Heaven, Texas (Chicago Stars, #2) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Aug 22, 2009

Juliana rated it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, best-romance-books, 2009-reads, 2009-aug-reads, 0-own-in-dead-tree-form, 0-reviewed, cr-hero-athlete-or-was, cr-hero-famous, cr-heroine-bookish-smart, cr-heroine-plain-jane, cr-heroine-not-confident, cr-heroine-somewhat-wallflower, cr-humorous, cr-opposites-enemies-attract, 5-stars, 4-to-5-stars

Heaven, Texas was absolutely wonderful! It's my first book by Phillips and although I got it from the library, I'm definitely putting it on my "To Buy" list, since I know I will want to reread this book several times. So cute and very funny; the interactions between the hero and heroine were priceless and the supporting characters were interesting and added to the story.

When I was preparing to venture into contemporary romance and did "research" (lol) on Rachel Gi...moreHeaven, Texas was absolutely wonderful! It's my first book by Phillips and although I got it from the library, I'm definitely putting it on my "To Buy" list, since I know I will want to reread this book several times. So cute and very funny; the interactions between the hero and heroine were priceless and the supporting characters were interesting and added to the story.

When I was preparing to venture into contemporary romance and did "research" (lol) on Rachel Gibson's books, See Jane Score seemed to be the hit/masterpiece that everyone raved over (and understandably!!). Likewise, Heaven, Texas was pretty universally lauded in the reviews I read on Amazon, so I thought it would be a good one to start with - and I was not mistaken: completely fabulous! Plus, it definitely tapped into the little spot I have in my heart for Texas after living in San Antonio for a few years when I was younger. Great romance; definitely recommend.

Gracie was a wonderful heroine and I loved that there was no game-playing on her part; she was always so honest, thoughtful, forthright, sweet, but also intelligent, bold, stubborn, sassy, and when she commits herself to something ... get out of her way, because she's determined! People were always wanting a part of Bobby Tom (the hero) or wanting some favor/monetary gift from him, and I really liked that Phillips made it such a pointed and emphasized aspect of Gracie's character that she wasn't like that and consciously wanted to be different from all of them - wanted to be the one who finally just gave to him (her friendship, love, affection, etc.), instead of taking from him.

It took me awhile to get used to Bobby Tom's name, but after about the first chapter it seemed perfect for him. His character was utterly enjoyable - Phillips writes him as SO much more than just a football-player-jock; he's intelligent, witty, amusing, really very giving and kind, and of course 110% charming. Gracie is able to see past the charming-always-grinning persona that he presents so often and pretty much right off the bat, she knows he's much smarter and complicated than most people give him credit for - or than he wants people to realize.(less)

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Feb 23, 2008

Writerlibrarian rated it

Shelves: february-pile, romance, read2008

A very average Phillips, with some recycled plot points from other books (or maybe it's the other way around since I haven't read them in order of publishing dates). The good old southern boy character is getting a bit stale. The strip-tease in front of friends the first time the heroine meets the hero is also somewhat icky by now. I really didn't like the lead male character, Bobby Tom, just the name made me just want to run the other way, the character is a boy-men, a very cliché Peter Pan typ...more

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Feb 16, 2008

LibraryLass Fraser rated it

Shelves: interloan, 2008

Another great addition to this series. After reading It had to be you, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. I was initially put-off by the larger-than-life Bobby Tom and his OTT ways, but they very shortly became endearing. I absolutely fell in love with Gracie, I thought SEP made her a truly likeable character. I totally related to her at times, which always makes me enjoy a book more. The only little (and it is little) niggle I had was that a bit much was made of Gracie's "tr...more

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May 23, 2011

thuy rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 11, 2010

Melody rated it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, susan-elizabeth-phillips, side-love-stories, character-makeover-transformation, cpls-who-should-have-their-own-book, opposites-attract, battle-of-wills, h-hr-with-accents, bad-boy-tortured-hero, arrogant-cocky-hero

I think I've officially become a Susan E Phillips fanatic! Another great read by her.

This is the second book in her Chicago Stars series. Here we have Texas-born ex-football player Bobby Tom Denton going back home to Telerosa, Texas to start filming a movie. He meets up with Gracie Snow, the quiet reserved polite woman who worked at a Nursing Home and became an assistant to a movie producer in Hollywood. The story pretty much picks up where Gracie is assigned the task of bringing Bo...moreI think I've officially become a Susan E Phillips fanatic! Another great read by her.

