-bad-boy-hero, strong-hero, strong-heroine, susan-elizabeth-philliips, sports-related-books, ronyell-s-epinions-reviews, aar-top-100-romance-books-2010, my-blog-reviews

To be honest, I have always been a huge fan of historical romance since it takes me to a time that is so completely different from the current times. However, after reading this little gem of a romance novel, I started to gain interest in the world of contemporary romance. “It Had To Be You” was the first romance novel I have read from author Susan Elizabeth Phillips and after I had read this book, I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her wonderful books! “It Had To Be You” is full...more To be honest, I have always been a huge fan of historical romance since it takes me to a time that is so completely different from the current times. However, after reading this little gem of a romance novel, I started to gain interest in the world of contemporary romance. “It Had To Be You” was the first romance novel I have read from author Susan Elizabeth Phillips and after I had read this book, I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her wonderful books! “It Had To Be You” is full of hot, sizzling romance, pure football fun and drama that will set any romance fans’ heads spinning!

When Bert Somerville, the owner of the prized football team, the Chicago Stars, dies he left in his will that his estranged daughter, Phoebe Somerville, will inherit the football team after his death. Unfortunately, since Phoebe and her father never got along, there is a condition that Phoebe must follow in order to be successful in inheriting the football team. If the Chicago Stars are able to make it to the AFC Championships, then Phoebe will be able to inherit the football team and earn one thousand dollars, but if the team fails to win, then Phoebe’s cruel cousin, Reed Chandler, will inherit the football team. Things get more complicated when Phoebe meets the head football coach, Dan Calebow and at first sight, the two of them never got along. However, Phoebe and Dan will soon discover how true love can work in mysterious ways…especially on the football field!

Alright, so now that you saw the cover of this book (a blown up photo of a woman’s chest) you are probably thinking that this book would turn out to be too kinky for anyone’s taste in romance novels. NO, that is not so! Susan Elizabeth Phillips has not only written a romance novel full of hot and sizzling love scenes, but she wrote a romance novel that is full of drama and love! Susan Elizabeth Phillips made the characters come to life in this novel, especially Phoebe Somerville and Dan Calebow! Let me just say that I just love Phoebe Somerville to death! Not only is Phoebe truly attractive to the boys, but she is extremely independent and I loved the way that she handles the football team with so much confidence, despite the fact that she does not know anything about football. I also loved the fact that Phoebe is always so determined to do everything right, no matter how hard the task is and I loved her relationship with her younger half-sister Molly and her attempts to make Molly see her as a good person, which truly makes Phoebe into such a caring heroine. It was also heartbreaking in hearing about Phoebe’s childhood and how she was raped at such a young age. I truly felt for her character when she experienced that horrible event and it was understandable why she would not let Dan near her in the first place. Now onto the good part and that’s the all handsome and all muscle hero, Dan Calebow! Dan Calebow is clearly one of my favorite romance heroes of all time because even though he has a terrible temper, he can be so caring and funny towards Phoebe and his dedication to football is truly inspiring in his nature. Also, his dream of marrying a woman who loves children and wants to start a family with him, is just so sweet and dreamy! I just love men who are so caring about having a family of their own to take care of! And do not forget the love scenes between Phoebe and Dan! They are truly smoking and romance fans everywhere will definitely be fanning themselves once they read through these love scenes between Dan and Phoebe!

For those of you who do not like strong language and strong sex scenes, this novel has a lot of strong language and the sex scenes might be too explicit, so it would be best to skip over these scenes if it becomes too problematic.

Overall, “It Had To Be You” is easily one of the best contemporary romances ever written and anyone who is interested in reading romance novels that deal with the love of sports has got to check this novel out!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: humorous-contemporary-romance, 5-star-romance, contemporary-sports-romance, football

It was so fun to be in this book. I laughed a lot. I was tempted to quit work and just read for the day.

