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sophiehamiltonauthor's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
arounds's review against another edition
4.0
I needed a fun read, and this was it. A winter beach read, if you will…
teuliano's review against another edition
5.0
I thought it started out quite oddly, but stick with it! It's really a great book.
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Like Annie, heroes most definitely are my weakness. Especially, when you're not really sure if that hero is really a hero or he's the villian. In HEROES ARE MY WEAKNESS, two step siblings are reunited when Annie returns to a remote Maine island ,and the cottage her mother inherited when she divorced Theo's father, looking for the inheritance her mother insists was left there for her. Annie does not have fond memories of her time there, especially when she remembers all the truly evil things her step brother did to her. And when she meets him again, as an adult, she fears things are going to be much different (Theo's re-introduction to Annie from the grand staircase of the main house was hysterical). But she's desperate for the inheritance and she'll stick it out until she finds it...especially if she can get a little revenge on the man who caused her such turmoil.
I will admit, parts of this story reminded me a great deal of AIN'T SHE SWEET, but the differences in the storyline and the characters were enough to give it a fresh perspective (especially if you haven't read AIN'T SHE SWEET in a while or at all). SEP, in my opinion, creates some of the best snappy, sometimes sarcastic, often times sassy dialogue between her characters that always leaves you laughing. And if it's not the dialogue, it's the description of something the characters have done. HEROES ARE MY WEAKNESS is no exception. Theo posing Annie's puppets was a crack up and Annie seeking her revenge by trying to make Theo think his tower was haunted always made me smile. However, it was the bickering and bantering these two characters did that proved, along with some pretty hot sexual chemistry, how much these characters belonged together.
The mystery about the inheritance, the truth about who was behind Annie's horrible summer and Theo's wife added to the story, but for me it was all about Annie and Theo. They made this story for me and I often times kept wishing other parts of the story stopped interrupting them (even if that break did move the story along).
I will admit, parts of this story reminded me a great deal of AIN'T SHE SWEET, but the differences in the storyline and the characters were enough to give it a fresh perspective (especially if you haven't read AIN'T SHE SWEET in a while or at all). SEP, in my opinion, creates some of the best snappy, sometimes sarcastic, often times sassy dialogue between her characters that always leaves you laughing. And if it's not the dialogue, it's the description of something the characters have done. HEROES ARE MY WEAKNESS is no exception. Theo posing Annie's puppets was a crack up and Annie seeking her revenge by trying to make Theo think his tower was haunted always made me smile. However, it was the bickering and bantering these two characters did that proved, along with some pretty hot sexual chemistry, how much these characters belonged together.
The mystery about the inheritance, the truth about who was behind Annie's horrible summer and Theo's wife added to the story, but for me it was all about Annie and Theo. They made this story for me and I often times kept wishing other parts of the story stopped interrupting them (even if that break did move the story along).
rebeccacider's review against another edition
3.0
Light romance fiction is not generally my thing, but I'm trying to read outside my usual genres.
The story is well told (despite some predictable plot twists) and there's some great writing (by which I probably mean that the lady sure can write a sex scene). It was easy to root for Annie, and her relationship with four-year-old Livia, a mute child who's experienced a trauma, was very genuine and sweet.
However, this book did not do it for me as a romance or as a gothic novel pastiche. I was totally uncompelled by Annie and Theo's relationship. Phillips tried to give Theo psychological realism AND have him don the role of the gothic antihero AND make us like him, and it didn't all add up for me. Some might enjoy the Jane Eyre and Rebecca shoutouts, but they didn't really inform the story that much.
Definitely not my thing, but I would certainly recommend Phillips to readers who enjoy romantic fiction with a light tone, good writing, and a lot of interest and depth beyond the romance arc.
The story is well told (despite some predictable plot twists) and there's some great writing (by which I probably mean that the lady sure can write a sex scene). It was easy to root for Annie, and her relationship with four-year-old Livia, a mute child who's experienced a trauma, was very genuine and sweet.
However, this book did not do it for me as a romance or as a gothic novel pastiche. I was totally uncompelled by Annie and Theo's relationship. Phillips tried to give Theo psychological realism AND have him don the role of the gothic antihero AND make us like him, and it didn't all add up for me. Some might enjoy the Jane Eyre and Rebecca shoutouts, but they didn't really inform the story that much.
Definitely not my thing, but I would certainly recommend Phillips to readers who enjoy romantic fiction with a light tone, good writing, and a lot of interest and depth beyond the romance arc.
evampenalver's review against another edition
4.0
#LosHeroesSonMiDebilidad de Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Me costó meterme en la novela pero he terminado disfrutándola mucho. Grandes personajes, gran historia (no sólo romántica) y gran ambientación. Os la recomiendo
poorashleu's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted here
As a strong hard-core romance novel addict, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is often my go-to romance author. I have read all of her books and often re-read them. It was a joy at ALA 2013 to meet her in Chicago, I’m pretty sure I flailed. It was an honor. That is why when I had the change to read Heroes Are My Weakness I jumped at the chance. All of that being said this book was completely different from her usual fair, at least to me. I spent a solid portion of the book, around 25% reminding myself that this is the Susan Elizabeth Phillips I know and love. This was completely different. It was darker, it was sinister, it was heartbreakingly romantic.
