What do you think?
Rate this book
Wynette, Texas #7
The Great Escape
Perennial New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips now provides her fans with The Great Escape from ordinary women’s romantic fiction. One of today’s most beloved writers, the incomparable Phillips follows up her utterly beguiling hit, Call Me Irresistible (“Phillips at her very best. Romantic, funny, sexy, and poignant” —Kristin Hannah) with a sequel that’s equally impossible to resist. Returning in The Great Escape are some of Phillips’s most adored characters, including headstrong, impetuous ex-president’s daughter, Lucy Jorik, who’s just abandoned her fiancé, Ted “Mr. Irresistible” Beaudine, at the altar. Now she’s looking for adventure—and perhaps a little romance—embarking on a wild and hilariously unpredictable road trip that begins on the back of a rather menacing-looking stranger’s motorcycle. The winner of more Favorite Book of the Year Awards than any other romance author, including Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Phillips offers her fans an Escape to remember, and they’ll certainly want to come back for more!
432 pages, Hardcover
First published July 10, 2012
About the author
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
51 books16.1k followersSUSAN 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/
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/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,298 reviews
January 31, 2020
I really enjoyed this novel.
It's relaxing, perfect for escapism.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the master when it comes to light hearted romance.
It took me some time to finish The Great Escape, but it's because I've been pretty busy lately and didn't have much time to read.
In normal circumstances, I'd probably finish it in 2-3 days.
It's relaxing, perfect for escapism.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the master when it comes to light hearted romance.
It took me some time to finish The Great Escape, but it's because I've been pretty busy lately and didn't have much time to read.
In normal circumstances, I'd probably finish it in 2-3 days.
August 7, 2015
Okay friends! I’ve come to the end of the road with the Wynette Texas series. What a freaking fun and amazing ride it has been. The leading men, the leading ladies, the side characters, the humor, the sex, and the banter allowed for such creative and easy flowing storylines. SEP ROCKS! I’d love to meet her someday, share a glass of wine and ask her how the heck she comes up these stories. I wonder what or who her inspirations are.
In The Great Escape we get Lucy Jorik’s story. She has made her escape; she has run away from the perfect man on her wedding day. This was something that Lucy would have never done. She always made the right choices. She was the steadfast daughter. But her heart wasn’t full the way it should be.
When making her fierce escape, someone makes her an offer to ride off into the sunset (for lack of a better word) and she accepts. But are things as they seem and who really is this Panda guy. He didn’t fit her normal guy mold. He had an edge about himself. He was broody and he sure as hell wasn’t going to stand for anything Lucy was about to dish out. What a perfect pair they made!!
Panda ~I know what you are thinking. What kind of name is Panda? Well he has a real name of course but Panda fit him. It is purely symbolic. He was tall, dark and sexy. Definitely swoon worthy. Panda had offered Lucy the seat on the back of his motorcycle having no idea that the ride the two of them were going to take would be more than he bargained for. Panda didn’t have the skills to deal with all things Lucy. He wanted to have this fling with her, the sex was great and her company was a wanted distraction. But his life hadn’t been easy. He had his demons.
Lucy ~ I loved her. She had come so far in life. As a teenager she was a protector and a fighter. She finally got her happiness, that wonderful family. While she loved her family dearly, she no longer needed that picture perfect life that came from being the daughter of The First Lady. She had inner and outer beauty. She was sweet, sexy and independent. Once she decided to make this escape Lucy morphed into someone different. It may have only been superficial but it was a change that allowed her to figure out who she really want to be.
Lucy and Panda were equally confused by the other. When Lucy is backed into a corner she makes a decision that brings her to a place that ruffles Panda’s feathers. He can’t figure out why she doesn't throw in the towel and go back to her happy family. Lucy can’t understand why Panda seems detached from places, people and things that are current in his life. She needs some answers but what she finds is heartbreaking.
During this journey, Lucy meets a lot of great people. People who seem to either have everything in life or nothing at all. People who just like her are trying to find their way. Bree and Toby added the sunshine to Lucy’s life. They added so much sweetness this story.
And Temple, well she added a bit of spice. She was the sassy, bitchy and a tad bitter woman in the group. But I liked her. Looks can be deceiving and Temple was fighting her own battle.
You know this was another winner for me. I loved every minute from start to finish. The last chapter was superb, IMHO anyways. Anytime Mabel is brought in, you know only goodness will come of it. Panda was just....I don't know. I just loved him. And the Epilogue, it was one of my favorites.
If you have started this series and set it aside, get back to it. :) If you have never read a book from SEP, give this series a chance. Don’t miss out on all this goodness. ❤
In The Great Escape we get Lucy Jorik’s story. She has made her escape; she has run away from the perfect man on her wedding day. This was something that Lucy would have never done. She always made the right choices. She was the steadfast daughter. But her heart wasn’t full the way it should be.
When making her fierce escape, someone makes her an offer to ride off into the sunset (for lack of a better word) and she accepts. But are things as they seem and who really is this Panda guy. He didn’t fit her normal guy mold. He had an edge about himself. He was broody and he sure as hell wasn’t going to stand for anything Lucy was about to dish out. What a perfect pair they made!!
Panda ~I know what you are thinking. What kind of name is Panda? Well he has a real name of course but Panda fit him. It is purely symbolic. He was tall, dark and sexy. Definitely swoon worthy. Panda had offered Lucy the seat on the back of his motorcycle having no idea that the ride the two of them were going to take would be more than he bargained for. Panda didn’t have the skills to deal with all things Lucy. He wanted to have this fling with her, the sex was great and her company was a wanted distraction. But his life hadn’t been easy. He had his demons.
Lucy ~ I loved her. She had come so far in life. As a teenager she was a protector and a fighter. She finally got her happiness, that wonderful family. While she loved her family dearly, she no longer needed that picture perfect life that came from being the daughter of The First Lady. She had inner and outer beauty. She was sweet, sexy and independent. Once she decided to make this escape Lucy morphed into someone different. It may have only been superficial but it was a change that allowed her to figure out who she really want to be.
Lucy and Panda were equally confused by the other. When Lucy is backed into a corner she makes a decision that brings her to a place that ruffles Panda’s feathers. He can’t figure out why she doesn't throw in the towel and go back to her happy family. Lucy can’t understand why Panda seems detached from places, people and things that are current in his life. She needs some answers but what she finds is heartbreaking.
During this journey, Lucy meets a lot of great people. People who seem to either have everything in life or nothing at all. People who just like her are trying to find their way. Bree and Toby added the sunshine to Lucy’s life. They added so much sweetness this story.
And Temple, well she added a bit of spice. She was the sassy, bitchy and a tad bitter woman in the group. But I liked her. Looks can be deceiving and Temple was fighting her own battle.
You know this was another winner for me. I loved every minute from start to finish. The last chapter was superb, IMHO anyways. Anytime Mabel is brought in, you know only goodness will come of it. Panda was just....I don't know. I just loved him. And the Epilogue, it was one of my favorites.
If you have started this series and set it aside, get back to it. :) If you have never read a book from SEP, give this series a chance. Don’t miss out on all this goodness. ❤
August 4, 2015
5 STARS
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’ve finally reached the end of the Wynette Texas Series. And I have cherished each and every story. I heard a whisper on the wind that there may be an eighth book???!!! PLEASE YES! If not, I know I will be re-reading these books for years to come.
The Great Escape is Lucy Jorik’s story. We first met Lucy as a surly but frightened fourteen year old girl in First Lady. Left orphaned by an alcoholic and neglectful mother, Lucy was forced to grow up fast, and take over the responsibilities her mother left behind like caring for her half sister, Tracy, who was only a year old at the time.
But life’s been more than good to her since. Now, as the adopted daughter of Matt Jorik and Cornelia Litchfield Case, who just happens to be the former President of the United States, Lucy has become accustomed to living her life in the spotlight. So when she decided to ditch Texas’ most eligible bachelor and golden boy, Ted Beaudine, at the alter, the whole world was there to watch.
So where’s a runaway bride to go when there’s secret service on her tail? Apparently on the back of a motorcycle of some random guy with nothing but a choir robe and a pair of stilettos.
Tired of playing it safe, Lucy embarks on an adventure that will change the coarse of her life forever.
So who is this random guy? Apparently his name is Panda. Or so he tells her. And, as it turns out, he may not be as random as she’d originally thought. And Lucy may just find that she’s escaped the frying pan, just to wind up in the fire. And this one is much hotter than she’s prepared to handle, and it’s more than likely going to leave her burned.
Once again, a hilariously funny and touching romance. A road trip of self discovery for both our heroine and her broken hero. I absolutely love the dialogue in these books. The verbal banter and the hate/love relationships that come out of them.