Phoebe’s mother died early and her father didn’t love her. He kept her away in boarding schools and camps. She was raped, but her father didn’t believe her. She creates a false front, looking and acting like a Marilyn Monroe-Mae West-blond-bombshell-bimbo. She’s afraid of sex, but she talks as if she has many lovers. She appears silly and not smart, but underneath she is very smart. Because o...more

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Oct 20, 2010 Lady Valee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cont-romance, favorites

I just have no words to describe how much I loved this book. It was amazing! Maybe I was just in the right mood for this kind of read or maybe it really is a terrific read. I just know that apart from LK's Travises series, I had never, ever enjoyed a contemporary romance as much as I did this one and the Travises. And yes, it was that good for me. Well maybe not that good, lol, but definitely the closest I will ever find.

I loved Phoebe! She was an amazing heroine. Everything about her was so app...more I just have no words to describe how much I loved this book. It was amazing! Maybe I was just in the right mood for this kind of read or maybe it really is a terrific read. I just know that apart from LK's Travises series, I had never, ever enjoyed a contemporary romance as much as I did this one and the Travises. And yes, it was that good for me. Well maybe not that good, lol, but definitely the closest I will ever find.

I loved Phoebe! She was an amazing heroine. Everything about her was so appealing. She was just so broken and lost, and so many things were wrong with her at the beginning. But we get to see her grow into the kind of person we all wanna be. She still was very funny at the beginning, lol, so many scenes made me laugh so hard I had to stop reading the book and analyze them over and over again. Oh Pooh (He's the dog for those who have not read it yet), you were my favorite character, so sweet. Phoebe was so strong and she definitely deserved her HEA!

Now let's get to the good stuff! Yes Dan Calebow, I'm talking about you. What a hero. You know, maybe it's just me that I have been reading paranormal for too long and heroes were always the same. Dan was so different from every other hero I have read about so far. He felt so real, I hated him at the beginning, and ended LOVING him, yes LOVING him. How could I not? He was so human, so real and had his personal demons to confront as Phoebe did.

Of course they made it work out at the end together, it's romance after all, lol, but the story makes you need to keep reading until you finish the it. There's so many emotions enclosed in this book. I wanted to laugh sometimes and cry others, even both at the same time. I was frustrated and extremely exhilarated the next second. That's how good the book is.

I don't know why so many did not gave more than 3 stars to this book. IMHO this was a terrific contemporary romance and I loved every second of it. I'm dying to read more in this amazing series. As always Ally you were right. Here goes another book into my favs list! Enjoy people, definitely a must read for romance lovers.(less)

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Feb 01, 2013 Nisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, sports-romance, contemporary-romance

I liked Phoebe. Not the typical character that I would have first found appealing, but as the story progressed, her motives become apparent and she's loads of fun. Dan's a nice guy, with his own set of faults (his temper, for one) that he needs to get right. All the characters were great. The villain was kinda dumb. Unnecessary, if you ask me. Still, a great read.

2.1.2013

I'll write a real review soon...I think

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Jan 17, 2009 L8blmr rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'll have to admit that I am probably one of the last romance readers to climb aboard Ms. Phillips' bandwagon, but now that I'm here, I don't plan to leave anytime soon. I had read so many raves about the Chicago Stars series that I eagerly began reading this first installment, imagining that I would fall in love on page 1. I didn't. At first, I felt the male lead had potential, but I wasn't fond at all of the female lead, her sister, or even what I knew of the plot at that point. It wasn't long...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm at 82% but I won't read anymore. I said if there was ONE more misunderstanding in this book, I'd stop. So, I'm stopping.

I actually think the book is probably really good, I'm just tired of these type of romance novels.

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Oct 30, 2009 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-contemporary, read-own, favorites, read-in-2009, ebooks

Wow! I almost didn’t read this series but I’m sure glad that I gave it a chance. From beginning to end I could not put this book down. The funeral scene was absolutely hilarious and sucked me right in. Some of the scenes were so HOT that I had to read it over and over again, especially the kinky kiddy scene. I was so engrossed in the story that by the last scene, where Dan was looking back at his life, I had decided the Susan Elizabeth Phillips is another one of my favorite authors (even though...more

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Sep 12, 2008 Alexis rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers of fluffy romances who also like sports movies

Recommended to Alexis by: Erin

Shelves: romance, my-reviews

Phoebe Somerville inherits the football team that her father owned, but only temporarily. After being disinherited (basically because her father was a complete ass), he bequeaths her the team in order to make a woman out of her. But there's a big catch, and it takes Phoebe a while to rise to the occasion. Eventually, she starts to get involved with the team, and it becomes less about proving to her dead dad that she can do it and more about proving it to herself. (Wow, it's character development...more Phoebe Somerville inherits the football team that her father owned, but only temporarily. After being disinherited (basically because her father was a complete ass), he bequeaths her the team in order to make a woman out of her. But there's a big catch, and it takes Phoebe a while to rise to the occasion. Eventually, she starts to get involved with the team, and it becomes less about proving to her dead dad that she can do it and more about proving it to herself. (Wow, it's character development!)