This is the second book in her Chicago Stars series. Here we have Texas-born ex-football player Bobby Tom Denton going back home to Telerosa, Texas to start filming a movie. He meets up with Gracie Snow, the quiet reserved polite woman who worked at a Nursing Home and became an assistant to a movie producer in Hollywood. The story pretty much picks up where Gracie is assigned the task of bringing Bobby Tom home to Texas to start filming a movie. They go on a crazy wild adventure and end up falling in love with more than a few bumps in the road along the way.

I loved the characters. Once again Phillips really knows how to flesh out a story and create believable, real characters with depth who are flawed all around yet lovable or at the very least understandable. I love Bobby Tom. Loved him since his introduction in the previous book, his easy charm and cheesy one-liners and gentleman tongue (most of the time) but he did test my patience at times. I felt the 'charity case' and 'mercy f***ing'comments was a bit much and taken too far and made him come off more chauvinistic and bit of an ass instead of endearingly oblivious and hard headed on his feelings toward Gracie. I'm sure that was Phillips intent to make him come off arrogant and shallow at times but I think she may have pushed it too far simply cause of the number of times it was brought up. With Bobby Tom constantly comparing Gracie to those blond bimbos, mentioning how she's 'not his type' constantly and referring to her as a desperate woman who needed his guidance. It started to agitate me. I felt it was trying overly hard to convince me of something that I didn't need any convincing on. I understood it in the beginning of the book but having him still think that way and bring it up 2/3 into the book was a bit unsettling and frustrating. There were moments that made me think 'oh you clueless idiot!'. That's one of the reasons why it's a 4 star instead of 5 for me. I felt the growth in his character and change in his perspective towards Gracie and other things in general, came a bit late and took a while and made the story lag out. And the fact that he was pushed to his absolute limit and pretty much bodily forced to admit his feelings for her at the very end (even though it was a beautiful/heartbreaking scene) it was a tad disappointing.

But boy was it a real treat to see him reach that epiphany moment where he realized how completely off he was. I was seriously starting to worry there cause the man just did not seem to get it and it took him quite a while to catch on and realize how he really felt. But I found myself loving him regardless. :P

Gracie was a fun heroine. Loved to see her grow and become more comfortable in her own skin. Yes this has the cliche recipe of the girl getting a makeover for the guy to really notice her BUT it plays out not necessarily as you expect it to play out. For me at least. The banters and arguments between her and B.T were really fun and endearing.

I have to say the ending and the built-up to it in the last few chapters made up for parts I felt where lagging. Plus I really loved the side story of Bobby Tom's mom Suzy finding love again in the most unexpected place. Her and Wayland seriously made me melt. That whole 'seduction' scene was really intense and so angsty. I fell in love with them as well.

And it was a real treat and great surprise to see the Calebows in this. I love me some Phoebe and Dan so I was super excited when they made a small appearance in this book. They are so adorable. (less)

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Mar 09, 2011

Lisa Kay rated it

Shelves: all-time-favorites, romance-contemporary, re-read-for-comfort, pygmalion-theme, romance-love♡laughter, auto-buy-author, sports-hero, amazing-secondary-characters, authors-s-t-u, authors-p-q-r

My first exposure to SEP was Heaven, Texas and, therefore, it has a special place in my heart. This is not just another bad-boy football superstar with a diabolic gleam meets 30 year-old wallflower story. These characters had depth. (view spoiler)...more

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Dec 23, 2008

Marcie rated it

Ehh. I've read so much better by her. It was okay.

