Fancy Pants

Wynette, Texas #1

by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

She was the most beautiful British bauble in Europe's jet-set playground. Now she's broke, furious, and limping down a backwoods road in an ugly pink Southern Belle gown. He was tall, lean, and All-American gorgeous. He liked his brews cold and women loved to keep him warm. So why is he stopping his car for this woebegone, surly Scarlett?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Sports, Audiobook

495 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1989

About the author

SUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy and is the creator of the sports romance, beginning with her 1989 bestseller, FANCY PANTS. An internationally acclaimed author, her books have been published in over 30 languages. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, and a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Susan's newest book, SIMPLY THE BEST, is coming in hardcover, ebook and audiobook in February 2024. SIMPLY THE BEST is book #10 in the highly acclaimed CHICAGO STARS football series. Susan is also known for the Wynette, Texas book series and many stand-alone women's fiction/romance novels.

In addition to being a New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller, she is a hiker, lazy gardener, horrible singer, passable cook, passionate reader, wife, mother of two grown sons, and grandmother.

You can visit Susan on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.

https://www.facebook.com/SusanElizabe...

https://www.instagram.com/SEPauthor/

http://susanelizabethphillips.com/

Reviews

[A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 Star




*********Spoilers. Probably.********

Dear book,

I hate you.

You killed every romantic cell in my body. You wiped out any hope that epic love does exist. You’re deceptively enjoyable to read and full of unpleasant surprises. You have a tendency to be very likeable and engrossing but you make sure to bring readers on their knees when they least expect it.

Your main characters are unlikeable and selfish. Your chauvinistic, sexist hero with not one likeable characteristic and no redeeming qualities, who also likes to hit women and shout at children, rests on my ‘worst heroes” shelf now.

"And no matter what anybody says, I don't believe all this trouble started when women got the vote. As far as I'm concerned, it goddamn well got started when you taught each other how to read."

"I only hit two women in my life," he finally said,…

Your spoiled, doormat heroine is an embarrassment for the whole female species. I’ll never forget the way she desperately chases the douchebag hero and throws herself at him. Your secondary characters are weird and sometimes redundant. Their extensive histories and life-stories were as interesting and important as watching paint dry.

That part when the other woman, the ex-wife of the hero, the woman we dislike so much suddenly becomes the heroine in the middle of the book was an unforgettable experience. That slow and torturous part where you describe falling in love and this unbreakable bond between the hero and his ex-wife is really touching. Because readers love it when a hero already had his special forever with another woman.

The way you handle cheating like it’s nothing is repulsively refreshing. And before you argue that technically it was not cheating, let me remind you of the heroine and her soon-to-be fiancé.



The way you ended taught me that it’s better to settle for anything at all than stay alone. It is really encouraging and life-changing.

I won’t lie. You have a way of enveloping a reader in your world. After all, didn’t I inhale you in a matter of few hours? The problem is, you left a sour taste in my mouth.



Don’t be sad you never reached ‘my favorites’ shelf. Hate is a strong emotion. After all, we all know that the opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.

Your non-fan Anna

P. S. Were you really written by the author who gave us Ain't She Sweet? and Dream a Little Dream?

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

April 2021 - re-read/listen ... I love this book. So what if Dallie is an overbearing jerk ... it's fiction, it's escapism! We all need a bit of that now and again. The narrator, Anna Fields, is top class. She is sorely missed in the audible world. Five stars ... again.

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If Dallie Beaudine walked into my life with his macho, chauvinistic attitude, I would tell him where to go!!! Yep, you're right, I would tell him to go straight to hell to my bed!! LOL. I fecking loved him. It's a toss up between him and Dan Calebow who I love more! I love Francie! I love Teddy. I love all the characters in the book and even though this is about my third or fourth time reading/listening to it, I still cry at certain parts of it. All I can say is that the pressure is on SEP for her new book coming out in June!! I certainly hope there is an asshole/jerk hero in it!

... crying like a dumb old bunch of babies.

ORIGINAL REVIEW(s) below ...

She was the most beautiful British bauble in Europe's jet-set playgrounds. Now she's broke, furious, and limping down a backwoods road in an ugly pink Southern Belle gown....

He was tall, lean, and all-American gorgeous. He liked his brews cold and women loved to keep him warm. Why in hell is he stopping his car for this woebegone, surly Scarlett?

I read this book about 4 or 5 years ago and I loved it. I re-read the book about two years ago and I loved it. I recommended it to Karen and Sharon and they loved it. Saw their updates and said to myself "what are they talking about?" Surely my memory was not THAT bad. Yes, it was. Had forgotten some of the book but remembered most of it. Read it a third time and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.

He was a new generation of good ol' boys - movie star handsome, self-deprecating and a lot smarter than he wanted folks to let on ...

I loved Dallie, the overbearing, macho jerk. He had a tough childhood. He loved golf and was good at it but not good enough to win the big ones. I enjoy golf and do watch the big tournaments, the Masters, the Ryder Cup. But don't be put off by the golf theme.


Francesca. What an annoying, spoiled little girl you were. You took a knock. You dusted yourself off and made something of yourself. This story spans a number of years and maybe Dallie and Francesca were not "together" as much as I might have wished for but when they were sparks flew.

"I got to tell you Francie - there's something about the way you go about doing things that pretty much rubs me the wrong way."

They didn't much like each other when they met.

An illeterate - probably illegitimate - backwoods bumpkin had outwitted, outtalked and out-scored the incomparable Francesca

Written 26 years ago sure its a bit dated but I didn't care. I love to read these older books. I'm old enough to remember 26 years ago pretty well.

"You ever hear of Pygmalion, Skeet?"
"Is he the guy who played right tackle for Wynette High?"

Gotta love Skeet, the old codger.