But let's not forget about Dan Calebow, the very virile ~~viking~~ football coach. He and Phoebe absolutely hate each other from the start, but this is a romance novel, so they (of course) somehow find a way to fall in love. Awww.

Add to all of this Phoebe's issues with sex (that somehow push her into adopting the public persona of an over the top sex kitten? What?), Dan's totally bizarre relationship with a politician ex-wife, and a random angry father, and It Had to Be You makes for a really weird tale of unlikely love.

Maybe I'm just too used to reading Nora Roberts, but something about the events and characters in SEP's books just feels a little too contrived. Everything is just a little bit off, from Dan's role-playing games with his ex-wife (one of which leads you to think of him as a child molester for far too long) to Phoebe's faux flirtations. Incidents and plot points seem thrown in (OMG there's a villain in the football stadium!) and a lot of the supporting characters feel underdeveloped (Dan dates a boring woman on the side). I think my familiarity with the style of Nora Roberts (the only romance author I have really read up until now) also played a role in how I read this book - Roberts would have handled certain situations in a different way, or wouldn't have included some of the more bizarre elements, so it was jarring when things didn't go the way I expected them to. I guess that's not SEP's fault, but I still think it all would have felt forced, even without my biased view. Now, I have to admit here that I kind of love sports movies. The more underdoggy the better. This book has elements of that, but the genre just seems to work better with movies. All in all, I wanted something uncomplicated and mindless to read, and in that regard I was totally satisfied by the reading experience.(less)

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Jan 03, 2012 Diah Didi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Diah by: Veeta, Dwi, Adwina, Aline, Amelia, dll...

Shelves: own, 2012, romance, contemporary, series, sport, recommended-by-others

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Beli ini cuma gara-gara Vita, Amel, Adwina, Dwi, Aline dll pada bilang SEP bagus. Jadi ini salah satu buku yang dibeli cuma gara-gara orang2x bilang buku2x yang ditulis pengarang ini bagus.
Dan setelah berbulan-bulan buku ini mendekam di lemari, terpacu ikutan baca karena liat Eka lagi baca ini, itung2x ngurangin jumlah buku numpuk yang belum dibaca. Pengikut banget sih saya ya? Hahahaha....

Waktu mau kasih rating novel ini agak dilema. Suka banget sama tokoh Phoebe yang terkesan kuat, cuek dan ng...more Beli ini cuma gara-gara Vita, Amel, Adwina, Dwi, Aline dll pada bilang SEP bagus. Jadi ini salah satu buku yang dibeli cuma gara-gara orang2x bilang buku2x yang ditulis pengarang ini bagus.
Dan setelah berbulan-bulan buku ini mendekam di lemari, terpacu ikutan baca karena liat Eka lagi baca ini, itung2x ngurangin jumlah buku numpuk yang belum dibaca. Pengikut banget sih saya ya? Hahahaha....