For my personal notes to remember whether I've read it: Ugly duckling is assigned to be assistant to glamorous retired NFL QB as he is making his first Hollywood movie, shot in little town in TX. Everybody wants something from him except her. The far more interesting romance is his mother's (after his father's untimely death, she is wooed by the town's "bad boy" from her era who has made good and bought the town's one large ...more

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Oct 25, 2011

Michelle rated it

Again, Toni ( Lovethembooks ) got me to read this, which took some arm-twisting because I'm not a romance reader. I give it 5 stars mainly because it was the first of Susan Elizabeth Peters' books that I ever read, and I'm totally hooked on them now. I've read every one. She writes good, escapist romance, but it's not the stupid, mind-numbing kind that used to make me resolve not to read another romance novel again for at least a year. She even manages not to indulge too heavily (if only it w...more

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Oct 20, 2011

Babyfishmouth rated it

Shelves: library, contemporary-romance

This books starts off great. Gracie is an engaging and interesting heroine. She's smart and despite spending a little too much time dwelling on her "dowdiness", I was rooting for her. Bobby Tom is a typical SEP hero: Handsome, guarded, and outwardly cocky.

Side characters are kept to a minimum during the first half of the book which is probably why I like the first 50% of the book better than the last 50% of the book when they begin to overwhelm. I can handle only so many...more

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Jun 18, 2011

Stephanie rated it

I am a long-time fan of Phillip's writing style, she writes fun, breezy stories with likable characters and engrossing plots both for her main and secondary characters. In these Chicago Stars stories we're usually presented with the dominant, gorgeous, filthy-rich, misogynistic hero and the sassy, smart, not wealthy, but not money-hungry, and caring heroine. Each of the characters will have emotional issues stemming from problem with their parents. This formula didn't manage to work for me with ...more

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Mar 01, 2011

Tracy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: light-comedic-romance

~* 3.5 Stars *~
Desperate for a major life change, former retirement home director and current Hollywood studio production assistant...though barely, Gracie Snow is struggling to gain a foothold in the industry, so when her boss tasks her with catching up with forcibly retired Chicago Stars wide receiver Bobby Tom Denton to drag his butt to Texas, she gamely takes on the task. She had no idea that the former football player would be so darn stubborn, not to mention a slew of other less pleas...more

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Dec 17, 2010

Christine rated it

Shelves: romance

Gracie's assignment as a production assistant is to go fetch Bobby Tom, retired football player, and get him to the movie set in time to start filming. He doesn't cooperate, and she goes to extreme lengths to stay with him until he finally shows up in Texas, at which point she gets fired for not getting him there sooner.

Gracie is a frumpy, 30-year-old virgin who was told she was homely once and took it to heart. Bobby Tom likes busty bombshells in quantity. On their crazy trip across ...moreGracie's assignment as a production assistant is to go fetch Bobby Tom, retired football player, and get him to the movie set in time to start filming. He doesn't cooperate, and she goes to extreme lengths to stay with him until he finally shows up in Texas, at which point she gets fired for not getting him there sooner.

Gracie is a frumpy, 30-year-old virgin who was told she was homely once and took it to heart. Bobby Tom likes busty bombshells in quantity. On their crazy trip across the country, Gracie watches Bobby Tom in action and basically decides she knows him and that she loves him. She thinks he's a giving person because he's always giving away money or gifts to the women around him, even giving money away to women who file fraudulent paternity suits because he doesn't want the kid to suffer.

I had a lot of problems with this book, even though it was told in a compelling way that did keep me reading. First, and most importantly, I thought Gracie was pretty pathetic and Bobby Tom was pretty selfish.

Gracie decides she's going to give Bobby Tom whatever he wants from her and not take anything in return (like all the other women), especially money, understanding that she's just a distraction, she's not his type, and he will leave her. Seriously? Have some self respect. Plus, I'm not convinced that a sexually aware woman gets to 30 as a virgin because she's homely, even if she doesn't know about the nice body she has under her clothes. Typically, she's just going to lose it to a homely man.

Bobby Tom is generous with his money, but I think Gracie puts far too much stock in that. He treats the people in his life very badly, even his mother, and especially Gracie. He openly used her throughout the entire book and thought she should be grateful for him taking her on as a charity case and initating her into sex. Hello, God's gift to women. He's also dishonest, and doesn't keep his promises -- such as showing up to start filming the movie on time. I never understood why he did that.

