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beq3's review
2.0
Hmm, yeah, not great I'm afraid.
I just feel these authors are trying to write romances now where the protagonists are irreproachable from a modern mores point of view and it just doesn't make for entertaining reading. The stories lack scope for romantic misunderstandings, tension and drama. There really was little or no reason why these people could not be together and be good together and the poor old author clearly thought so too and so for drama and tension, instead of a growing romance and character arcs we had ridiculous stuff about a lost voice, super fans, a stalker and a flipping looted bracelet thrown in at the end for good measure. If I want to read a thriller I'll pick a book from that genre thank you very much. I want a romance!
I blame the editors frankly. SEP is perfectly capable of writing a good thrilling romance and she should be left to it. So what if there's some bad behaviour thrown in, where's the story otherwise? It's a bit like love songs, the best ones do not feature ideal relationships!
I just feel these authors are trying to write romances now where the protagonists are irreproachable from a modern mores point of view and it just doesn't make for entertaining reading. The stories lack scope for romantic misunderstandings, tension and drama. There really was little or no reason why these people could not be together and be good together and the poor old author clearly thought so too and so for drama and tension, instead of a growing romance and character arcs we had ridiculous stuff about a lost voice, super fans, a stalker and a flipping looted bracelet thrown in at the end for good measure. If I want to read a thriller I'll pick a book from that genre thank you very much. I want a romance!
I blame the editors frankly. SEP is perfectly capable of writing a good thrilling romance and she should be left to it. So what if there's some bad behaviour thrown in, where's the story otherwise? It's a bit like love songs, the best ones do not feature ideal relationships!
jennibears's review
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
rebroxannape's review
4.0
This one started out lighter and more fun than SEP’s previous book, [b:Dance Away with Me|53067519|Dance Away with Me|Susan Elizabeth Phillips|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582809997l/53067519._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73338592]. I was happy about that, even though I don’t mind a little darkness in my women’s fiction. Olivia Shore, a great opera diva, and Thad Owens, a second-string but respected and popular quarterback for the Chicago Stars, are thrown together for a month to promote a prestige watch brand throughout the country. Right away there is a mystery. Why does Olivia seem to hate Thad so much? Why is she so hostile? It turns out someone lied about him to her, and to SEP’s credit the truth is revealed pretty quickly with no “big misunderstanding” trope that is so overused in romances. From then on as they get to know and like each other, their relationship develops into strong attraction and then Love. A few mysteries emerge. Olivia is attacked and Olivia and Thad are briefly kidnapped. It seems they are being continually followed. Olivia keeps getting threatening notes.
We also learn early on that Olivia’s ex-fiance committed suicide only 2 weeks before their promotional tour began and his sisters made a scene, blaming her, when she attended the funeral. This was a big disconnect for me. This juicy story was never latched on to by the tabloid press that they continually have to deal with, and she is never asked about it on their press tour. Although Olivia’s legendary voice has been affected by the trauma she otherwise never really acts like a woman justifiably ridden with paralyzing guilt. She dumped her fiance a few days before their wedding causing his suicide. Only 2 weeks ago. I mean, that’s a pretty heavy burden to bear. But she is funny, goes on adventures, fights with Thad, flirts with him, has fun, etc.
Although well-written with some really delightful passages and snarky sparring, this book never really took off for me until they got to Chicago, the last leg of their tour where Olivia is set to star in Aida. At this point, SEP starts to bring things together. Even more mysteries start to unfold. Why is her good friend and fellow diva Sarah giving her the cold shoulder? Will Olivia be able to pull off her role in Aida with her voice problems(Susan created some real suspense here)? Will Thad and Olivia be able to work out their relationship which has legitimate issues, not phony ones? The final answers are surprising, a little twisty, and totally believable. Susan did not take the obvious easy routes. I found this to be an uninspired 3-star book until a little over halfway through. From there on it was a solid 4 and a smidge stars. So 3 1/2 stars.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings.com/
We also learn early on that Olivia’s ex-fiance committed suicide only 2 weeks before their promotional tour began and his sisters made a scene, blaming her, when she attended the funeral. This was a big disconnect for me. This juicy story was never latched on to by the tabloid press that they continually have to deal with, and she is never asked about it on their press tour. Although Olivia’s legendary voice has been affected by the trauma she otherwise never really acts like a woman justifiably ridden with paralyzing guilt. She dumped her fiance a few days before their wedding causing his suicide. Only 2 weeks ago. I mean, that’s a pretty heavy burden to bear. But she is funny, goes on adventures, fights with Thad, flirts with him, has fun, etc.
Although well-written with some really delightful passages and snarky sparring, this book never really took off for me until they got to Chicago, the last leg of their tour where Olivia is set to star in Aida. At this point, SEP starts to bring things together. Even more mysteries start to unfold. Why is her good friend and fellow diva Sarah giving her the cold shoulder? Will Olivia be able to pull off her role in Aida with her voice problems(Susan created some real suspense here)? Will Thad and Olivia be able to work out their relationship which has legitimate issues, not phony ones? The final answers are surprising, a little twisty, and totally believable. Susan did not take the obvious easy routes. I found this to be an uninspired 3-star book until a little over halfway through. From there on it was a solid 4 and a smidge stars. So 3 1/2 stars.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings.com/
lisaslulu's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.25
ileandover41789's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
chihiro1010's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
chill01469's review
4.0
I thought I was mostly done reading romance, and I have absolutely zero interest in football, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the nine books in this Chicago Stars series. The characters are so much fun and the dialogue had me laughing on many occasions. I hope there are more coming in the future!
absgiggles's review
1.0
honestly couldnt even finish the book. the writing was so bad and it felt like the characters communicated like little kids. i dont know anyone irl that actually talks & acts like that. it was too cringey for my taste
jcunning57's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0