He moved his athlete's body to the first chords of "Born to Run".

Mention The Boss and you have a fan for life.

This was America, the land of opportunity

I won't say much more. I am sure I will read this one again some time in the future.

He fast-forwarded to "Darlington County" which, in his opinion, was one of the ten greatest American songs ever written.

"Damn, I love you."

I think I might have reviewed another version of this book when I read it for the second time!!

[♥Sharon♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to be short and sweet. I can’t say much because a friend (Karen❤) is still reading it but I wanted to post something.

Review edit. So Karen finished and has posted her review. You have to check it out!! KAREN'S AMAZING REVIEW!❤

I really, really enjoyed this one. What a great book!

Fancy Pants was the perfect book to fill my snowbound day yesterday. I thought Francesca “Fancy Pants” Day was such a wonderful leading lady and Dallas “Dallie” Beaudine was such a prick, but a loveable prick. I loved these two.

One of the things I loved about it was that the story spans over a period of time where we get a back story on Francesca that propels you into a new period of time. It is the time in which she meets Dallie and she realizes her life will never be the same. ❤

I adored the banter between Francie and Dallie and all the anxiety these two caused me. They were so different, yet the same in many ways. (Does that make sense?) Loved watching them grow and change too.

Skeet was great to have around and I loved the relationship that he had with Dallie. All the side characters added a little bit of something special to the story. The humor was great. So many funny moments. And yes, there were some pretty sweet sexy moments too. :)

Thanks for the recommendation Mo!



Such a fantastic read and hope some of my GR friends will give it a go!!

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, SEP can write. Her books are funny and quite readable. Yet, I've only enjoyed one that I've ever read, and it wasn't this one.

This was a 1989 publication, and it's becoming painfully clear to me I don't have that 80s lovin' feeling. There were major and minor issues in this, just as with Perfect. I haven't read too much in the recent years from Phillips, but I will say that I DNFed It Had to Be You because I hated the hero. The hero, Dallie, in this one...I didn't like him that much better. i appreciated the characters for what they were (imperfect) and the story for what it was (covering a long timespan from decades ago) and the couple's chemistry was really top-notch.

But.

When a book is written in 1989 things happen. There is jarring language that wasn't acceptable then, though it was popularly used, and it's not acceptable now. In other words, these books don't age. The number of derogatory remarks toward people of the gay community pulled me out of the story so many times. Things like "if you're soft on him he'll be queer." Things like the f word that I don't say. You all know that's not fuck. What this means is you could write a great story with great characters and it didn't age well at all. My hope is that SEP has grown as an author and no longer has hurtful language like this aimed at a community. In that case, I can forgive the author (as we say around here "when you know better, you do better.") If not, she's going on my no-go list. That said, I don't know if I'll touch a book prior to the 2000s by her again.

And if it were 'just' that, it might be one thing. My other issue is this didn't feel like a romance. I want to like my characters in a romance-and that's about the only place that's necessary, and this golfer and spoiled British immigrant were really unlikeable, awful people. They weren't charismatically horrible people (looking at you, Val of Duke of Sin, or legitimately manipulative but understandably so (Annabelle from Wallflowers)). They were awful. Awful to each other, awful to others, awful as a couple. And there was actually precious little of them as a couple. Some coupling ~1/4 in and some coupling 80% - I don't recall too much between there. Awful in their language. At one point... Dallie kidnapped Francesca's son. That's a hard line for me...so was hitting his prior wife and slapping Francesca, but to pile on kidnapping was incredibly egregious and unreasonable.

This two separate stories (though it may have been like 3-4) may have worked for me before(looking at you, Wild at Whiskey Creek but this couple didn't have the requisite shared experiences for that.

Anyway, unless you have a strong stomach for old school homophobia, along side misogyny, I'd give this one a pass.

More comments on our buddy read thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. This is my second time reading it and I thought it was great. Loved Dallie - the overbearing jerk. Ms Fancy Pants - what a girl - dusted herself off and got on with life. Please read this book. It is so much more than any of the one star reviews. OK it may be an oldie but I don't think it is at all dated. She even made the golf seem interesting - I was on the edge of my seat at the Classic!!

[Geo Just Reading My Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

O lectură intensă, plină de suspans, care captează atenția cititorului de la prima până la ultima pagină.
O poveste de viață care cuprinde evoluția a mai multe generații de femei, cu greșeli și consecințe. Mai mult decât o poveste de dragoste, “Vino și sărută-mă!” este o lecție complexă despre maturizare, despre renaștere, transformarea ce urmează după ce soarta te-a trântit la pământ.
O cunoaștem pe Francesca Day, o tânără britanică îngâmfată, egoistă și plină de ea, obișnuită să i se ofere totul pe tavă și care consideră că totul i se cuvine deoarece a fost învățată că frumusețea este totul.
Totul se schimbă când se trezește în America singură, săracă și fără o cale de ieșire. Tot acum îl cunoaște pe Dallie Beaudine, un jucător de golf care nu reușește să câștige nici un concurs important de teama de a nu se confruntă cu dezamăgirea de a pierde... Cei doi au parte de o poveste aparte. Sunt precum un câine și o pisică, ambii încercând să demonstreze că este cel mai puternic.
Avem parte de o poveste cu suișuri și coborâșuri, cu momente intense și dureroase, dar în același timp vedem lecții de viață.
Dallie și Francesca sunt două spirite puternice fiecare în felul său, care s-au întâlnit într-un moment nepotrivit. Dar, fiecare evoluează pe parcursul lecturii, se schimbă. Francesca devine o persoană cu mult mai bună decât ar fi sperat vreodată, chiar dacă face greșeli pe parcurs.
Autoarea a reușit să îmbine trei povesti de dragoste în acest volum, deși mi s-au părut insuficient dezvoltate. Dar, privind romanul ca o evoluție peste ani a personajelor este o lectură captivantă.
Francesca și Dallie vor avea ocazia să dea o șansă iubirii lor dacă vor fi capabili să își ierte fiecare greșelile trecutului, să lase orgoliile deoparte și să învețe să se susțină reciproc.