And yet, somehow, despite all of that, the chemistry between these two was great. Maybe because she's pathetic and he's selfish, they deserve one another, especially when she finally decides she deserves to be loved. (less)

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Apr 25, 2009

Kath rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My favorite in this series. As with all the books in this series through late 2006, I recommend the audio version, read by the late Anna Fields, who is a wonderful narrator. (one of the best ever)

Bobby Tom Denton is the best character in this series. His drawn so well as the larger than life player who is forced to give up his career too early because of an injury. He's a polite southern boy, who's charming to ALL woman....He's generous to his friends, can't say turn down anyone, ...moreMy favorite in this series. As with all the books in this series through late 2006, I recommend the audio version, read by the late Anna Fields, who is a wonderful narrator. (one of the best ever)

Bobby Tom Denton is the best character in this series. His drawn so well as the larger than life player who is forced to give up his career too early because of an injury. He's a polite southern boy, who's charming to ALL woman....He's generous to his friends, can't say turn down anyone, but also does as he pleases. He's also very arrogant and spends most of his time with busty blonde, "trohpy women".

Gracie is a women who grew up in a nursing home, so hasn't spend much time with people her own age. She's good hearted and sweet and has a nurturing personality. She ends up with a job as a personal assistant for a movie company after the sale of the nursing home her family owns. A former client hires her as she helped with a family member and she admired her skills.

Gracie is sent to ensure Bobby Tom makes it to the movie set for to honor a contract he has for a movie he now doesn't want to do. They end up very late, and she ends up fired, but she ends up staying on.

Gracie isn't Bobby Tom's normal type. She dresses bad and is average looking. After a bit of a makeover, she's kind of cute.....but everyone likes Gracie for her giving personality more than anyting.

Since the movie set is in Bobby Tom's hometown, he's constantly being fixed up and he announces he's engaged to Gracie to keep everyone off his bad. He's not interested in her, but he finds himself obsessed with who Gracie is going to loose her virginity to and thinks he would be doing her a "favor" if he were the one...

Bobby Tom is sweet, but he's also full of himself (and his image as a playboy ballplayer) and tells Gracie right off that she's not "the one"....Gracie is a little too willing to please at the beginning with no expectations and I found this kind of sad....but Gracie comes around.

I love the storyline with Bobby Tom's mother Suzie and Way Sawyer....A great story of lost loves.

The climax of the story is great and lots of fun. The people in Bobby Tom's hometown are equally as enjoyable and drawn just as great as he and Gracie are. This is a fun story.(less)

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Sep 04, 2011

Nikki rated it

Recommended to Nikki by: Anna

Shelves: own-ebook, wallflower-heroine, perfect-heroine, delicious-hero, contemporary, sports-romance-series

4 stars.

The second book in SEP's Chicago Stars series had me as addicted as the first! I loved Bobby Tom when we were first introduced to him in It Had to Be You and with his book being a fan favourite I was really looking forward to reading it.

The format of this book was quite different from the first and I really liked them both for different reasons. I have to admit though that I did miss the football action a little bit and felt at times that the plot of HT was tending to...more4 stars.

The second book in SEP's Chicago Stars series had me as addicted as the first! I loved Bobby Tom when we were first introduced to him in It Had to Be You and with his book being a fan favourite I was really looking forward to reading it.

The format of this book was quite different from the first and I really liked them both for different reasons. I have to admit though that I did miss the football action a little bit and felt at times that the plot of HT was tending to drag.

I loved Bobby Tom but it fascinated me how someone who was so generous and good could be so selfish and arrogant at the same time. However I felt that this was really just a case of Bobby Tom being a product of his surroundings and knew that he didn't truly mean a lot of the crap that was coming out of his mouth.

Gracie was a real gem. I tend to be a bit wary of virgin heroines but Gracie wasn't the typical run-of-the-mill wallflower type. She wasn't a pushover and knew just how to put Bobby Tom in his place. I actually found it really refreshing when she admitted her feelings for BT to herself so early on. At the same time though I just knew that things would get worse for her (and my poor heart) before they got better.

The secondary romance of Suzy (Bobby Tom's mother) and Wayland Sawyer was one of the highlights of the latter half of the book in my opinion. I was heavily invested in their story and the intricacies of the feelings involved. Of course it made Bobby Tom act more like a moron than I really wanted him to but I guess you gotta have some conflict involved right?

While I adored the characters of the Heaven, Texas world (and loved the H/h relationship) I did feel that there was so much smalltown filler in the story that I couldn't really get as excited about HT as I did with the fast paced sportiness of IHTBY. I also immensely disliked the fact that every person who had breathed the same air as Bobby Tom had it in their head that he owed them something. I'm telling you, if that was my man I would have put my foot down from the very beginning and screw the consequences. I was waiting for a showdown where Gracie would force BT to tell the leeches to take a hike and change his phone numbers for god sakes, but it never happened.