The supporting cast was fabulous, as usual. It was like a Secret Life of Bees cast on a reality show called Fat Island, where everyone finds love and happiness in the end. Well, it didn’t actually go down that way, and the journey was anything but smooth. But in the end the results were about as perfect as life can get.
Again a HEA that is put through the paces, chewed up and spit out into a rock solid love of the ages. And she always ties it together with a beautiful epilogue.
[image error]
If there is one thing I can say about Susan Elizabeth Phillips… it’s that I know that when I pick up one of her books, I will fall in love once again with a brand new set of wonderful characters. I will definitely laugh out loud, I will be drawn in deep, I may shed a few tears, I will most definitely be aroused, and I will love every minute of it. Ok. that was more than one thing… but in short, I am guaranteed an adventure that will warm my heart, and leave me wanting more.
I can’t recommend these books enough.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’ve finally reached the end of the Wynette Texas Series. And I have cherished each and every story. I heard a whisper on the wind that there may be an eighth book???!!! PLEASE YES! If not, I know I will be re-reading these books for years to come.
The Great Escape is Lucy Jorik’s story. We first met Lucy as a surly but frightened fourteen year old girl in First Lady. Left orphaned by an alcoholic and neglectful mother, Lucy was forced to grow up fast, and take over the responsibilities her mother left behind like caring for her half sister, Tracy, who was only a year old at the time.
But life’s been more than good to her since. Now, as the adopted daughter of Matt Jorik and Cornelia Litchfield Case, who just happens to be the former President of the United States, Lucy has become accustomed to living her life in the spotlight. So when she decided to ditch Texas’ most eligible bachelor and golden boy, Ted Beaudine, at the alter, the whole world was there to watch.
So where’s a runaway bride to go when there’s secret service on her tail? Apparently on the back of a motorcycle of some random guy with nothing but a choir robe and a pair of stilettos.
”I’ll bet you were real popular with the Secret Service.”
Tired of playing it safe, Lucy embarks on an adventure that will change the coarse of her life forever.
So who is this random guy? Apparently his name is Panda. Or so he tells her. And, as it turns out, he may not be as random as she’d originally thought. And Lucy may just find that she’s escaped the frying pan, just to wind up in the fire. And this one is much hotter than she’s prepared to handle, and it’s more than likely going to leave her burned.
”Don’t look.” He looked. Not even being subtle about it but studying her in a way that made her skin hot. Long seconds passed before he spoke. “Are you sure about this?”
No games.
Straight to the point.
Pure Panda.
“You have a college degree? You can barely talk.”
Once again, a hilariously funny and touching romance. A road trip of self discovery for both our heroine and her broken hero. I absolutely love the dialogue in these books. The verbal banter and the hate/love relationships that come out of them.
”Get real, Panda. I walked out on Ted Beaudine. Do you really think I’m going to lose sleep over you and our hot little summer fling?”
The supporting cast was fabulous, as usual. It was like a Secret Life of Bees cast on a reality show called Fat Island, where everyone finds love and happiness in the end. Well, it didn’t actually go down that way, and the journey was anything but smooth. But in the end the results were about as perfect as life can get.
“I hate to admit this, but some days hearing about other people's problems actually cheers me up.”
Again a HEA that is put through the paces, chewed up and spit out into a rock solid love of the ages. And she always ties it together with a beautiful epilogue.
[image error]
Be the best at what you’re good at. Who could have known he’d be so good at this?
If there is one thing I can say about Susan Elizabeth Phillips… it’s that I know that when I pick up one of her books, I will fall in love once again with a brand new set of wonderful characters. I will definitely laugh out loud, I will be drawn in deep, I may shed a few tears, I will most definitely be aroused, and I will love every minute of it. Ok. that was more than one thing… but in short, I am guaranteed an adventure that will warm my heart, and leave me wanting more.
I can’t recommend these books enough.
July 19, 2012
There was nothing redeeming about this book for me. Nothing. I was so fed up with it that I finally returned it at 92%. I didn't even care about the ending. I couldn't stand any of the characters. They were all stupid. And annoying. And had no depth. SEP is one of my favorite authors, but I REALLY hated this book.
Ok, here is the rest of my review....I just didn't have the energy to type it out on my phone. I have to say, it about killed me to give SEP a 1 star rating. Even the books that weren't my favorite by her got a decent rating, this one just simply contained all of my pet peeves in one book. AGH!
1. Seriously, I was over 30% through the book before there was an actual conversation in the story. 30%. Ugh. My issue with books that have little dialogue is that they tend to read as overly dramatic, to me that is. And it's hard to feel like the plot is driving the story, and then I start to feel like the author is "info dumping" on us-- it feels text bookish-- character A does this and so character B feels this way and then does this. It's not my favorite style.
2. Once again, a book that has the h/h "fall in love" without A) having a conversation, B) communicate with any method other than a passive aggressive one, C) get to know each other. But hey, why don't we just fall into bed together and then because we had great sex it's obvious that we HAVE to be in love and everything is just going to be hunky-dory. ugh. Oh, I why don't I throw in some minor stalking while I'm at it?
3. This isn't a pet peeve, but usually I like SEP's secondary characters. I really didn't this time. To be honest I didn't think any of the characters were all that likable. She TOLD us that they were, but I didn't particularly care for them. Nothing really drew me in.
4. I couldn't help but feel like this book was a recycled "Natural Born Charmer," which I love, but this was a watered down, boring re-write of it. And I was so excited for it....heck, I pre-ordered it months ago.
5. And can I just roll my eyes at the token gay character????? Yeah, I felt like that entire story line was thrown in there just to have a token gay character-- it read quite disjointed to me, I didn't believe it and so it pushed the "drama for drama sake" button for me. I don't have issues with gay characters, this one just didn't do it for me. I can't really explain why, maybe the entire book just soured me on any twist and turn.
6. I left my biggest frustration for last-- apparently calling a half black little boy a "boy" is racist????? What the crap???? I grew up in the south and never heard that one. Maybe I was just too sheltered in my over-half black school???? The racial storyline REALLY got on my nerves. REALLY. The kid didn't feel persecuted, held back, different, etc, so why, WHY, did she feel the need to try and make him feel that way???? Isn't the point of all the racial awareness/education to have everyone judged on their own merit, not their skin color???? I get that she was trying to have Bree bring an avenue for him to feel pride in his heritage, but it's not like he was ashamed of being half black! He simply didn't focus all of his energy on his skin color. It just frustrated me.
I'll stop now and maybe just cross my fingers that her next one is more my style.
Ok, here is the rest of my review....I just didn't have the energy to type it out on my phone. I have to say, it about killed me to give SEP a 1 star rating. Even the books that weren't my favorite by her got a decent rating, this one just simply contained all of my pet peeves in one book. AGH!
1. Seriously, I was over 30% through the book before there was an actual conversation in the story. 30%. Ugh. My issue with books that have little dialogue is that they tend to read as overly dramatic, to me that is. And it's hard to feel like the plot is driving the story, and then I start to feel like the author is "info dumping" on us-- it feels text bookish-- character A does this and so character B feels this way and then does this. It's not my favorite style.
2. Once again, a book that has the h/h "fall in love" without A) having a conversation, B) communicate with any method other than a passive aggressive one, C) get to know each other. But hey, why don't we just fall into bed together and then because we had great sex it's obvious that we HAVE to be in love and everything is just going to be hunky-dory. ugh. Oh, I why don't I throw in some minor stalking while I'm at it?
3. This isn't a pet peeve, but usually I like SEP's secondary characters. I really didn't this time. To be honest I didn't think any of the characters were all that likable. She TOLD us that they were, but I didn't particularly care for them. Nothing really drew me in.
4. I couldn't help but feel like this book was a recycled "Natural Born Charmer," which I love, but this was a watered down, boring re-write of it. And I was so excited for it....heck, I pre-ordered it months ago.
5. And can I just roll my eyes at the token gay character????? Yeah, I felt like that entire story line was thrown in there just to have a token gay character-- it read quite disjointed to me, I didn't believe it and so it pushed the "drama for drama sake" button for me. I don't have issues with gay characters, this one just didn't do it for me. I can't really explain why, maybe the entire book just soured me on any twist and turn.
6. I left my biggest frustration for last-- apparently calling a half black little boy a "boy" is racist????? What the crap???? I grew up in the south and never heard that one. Maybe I was just too sheltered in my over-half black school???? The racial storyline REALLY got on my nerves. REALLY. The kid didn't feel persecuted, held back, different, etc, so why, WHY, did she feel the need to try and make him feel that way???? Isn't the point of all the racial awareness/education to have everyone judged on their own merit, not their skin color???? I get that she was trying to have Bree bring an avenue for him to feel pride in his heritage, but it's not like he was ashamed of being half black! He simply didn't focus all of his energy on his skin color. It just frustrated me.