Waktu mau kasih rating novel ini agak dilema. Suka banget sama tokoh Phoebe yang terkesan kuat, cuek dan nggak peduli apa kata orang, padahal itu cuma topeng yang dia buat. Mungkin karena saya suka dengan peribahasa 'don't judge the book by its cover' kali ya? Meskipun jujur, saya pun nggak bisa melepaskan diri dari peribahasa itu (suka otomatis nilai orang dari tampilan luarnya).
Di awal buku waktu adegan pemakaman bapaknya, saya juga agak mengernyitkan kening dengan penggambaran si Phoebe. Agak berlebihan dan cari perhatian banget. Ntah kenapa soal dia bawa anjing pudel bikin saya langsung inget Legally Blonde. :)
Tapi saya akhirnya jatuh cinta sama karakter Phoebe. Ngebayangin apa yang udah dilaluinya bikin saya agak merinding. Apalagi di bagian dia ngadu ke bapaknya soal perkosaan yang dialaminya dan bapaknya nggak percaya. Jadi inget salah satu cerita dosen tentang anak perempuan yang mengalami depresi karena setelah dilecehkan oleh pamannya dan dia cerita ke ibunya, ibunya nggak percaya. Dan apa sih yang bisa menghancurkan seorang anak selain ketidakpercayaan orangtua yang seharusnya melindungi dia?
Jadi pengen meluk Phoebe. Saya nggak bisa ngebayangin rasanya hidup 'sendiri' kayak gitu. Terlepas dia punya banyak teman (gay friends mostly), tetap aja rasanya beda dengan dekat sama keluarga. Jadi merasa diingatkan betapa saya bersyukur punya keluarga yang peduli satu sama lain.
Tapi senang juga, akhirnya di sini dia bisa benar-benar dianggap jadi bagian dari satu komunitas. Betapa orang-orang di klub football akhirnya nerima dia. Belum lagi waktu akhirnya dia bisa dekat sama Molly, adek tirinya. Saya suka adegan waktu Phoebe dan Ron berkomplotan melawan Dan supaya Ron bisa kembali mendapatkan pekerjaan dan posisinya sebagai General Manajer. :D
Satu hal yang mengganggu di novel ini adalah bagian ceritanya Dan dan mantan istrinya, Valerie. Sumpah deh, di awal saya pikir Dan beneran 'gituan' sama anak sekolahan. Ilpil berat deh kalo dia beneran main hajar tanpa mikir umur. Dan ternyata, itu cuma salah satu skenario dari hobinya si mantan istri. Hadeeeh ... tetep aja bikin ilpil.
Kalo bukan karena saya suka ama Phoebe, saya mungkin kasih ini bintang 2 kali ya.
Love Phoebe!(less)

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Sep 27, 2012 Julie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, fiction, susan-elizabeth-phillips

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Warning: This review deals with the book's content, which could be potentially triggering.

This is another one of those books that's regarded as a classic romance -- and it's another classic that I didn't like at all. "It Had to Be You" sounded like it had a promising set-up: a socialite's father dies, leaving her the football team he owned. She knows nothing about football but works hard at the job of team owner while falling for the Stars' coach. I've read books six and seven in the Chicago Sta...more

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May 30, 2012 Yona rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-and-new-adult-romance

I waited a long time before i started reading this book and now when I am thinking about it I just don't know why. The book is very good although there were some things which could have been written better. However I enjoyed reading about Phoebe and Dan a lot, some scenes really made me laugh. And in the end i think everyone got what they wanted from life. The end shows what had happened 3 years later and i can't say that I didn't like it, but I was thinking for a little different end like Phoeb...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, contemporary, humorous, read-2010, sports-related, re-read, read-2011, manipulative-friends-family

I don't know if it's me or the books I'm reading, but I'm having a difficult time assigning ratings these day. Take It Had to be You. On one hand the writing is crisp and witty; and on the other hand the author used cheesy plot devices that felt more like a made-for-TV movie than good story making.

Pros:
The story has depth and detail, and the characters are well-developed and 3 dimensional. Ms. Phillips delivers emotional impact with her writing, being alternatively humorous or heart-stopping. Sh...more

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May 27, 2012 Vina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: susanelizabethphillips

Puas!
itu kesan setelah baca novel ini
puas dengan endingnya,
puas dengan nasib antagonis nya
senang menambah pengetahuan tentang football america, yang memang asing bagiku,
jd semakin memahami ketidaktahuan Phoebe sebagai pemilik Chicago Stars yang baru , warisan dari ayahnya Bert Somerville.
oya selain itu, Phoebe juga menjadi wali utk adik tirinya Molly.
Molly yang dari awal memusuhinya, memasang sikap tak peduli dan ingin segera kembali ke camp daripada di rumah bersama Phoebe.
Jadi, Phoebe harus m...more

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Nov 19, 2007 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-contemporary, favorites

This book came at a time when I was pretty much not reading romance novels. I had been down on the genre. But enter Phoebe who was a breath of fresh air. First of all, SEP set her story surrounding pro sports. This was, imo, a big deal. She was bringing something very different to a genre that to me had grown tired. Every other contemporary writer in the genre was putting women on ranches to capture the Marlboro Man or making them run from some serial killer.