The epilogue on SEP's site was definitely a more perfect ending than the actual end of the book (thanks Anna!) and I loved seeing where BT, Gracie, Suzy and Way had ended up.

I think I might skip the next few in the series (gasp!) and move on to Match Me If You Can!(less)

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May 28, 2011

Iris Blobel rated it

Dang!!! She's done it again. SEP has written a book that made me cringe for reading it and at the same time not wanting to stop.

Main characters of this story is Bobby Tom Denton, a retired (though unwillingly) football player with the Chicago Stars (not to mention extremely sexy!!!) and Gracie Snow, a little wall flower who’s just escaped her life so far only to get the almost impossible job to escort Bobby Tom to the movie set – the two couldn’t be more opposite.

The main iss...more

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Mar 10, 2011

Twiggy rated it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, humour

Another winner from sep.

The heroine, Gracie, is 30 years old virgin and has been living a fairly dowdy life and wants to make a change. She takes a job as a production assistant on a movie starring a retired football player, bobby Tom Denton.

BT had been tqua wide receiver for the Chicago Stars but due to injury has had to retire and has not yet come to terms with the thought that his football career is over. He is one of those guys who is good at everything he does: he is an...moreAnother winner from sep.

The heroine, Gracie, is 30 years old virgin and has been living a fairly dowdy life and wants to make a change. She takes a job as a production assistant on a movie starring a retired football player, bobby Tom Denton.

BT had been tqua wide receiver for the Chicago Stars but due to injury has had to retire and has not yet come to terms with the thought that his football career is over. He is one of those guys who is good at everything he does: he is an astute business man and has also agreed to take the lead in an action thriller set in his home town in Texas.

BT is not overly enthusiastic about starting the movie and does not turn up as expected. The producer sends Gracie to bring to location asap. The idea being that Gracie is so dowdy and sensible that Bobby Tom won't be interested in her as a woman and that she wont fall for his charm. BT is difficult about the schedule and initially tries to palm Gracie off before insisting on driving hundreds of miles ( with detours galore) rather than flying. Despite her frustration with Bobby Tom, in fact Gracie starts to have a good time and gets a chance to meet all kinds of people. However when she finally gets him to the set, the producer fires her because they are late.

Bobby Tom feels guilty this and tells the producer to employ her as his assistant on the basis that he will pay her wages. The author is very good at describing the fact that BT is constantly surrounded by people who expect something from him and are looking for favours. The hero finds this trying but feels obligated to help others because of his own good fortune and wealth - he is a notorious soft touch. He is also constantly surrounded by women, generally blond, big breasted bimbos and his attitude onwards them is one of polite, indulgent dismissal.

However in the interim Bobby Tom has come to respect Gracie in that she is intelligent, knows her own mind and is not cowed by him. There is a level of attraction between them but BT dismisses this as having feelings of pity. In desperation to get away from hoards of other women, he tells them that he and Gracie are engaged. She goes through the typical make over process at her own expense and comes out looking pretty attractive. By this stage she realises that she is in love but she doesn't have any expectations of BT and decides she will just treasure the time she has.

Bobby Tom finds himself increasingly attracted to Gracie and eventually one thing leads to another....

There is a secondary romance involving BT's widowed mother which is sensitively portrayed.

Much of the story focuses on BT coming to accept the end of his football career and on his growing need for Gracie, despite his preconceptions of the type of woman he should be with. He has to come to realise that Gracie deserves better than he is initially prepared to give her and Gracie must also discover her own value.

There are of course a number of problems and misunderstandings along the way but the pleasure is in the journey to the final destination.

Great chemistry, witty dialogue, a sympathetic and charming portrayal of small town Texas life all go toward making this a really enjoyable read, told with humour and generosity of spirit.(less)

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Oct 15, 2010

Lady Vale rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: cont-romance

OMG! Now I can definitely say I'm a new fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Damn, how could I have not read any of her books before yesterday, they are so good it makes me think I should reevaluate my tastes in books,lol. Now getting serious I just feel like only saying the best things about this author in this review. What a terrific read.