I'll stop now and maybe just cross my fingers that her next one is more my style.
October 6, 2016
2,5 Stars
Well-written and, in the sparse good moments, full of the usual trademark quirky humour, I nonetheless found it little inspired and not as engaging compared to its counterpart, Call Me Irresistible. If said previous instalment in the Wynette series dealt with the jilted-at-the-altar groom's point of view, here we are presented with the other side of the coin through the perspectives of the runaway bride and the mysterious man accompanying her on a wild ride.
Despite the exciting premise, I often found myself thinking this book was trying too hard, with contrived conflicts and particularly with Lucy's constant self-doubting and unnecessary belligerency toward the hero. Also, the secondary cast of characters and relative sub-threads, unlike in many other books by Phillips where there's usually a nice balance between the two layers, took up too much scene away from the main plot, frequently making the story dispersive.
So, as whole and within this author's standard, just a barely middling read for me.
July 13, 2012
Wow. You know when you read a book from one of your favorite authors of all times and wonder if it's a test... that she didn't really write this book and you're supposed to call foul?
Also, instead of reading this book, just go rent Chasing Liberty. Same premise, much cuter.
The secondary story felt incomplete, the characters never really connected, the transformations were stilted, the Ah-ha Moments were more like, Yeah? And?
I ADORE Ms. Phillips. I think the woman's whole house and yard belong on a pedestal, but this book was a loss for me. The only other one of her books I rank this lowly is Hot Shot for the sneaky emotional blackmail ending.
I will say this, unlike the last book in this series, it didn't turn beloved heroines in to bitchy, bullies. I guess that's good.
Go reread Match Me If You Can instead.
Also, instead of reading this book, just go rent Chasing Liberty. Same premise, much cuter.
The secondary story felt incomplete, the characters never really connected, the transformations were stilted, the Ah-ha Moments were more like, Yeah? And?
I ADORE Ms. Phillips. I think the woman's whole house and yard belong on a pedestal, but this book was a loss for me. The only other one of her books I rank this lowly is Hot Shot for the sneaky emotional blackmail ending.
I will say this, unlike the last book in this series, it didn't turn beloved heroines in to bitchy, bullies. I guess that's good.
Go reread Match Me If You Can instead.
June 6, 2026
1.5 stars
Lucy, the clever, hostile, manipulative 14-year-old who almost stole First Lady, is back as the heroine of this novel and I’m not at all happy to report she hasn’t aged a day, even though she’s 31 years old now. For a nanosecond, I admired her for having the guts to cut and run from a high-profile wedding with minutes to spare, in front of the groom’s entire hometown, her adoptive father and mother, who happens to be the former President of the United States, and a media circus surrounding the nuptials.
But that was before she takes her judgmental, snotty attitude on the road, laments all those wonderful orgasms her too-perfect ex-fiancé had given her, exhibits a hard case of entitlement, gets angry that her traveling companion doesn’t disclose some important information, goes Goth—not a great look for the over-30 crowd—and calls herself Viper—did I mention this woman is over 30?—lies with alacrity, and takes sneering and smirking to an art form.
I really, really didn’t like her or her immature posturing.
I didn’t like the grunting, monosyllabic, brutally blunt hero either, Mr. “I’m a cowboy, wild and free. No little filly can ever tame a man like me.” (Lucy’s words, but it was exactly what he was thinking.)
I hated the lies they told each other, the snarky way they spoke to each other, the carelessness in their treatment of each other.
I hated that Lucy was still declaring that she loved Ted at the 79% point. Ted, the guy she left at the altar. This book doesn’t seem to know what love is…and isn’t.
I hated the overall unpleasant atmosphere.
I didn’t like the side characters with the exception of Mike, who did a very bad thing when he was seventeen but was the only person in the whole book who acted like an adult.
The secondary romance suffered from the same unpleasantness as the primary, and was resolved in such an abrupt manner that if you blinked, you missed it. A third romance got even shorter shrift.
The ending wasn’t bad, but it was far too late for me to sign on to a HEA for the twoovergrown children main characters, who had done nothing but hurt each other the entire book.
Even the cover is wrong. Lucy ran from the wedding wearing a choir robe, not a wedding dress.
Since I’m a huge fan of this author, I’m just going to pretend this book didn’t happen.
Lucy, the clever, hostile, manipulative 14-year-old who almost stole First Lady, is back as the heroine of this novel and I’m not at all happy to report she hasn’t aged a day, even though she’s 31 years old now. For a nanosecond, I admired her for having the guts to cut and run from a high-profile wedding with minutes to spare, in front of the groom’s entire hometown, her adoptive father and mother, who happens to be the former President of the United States, and a media circus surrounding the nuptials.
But that was before she takes her judgmental, snotty attitude on the road, laments all those wonderful orgasms her too-perfect ex-fiancé had given her, exhibits a hard case of entitlement, gets angry that her traveling companion doesn’t disclose some important information, goes Goth—not a great look for the over-30 crowd—and calls herself Viper—did I mention this woman is over 30?—lies with alacrity, and takes sneering and smirking to an art form.
I really, really didn’t like her or her immature posturing.
I didn’t like the grunting, monosyllabic, brutally blunt hero either, Mr. “I’m a cowboy, wild and free. No little filly can ever tame a man like me.” (Lucy’s words, but it was exactly what he was thinking.)
I hated the lies they told each other, the snarky way they spoke to each other, the carelessness in their treatment of each other.
I hated that Lucy was still declaring that she loved Ted at the 79% point. Ted, the guy she left at the altar. This book doesn’t seem to know what love is…and isn’t.
I hated the overall unpleasant atmosphere.
I didn’t like the side characters with the exception of Mike, who did a very bad thing when he was seventeen but was the only person in the whole book who acted like an adult.
The secondary romance suffered from the same unpleasantness as the primary, and was resolved in such an abrupt manner that if you blinked, you missed it. A third romance got even shorter shrift.
The ending wasn’t bad, but it was far too late for me to sign on to a HEA for the two
Even the cover is wrong. Lucy ran from the wedding wearing a choir robe, not a wedding dress.
Since I’m a huge fan of this author, I’m just going to pretend this book didn’t happen.
July 23, 2012
And there goes another writer off my "must read" list. I like -and still re-read- SEP's earlier books. She used to be an automatic HB buy for me. Then she slid down to "wait for the paperback" and from there to "borrow from the library" but now I'm done. No more Ms Phillips from any source. Lucy - who is presented as an intelligent, 30-something woman - leaves her fiance at the altar and runs away with a strange - in EVERY sense of the word - man on a motorcycle, to Find Herself. In order to do this she feels she needs to trade in her conservative clothes and hair for a pink tutu, combat boots, and red dreadlocks. She doesn't contact her beloved and loving family for days, and refuses to tell them where she is. This is "Finding Yourself"? Where I come from, we call it "Acting like a Spoiled Brat".
At one point, she receives a call from her best friend, who is on the point of having sex with the dumped fiance, asking if Lucy is SURE she doesn't mind. They are already in bed together, and Ted can hear the whole conversation. High ICK factor here. But Lucy not only doesn't mind, she's ecstatic! Now she can stop worrying about how she hurt him, because, gee, Meg (the friend) is JUST what he needs. And she is the judge of that because...???
The motorcycle guy turns out to be a bodyguard, hired by her family, and Lucy regards this as an out and out betrayal. So she acts like a spoiled brat some more. And so on. Not much content here.
A couple of side plots are awkward and unpolished, as are the characters. This book is asinine.
At one point, she receives a call from her best friend, who is on the point of having sex with the dumped fiance, asking if Lucy is SURE she doesn't mind. They are already in bed together, and Ted can hear the whole conversation. High ICK factor here. But Lucy not only doesn't mind, she's ecstatic! Now she can stop worrying about how she hurt him, because, gee, Meg (the friend) is JUST what he needs. And she is the judge of that because...???
The motorcycle guy turns out to be a bodyguard, hired by her family, and Lucy regards this as an out and out betrayal. So she acts like a spoiled brat some more. And so on. Not much content here.
A couple of side plots are awkward and unpolished, as are the characters. This book is asinine.
July 20, 2012
3 ½ stars. I felt good while reading the paperback, but the audiobook narrator ruined it.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I’ve read most of this author’s books and gave 4 or 5 stars to all but two. I love her style. I love her dialogue. I love the way her characters bicker and insult each other. It’s her trademark. When I opened this book and began reading I felt like I had just been reunited with an old friend. A lot of her stories are similar, but I like her kind of stories.
Some reviewers claimed it was too long. I prefer long because I like being in her world. Some reviewers complained she talked about too many social issues: racial, disadvantaged youth, lesbian, military PTSD. Didn’t bother me. They were not overwhelming or depressing. They were secondary stories. I’d much rather have secondary stories with various topics than sticking to one couple and filling pages with too much pondering and worrying.