Phoebe, otoh, was learning how to run...more

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Nov 14, 2007 Ummi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicago-stars

The first series on the Chicago Stars as well as the first one of the Sommervilles girls. Now I've been waiting to read this one for a long time and once I start, I can't stop. This is where the Chicago Stars really started. This is where Phoebe Sommerville and Dan Calebow met. I know zilch about American Football but I do know that I love the Chicago Stars. I love the way they rise to success, how Phoebe and Dan make it possible for the Stars to shine. Most of all, I love Phoebe and Dan. Yes, t...more

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Feb 28, 2011 chanceofbooks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read

3.5 stars. This book consistently makes top five lists of all time favorite romances, so when I saw that our library had the ebook version, I decided to give it a try. As it's from 1994, there's a good chance I have read this before. But it is also possible that it just feels so familiar because every sports romance that followed after used the same winning formula: clueless but hot girl is forced to interact with pro sports Guy who resents her presence until she saves the day. And most novels a...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

I started this book such a long time ago and stopped reading it, I only just forced myself to get to the end and while I can't say I was blown away by it, it wasn't a bad novel.
The romance was very well laid out and although at some points their relationship annoyed me, they didn't have a large amount of extremely petty fights like a lot of romance novels have.
I was proud of our heroine when she was able to push past all the crap that happened in her life while our characters in stories tend t...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Kat Morrisey rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book kept popping up on my recommendations and so, since it was only 99 cents, I decided to give it a try. Now, first, understand that this book is not new. It was originally published in 1994 so there there are no cell phones (though there is a mention of a car phone and what the hero said about it that made me laugh) and computers are not what they are today. However, even with this little trip back in time as far as the technology goes (or lack thereof) I really, really liked it.

The her...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Beverly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the most perfect romances I've ever read! This was so sweet! The fact that Dan wants a good wife, children, and a life he can look forward to everyday is adorable! And Phoebe being so completely unmotherly, but then turning out to be perfect is amazing!

I don't want to spoil anything, but this entire book was sweet. I didn't want to read it at first because of the football stuff but it was completely worth it. The way Dan and Phoebe's relationship built up was perfect and I really...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was pretty disappointing. On a fundamental level, I really didn't like the hero or the heroine, so it made it pretty hard to get invested in them as a couple.

Phoebe was clearly supposed to be a woman with a confident sexy exterior masking a heart of gold, deep sensitivity, some damage, and brains. That is what we were *told* but what we were shown didn't really live up to that. The sexy exterior read more as embarrassingly trashy than attractive (granted the fact that the fashion in t...more This book was pretty disappointing. On a fundamental level, I really didn't like the hero or the heroine, so it made it pretty hard to get invested in them as a couple.

Phoebe was clearly supposed to be a woman with a confident sexy exterior masking a heart of gold, deep sensitivity, some damage, and brains. That is what we were *told* but what we were shown didn't really live up to that. The sexy exterior read more as embarrassingly trashy than attractive (granted the fact that the fashion in this book is seriously dated was a big part of that), the heart of gold was basically that she was a decent person (which a lot of people are) the sensitivity and damage were there (but were not very believably handled) and the brains part was unconvincing. I kept waiting for her to say or do something really smart, and it never happened - all her supposedly brilliant moves seemed like the oldest moves in the book. I think what put me off the most, however, was just the fact that she was so phony - her whole life seemed to be based on lies, manipulation, and game-playing. I kept waiting for her to break out of the bimbo mold to reveal the substance behind it, which was clearly what was supposed to be happening, but it never really worked.

Our hero, Dan, wasn't much better. I never quite figured out what was supposed to be so special about this guy other than her feeling some chemistry with him. Okay, that's enough for her to like him, but what was in it for the reader? The cheerleader part almost made me put the book down, so I have to give props to the author on the twist there, but it still didn't especially add to Dan's appeal. Here's a guy who is lining up the women in his life for the specific roles he wants them to play without really investing much of himself. Maybe that's an accurate football coach personality, but that doesn't make it attractive. his anger issues also did not seem to be a good fit for a woman as sensitive as Phoebe. Frankly I was surprised they could move on at all after the unbelievably triggering mistaken identity scene. I was also annoyed that he chose to avenge her with his fists - it just seemed a bit too high-schoolish.