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars

I had the flu while reading this so my notes/thoughts were mired in me feeling like I was experiencing a slow death. Because of the homophobic comments and misogyny, I just couldn't get into this. If I had read it when it was first published (I gave This Heart of Mine 5 stars and that has a huge problematic scene) maybe I would feel differently but as Sam(AMNReader) says, "when you know better, you do better" in her Review, I read it at age 35 in 2018 and I personally felt there were a lot of Not ok things being done and being said.

This was almost more of a contemporary with some romance as the main couple didn't spend a lot of time together. The heroine goes through one heck of a journey and I would have gave the book 2 stars for her alone but she makes a decision doesn't tell hero she had his kid, even when original reason not to, wanted to stand on her own feet, becomes mute; I just couldn't side with her. Romance books have to make me like the hero and heroine and I had no love for them here.

This was supposed to be a buddy read, Quotes/comments here but yeah, the whole flu thing kept me from being too talkative.

Anyway, a spoiled rich girl who travels to America, has one heck of a personal growth journey, and an abused runaway boy who plays golf, never feels good enough, and a handful of secondary characters that make the story better (Skeet and Miss Sybil) and worse (Holly Grace, not because of who she is married to but her comments).

Here are a couple of quotes I first started to highlight before the tone and flu took me over:

"Running musses your hair and makes your face all red. People won't love you if you're not pretty." She clasped Francesca tightly in her arms while she uttered this most terrible threat, using it the way other mothers might offer up the horrors of the boogey man.
The author did an amazing job, you'll get complete backstory on the heroine's mother, of showing why our heroine was the way she was. You'll think it is hard to sympathize with a spoiled rich girl but she never really had a chance to be anything else and she works her way out of it.

He threw the toothbrush at her, hitting her in the arm. "Take it! Take the fucking thing!

She drew back her arm and slapped his face as hard as she could. He slapped her back. Although he was mad enough to hit her, he wasn't mad enough to hurt her, so he struck her with only a small portion of his strength. Still, she was so small that she lost her balance and bumped into the side of a car. She grabbed the sideview mirror with one hand and pressed the other to her cheek. "Jesus, Francie, I hardly touched you." He rushed over and reached out for her arm.
There are some very touchy, cringing moments between the hero and heroine. At the point of these two quotes, the hero and heroine and only spent about a week together. The vibe of a guy throwing anything at the heroine in anger, screaming at her, or even slapping her "with only a small portion of his strength" in any context is take a good hard look at worthy but without personal relationship for knowing personalities, it feels abusive for the heroine. Men screaming at women just isn't the back and forth I look for; I don't know it felt super uncomfortable for me here.

"I want to do it! I know it's wrong. I know I shouldn't let you, but I just can't stand it anymore. I feel like I'm on fire." She tried to make him understand. "All those months, Billy T made me do it. All those months he hurt me. Don't I have the right, just once, to choose for myself?"
The younger issues involving the hero and Holly Grace was deep, dark, and I thought very emotional, it touches on issues no one likes to talk about but can be therapeutic for people to read and see discussed.

There were numerous comments about the heroine raising her son wrong and he might grow up "strange" or queer with the hero also early on making a comment about how he didn't want to be in a f****t calendar. Not my cup of tea views.

This was written well because Phillips is a good writer but well written homophobia is still homophobia. I didn't like a lot of the characters' actions and comments, it was stuff the romance community has seemed to want to clear out, which I definitely think to the betterment.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS


First off, I want to thank my lovely friend Maura for recommending this wonderful book! I absolutely loved it. It was my first book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and I must say… I am impressed. This woman can write. The story was fairly involved and spanned a period of over ten years. It was a riches-to-rags-and back story of a young English socialite who was raised in wealth and frivolity all her life, only to be left alone in the world after the death of her mother at the age of 21. She quickly found herself ill-equipped to deal with what she was left behind.



Growing up incredibly beautiful and also quite wealthy, Francesca Serritella Day is suddenly faced with a situation she never been faced with before. A complete and total lack of funds. It’s not like she’s without prospects though… there are the multiple proposals she’ s received from some of the worlds wealthiest men, but unfortunately she’s scorned them all. She has never needed them before, and her pride wouldn’t let her need them now.



“Miserable thing, money. It makes extraordinary people do all sorts of depraved things.”

But the bills just kept coming, and the money was all but gone. So when faced with what seemed like a golden opportunity, she sold her beautiful designer clothes, and bought a ticket to the United States in the hopes of finding fame and fortune.



However, the star she hooked her dreams to ended up with a flat tire. And Murphy’s Law played havoc in the events to come, leaving her alone, dressed in a hideous pink antebellum dress, in the heat of the summer, traversing a lonely Louisiana highway. No money. No plans. And no one to help.



Enter our hero, young and gorgeous Dallas (Dallie) Beaudine, an off-beat professional golfer, on the road with his caddie traveling the tournament circuit in a Buick Riviera. The two run across young Francesca along the highway and decide that they should probably intervene… even though their instincts are telling them that they should just drive on by.



Not appearing at her best before a man this spectacular, even if he was a backwards bumpkin, suddenly seemed more painful than the blisters on her feet.



And so their story begins… It’s hard to lead you any further without giving away too much. This story is hilariously funny at times and yet incredibly touching and even sad at others. It is often frustrating as hell. As the characters are polar opposites, and draw our the absolute worst in each other. Yet they are both so incredibly attractive, and attracted to each other that they cannot help the pull between them.