Several reviewers claimed there was not enough chemistry between Lucy and Panda. I agree. I would have liked more emotional development. I didn’t feel much desire from either of them. Sure there was sex, but it was “I’m using you for your body. It’s a temporary fling.” The “wow” factor for me is when a guy shows intense desire for a woman, and this book does not do that. Even at the end, it was Lucy who initiated getting together, not Panda’s desire.
STORY BRIEF:
The main story is Lucy running away from her life, pretending to be something she has never been before, and latching on to surly motorcycle guy Panda. Secondary stories had interesting characters including divorced, down on her luck Bree who recently became guardian to 12-year-old Toby, and fitness guru Temple hiding out for a while.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR: Shannon Cochran
Narrator has a nice and pleasant general narration voice, but she is awful with some of the characters. It’s kind of like Alvin the Chipmunk voice. Whenever two characters are talking she uses a normal voice for one character and her chipmunk voice for the other character. She is not consistent. Sometimes Lucy is normal, other times Lucy is chipmunkish, other times Lucy sounds like a high pitched whiny toddler and other times like an elderly lady. She used the chipmunk voice for Toby a 12 year old, a mother and her son at a parade, and Lucy’s stepfather Matt Jorik. It was a weird, icky voice. During a sex scene Lucy sounded dorky and whiny, not sensual. I also didn’t like some of the narrator’s emotional interpretation. I would have said things with a different tone.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 418 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 3. Setting: current day mostly Charity Island, Michigan, with a few other locations. Copyright: 2012. Genre: contemporary romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Susan Elizabeth Phillips books, see my 5 star review of “It Had To Be You.”
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I’ve read most of this author’s books and gave 4 or 5 stars to all but two. I love her style. I love her dialogue. I love the way her characters bicker and insult each other. It’s her trademark. When I opened this book and began reading I felt like I had just been reunited with an old friend. A lot of her stories are similar, but I like her kind of stories.
Some reviewers claimed it was too long. I prefer long because I like being in her world. Some reviewers complained she talked about too many social issues: racial, disadvantaged youth, lesbian, military PTSD. Didn’t bother me. They were not overwhelming or depressing. They were secondary stories. I’d much rather have secondary stories with various topics than sticking to one couple and filling pages with too much pondering and worrying.
Several reviewers claimed there was not enough chemistry between Lucy and Panda. I agree. I would have liked more emotional development. I didn’t feel much desire from either of them. Sure there was sex, but it was “I’m using you for your body. It’s a temporary fling.” The “wow” factor for me is when a guy shows intense desire for a woman, and this book does not do that. Even at the end, it was Lucy who initiated getting together, not Panda’s desire.
STORY BRIEF:
The main story is Lucy running away from her life, pretending to be something she has never been before, and latching on to surly motorcycle guy Panda. Secondary stories had interesting characters including divorced, down on her luck Bree who recently became guardian to 12-year-old Toby, and fitness guru Temple hiding out for a while.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR: Shannon Cochran
Narrator has a nice and pleasant general narration voice, but she is awful with some of the characters. It’s kind of like Alvin the Chipmunk voice. Whenever two characters are talking she uses a normal voice for one character and her chipmunk voice for the other character. She is not consistent. Sometimes Lucy is normal, other times Lucy is chipmunkish, other times Lucy sounds like a high pitched whiny toddler and other times like an elderly lady. She used the chipmunk voice for Toby a 12 year old, a mother and her son at a parade, and Lucy’s stepfather Matt Jorik. It was a weird, icky voice. During a sex scene Lucy sounded dorky and whiny, not sensual. I also didn’t like some of the narrator’s emotional interpretation. I would have said things with a different tone.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 418 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 3. Setting: current day mostly Charity Island, Michigan, with a few other locations. Copyright: 2012. Genre: contemporary romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Susan Elizabeth Phillips books, see my 5 star review of “It Had To Be You.”
February 9, 2016
★★★★½
The Great Escape is the seventh and final installment in Susan Elizabeth Phillips's adult contemporary romance series titled: Wynette, Texas. This story follows up on the opening scene from the sixth book: Call Me Irresistible when Lucy plays the role of runaway bride. That story swiftly segued into the groom's new romance, but what happened to Lucy? Well, Ms. Phillips spills it all in The Great Escape...and I loved it!
Ms. Phillips offers readers complex characters who have very complicated but moving moments. Issues commonly seen in the women's fiction genre are addressed, including family, adoption, reinvention, culture/race, disadvantaged circumstances, emotional/behavioral health, PTSD, and self-discovery. In addition, Ms. Phillips' classic humor, banter, and romance remain a loud and clear presence. My only real complaint and the reason for 4.5 stars instead of the full 5 was. If you haven't met the fabulous Susan Elizabeth Phillips yet then just eenie, meenie, miney, moe one of her series or standalones and get started. She's great!!!
My favorite quote:
"Be the best at what you're good at."
The Wynette, Texas series contains the following installments as of February 2016.
#1-Fancy Pants
#2-Lady Be Good
#3-Glitter Baby
#4-First Lady
#4.5-My Secret Service Valentine
#5-What I Did for Love
#6-Call Me Irresistible
#7-The Great Escape
The Great Escape is the seventh and final installment in Susan Elizabeth Phillips's adult contemporary romance series titled: Wynette, Texas. This story follows up on the opening scene from the sixth book: Call Me Irresistible when Lucy plays the role of runaway bride. That story swiftly segued into the groom's new romance, but what happened to Lucy? Well, Ms. Phillips spills it all in The Great Escape...and I loved it!
Ms. Phillips offers readers complex characters who have very complicated but moving moments. Issues commonly seen in the women's fiction genre are addressed, including family, adoption, reinvention, culture/race, disadvantaged circumstances, emotional/behavioral health, PTSD, and self-discovery. In addition, Ms. Phillips' classic humor, banter, and romance remain a loud and clear presence. My only real complaint and the reason for 4.5 stars instead of the full 5 was. If you haven't met the fabulous Susan Elizabeth Phillips yet then just eenie, meenie, miney, moe one of her series or standalones and get started. She's great!!!
My favorite quote:
"Be the best at what you're good at."
The Wynette, Texas series contains the following installments as of February 2016.
#1-Fancy Pants
#2-Lady Be Good
#3-Glitter Baby
#4-First Lady
#4.5-My Secret Service Valentine
#5-What I Did for Love
#6-Call Me Irresistible
#7-The Great Escape
February 20, 2012
The follow up to Call Me Irresistible (Which I loved btw,) I found The Great Escape to be a let down.
So. The Great Escape starts where the heroine, Lucy Jorik, exited in the previous book Call Me Irresistible. We join her after she left Wynette, Texas's favorite son Ted Beaudine and their proposed wedding of the century- and she’s done it on the back of a motorbike with a disreputable guy whom is sure to be a big mistake. That being Panda, a friend of Ted’s she just met the night before. (yeah Panda. I don’t think we ever hear why Panda. But it's Panda. Doesn't really bring to mind biker dude though, does it?.)
Panda’s willing to aid the escape- to a degree. But he’s also wanting to dump her fast. When she finds out his oafish behavior is all an act to get rid of her, she becomes furious. But she’s also not ready to face her family. So she sneaks off after he leaves her at the airport, and lands herself in a secluded lake community… and in a house owned by him. (She picked up on the place from a business card that fell out of his pocket.)
When he returns to find her there, he’s understandably upset, but not as upset as she- as she soon discovers the true motives of his aid earlier.
Quirky characters from the lake community and from Patrick’s life (aka Panda) join them and serve to draw them together. (Cause God knows nothing else will. two words: zero. chemistry.)
A decided lack of chemistry between Lucy and Patrick became my biggest issue with this book. The thing is, I get why Lucy left her fiancé at the altar- he so wasn’t for her. But Panda, real name Patrick, wasn’t for her either. I actually liked both the characters… just not together.
Honestly? I liked Patrick more than her. I don’t think I ever got her motive for hiding for so long. I got the mistake in who she was marrying and loved the premise of her being brave enough to get out while the gettins good. But I don’t think she ever got it. Plus the whole side storyline with the gal selling honey in the lake community? Boring. I skimmed. All of it. Which is bizarre because SEP's side characters are always just as interesting to me as the main couple. I still am fuzzy as to why she and the kiddo she was raising were part of this book. I think there was some sorta big reveal as to her connection to Patrick but meh. ::shrug::
It always makes me so sad when one of my favorite authors phone it in. SEP used to know her characters. This one makes me wonder if she cares to get to know them anymore.