When I started I was so disappointed because it was very different from book 1 and I just had loved and adored book 1 and I wanted more of it. But the...more

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Feb 04, 2011

Mara rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: romance, contemporary

The main couple of this book are a retired NFL athlete and a frumpy girl who used to run a nursing home. He had to retire after an injury, so he signed a movie contract. She sold her family's nursing home, to try and make it in Hollywood starting as the lowly production assistant. Oh, and she's also a 30yo virgin who wears sexy lingerie underneath her very ugly clothes. The plot starts out with her job to get him to the movie shooting location in Texas, and she won't take no for an answer.
...more

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Jun 27, 2010

comfort rated it

As before we know there is going to be an HEA ending, BUT it is the way which the author actually gets to this point that is so delicious.

I stayed up all night to finish this book and the HEA was not until the very very end- you just don't know how she will get to it.

I also found the secondary story of His mother and the town villain extremely interesting and the scene in the darkened closet was so very erotic I had to re-read it!

I immediately started book 3

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Dec 16, 2011

Nelly rated it

Shelves: 2011

3.5 stars
~~Right now I’m still reading Texas heaven but I decided to start writing this review so that I’ll be able to capture my impressions while reading it~~: First of all, this is SEP doing what SEP does best, writing contemporary romances that are witty, funny, sexy and very entertaining, that being said, here follows an excerpt:

“If he wanted to keep facing himself in the mirror every morning, he had to set aside his misgivings
about mercy fucking and do what needed to be d...more

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Feb 13, 2011

Sarah Eiseman rated it

I’m writing this after I read the next book in my blog, so the memory is a little rusty now. Suffice it to say that this book was great. The characters were funny and likable, and the story was interesting and multifaceted.

Gracie Snow is looking for a change in her life. Up to this point, she’s been working at her parents’ nursing home in Ohio and led a fairly sheltered life. Desperate to shed some light in her dark and gloomy world, Gracie gets a job with a movie production compan...more

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Dec 06, 2011

Tracey rated it

Shelves: read-2011

Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to drag the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being a movie star -- and no plans to cooperate with a prim and bossy Ohio wallflower whom he can't get off his mind or out of his life. Instead, the hell-raising playboy decides to make her over from plain Jane to Texas wildcat.

But noth...more

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Oct 21, 2010

Crista rated it

Shelves: 5-star, contemporary, favorites, hot, lol, series, sports-themed

I really love this book.

If I am having a bad day, have been in a reading slump, need a feel good book, or just want to laugh....I reach for this book. Although this is part of the Chicago Stars series (and you definitely should read them all), this book is also a great "stand alone". Heaven, Texas combines humor, heart, and great characters to create the perfect romance.

Bobby Tom Denton made this one great for me. He is an ex-all pro wide receiver who sustained a...more

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Jan 31, 2010

Mom rated it

Shelves: read-during-2010

He's such a jerk, but it was still entertaining.

Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to track down the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton and drag him back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. But taming an egotistical cowboy in a '57 T-Bird might be more than this prim Ohio wallflower can handle.

Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being movie star and no plans to cooperate with the...more

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Jan 26, 2012

Flame rated it

Shelves: 2012-challenge-books, contemporary-romance, just-short-of-great

This review is also posted on Always a Booklover.

Heaven, Texas was a pretty enjoyable read. The two characters, Bobby Tom (BT) and Gracie, were really likable and overall, the plot was good. BT was first seen in It Had To Be You, and I must say, I really liked him there.

In this book, BT is still very willful, but he is very lost. Due to a knee injury, he was forced to instantly stop playing football, which to him, was the best thing of his life. He becomes an actor for a ...moreThis review is also posted on Always a Booklover.

Heaven, Texas was a pretty enjoyable read. The two characters, Bobby Tom (BT) and Gracie, were really likable and overall, the plot was good. BT was first seen in It Had To Be You, and I must say, I really liked him there.

In this book, BT is still very willful, but he is very lost. Due to a knee injury, he was forced to instantly stop playing football, which to him, was the best thing of his life. He becomes an actor for a movie in this book, because apparently he’s really hot.