What a waste, she thought, her eyes straying back to Dallie - putting a face like that on an ignorant hillbilly.

One of the things that I loved most about the story was Francesca’s strength of will. Here is a girl who should not be able to handle even the smallest crisis, yet she drags herself up from the absolute rock bottom, and makes a life for herself. She never gives up. She soon realizes that she can count on no one but herself, and does it… and she does it alone.



”…the way you are is pretty much a composite of all the bad qualities of every man and woman I ever met, with none of the good qualities thrown in to even things out.”

And then there’s Dallie. He’s the all-American good looking guy. The ‘bad-boy’ of professional golf. A love’em and leave’em heart-breaker of epic proportion. His only flaw… he’s never won a major. Oh, and he’s a real bastard… just like his father.

”We’re not getting off to a real positive start here, Francie.”

When these two get together, the sexual tension is off the charts. And Dallie's got a whole closet full of skeletons as well... like Holly Grace Beaudine



But he’s not putting up with any of her shit, and she’s too proud to stoop so low. It’s quite the combination. My only complaint… it takes these two FOR FREAKING EVER to get it together. In fact, I almost gave up hope, like a hundred times. But the ending was so intense, that it made up for all of the garbage in between.

”If any of my old problems with vanity ever crop up, remind me to spend five minutes in your company.”

It’s the slow burn to beat all slow burns! Be prepared to be patient on this one. It’s a really long book, but so worth the effort! The characters are incredibly well developed. The story much more involved than I would have ever imagined. I loved it.

Painful experience had taught her that being born with a face like hers was more of a liability than an asset. Strength of character came from hard work, not smoky- thick eyelashes.

I am so excited to have discovered yet another great romance author. There is nothing that can take the place of good writing. And I’m anxious to read many more books by Ms. Phillips. Highly recommended.



”If you want to play games with yourself, that’s your choice, but don’t play them with me, because I’ll bloody well call your bluff.” She rose from the booth and then stared down at him, her voice frigid with scorn. “I’ve decided to marry you.” -brilliant.

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprise Sale, Only $1.99
All The Stars... Stars
❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️
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❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️
❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️
I read this years ago and it was my hook to all things, Susan Elizabeth Phillips. This worked as the entry to the genre from one of the OG masters.
Want a perfectly fantastic of what a Romance should be...then Read This!

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Dija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fancy Pants is the best unexpected surprise I've gotten so far this year! I was extremely reluctant about starting this book, and I probably wouldn't have even given it a try if it hadn't been for Anzu's review the fact that I had it as a group read.

In a nutshell, this is basically what this book meant to me:

+ + + =

This book made me feel every different kind of emotion, from angry to love to joy to frustration to shock, and everything in between. I started out hating Francie and ended with her as one of the most inspirational and wonderful characters I've ever had the pleasure of getting to know. I started with loving Dallie, then hating him, and then pitying him. I ended with liking him, but all my love for this book's cast is reserved solely for Francie.

I give this book 4 stars for enjoyment alone, and the 0.5 star that GR refuses to show goes to everything else. Fancy Pants made me laugh out loud, get a stinging feeling in my eyes (the closest I get to crying), and reacquainted my jaw with the floor. I can't begin to express what a delight this book was to read!

Fancy Pants is the first book of SEP's that I've had the joy of reading, and from what I hear and have trouble believing , it's not her best. Since I loved this book so much, I can't wait to get started on some of her more popular stuff!

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hell of a story! Spanning two generations and a handful of decades, it was most definitely not what I expected. I'm not much for chick lit...in fact, I used to really dislike it, finding it more wannabe melodramatic than even a lot of romance out there. But if anyone can make me love something I usually wouldn't, it would be Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

YES, the story was LOOOOOOOONGGGGGG. No, there really wasn't a ton of romance. (this was my biggest complaint) And yes, there were a lot of characters to introduce and long stretches of random tangents to endure. However, when all was said and done, SEP had me so invested in all of the characters that I couldn't help but love the book.

Can you scream CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT? Because if I've ever been a witness to it, it would be while watching Francie and Dallie grow up during the course of this book. There were times in which I didn't even like any single person involved in the story, but I think that was part of it's charm

Now, feminists put on your Femi-Nazi shades because this is a book written in the time of the reluctant chauvinists. Dallie is definitely a man's man, but he doesn't beat or rape or anything medieval like that. He does have a firm hand and a hard time bowing to a woman. Just a heads up there.

Great book, great story. Very involved and lengthy but worth the time

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up for the wonderful reading voice of Anna Fields. If it wasn't for her awesomeness at reading SEP novels, I might have DNF'd this puppy. I could listen to her read the phone book.

This was Dallie & Francesca's story, and one of the few SEP books I have yet to read. I felt like I already knew D & F from the later books, so for me seeing them as their young and love struck persona's was not to be skipped.

Unfortunately, the time line in Fancy Pants goes back and forth from past to present and tells many additional stories, not just Dallas and Francesca. I think this part of what frustrated me with this story as it seemed to be all over the place. But when it was focused on D&F I really enjoyed it! And I could even forgive their obnoxious personalities as I already know from later books they turn into a wonderful couple.

The story unfolds with a long background story of Francesca's mother and her love life, which led to Francesca's birth. We later see Francesca as a young spoiled English girl who is struck with tragic luck, thus finding her way to America to live the American dream, which turns into a nightmare, and eventually meeting up with Dallas Bodine. We also suffer through a waaaaaaaaaaay TMI story of how Dallas met his first wife, and later a side romance story between his ex and a wacko political activist.

The romance between Dallas and Francesca was a hit and a miss for me. I realize both of them made some pretty lousy decisions along the way, but that was part of their journey and we got to see every minute of it. But when they meet up again their romance was just glossed over to make room for the other stories, when it should have been the heart of a good romance story.