So. The Great Escape starts where the heroine, Lucy Jorik, exited in the previous book Call Me Irresistible. We join her after she left Wynette, Texas's favorite son Ted Beaudine and their proposed wedding of the century- and she’s done it on the back of a motorbike with a disreputable guy whom is sure to be a big mistake. That being Panda, a friend of Ted’s she just met the night before. (yeah Panda. I don’t think we ever hear why Panda. But it's Panda. Doesn't really bring to mind biker dude though, does it?.)
Panda’s willing to aid the escape- to a degree. But he’s also wanting to dump her fast. When she finds out his oafish behavior is all an act to get rid of her, she becomes furious. But she’s also not ready to face her family. So she sneaks off after he leaves her at the airport, and lands herself in a secluded lake community… and in a house owned by him. (She picked up on the place from a business card that fell out of his pocket.)
When he returns to find her there, he’s understandably upset, but not as upset as she- as she soon discovers the true motives of his aid earlier.
Quirky characters from the lake community and from Patrick’s life (aka Panda) join them and serve to draw them together. (Cause God knows nothing else will. two words: zero. chemistry.)
A decided lack of chemistry between Lucy and Patrick became my biggest issue with this book. The thing is, I get why Lucy left her fiancé at the altar- he so wasn’t for her. But Panda, real name Patrick, wasn’t for her either. I actually liked both the characters… just not together.
Honestly? I liked Patrick more than her. I don’t think I ever got her motive for hiding for so long. I got the mistake in who she was marrying and loved the premise of her being brave enough to get out while the gettins good. But I don’t think she ever got it. Plus the whole side storyline with the gal selling honey in the lake community? Boring. I skimmed. All of it. Which is bizarre because SEP's side characters are always just as interesting to me as the main couple. I still am fuzzy as to why she and the kiddo she was raising were part of this book. I think there was some sorta big reveal as to her connection to Patrick but meh. ::shrug::
It always makes me so sad when one of my favorite authors phone it in. SEP used to know her characters. This one makes me wonder if she cares to get to know them anymore.
November 19, 2011
*Buddy read with Anzu~ You can read her review here.*
3.8/5 stars
After the mega-disappointment Call Me Irresistible was, I was prepared for this one to be at least as bad, if not worse. And really, with a hero named "Panda", how great could it possibly be?
I was spot-on for about the first half or so. Panda was disgusting and I didn't recognize grown-up Lucy at all, who used to be so brave and courageous in First Lady. All the characters were acting like snobs and I was sure this would be another huge flop like Meg's book was.
Except.
I have no idea when it happened, but the story crept up on me and I gradually came to care so much for these messed-up, broken, yet real characters.
Panda was a beautiful hero (especially since his disgusting personality ) and quickly became one of my top 3 favorites of all of SEP's male characters. I initially began to love him after the first chapter from his POV, and truly fell for him when we find out about his tragic past.
Lucy was a changed person at the beginning but by the end, she turned out to be exactly the woman I'd expected her to develop into after First Lady.
The beginning was more than a little rocky, but the ending completely makes up for it. Overall, The Great Escape is a very sweet and touching novel and my third favorite of the series, after Fancy Pants and First Lady.
For more reviews, visit my blog.
3.8/5 stars
After the mega-disappointment Call Me Irresistible was, I was prepared for this one to be at least as bad, if not worse. And really, with a hero named "Panda", how great could it possibly be?
I was spot-on for about the first half or so. Panda was disgusting and I didn't recognize grown-up Lucy at all, who used to be so brave and courageous in First Lady. All the characters were acting like snobs and I was sure this would be another huge flop like Meg's book was.
Except.
I have no idea when it happened, but the story crept up on me and I gradually came to care so much for these messed-up, broken, yet real characters.
Panda was a beautiful hero (especially since his disgusting personality ) and quickly became one of my top 3 favorites of all of SEP's male characters. I initially began to love him after the first chapter from his POV, and truly fell for him when we find out about his tragic past.
Lucy was a changed person at the beginning but by the end, she turned out to be exactly the woman I'd expected her to develop into after First Lady.
The beginning was more than a little rocky, but the ending completely makes up for it. Overall, The Great Escape is a very sweet and touching novel and my third favorite of the series, after Fancy Pants and First Lady.
For more reviews, visit my blog.
October 2, 2011
Lucy's made her escape; she ran from Mr. Perfect Ted Beaudine, and now in "The Great Escape" she's hooking up with a biker guy named Panda. Oh but hang on gang, the fun is just beginning. SEP is about to take us on another fun-filled, glorious trip into romanceland where she'll introduce us to another group of unforgettable characters. This one kept me captivated from beginning to ending. A little stretch of the imagination is required but still yet what I expect from one of my favorite contemporary romance writers . . . a trip worth taking and always highlighted with extraordinary characters and delightful intrigue, along with plain old yummy romance. As always, there's a big dose of the priceless dialogue that always accompanies a book by SEP. I admit to questioning what on earth possessed SEP's choice of the name Panda for Lucy's hero, but I really liked him, as well as his back story, and think he's the better choice for Lucy. There are several additional storylines going that kept the magic alive in this one as well. The location for the major portion of the story is also absolutely marvelous. It adds such quality and enjoyment as well. I loved this one and enjoyed a fantastic day of reading Lucy and Panda's story.
June 27, 2014
Series: Wynette, Texas, #7
Contemporary Romance
Publication date : July 10, 2012
The Great Escape picks up after Lucy, adopted daughter of the President of the US (First Lady), run away from the wedding to her perfect bridegroom, Ted Beaudine. After hopping on the back of a motorcycle driven by a rough-looking man called "Panda". We get to see how Lucy try to find herself and see who the real person underneath the perfect daughter, fiancée and sister really is.
I liked that this story was set on a picturesque Great Lakes island but sadly I wasn't very fond of Lucy or Panda or Bree. After reading Call Me Irresistible and seeing what happened to Ted after he was dumped or how Lucy's escape put Meg into very hostile situation...it was hard to have warm feelings for Lucy. I didn't really get why she was so unhappy with her life. What made her flee her wedding and dump the perfect groom at the altar? Why take that weird Viper personality? It also took time to warm up to Patrick "Panda" Shade. His behavior at the beginning left me confused. I wondered if he will be the one for Lucy or perhaps Lucy and Ted somehow find a way back together.
I really enjoy books about self-discovery and personal growth, but Lucy was often annoying and childish. I felt like author could have concentrated more on Lucy as she embarked on a journey to find herself without her family’s help but there were other side characters who distracted and didn't allow enough room to develop Lucy's story. It felt like Lucy wasn't really the heroine of her own story.
I highly recomment to read: Call Me Irresistible and see what happened to Ted after he was dumped at the altar.
Contemporary Romance
Publication date : July 10, 2012
The Great Escape picks up after Lucy, adopted daughter of the President of the US (First Lady), run away from the wedding to her perfect bridegroom, Ted Beaudine. After hopping on the back of a motorcycle driven by a rough-looking man called "Panda". We get to see how Lucy try to find herself and see who the real person underneath the perfect daughter, fiancée and sister really is.
I liked that this story was set on a picturesque Great Lakes island but sadly I wasn't very fond of Lucy or Panda or Bree. After reading Call Me Irresistible and seeing what happened to Ted after he was dumped or how Lucy's escape put Meg into very hostile situation...it was hard to have warm feelings for Lucy. I didn't really get why she was so unhappy with her life. What made her flee her wedding and dump the perfect groom at the altar? Why take that weird Viper personality? It also took time to warm up to Patrick "Panda" Shade. His behavior at the beginning left me confused. I wondered if he will be the one for Lucy or perhaps Lucy and Ted somehow find a way back together.
I really enjoy books about self-discovery and personal growth, but Lucy was often annoying and childish. I felt like author could have concentrated more on Lucy as she embarked on a journey to find herself without her family’s help but there were other side characters who distracted and didn't allow enough room to develop Lucy's story. It felt like Lucy wasn't really the heroine of her own story.
I highly recomment to read: Call Me Irresistible and see what happened to Ted after he was dumped at the altar.
July 15, 2012
I'm a huge SEP fan having, like the reviewer below, read all of her books, soI've been looking forward to Lucy Jorik's story for quite awhile. When I saw that it had finally been released, I wasted no time running down to Barnes and Noble to plunk down my money for the hardcover...
...only to get it home, read it and feel, well, MEH. Super disappointed.
There's a dynamic between the main characters in SEP's previous books that is exciting. The banter is snappy, the chemistry electric. This book seems to lack that. In spades.
Don't get me wrong--there are some great moments in this book, i.e. the scene between Panda and Lucy in the boathouse (you'll know which one when you read it) but, with all of the other characters (and there were TOO. MANY.) these scenes are rare and the ones that do exist get sort of lost.
shrug> I'm wishing I would have saved myself $10 and waited for it in paperback.
...only to get it home, read it and feel, well, MEH. Super disappointed.