As for Gracie, she’s working for the movie company that hired him. She’s tasked to bring him to his hometown in Texas which is where they were going to film the movie. Of course, she is instantly attracted to him. But as for him, he’s not really. There’s something intriguing about her, but he can’t tell what. You see, Gracie is rather plain when she doesn’t dress up. And even when she does, the best you could describe her was pretty. But Gracie is an amazing character. She was beautiful on the inside and that’s what really counts, isn’t it? Her determination and her morals are things I really admire. So was the no-nonsense attitude she took with BT in the beginning. I really respected her for that.

I liked the plot of this book. I can’t describe it for you, cos I read it a few weeks ago and the details just aren’t coming back to me. But I remember that the plot was rather fast-paced and it was really interesting to read. The dialogue too was really funny and witty.

The love between them was inevitable. You could just see it from the start. I was always rooting for them. Realistic too. When they fell in love and confessed it, I could believe it, because it was evident in everything they did.

One thing I’ve noticed about Susan Elizabeth Philips is that in her books, the characters just suddenly realise they’re in love with the other party. Its kinda funny but also really sweet!

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot was fast-paced and that is something I love. The character development was great too. I really loved the way that BT grew up. He really did become more mature and caring throughout the course of the book. As for Gracie, she was a great character. Not once did she willingly compromise her morals. Especially about money. I loved it when she decided she wasn’t going to be one of those women that fed off BT, and sought to repay him everything. It was a very noble gesture in my opinion.

A great read to be certain, and a good sequel to It Had To Be You. Definitely recommended for fans of SEP, or just someone who likes witty dialogues, fast-paced plots, good character development and likable characters. Doesn’t that comprise of most readers? ;)

Yay! Finally a shorter than usual review! :D
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Jan 24, 2012

Maria Galley rated it

Shelves: rrrromance

I really thought I would give this three stars. It was good, but I liked book one and three of this series better and as I was reading the book it didn't quite hold me as rapt as the other two (I read book three first, by recommendation).

I liked how more of this novel was written from the man's perspective, it was a nice change and the voice of Bobby Tom was so distinctive I could hear him thinkin' in a Texan accent. Which was super cute. Gracie was also a great character and I loved h...more

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Apr 06, 2011

Heather Bokon rated it

This is the first one of SEP's books that I've read, and I don't think I'll be picking up any more. Bobby Tom (not the best name for a romance hero) is a pig on page one, and he's still a pig an interminable 368 pages later. He was chauvanistic, condescending, patronizing, and spoiled. I have never disliked a romance hero so much. I kept reading because I was looking forward to the moment when Gracie finally told him to shove his nonsense, but it never happened. The more in love with him she fel...more

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Nov 10, 2009

Jasmine rated it

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

Reading this book was definitely worth my time with all its humor, banter and heart wrench. I find myself relating to the character of Gracie in her way of thinking and frustrations so I think, that also made me curious about how the situations will smooth out in the end.

Our hero Bobby Tom is also a well written character, I can certainly picture someone like him in real life. As a fan of dark heroes, blond Bobby Tom was not my type at all with his Stetson, vests and cowboy boots, a...more

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Jun 10, 2011

Ariel rated it

Okay,SEP, we need to sit down and have a chat. Because normally I adore your books. I can't put them down! And this book, I'll admit, I devoured in a short time as well. But your main male, who in your other books are smexy things to read, was in this book a total asshole! I was shocked!

Forcing her to have sex? Ordering her around? Thinking he is the greatest thing in this universe since the sun, and never ever changing his ways? Blaming everything on her and not his own universe-siz...more

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Jul 01, 2009

Amanda Westmont rated it

This book contains just about every single romance novel stereotype in existence - the ugly duckling protagonist with a heart of gold, the hometown football hero, a makeover, even an embarrassing public proposal. But DUH, if I didn't want that kind of crap in the books I read, I wouldn't read romance novels! So yeah, I enjoyed this book.

Admittedly, I would've enjoyed Heaven, Texas A LOT more if the ebook (Kindle) version hadn't been so HORRIFICALLY FULL OF TYPOS. I stopped counting th...more

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title link	preview: Heaven, Texas
avg rating	preview: Heaven, Texas Goodreads rating: 4.03 (5280 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/73084.Heaven_Texas?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308646849m/73084.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/73084.Heaven_Texas?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips[/url]

Heaven, Texas (Chicago Stars #2)

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