On the plus side, one thing I especially liked in this book is the details to all of the eras. While it might read as outdated to many, for me I read it as a historical book and was impressed with the accuracy and portrayal of the times. The music, clothes, politics, TV shows, technology…etc. was integrated nicely to make me feel like I was there. I know this book is considered a contemporary, but the fact that it was written ~25 years ago and that it kept jumping around from different eras throughout the 20th century, it really can’t be viewed as a true contemporary.

Overall I did enjoy their story. I would have preferred less detail on all of these side stories, and more time on D&Fs romance reunion. The primary romance of this book suffers from all of the side stories and gets pushed aside too often. But I'm really glad I read it, and may reread Ted's story before Lucy's book The Great Escape comes out in a few months.

[Anzû · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was like a carrousel ride for me. It had so many ups and downs that by the end I didn’t know what to think of it. I started with lots of hatred towards the main characters and bit by bit I got to love some. Others.. well they constantly sucked. Yes Dallie, I’m talking about you.

When I started Fancy Pants I had something in mind. A bit of comedy, a feisty heroine and a jackass hero. Hell, the typical Susan Elizabeth Phillips stuff. *excitement excitement*

Soooo I was reading and reading. Strange things going on. Nothing like the Susan Elizabeth Phillips books I’ve read so far. But the eternal believer in me knew the good stuff was coming. And then I stumbled into this:

“Anything in life was permissible … as long as she looked pretty doing it.”

Aaaand this:

“I’m worried about you, Mummy. There are circles under your eyes, and you look tired all the time. You’ve also been impossible to live with. Only yesterday you brought home the beige Givenchy kimono for me instead of the silver one I asked you to get.”

*awkward silence*

I hated Francesca’s guts, as you can imagine. And Dallie... Despite being a Brad Pitt lookalike, being cool and funny, being an ass to Francesca (whom I still hated) he ended up being a big ol asshole.

It felt nice growing up with Francesca. I got to hate her, admire her and in the end love her. It felt intimate and wonderful.

Gerry is awesome; loved him. He was my favorite character. Teddy is great too. A silent killer, I have to respect that. I even ended up liking Holly Grace. Imagine that!

The book was oozing drama so I have to admit this is not one of Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ best. I like her books to be a bit lighter than this. I was thinking of giving it three stars but the ending deserves an extra one.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first part of this book, I really hated the heroine, Francesca Day, and I was tempted to give up the read. But I had read this book years ago and given it 3 stars, so I decided it must have something in it worth liking, which made me stick with it. And I guess hating Francie at the start is the point, because of course the book is about her hard-fought growth and transformation from an immature, spoilt, self-centred brat into a woman of integrity and independence. And it's also about the personal growth of the hero, Dallie Beaudine, as he fights off the influence of his horrible childhood and early adulthood.

After growing up in England, the beautiful Francecsa makes her way to the US, and ends up down on her luck in a major way. She meets a gorgeous Texan golf star, Dallie Beaudine, and they have a fling, then part.

This story is spread over a number of years. It's a long book, and lots of different things happen to both MCs. There are also a few flashbacks showing the truly awful pasts both have had. But finally the stars align, and after some seriously challenging times for both (especially Francesca) they finally have their well-deserved HEA. And we also get to meet the young Teddy Beaudine, the hero of a later book in this series, Call Me Irresistible.

This time around I really enjoyed the read, upping my score to 4 stars. I took my time and tried to get inside the heads of the characters, to understand them and their motives. The book was written in 1989, and I tried to get into that time zone. There were plenty of references to well-known people, (including a pre-presidential Donald Trump LOL), and some events of the times, and I didn't try to evaluate the book as if it were 2018. It's an artefact of its time, and in that sense it didn't feel like a dated book. I enjoyed the great, complex and detailed storyline, and I enjoyed the characters, including some terrific and well-fleshed out secondary characters. There are also some very funny one-liners.

I recently started rereading some of Phillips' books, including Glitter Baby, which I also enjoyed, and decided I'd go back to the start of the Wynette, Texas series with this one. And now I think I'll keep going. The books have been around for a while, but if you get 'in the zone', they are superior to quite a few of the new CRs coming out today, and IMO they still stand up quite well.

[Debbie "Buried in Her TBR Pile" · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I am crushed that I have to rate a SEP book this low. I just didn't like either H or h much in this one. I kept hoping I would eventually love this book, but no. Don't get me wrong, everything works out and the kind of become likeable - but too late. Just ok and I'm sad about it.

[Kimberly Carrington-Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro

Menos mal que SEP fue mejorando!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fancy Pants is the first installment in Susan Elizabeth Phillips's adult contemporary romance series titled: Wynette, Texas. After completely devouring her AMAZING Chicago Stars series, I was so excited to see she had another whole series available that I haven't even touched yet. Whoop Whoop!

The Wynette, Texas series is some of Ms. Phillips' earlier work and if Fancy Pants is any indication, she has since perfected her signature writing style. I did like it, but it's just not the fun, laugh-out-loud writing I have come to love. The romance was sexy, even though the love/hate banter was pretty extreme (on the hate side), and there is an admirable message portrayed through the female lead: Francesca “Fancy Pants” Day. No matter our looks, family wealth, or social status, there will come a time when those things will no longer serve us and we will have to make our own way. This provided some substance to the overall story and allowed a prideful, entitled, and unlikable ex-socialite to slowly become a relatable and cared for character. Although I didn't love this book, I definitely responded to it and would still recommend it. Check it out!

My favorite quote:
"When people raved about her sage green eyes, her delicate cheekbones, and gleaming chestnut hair, Francesca found herself withdrawing from them. Painful experience had taught her that being born with a face like hers was more of a liability than an asset. Strength of character came from hard work, not smoky-thick eyelashes. Clothes however were another matter."

[Yodamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the old family sagas on TV, like Dallas. Generations of family and all their blissful daily problems and joys. It you liked those long winded, heartbreaking, romantic, dramas this is the book for you. This family had generations of ups, soaring to the highest peaks and bone crushing defeats and plenty of the in-between moments.
The main part of the story focuses on Francisca and Dallie, two complete opposites thrown together by desperation one night. She is a pampered social light from the UK he is an American hunk of a man, a never winning golfer. They are the oil and water, but oil and water can mix if you shake it hard enough. The shake and then she goes one way he goes another. There is a little token from their night and it will change everything.
I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narration was wonderfully done. The trip back to the 80's was fun and it never felt old. I liked all the characters, they were developed well and I grew attached to each of them. I disagreed with Francy for what I thought was a horrible choice, but I understood her reasoning. She is the ultimate girl who pulled on her big girl panties and wore them well. Dallie, messed up with some serious back ground problems was a true man when it counted. I did scream at them several times in my head that they were making mistakes. These characters were so richly written I felt like I'd known them for years.
I want more from this world.

[Vero Rinconin · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2'5*
Pfff, este libro me gustó más que el anterior, tuvo momentos más graciosos aún asi me resultó bastante pesada la lectura y por momentos más pesada todavía.

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review written June 2, 2017

4.4 Stars - Yay, as good as most of SEP's contemporary romances (here with a fabulous talented audio narrator)

Book #1

Fancy Pants from my favorite m/f CR author Susan Elizabeth Phillips was first published already 1989. Also the first in the Wynette, Texas series. A series I for a very long time wanted to start (since I finished the fantastic brilliant Chicago Stars series).

At last it was "Sun, Summer and Sunbathing" up here in Sweden and time for a 15:53 hours audiobook. As usual, immensely great narrated by the very best SEP novels narrator, Anna Fields.

**********************************************

Texas US in the 80:s...

« For Francesca Day, it's not the end of her world, but close to it. She's London-bred, wealthy, and sophisticated, but fate leaves her flat broke and stranded on a back road in Texas. Now she's got to deal with reality without her rich girl props. How can she do it?

In Dallas Beaudine, gritty and handsome, lies the answer. He stops his car to help Francesca, whose life needs a tune-up, as well as her car. Stopping could lead to the biggest mistake, or best time, ever. »

Oh yeah, this one had all I like and admire in a Susan Elizabeth Phillips's story. — Funny characters (the kind which get to your heart), a big heartbreaking sweet steamy hot love (with a second chance touch) and some lovely interesting second characters (both young kids and older). Add a second couple of lovebirds as usual as well.

I ENJOYED, I GIGGLED, I LAUGHED, I CRIED ... ABSOLUTELY GREAT BOOK TIME.

Fancy Pants might be written years ago but that fact doesn't change its greatness. Still to be recommended and a very good start to the series. I just want more of these Wynette, Texas books soon.

**********************************************

I LIKE - every time I'm clever enough to choose another hilarious fun, smart and witty SEP romance as a audiobook listening

[Nadia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank god this is over!

Oh, how I hated this book! It was easily 200 pages too long. There was absolutely no need for us to know the history of Francesca's mother and her grandmother, there was definitely no need for us or the story to know how Francesca was conceived. There was no need for us to know about Naomi's search for Sassy girl. There was no need for us to know each designer piece of clothing Francesca or Holly Grace were wearing.

I hated the characters. I hated the hero. He was a scumbag, a douchebag, a jerk, an asshole. I hated his guts. The whole story about The Bear (the mystical wizard of Oz, who kept belittling Dallie only to have Dallie FINALLY banish him in the last few pages) was definitely unnecessary.

I hated the heroine only a little less than I hated the hero, and that was mainly because she made something of herself.

I hated the side characters, although Holly Grace was kickass.

I hated the end. I didn't buy their love proclamations for one second. It seemed forced and out of place. So cheesy.

You might ask yourself why on earth did I the continue reading this book if I hated it so much? I'm not sure myself. It's SEP's magic. The stories this woman creates, they grip you and won't let you go until you've read them. You'll either love them or hate them, but you won't be able to put them down. And I'm a glutton for punishment.

[Gamruk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selamlar, kitabı aldığım gün bitirmiş olsam da fotoğraf çekmeye üşendiğimden bir türlü yorumumu giremedim. Bekleyenler kusuruma bakmayın lütfen🙈

Efenim Francesca ailesi daha doğrusu annesi tarafından el bebek gül bebek aşırı şımarık ve ben merkezci bir kız olarak yetistirilmistir. İngiliz Cemiyetinin aranan yüzlerinden, Prenslerin bile kalbini çalan Francesca para açısından hic sıkıntı çekmeyen para kazanmayı bilmeyen bir kızcağız. Gelin görün ki annesini aniden kaybetmesi ve bir sürü de borçları olduğunu öğrenmesi pek uzun bir zaman almıyor. Para sıkıntısı ile başetmeye çalışırken, film çekimi icin Amerikalara kadar gidiyor. Ancak film işi sandığı gibi çıkmıyor. Beş kuruşu dahi olmadan Amerikada bir başına kalakaliyor.

Dallie ise yakışıklı ve bir o kadar da ünlü golf oyuncumuz. Skett adindaki yardimcisi ile sehirden sehre golf turnuvalari icin gidiyorlar. Dallie aslinda cok yetenekli olmasina ragmem bir türlü büyük turnuvalari kazanamayan bir arkadaşımız. Bunun sebebini sonlarda Francesca bize açıklıyor.