There's a dynamic between the main characters in SEP's previous books that is exciting. The banter is snappy, the chemistry electric. This book seems to lack that. In spades.
Don't get me wrong--there are some great moments in this book, i.e. the scene between Panda and Lucy in the boathouse (you'll know which one when you read it) but, with all of the other characters (and there were TOO. MANY.) these scenes are rare and the ones that do exist get sort of lost.
shrug> I'm wishing I would have saved myself $10 and waited for it in paperback.
March 14, 2018
How is it that SEP's characters all feel like real people, living real lives? And they're all now my best friends. I'm besties with a former POTUS.
July 8, 2012
This was a disappointing book for me. The basic story line is that Lucy is to marry the perfect man, Ted, and runs away. Conveniently, Tough Motorcycle Man who calls himself Panda (!) picks her up and they run away. He's rude, crude and inconsiderate. After a couple of weeks, he dumps her at the airport and tells her to go home. And so she does. She goes to HIS home. She has figured out at least that much. And that he has a great kisser. And that drives her to his summer home in Michigan.
Because she's a high profile figure, she reinvents herself. Those who have already read some of Phillips other novels, are already familiar with Lucy's story. For those who enjoyed the other books, I would suggest continuing with the story. Those stepping in, I suggest otherwise. There is nothing endearing about Lucy or Panda or Temple, Max, and just a little about Mike, Bree and Toby. Lucy and Panda are rude to one another, disrespectful, have lusty, carnal sex, and are drawn to one another while I have no idea why.
As a general rule, I avoid romance and erotica novels. This is neither. It's a story of two unlikable people who try to be something they are not and can't keep their hands off one another. Lucy tries out her alter ego she calls "Viper" and refers to herself in third person. It's boring and stupid. Sweet and privileged, she makes out a skanky bucket list and dresses the part. Meanwhile, Panda believes himself unworthy of this skanky character who, he believes (although there is little evidence to prove his theory) that she's really a sweet, innocent girl. I missed common sense dearly in this one. I also missed a reasonable story line.
As I said, if you are already a fan of the Jorik characters, keep reading. But I think you might be disappointed in dear, sweet Lucy. She loses credibility in this one. If you're just starting in on the family, you might just want to pass this one by. Not worth my time.
Because she's a high profile figure, she reinvents herself. Those who have already read some of Phillips other novels, are already familiar with Lucy's story. For those who enjoyed the other books, I would suggest continuing with the story. Those stepping in, I suggest otherwise. There is nothing endearing about Lucy or Panda or Temple, Max, and just a little about Mike, Bree and Toby. Lucy and Panda are rude to one another, disrespectful, have lusty, carnal sex, and are drawn to one another while I have no idea why.
As a general rule, I avoid romance and erotica novels. This is neither. It's a story of two unlikable people who try to be something they are not and can't keep their hands off one another. Lucy tries out her alter ego she calls "Viper" and refers to herself in third person. It's boring and stupid. Sweet and privileged, she makes out a skanky bucket list and dresses the part. Meanwhile, Panda believes himself unworthy of this skanky character who, he believes (although there is little evidence to prove his theory) that she's really a sweet, innocent girl. I missed common sense dearly in this one. I also missed a reasonable story line.
As I said, if you are already a fan of the Jorik characters, keep reading. But I think you might be disappointed in dear, sweet Lucy. She loses credibility in this one. If you're just starting in on the family, you might just want to pass this one by. Not worth my time.
November 14, 2016
This one is part of a series and reading some of the previous ones will probably benefit you. I particularly recommend reading First Lady to get a bead on Lucy's character. A lot of the motivation in this book is that she has kind of lost who she is and it makes more sense if you see the kind of person she started out as before Nealy and Mat came into her life. I also recommend reading the previous book, Call Me Irresistible because it's fun and it gives you a better understanding of what Lucy is running from. Also, hearing both sides of the cross communication (when Meg and Lucy connect in each story) is more than a little fun.
This started out rocky, not least because Lucy is so out to sea. She doesn't really understand her panic or what she's doing or what she wants, only that she needs to be away from her support network for a time. And SEP keeps Panda rather opaque for much of the beginning, too (probably to keep the suspense as he tries some dumb things to scare Lucy away). Plus, I really hate that name. I'm trying to take him seriously as the tough guy he obviously is and Panda just doesn't work with that. I love tough guys who end up caring more than they planned and having this one referred to as Panda all the time kept jerking me out of that. Okay, he is tough but you might as well name him Pierre or Francis for all that name is helping him. It's even worse than if he had some deliberately sweet nickname like Sweetie or Popsicle or something because then you'd at least know it was sarcastic and flip the opposite switch. Panda is just weak.
Well, that's a lot more on the name than I expected. I liked Panda and enjoyed getting to know him.
And I mostly liked Lucy, though having her spend so much time figuring out who she is was a bit much. She's one of nature's rebels who was frightened enough about causing trouble that she has kept herself strictly in line for way too long. I like that she's fundamentally kind and doesn't want to hurt anybody, but also that she's experimenting with her personal image and habits in a way she finds non-threatening. And I liked the found family aspects of the story as they progressed, even if some of the others bugged me periodically.
So it's a good story, though not a pure win. Lucy's personal cluelessness dragged on a bit and I could have done without . It just felt contrived. Speaking of contrived, I couldn't help feeling sorry for all the social consciousness force-fed to poor Toby. Is it just me, or is it a bit weird for a couple white chicks to spoon-feed him racial identity dogma? I did like that SEP has him question the need (asking why he's not getting the same stuff for his white half, for example) but I couldn't help feeling like it was a bit much.
Anyway, it's not a bad place to end the series (if it is, indeed, the end), and it's a solid four stars. I'm glad to end here, at any rate, and I'm glad we got such an excellent resolution to Lucy's story.
A note about Steamy: I let this review go long enough that I've lost the count. It's the middle of my steam tolerance, so no more than a few explicit sex scenes. I don't think there were any from the secondary romances (there were two secondary romances, but they weren't PoV), so yeah, there weren't more than three sex scenes at any rate.
This started out rocky, not least because Lucy is so out to sea. She doesn't really understand her panic or what she's doing or what she wants, only that she needs to be away from her support network for a time. And SEP keeps Panda rather opaque for much of the beginning, too (probably to keep the suspense as he tries some dumb things to scare Lucy away). Plus, I really hate that name. I'm trying to take him seriously as the tough guy he obviously is and Panda just doesn't work with that. I love tough guys who end up caring more than they planned and having this one referred to as Panda all the time kept jerking me out of that. Okay, he is tough but you might as well name him Pierre or Francis for all that name is helping him. It's even worse than if he had some deliberately sweet nickname like Sweetie or Popsicle or something because then you'd at least know it was sarcastic and flip the opposite switch. Panda is just weak.
Well, that's a lot more on the name than I expected. I liked Panda and enjoyed getting to know him.
And I mostly liked Lucy, though having her spend so much time figuring out who she is was a bit much. She's one of nature's rebels who was frightened enough about causing trouble that she has kept herself strictly in line for way too long. I like that she's fundamentally kind and doesn't want to hurt anybody, but also that she's experimenting with her personal image and habits in a way she finds non-threatening. And I liked the found family aspects of the story as they progressed, even if some of the others bugged me periodically.
So it's a good story, though not a pure win. Lucy's personal cluelessness dragged on a bit and I could have done without . It just felt contrived. Speaking of contrived, I couldn't help feeling sorry for all the social consciousness force-fed to poor Toby. Is it just me, or is it a bit weird for a couple white chicks to spoon-feed him racial identity dogma? I did like that SEP has him question the need (asking why he's not getting the same stuff for his white half, for example) but I couldn't help feeling like it was a bit much.
Anyway, it's not a bad place to end the series (if it is, indeed, the end), and it's a solid four stars. I'm glad to end here, at any rate, and I'm glad we got such an excellent resolution to Lucy's story.
A note about Steamy: I let this review go long enough that I've lost the count. It's the middle of my steam tolerance, so no more than a few explicit sex scenes. I don't think there were any from the secondary romances (there were two secondary romances, but they weren't PoV), so yeah, there weren't more than three sex scenes at any rate.
June 30, 2017
Former First Daughter Lucy Jorik flees from her wedding, gets picked up by a motorcycle-riding guy who is the opposite of the too-perfect groom she's dumped, and finally gets a chance to go a little bad -- and it feels so good.This is a sequel to Call Me Irresistible, which opens with Lucy's failed wedding, but then follows her best friend's romance with the jilted groom. In this book, readers finally get to find out what happened to Lucy.
This was everything I love about Susan Elizabeth Phillips's books. It has a beautiful summer setting on a Great Lake, with lots of lazy days spent swimming while Lucy tries to figure out what she wants for her life. It has a gorgeous hero with enough issues to maintain tension. It focuses on family and friendship, with rich sub- and side-plots that fill the story out and create a whole big lived-in world. And for once, the heroine wasn't broke!
