by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

This is not her best, but it’s still pretty good. I didn’t find “Panda” or Lucy as compelling as Ted and Meg, but it was still written very well with her stock-in-trade wit and humor. The side stories of Mike and Bree were great. The character of Mike, the flashy real-estate developer, especially, was a real hoot. A very unusual “type” for a romantic hero. Usually characters like this are figures of fun and contempt. I was brought to tears during the last 1/4 of the book when Toby and Bree are finally reconciled, and how it was done. I would like to see more of these non-stereotypical heroes in romances. The story did flag at times, but Gosh, no book or author is 100% perfect 100% of the time; But SEP surely comes close, this book included. I laughed and I cried. Most romance authors have one or two good books in them, but by their 5th or 6th, it’s like their voice disappears and you wonder who is writing the books now. Not so with Susan Elizabeth Phillips. **3 stars out of 5**

July 27, 2012