Herneyse bu ikilimiz Francesca'nin yollarda bir basina kaldigi gün karsilasiyorlar ve Dallie ona yardim etmek icin arabasina aliyor. Isler bu kisimdan sonra guzellesiyor ve bir o kadar da şoka sokuyor. İkilimiz yakınlaşıyor, Francesca Dallie'ye asik olduguna inanıyor ama büyük bir sıkıntı ve şok ortaya çıkınca. Dallie'yi terkedip bir başına ve hamile olarak sokaklarda buluyor yine kendini.

Bu kısımlarından sonrasi tam bir basari öyküsü. Francesca ilk buldugu is yerine (radyo istasyonu) girip is istiyor. Temizlikci olarak is bulup tuvalet temizligine kadar ne kadar agir is varsa yapiyor ama asla inancindan vazgeçmiyor kendini gelistiriyor ve sonunda radyo sunuculuguna kadar ilerliyor. 10 yıl kadar sonra ise Francesca başarılı bir tv yüzü.

Dallie Francesca'nin basarisini ve oglunu biliyor çünkü ortak bir şok olacağınız arkadaşları var. Ancak ne yazikki Teddy isimli minnosun kendi oglu oldugunu bilmiyor. Ogrendigi zaman isler yeniden çığırından çıkıyor😂 buradan sonrasi ise Teddy ve Dallie'nin baba ogul olma çabaları ve Dallie'nin Francesca'nin kalbini calma çabaları uzerine gidiyor. Ben kitabi sevdim. Zaten Sep'in yazıp da benim sevmedigim kitabi yok😂

Şok olacağınız kişi ve olaylardan yorumumda bahsetmedim ki sizler de benim kadar kudurun😂😂😂
Türk aile geleneklerine uymayan olaylar yok degil. Ancak bunlar bizim kültürümüzde yasayan kisilerin hayat öyküsü olmadığı icin yapacak bir sey yok. Holly Grace isimli karakterin oluşturduğu durumu sevmedim. Ama kızı da pek tatlı yazmış Sep'cim. Olayı sevmesem de kizamiyorum.😅

Ben daha cok Dallie'ye kızdım sanırım. Olayları bu kadar karmasiklastiran salak duygularını bir türlü farkedememesi. Olmuyorsa zorlama uyuzz adam😂

Bu arada Teddy'nin serideki 5.kitabın bas kahramanı oldugunu biliyor muydunuz? Hem de 0.5 kitabi olan Tas Bebek'teki Jake ve Fleur'un kızları Meg ile birlikte olacağını😍
Ben verdim gazı gerisi pegasus'un bize aciyip bir yilda serinin tum kitaplarini basmasini beklemek olacak🙈😂😂😂 (yani imkansiz bir bekleyiş)

Dip not: Ben okudum tüm kitapları (google translate sagolsun🙈😂😂😂)
#pegasusyayinlari #sep #WynetteTexas #BayanUkala #susanelizabethphillips

[Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an ok read, well written but didn't float my boat!

- Too many side stories going on.
- Didn't like Francesca.
- Didn't like Daliie.
- Disappointed in the way Dallie treated Teddy when he found out about him - Taking his anger out on the child was not fair.
- Dallie & Francesca hardly spent any time together. Didn't feel any connection/romance between them.
- Really liked Teddy.
- Found myself cheering Dallie on in the golf tournament.
- Only continued with this book as written by SEP.

Hoping the next one is more to my taste.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to Fancy Pants as an unabridged audio. I didn't take notes so what follows next is what remains rattling around in my head.

I've always enjoy Susan Elizabeth Phillips work. She usually creates fun characters and has a knack for snappy dialogue that hooks me right away. Fancy Pants is one of her earlier efforts written back in the 80's, and it suffers from many of the excesses of its time. It's more of a saga, which brings me back to the glitzy days when I thought Danielle Steele and Jackie Collins wrote books that were pure awesome. That was back before I realized I preferred a little more substance with my glitz.

This one starts out with more glitz than substance but it does eventually get better. Here's a typical early exchange between the glamorous beauty and her playboy paramour with whom she's been playing hard to get: "You're not woman enough to handle a man like me." Her witty, whispered response that gets him all hot and bothered is, "You're not rich enough for me." Oh please. Color me unimpressed with the two of them but I plundered on anyway certain it had to get better and because I was trapped in my car with nothing better to do.

I'm glad stuck with it but honestly if it had been a paperback I would've put it down early on. After wading through an infinity of insipid back story the story starts to find its focus. The back story reminded me very much of a Danielle Steel novel but it did serve the purpose of explaining why the heroine of the book was such a self-centered, helpless brat (sorry but its true).

When gorgeous socialite Francesca loses everything she's forced into lowering herself by accepting an acting job which she believes will be glamorous and make her into an instant star. Things don't exactly go her way and she finds herself on the street in a stained gown and at her lowest point . This is when golf pro Dally takes pity on her and picks her up. Imagine the luck, right? Dally is the first man prettier than Francesca and she's instantly smitten. They fight like children, Dally totes her around and foots the bill until he tires of her and she's then left to her own devices again. This is the point, probably somewhere halfway through the book, where she finally grows up and becomes a real person instead of the annoying spoiled whiner who only wants a man to save her. I have to credit the author here because she did an amazing job of turning a thoroughly unlikable character into a admirable person.

I can't say this was my favorite book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips because it was too damn long and I wasn't thrilled by half of it. Still, I'm glad I stuck it through because I loved watching Francesca's transformation.

[Chan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent Writer, but why was this book 500 pages?


Writing: Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a good writer. Great descriptions-makes you feel like you are actually there. 3rd person. Too many POVs.

Characters: All of the characters were well developed. Susan did a great job with the way the characters expressed themselves and staying true to each personality. There were many characters in the story, but Dallie and Francesca were the love interests. I didn’t care for either of them.