SEP is definitely my go-to happy romance author right now.
June 22, 2021
Povestea lui Lucy Jorik se cerea spusă chiar din momentul când l-a abandonat pe Ted în fața altarului. O poveste intensă, plină de emoții diverse, de griji și nesiguranțe. O călătorie de regăsire a propriului “eu” ca să spunem așa.
Tânăra Lucy pornește prin țară alături de un motociclist pe care nu îl cunoaște. Dar treptat, cei doi își dau seama că cel de lângă este cu mult mai mult decât spera sau bănuia.
Astfel, Panda pare un motociclist lipsit de maniere, care pur și simplu o ajută pentru banii promiși de ea. Lucy descoperă treptat că acest bărbat este cu mult mai mult decât atât.
“Marea evadare” este o poveste de viață, o regăsire și o redescoperire a propriei ființe, o încercare de a afla cum poți merge înainte.
După ce și-a abandonat logodnicul la altar, tânăra încearcă să-și revină și să descopere ce își dorește să facă cu viața ei de acum înainte.
Astfel, după o noapte de pasiune și un abandon în fața unui aeroport, tânăra își dorește un loc liniștit unde nimeni să nu o cunoască și unde poate să își restabilească prioritățile. Și ce loc poate fi mai bun decât casa lui Panda? Chiar dacă acesta nu a invitat-o, tânăra intră prin efracție și începe să respire treptat, pe măsură ce descoperă câte ceva despre acest bărbat misterios.
Fuge de gândurile la propriile acțiuni din ultima vreme și încearcă să o readucă pe rebela Lucy la viață, cea de pe vremea când părinții ei nu apăruseră încă în viața ei.
Panda are și el propriile probleme și coșmaruri care-i alungă somnul, dar treptat, descoperă atracția și pasiunea alături de Lucy. Dar atunci când sentimentele își fac apariția, preferă să se îndepărteze decât să riște ca trecutul lui să o rănească.
Fiecare dintre ei au putere, dau dovadă de curaj, dar se tem să se implice într-o relație foarte serioasă.
O carte care ne oferă o acțiune amplă, o mulțime de personaje cu diferite probleme și care trec prin diferite stări emoționale.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips oferă cu fiecare nou volum al seriei povești pline de substanță, profunde, experiențe ce pot fi de folos cititorilor.
Iar la final triumfă speranța.
Tânăra Lucy pornește prin țară alături de un motociclist pe care nu îl cunoaște. Dar treptat, cei doi își dau seama că cel de lângă este cu mult mai mult decât spera sau bănuia.
Astfel, Panda pare un motociclist lipsit de maniere, care pur și simplu o ajută pentru banii promiși de ea. Lucy descoperă treptat că acest bărbat este cu mult mai mult decât atât.
“Marea evadare” este o poveste de viață, o regăsire și o redescoperire a propriei ființe, o încercare de a afla cum poți merge înainte.
După ce și-a abandonat logodnicul la altar, tânăra încearcă să-și revină și să descopere ce își dorește să facă cu viața ei de acum înainte.
Astfel, după o noapte de pasiune și un abandon în fața unui aeroport, tânăra își dorește un loc liniștit unde nimeni să nu o cunoască și unde poate să își restabilească prioritățile. Și ce loc poate fi mai bun decât casa lui Panda? Chiar dacă acesta nu a invitat-o, tânăra intră prin efracție și începe să respire treptat, pe măsură ce descoperă câte ceva despre acest bărbat misterios.
Fuge de gândurile la propriile acțiuni din ultima vreme și încearcă să o readucă pe rebela Lucy la viață, cea de pe vremea când părinții ei nu apăruseră încă în viața ei.
Panda are și el propriile probleme și coșmaruri care-i alungă somnul, dar treptat, descoperă atracția și pasiunea alături de Lucy. Dar atunci când sentimentele își fac apariția, preferă să se îndepărteze decât să riște ca trecutul lui să o rănească.
Fiecare dintre ei au putere, dau dovadă de curaj, dar se tem să se implice într-o relație foarte serioasă.
O carte care ne oferă o acțiune amplă, o mulțime de personaje cu diferite probleme și care trec prin diferite stări emoționale.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips oferă cu fiecare nou volum al seriei povești pline de substanță, profunde, experiențe ce pot fi de folos cititorilor.
Iar la final triumfă speranța.
July 27, 2012
Overly Attached Girlfriend is the daughter of a former president of the USA and meets a guy named Panda. That is it. And i thought it was awful, and stuffy and unconvincing. Oh well, at least it was a loan.
I should explain why I read this. 10 years ago I thought her books were so cute, so fun in a nice but materialistic, slightly trashy way, like a nice gentler Judith Krantz (misspent youth with few books, sorry). Light fluffy stuff. I might have gotten pickier, but the books have also IMO became less loveable, less realistic and weirdly stuffy. Like . That is just a symptom, this really really did not work for me.
I should explain why I read this. 10 years ago I thought her books were so cute, so fun in a nice but materialistic, slightly trashy way, like a nice gentler Judith Krantz (misspent youth with few books, sorry). Light fluffy stuff. I might have gotten pickier, but the books have also IMO became less loveable, less realistic and weirdly stuffy. Like . That is just a symptom, this really really did not work for me.
September 30, 2011
Finally! I'm so excited for Lucy's book, but a hero named Panda... He's got to have a cooler name.
November 4, 2019
I don't know why I put off reading this book for so long. I mean, it is SEP and she is usually a HIT for me (except for one of her books but we won't mention that one) - I do think the name PANDA was putting me off a little bit. I know, a little bit fickle on my behalf ...
Panda (you can discover his "real" name yourself.) was a bit of a tough cookie, a bit of dick - but isn't that why we read SEP - some of heroes are asses but, at the end of the day, we do love them.
We had met some of the characters in previous books. Well, we had met Lucy and her family. A tough teenager who put family first... but her happiness was at stake here and she just could not do it - she could not marry the perfect Teddy Beaudine!
I think I have said in my other reviews of books by this author that she is someone I would love to meet. She seems like such good fun. I follow her on FB and Instagram. She is witty, sarcastic, funny. And these traits come across in her books.
We also had the usual secondary characters ... SEP loves to introduce us to "older" characters and I really appreciate that (being a little bit older than the usual hero and heroine in her books, I like to read about couples in their 40s and 50s). And it is not just the older couples that I love reading about ... it is all the characters in the books.
We meet Mat and Nealy again - makes me want to go back and read that book again.
A great read. Looking forward to her next book ... and to meeting her some day (hopefully)!!
GAS, GRASS, OR ASS.
NOBODY RIDES FOR FREE ...
Panda (you can discover his "real" name yourself.) was a bit of a tough cookie, a bit of dick - but isn't that why we read SEP - some of heroes are asses but, at the end of the day, we do love them.
We had met some of the characters in previous books. Well, we had met Lucy and her family. A tough teenager who put family first... but her happiness was at stake here and she just could not do it - she could not marry the perfect Teddy Beaudine!
Beneath all that tough talk, she was confused and vulnerable ...
He was scrap metal.
She was pure gold.
I think I have said in my other reviews of books by this author that she is someone I would love to meet. She seems like such good fun. I follow her on FB and Instagram. She is witty, sarcastic, funny. And these traits come across in her books.
We also had the usual secondary characters ... SEP loves to introduce us to "older" characters and I really appreciate that (being a little bit older than the usual hero and heroine in her books, I like to read about couples in their 40s and 50s). And it is not just the older couples that I love reading about ... it is all the characters in the books.
Bree glanced at Lucy, clearly questioning what kind of loonies she associated with.
We meet Mat and Nealy again - makes me want to go back and read that book again.
She looked pretty, ordinary.
Extraordinary.
A great read. Looking forward to her next book ... and to meeting her some day (hopefully)!!
January 12, 2020
avrei dovuto leggere questo libro immediatamente dopo il sesto (una scelta impossibile) ma il fato ha voluto che lo leggessi dopo "first lady"...assolutamente perfetto. Ritrovare Lucy e la sua famiglia è stato molto piacevole e soprattutto ho apprezzato molto i vari collegamenti tra la sua storia e quella della madre. libro molto bello. Susan Elizabeth Phillips ha la capacità di scrivere la storia nella storia. ogni personaggio fa la sua parte e ogni dettaglio non è lasciato al caso.
bello!
bello!
May 21, 2021
A suo tempo non avevo finito questa serie, lasciando indietro proprio questo ultimo libro. Mi ero fatta un po’ influenzare dalle recensioni negative sulla protagonista femminile, che invece mi è proprio piaciuta. Come al solito belli e ben caratterizzati anche i numerosi personaggi secondari che arricchiscono la narrazione.