This book seemed promising at times, but it just kept missing the mark. The plot went a little too far in some ways (kidnapping, anyone?) and not far enough on others. There were a few cute moments, and a lot of implausible ones. Overall, I just could not connect with the people or the story line.(less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Dawn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. I couldn't put this book down. It's beautifully written.

And I'm struggling to find words. I'm still mystified by SEP's writing style; it's witty, deep, funny, and quirky. There were some scenes that had me thinking, "WTF?" only to get the big reveal in a few pages.

The chemistry between Phoebe and Dan was incredible. The tension? Ridiculous. The sex? Amazing. The love? Undeniable. There was a moment where I thought, "Uh-oh, she can't be in love yet!" But it was fixed right away. I thought th...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Wanderlust rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hot-alpha-men, you-are-a-bastard-but-i-love-you

Cover & Title - Uh cover 2/5, title 5/5.
Favorite Lines - ‎"There’s no such thing as mistakes – only a lack of foresight.” & “I guess we're oil and water." "I'd say we're more like gasoline and a blowtorch."
Favorite Character - Phoebe

I loved this book, it was flipping fantastic! I found it on some of my goodread's friends bookshelves two weeks or so ago and after reading the reviews have wanted to read it since. I expected a lot from this book, I truly was not disappointed. It was so muc...more

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May 22, 2012 Tonileg rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

Phoebe Somerville had a terrible childhood. She had a rich SOB selfish father who dealt with her by sending her off to summer camps and all girl boarding school. She was raped and her father defended the guy! Long story short she ran off when she was 18 and never looked back until the funeral in the first chapter that starts out this story.
She becomes the owner of the Stars football team in Chicago (not a real team BTW) whilst knowing nothing about the sport or management. She quickly meets the...more

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Mar 18, 2012 HÜLYA YILMAZ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Aşkta İlk ÇEYREK(İT HAD TO BE YOU)Chicago Stars / Bonner Brothers Serisinin ilk romanı..Güzel bir romandı. Hikayemiz Phobe Summerville ile Dan Calebow arasındaki tutkulu ve duygusal bir aşkı anlatıyor...
Phobe kelimenin tam anlamı ile eski Amerikan filmlerindeki sarışın bomba,babasının bol evliliğinin çocuklarından biri..Babası ile arası uzun zaman önce bozulmuş başına gelen kötü bir tecavüz olayından sonra aralarındaki ipler iyice kopmuştur...
Dan Calebow eski sporcu ve Phobe'a babasından miras C...more Aşkta İlk ÇEYREK(İT HAD TO BE YOU)Chicago Stars / Bonner Brothers Serisinin ilk romanı..Güzel bir romandı. Hikayemiz Phobe Summerville ile Dan Calebow arasındaki tutkulu ve duygusal bir aşkı anlatıyor...
Phobe kelimenin tam anlamı ile eski Amerikan filmlerindeki sarışın bomba,babasının bol evliliğinin çocuklarından biri..Babası ile arası uzun zaman önce bozulmuş başına gelen kötü bir tecavüz olayından sonra aralarındaki ipler iyice kopmuştur...
Dan Calebow eski sporcu ve Phobe'a babasından miras Chicago Stars Amerikan Futbol takımının karizmatik ve yakışıklı koçu..Eski karısı ile onun isteği ile fantaziler yaşamak zorunda kalan genç bir adam..Karısından ayrıldıktan sonra yegane isteği çocuklu sevimli bir aile kurabilmek..Bunun için gerekli hazırlıklar bile tamam Sharon isimli bir ana okulu öğretmeni ile görüşmeye başlamış bile plan tamam ama hesaplamadığı bir şey yani biri var:) Phobe Summerville..
Onun güzelliği,çekiciliğine hazırlıklı ama baştan çıkarıcılığı altında yatan masumiyetine,saflığına hiç hazır değil ve kanişi Pooha..Hakkında duyduğu o kadar hikayeden sonra bu kadın hiç de anlatıldığı gibi değil...
Phobe ve Dan hiç ummadıkları anda birbirlerine çarpıldılar ve Phobe babasından kalan bu futbol takımını hiç de istemese de o takım ile gerçek takım ruhunu arkadaşlığı birbirini anlamayı aynı şeye üzülüp sevinmeyi öğrendi...
Dan'den ise yıllar önce kaybettiği kadınlığını geri aldı Dan'ı çok sevdi.. Sevmek mutluluk için yeterli miydi?..
Çok geç tanıştığım bu roman bence yazarın ilk yayınlanan tekli kitaplarından Aşk Kapıyı Çalınca'dan çok daha güzeldi bence..Çeviriden bahsetmek de istiyorum kitap resmen su gibi akıp gitti..Kitaba hiç müdahale edilmemiş Sevinç Yanar'ı buradan tebrik etmek istiyorum..
Bu romanı hala okumayan var ise tavsiye ederim..
Ve Kapakk bence bizim kapak konuya çok çok uygunnn tebrikler Pegasus Yayinları..
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Mar 13, 2012 Alyssa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: famous, sports