Storyline: Extremely slow to develop. LIKE SLOWER THAN SNAILS! I think Susan's objective was to give us the back history of the characters so we could empathize and not immediately condemn. I almost gave up around page 100 when the MC's still hadn’t met. Susan took her time explaining every detail. The narratives were long and some could’ve been omitted to keep the reader interested. Nevertheless, it was not difficult to follow the storyline unless you zoned out during one of the lengthy narratives.


I had two major issues with this story:
1) The unnecessary use of the N-word.
2) Dallie hit women and was NOT reprimanded for his actions, but it was accepted because ‘that is the way he is.’

Erotic Scenes: Very few and tasteful-LOL (double entendre). If you are looking for a book with dirty talk. This is not it. Each descriptive sex scene served a purpose. I didn’t like the narration of sex with Dallie and Hollie Grace. The readers are just getting to know Dallie and Francesca, after all it took them over 100 pages to meet, and then Susan throws in sex with another character.

Overall: The book was okay. It did showcase Susan's descriptive talent and great writing skills. However, the N-word and acceptance of hitting women really turned me off. It might be a while before I can pick up something else by Susan.

[Mandygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5

[Amber’s reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Elizabeth Phillips never disappoints. Her intelligence and research shine through in her superb writing and I wish more contemporary romance writers would take lessons from her.

Whether she's writing about fashion designers, artists, food, politics, or sports, her attention to detail is astonishing. Fancy Pants tells the story of a pampered English woman named Francesca and a Texas golf player named Dallas. Susan Elizabeth Phillips is able to describe two different worlds and two different people in such a masterful way. One minute, you will feel like you're on the yacht of Aristotle Onassis in the French Riviera in the 60's listening to Francesca describe the different varieties of caviar. The next minute, you will feel like you're in a Texas honky-tonk drinking beer with some unsavory characters. She knows how to write an opposites attract love story!

This book is written in 1989 and it shows. Some of her more conservative characters often say offensive things like "gay" and other sexist comments. But as I've read many of her books, I think that SEP's liberal views shine through with her heroines. I don't know her views personally, but I think some of her books were actually ahead of their time. She's not afraid to make her narrow-minded characters say ignorant and offensive things (acceptable back then) and then have another character chastise them and come back with a more sensible retort. Something that would have been considered "liberal" back then, but is just considered normal now.

I listened to Fancy Pants on audio and loved it!!! I usually hate audiobooks, but the narrators that SEP uses are some of the best. I also find that the audio version is almost superior to catch all of her trademark sarcasm and fully enjoy the witty banter between the hero and heroine.

SEP writes the BEST heroines. They are always fiercely independent and intelligent. Her heroes tend to be old fashion and grumpy, but I always end up falling in love with them. This book is for anyone looking for a hate-to-love story with hilarious witty banter.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fancy Pants by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Wynette, Texas, #1

Francesca Day was born amongst the British elite. She's rich, beautiful and very spoiled. When her mother is killed in an accident, she finds that her mother was actually in debt. At a party, she's convinced to go to America to do a part in a movie. But the movie is a cheesy vampire flick so she hightails it out of there wearing a southern belle costume, a suitcase of clothes, a cosmetic bag and absolutely no money. This is how our hero Dallas "Dallie" Beaudine first meets her.



I usually love SEP books but in this book the characters are not all that endearing: our heroine is obsessed with her looks, money, and success ( fortunately she grows out of it ), and our hero is obsessed with bimbos and failure. He neglects to tell her he's married ( yes, he was married when Francesca and Dallie had an affair! ); she neglects to tell him she had his son.

The background story was way too long and boring to read. I nearly put it down after reading the first 100 or so pages and h/H haven't met each other yet. The relationship of the main couple is a little hard to understand, mainly because it seems that they're not together a lot. And who cares about Dallie and Holly's (Dallie's first wife) romance? Why bother to tell their entire story? I realize the necessity of a well-developed back story, but I felt rather smothered by it in this book.

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book lower then a 1 star. I normally never stop reading a book but I had to put this one down. I am a big fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and her Chicago Series but I absolutely hated this book. Francesca Day was the worst heroine I have ever encountered in my reading. She was selfish and self-centeredd. Even one keeps calling her independant and strong. I would just say she was a huge B**CH! Even in the middle of the book when she was supposed to be becoming independent and a better person she did the most selfish thing yet. She had a baby by Dallie Beaudine, a man that was a bit of a mess and sometimes a jerk, and didn’t tell him for 10 years. Or I should say, he didn’t find out for 10 years. She was never planning to tell him, he had to figure it out on his own. I was so furious with the character I couldn’t even read pass that.

Dallie Beaudine had lost his first child, just 2 years old, in a terrible accident and Francesca Day robbed him of 10 years of his second child’s life. It was the most selfish thing I ever read. I felt like she was the villain instead of the heroine of the story. She tries to explain that if she had gone to him then she would have never become independent but that is just complete garbage and completely self-centered, showing again that she only thinks about herself despite what Ms. Phillips was trying to portray. I wanted to strangle her.

Holly, Dallie’s first wife, got on my nerves as well. Knowing that Francesca had slept with Dallie and just so happen to be pregnant she didn’t even tell him. Choosing to believe her story about it being another man’s child knowing how much family means to Dallie. The book goes through chapters explaining how Holly and Dallie are so close (a very weird relationship) but she just accepts the story and become friends with Francesca with no question and not telling a man she claims to love. Then she is angry and shocked when she finds out the truth. SMH That was complete trash and unrealistic for the character Ms. Phillips had created. If I were Dallie I would never forgive either one of them.

This book was a huge disappointment and the first one I couldn’t finish. Don't even waste your time reading it.

[Yolanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

si digo que me ha encantado... me quedo corta