Alla fine mi sono andata a rileggere anche tutti gli atri volumi della serie 😀
Alla fine mi sono andata a rileggere anche tutti gli atri volumi della serie 😀
July 1, 2018
Review written July 10, 2018
4 STARS - A terrific good SEP romance. I enjoyed as always.
Happy me, another audiobook in my earphones by one of my absolute favorite contemporary romances authors, the talented Susan Elizabeth Phillips, a GREAT writer who never let me down.
The Great Escape is book #7 in the contemporary romance Wynette, Texas series.
**********************************************
I really enjoyed book #6 (Call Me Irresistible) and it was a lot of fun to follow this connected book with the running bride as the main character this time. Lucy Jorik is the perfect very nice and sweet US President daughter we met in the first chapter of book #6. This time is it about Lucy’s life just after that terrible wedding day. It all starts with her meting a very tough and growling gorgeous man on a motorcycle... A mysterious man called Panda. Who is he? Will he be her new love? - Much struggling and some really heartbreaking moments but it all ends beautiful ... added with a nice “three years after” moment.
All in all...
Another very funny, sweet and heartwarming romance in this stand-alones series with new lovebirds in every part. Light in steam but full of romantic moments. As always, when a SEP story, also added with more than one love story. I sometimes like the secondary characters romantic stories even more. — This was the last series part but luckily I haven’t read them in order, so there are a few more hopefully as great Wynette, Texas books to read.
I listened to the 14 hours audiobook well narrated by Shannon Cochran. A narrator I already knew I liked.
**********************************************
I LIKE - Everything written by this author so far
4 STARS - A terrific good SEP romance. I enjoyed as always.
Happy me, another audiobook in my earphones by one of my absolute favorite contemporary romances authors, the talented Susan Elizabeth Phillips, a GREAT writer who never let me down.
The Great Escape is book #7 in the contemporary romance Wynette, Texas series.
**********************************************
I really enjoyed book #6 (Call Me Irresistible) and it was a lot of fun to follow this connected book with the running bride as the main character this time. Lucy Jorik is the perfect very nice and sweet US President daughter we met in the first chapter of book #6. This time is it about Lucy’s life just after that terrible wedding day. It all starts with her meting a very tough and growling gorgeous man on a motorcycle... A mysterious man called Panda. Who is he? Will he be her new love? - Much struggling and some really heartbreaking moments but it all ends beautiful ... added with a nice “three years after” moment.
All in all...
Another very funny, sweet and heartwarming romance in this stand-alones series with new lovebirds in every part. Light in steam but full of romantic moments. As always, when a SEP story, also added with more than one love story. I sometimes like the secondary characters romantic stories even more. — This was the last series part but luckily I haven’t read them in order, so there are a few more hopefully as great Wynette, Texas books to read.
I listened to the 14 hours audiobook well narrated by Shannon Cochran. A narrator I already knew I liked.
**********************************************
I LIKE - Everything written by this author so far
November 20, 2011
EL EPÍLOGO ES LO MÁS LINDO, LLORO PURPURINA *__*
3.5/5
Reseña completa: http://miotrarealidadetinta.blogspot.... :)
3.5/5
Reseña completa: http://miotrarealidadetinta.blogspot.... :)
September 15, 2021
I still can't stand Lucy but everything else about this book was perfect!
January 8, 2026
2.5 stars
This was....alright.
The setting of this story wasn't too original - after all, there's only so many ways to create a situation where two people from different worlds have to be in close proximity. This was certainly inspired by Lucy's parents' story First Lady (which is one of my favourite SEPs ever) with a touch of the vibes from This Heart of Mine.
I was so excited to find out that Lucy had a book when I first read First Lady - this Lucy was certainly no 14-year-old Lucy. It was quite cute that elements of that little punk was brought up again in this story, but it was unfortunately not done satisfyingly. I didn't like this Lucy as much as I thought I would.
While the story was overall serviceable, I never really enjoyed it save for the scenes with little Toby and Mike (both side characters). I didn't care for the Temple sub-plot - why would I care about an aging fitness reality TV star who's having a crisis with her sexuality? The diet talk bored me and didn't add to the overall story at all. No one was likeable and I didn't chuckle once. Also, miss me on Bri's weird "white saviour complex" thing about Toby's african american heritage. I'm not sure what that little interlude was supposed to do except make me dislike Bri.
Onto the main characters themselves - despite Panda having quite a bit of page time, I never found him to be a compelling character. He's a guarded person and never exhibited any sign of having a real personality other than having a potty mouth. I'm not sure what Lucy saw in the man. There was no chemistry in most of their interactions - it was only when I'm told that either of them has fallen in love with the other, then I'm forced to view their interactions in a romantic light.
What I love about SEP romances is how two characters turn from enemies > reluctant friends > people who enjoy each other's company > tingly feelings maybe? > "wow, I think I'm in love!". This couple went from stage 1 to straight to stage 5 and I didn't buy it!!!
With all that being said, I don't actively DISLIKE this book. Maybe if another narrator performed this book I'd find the characters a little more endearing and a less unlikeable. This certainly isn't as bad as whatever SEP has released since 2016.
This was....alright.
The setting of this story wasn't too original - after all, there's only so many ways to create a situation where two people from different worlds have to be in close proximity. This was certainly inspired by Lucy's parents' story First Lady (which is one of my favourite SEPs ever) with a touch of the vibes from This Heart of Mine.
I was so excited to find out that Lucy had a book when I first read First Lady - this Lucy was certainly no 14-year-old Lucy. It was quite cute that elements of that little punk was brought up again in this story, but it was unfortunately not done satisfyingly. I didn't like this Lucy as much as I thought I would.
While the story was overall serviceable, I never really enjoyed it save for the scenes with little Toby and Mike (both side characters). I didn't care for the Temple sub-plot - why would I care about an aging fitness reality TV star who's having a crisis with her sexuality? The diet talk bored me and didn't add to the overall story at all. No one was likeable and I didn't chuckle once. Also, miss me on Bri's weird "white saviour complex" thing about Toby's african american heritage. I'm not sure what that little interlude was supposed to do except make me dislike Bri.
Onto the main characters themselves - despite Panda having quite a bit of page time, I never found him to be a compelling character. He's a guarded person and never exhibited any sign of having a real personality other than having a potty mouth. I'm not sure what Lucy saw in the man. There was no chemistry in most of their interactions - it was only when I'm told that either of them has fallen in love with the other, then I'm forced to view their interactions in a romantic light.
What I love about SEP romances is how two characters turn from enemies > reluctant friends > people who enjoy each other's company > tingly feelings maybe? > "wow, I think I'm in love!". This couple went from stage 1 to straight to stage 5 and I didn't buy it!!!
With all that being said, I don't actively DISLIKE this book. Maybe if another narrator performed this book I'd find the characters a little more endearing and a less unlikeable. This certainly isn't as bad as whatever SEP has released since 2016.
July 11, 2012
I was very disappointed in this book. I couldn't figure Panda out, nor even why he was called that. I couldn't believe how clueless Lucy was. A high profile wedding and no security ?!? Then balking because her family wanted to keep her safe? I can understand and even relate to the parts where she wants to reinvent herself, but come on. To go from polished society to local skank didn't work for me. I also didn't understand the PTSD angle. While that seems popular in romances, Panda was nothing but steady for Lucy, and while this is a serious issue in real life, I was a little put off about how it was kind of "eh, I have it" and then it is cured with a visit to a counselor. The secondary characters didin't inspire me, either. They had no depth, and their problems were too easily solved. I especially didn't like Mike. I thought he was in the book because there needed to be another token guy, since all of the other supporting characters were mostly women. The pregnancy sub plot was visible a mile away. In every sex scene the characters used condoms, and I honestly thought that Panda did have a vasectomy (maybe I mis read). If he did, there are cases where vasectomies fail, but with the added bonus of a condom, it just didn't ring true. I also didn't like how Lucy never spoke to her family. They were close. Not even a chat to say "listen, I need some time". That she came clean in her writing didn't seem genuine. I usually love Phillips' books, but this one is a pass.
**We see Ted again in the story, and frankly, I never liked him. How can someone live with being totally perfect and being born under a lucky star at the same time???
***11/8/12 Update: SEP published how Panda got his name if you register with her Member's Only site. I won't give away the reason why here, but trust me, it isn't worth the super easy registration. Actually, it was kind of a let-down.
**We see Ted again in the story, and frankly, I never liked him. How can someone live with being totally perfect and being born under a lucky star at the same time???
***11/8/12 Update: SEP published how Panda got his name if you register with her Member's Only site. I won't give away the reason why here, but trust me, it isn't worth the super easy registration. Actually, it was kind of a let-down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,298 reviews