I almost quit the book a few times in the beginning but I am very glad I stuck with it. After 25% something clicked and the book made sense to me. The stories of the past, the main story in the present and even the bits with puppets, it worked. It was never, ever forced and although it took me awhile to fully figure out I never wanted it to end.
The writer, Theo, the loner, and the puppeteer, Annie, have loved each other from when they were teenagers. However life happened and it became clear to both of them that it would never work. Mostly because Annie viewed Theo has a villain. A true villain that she could, and should never, trust. Because the villain couldn’t change, could he?
Theo and Annie learn a lot about each other, did they judge each other before they really knew each other? Was life just a lot of misunderstandings? Would everything work out okay? It took a lot to get there, Phillips reminds the reader that life isn’t perfect and tied with a bow. Annie claims she just wants a quick fling with no strings attached and Theo claims to give no fucks (but of course doing the actual fucking.)
She knew he cared for her, just as she knew he didn’t love her.–eARC 80%
He comes from a hard life, that is slowly shown to the reader, and Annie. Annie is just trying to survive aspects of life that she doesn’t really want to talk about, to anyone, anyone but Theo. Annie ultimately learns a lot about herself and those around her, people on the island who became her friends, including, yes Theo. The Theo that Annie believes she doesn’t deserve, even though she’s known him forever, because he’s far too beautiful for her, or to be real.
Do you ever look as though you haven’t just stepped off the cover of a paperback novel? –eARC 90%
Theo, of course, not only doesn’t see it. He doesn’t find himself beautiful, he finds himself to be the brooding author who writes fucked up novels and had a wife that killed herself. He wants to be left alone and deal with his demons himself. Even with these walls, Annie gets through: she forces him to listen and think about things he doesn’t want to. Everyone has that friend that one that makes them think about topics they are in denial about. That’s what make the two work well together, they’ve always been good friends until that summer. That summer that changed everything.
What Phillips does though is makes everything unravel and then slowly, real life slow, has things breakdown further and slowly work there way back together.
I’m ultimately glad I stuck with Heroes Are My Weakness because it has become one of my favorite books that I keep going back and reading passages from because it makes my cold bitter black cynical heart warm. I wish I could tell the Ashley who was struggling with the first so many pages that it gets good. It gets “keep you up even though you have work tomorrow” good.
As a strong hard-core romance novel addict, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is often my go-to romance author. I have read all of her books and often re-read them. It was a joy at ALA 2013 to meet her in Chicago, I’m pretty sure I flailed. It was an honor. That is why when I had the change to read Heroes Are My Weakness I jumped at the chance. All of that being said this book was completely different from her usual fair, at least to me. I spent a solid portion of the book, around 25% reminding myself that this is the Susan Elizabeth Phillips I know and love. This was completely different. It was darker, it was sinister, it was heartbreakingly romantic.
I almost quit the book a few times in the beginning but I am very glad I stuck with it. After 25% something clicked and the book made sense to me. The stories of the past, the main story in the present and even the bits with puppets, it worked. It was never, ever forced and although it took me awhile to fully figure out I never wanted it to end.
The writer, Theo, the loner, and the puppeteer, Annie, have loved each other from when they were teenagers. However life happened and it became clear to both of them that it would never work. Mostly because Annie viewed Theo has a villain. A true villain that she could, and should never, trust. Because the villain couldn’t change, could he?
Theo and Annie learn a lot about each other, did they judge each other before they really knew each other? Was life just a lot of misunderstandings? Would everything work out okay? It took a lot to get there, Phillips reminds the reader that life isn’t perfect and tied with a bow. Annie claims she just wants a quick fling with no strings attached and Theo claims to give no fucks (but of course doing the actual fucking.)
She knew he cared for her, just as she knew he didn’t love her.–eARC 80%
He comes from a hard life, that is slowly shown to the reader, and Annie. Annie is just trying to survive aspects of life that she doesn’t really want to talk about, to anyone, anyone but Theo. Annie ultimately learns a lot about herself and those around her, people on the island who became her friends, including, yes Theo. The Theo that Annie believes she doesn’t deserve, even though she’s known him forever, because he’s far too beautiful for her, or to be real.
Do you ever look as though you haven’t just stepped off the cover of a paperback novel? –eARC 90%
Theo, of course, not only doesn’t see it. He doesn’t find himself beautiful, he finds himself to be the brooding author who writes fucked up novels and had a wife that killed herself. He wants to be left alone and deal with his demons himself. Even with these walls, Annie gets through: she forces him to listen and think about things he doesn’t want to. Everyone has that friend that one that makes them think about topics they are in denial about. That’s what make the two work well together, they’ve always been good friends until that summer. That summer that changed everything.
What Phillips does though is makes everything unravel and then slowly, real life slow, has things breakdown further and slowly work there way back together.
I’m ultimately glad I stuck with Heroes Are My Weakness because it has become one of my favorite books that I keep going back and reading passages from because it makes my cold bitter black cynical heart warm. I wish I could tell the Ashley who was struggling with the first so many pages that it gets good. It gets “keep you up even though you have work tomorrow” good.