This book is amazing! I've been seeing it on my recommendations list for a while because of all the other books I was reading but I was turned off by the cover, which just sexified the entire thing and always made me pass it on for something else.

I'm so glad I eventually came back to this. Now, I've been reading a lot of romance lately, especially sports romance, which is how I ended up here, but I don't think I've read a story as complex, developed, and real as this in a long long time.

The begi...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Kelli rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this series. I read them out of order and

was actually my first experience with SEP. It was also my favorite but ranking them is like choosing between your children. Still,

has a special place in my literary heart. This book, like all in the series, focuses on the relationship between a member of the fictional Chicago Stars football team and his lady luck. In this first book we get to see how the relationship between Stars' owner Phoebe and Stars' coach and former football great, Dan...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Mariachiara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tirolo: il gioco della seduzione

Titolo originale: It had to be you (Dovevi essere tu)

Autore: Susan Elizabeth Philips

Serie: Chicago Stars primo libro

Editore: Leggereditore

Trama: Quando gli opposti non solo si attraggono, ma diventano inseparabili… Chicago non è pronta per l’affascinante e capricciosa Phoebe Somerville, ma quando il padre le consegna le redini della squadra di football della famiglia,tutti, lei compresa, dovranno ricredersi. Nessuno pensa che Phoebe riuscirà a risollevare le sorti...more

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Jan 28, 2012 MsMiz (Tina) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-mobi, romance

I had avoided this book for a long time because of the in your face boob shot on the cover. In light of my new desire to read the back catalog of m/f contemporary romance, I figured why not.

The book opens at a funeral of probably one of the sleaziest old men ever. What a complete dick he was and we get glimpses of his true rise as the king of his own dickhead land through those that survived him with the true victims, his daughters. The funeral turns into a circus and was such a funny scene, I...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Flame rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-challenge-books, contemporary-romance, in-between-great-and-perfect

This review is also posted on Always a Booklover.

This was a very good read. I loved the characters in the book, and their love truly touched me. I devoured the book, and finished it within a few hours. I simply could not stop reading. The action that was unfolding on the pages of the book was really captivating and everything just fell so nicely in place. I’m trying to say, there wasn’t too much of anything or too little. At the risk of sounding like Goldilocks, everything was just right. I es...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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Books by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Natural Born Charmer (Chicago Stars, #7)

Dream a Little Dream (Chicago Stars, #4)

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

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Quotes from It Had to Be You

“I guess we're oil and water. (Phoebe)

I'd say we're more like gasoline and a blowtorch. (Dan)” — 121 people liked it

“The door closed behind her (Phoebe), and the two men regarded each other for a moment. Viktor spoke first. "I must have your promise, Coach, that you won't hurt her." Dan: "I won't." Viktor: "You spoke a little too quickly for my taste. I don't quite believe you." Dan: "I'm a man of my word, and I promise I won't hurt her." He flexed his hands. "When I murder her, I'll do it real quick so she won't feel a thing." Viktor sighed. "That's exactly what I was afraid of.” — 80 people liked it

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It Had to Be You (Chicago Stars #1)

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