6th out of 1,796 books
—
4,049 voters
It Had to Be You (Chicago Stars #1)
by
Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Goodreads Author)
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
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
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
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
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
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
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 loved Phoebe! She was an amazing heroine. Everything about her was so app...more
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
2.1.2013
I'll write a real review soon...I think
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
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
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
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...
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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
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
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
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
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
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
Phoebe, otoh, was learning how to run...more
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
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
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
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
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
The her...more
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
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
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysian do Read...: Alpha Male | 9 | 92 | Apr 11, 2013 04:46pm |
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
More about 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
Share This Book
5 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“I guess we're oil and water. (Phoebe)
I'd say we're more like gasoline and a blowtorch. (Dan)”
—
121 people liked it
I'd say we're more like gasoline and a blowtorch. (Dan)”
“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
More quotes…

Loading...































Hi, Tina--
SEP really did a good job of writing a series about footba...more
Apr 21, 2008 11:02am
Mar 23, 2013 05:34pm