The Trouble With Dating Sue

Grover Beach Team #5

by Anna Katmore

“When hell freezes over!”

I can’t believe how Susan Miller just brushed me off like a fly in midsummer. I certainly wasn’t looking for a girlfriend when I followed her into detention. Just one kiss, that’s all I wanted.

A plan that thoroughly backfired.

No matter what I do to crack through that snappy nerd’s barriers, she blocks my every advance. Worse, she only seems interested in my quiet twin brother. But I never walk away from a challenge.

To put a hickey on her lovely neck on the soccer field is one thing. To make hell freeze over and snatch a kiss is another. But then she really closes her eyes and opens her mouth for me, and the strawberry in my hand is suddenly forgotten…

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports, High School, Sports Romance, Young Adult Romance

ebook

First published December 3, 2015

About the author

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense.

Reviews

[A_Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 "so hard to rate" stars!!

What's it about: This is the same story as Dating Trouble ( Grover Beach Team #3) but told entirely from the guy's point of view.

The best bits: I honestly LOVED Dating Trouble so much and this let me hold on to the story just that little bit longer. I loved re-visiting Chris and Susan and Ethan and reading some of my favourite scenes from the guy's point of view.

The worst bits: Unfortunately, this offered nothing new. It really was a re-hash of each scene from the preceding book. And I guess that's why this is so hard to rate because I loved Dating Trouble so much (it was a 6-star rating for me!) and I absolutely loved Chris and the story of how he fell for Susan, but I wish it added more insight.

Recommended for: Fans of the series only.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a companion novel, from the hero's POV, to another book in this series. I read that book a long time ago but yesterday I got the urge to see it all from the hero's POV. I was not disappointed.

Chris is basically the definition of a fuckboy. He's a blond, charming, playboy jock whose heart was broken by his ex-girlfriend a few years ago, and now he rolls through life with ease. Then he meets Sue - who's nerdy, but also a football player - and pretty much falls for her head over heels. The only problem? Sue has a crush on Chris's identical twin brother, Ethan.

The whole book is from Chris's perspective, and Anna Katmore is one of the VERY few authors who can pull male POV off convincingly. I found Chris very endearing. Sure, he's slept around and still is friends with one of his old hookups after he falls for Sue, which made me twitchy initially. But being in his head makes you really see how into her he is.

And Sue definitely makes him work hard for every inch he gets. She's inexperienced, but she makes up for that with stubbornness and by definitely being the one who gets chased like crazy.

Bonus points for the cute epilogue.

[Blog] - [Bookstagram]

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.25/5

Review coming soon!

[You.Can.Call.Me.QueenB · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Georgia Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading DATING TROUBLE, I waited impatiently for Anna Katmore’s male point of view to the story. There’s always something about the companion books that just pulls me in—yeah, right, it’s those yummy guys this author writes so well.

Chris Donovan is another drool-worthy hero. At eighteen, he’s a little more experienced than the other heroes in the series, even though at times it feels like he’s the youngest at heart. So sweet, vulnerable and funny, when he tries to act the tough guy in front of Susan Miller. He’s definitely no innocent. Yeah, he tends to swear, and sex is more often on his mind than homework. But this is exactly what makes him so authentic. He acts just like teens his age do. Nothing is sugarcoated in this book.

So, what starts out as a little bit of fun and teasing the nerdy bookaholic Susan Miller, turns into so much more after he follows her into detention, where she unintentionally challenges him to make her fall for him. And Chris is not one to back down from a challenge.

If you’ve read Dating Trouble, you know how the story goes. If you haven’t, I strongly suggest you get the book and read it before Chris’s point of view. Both books are amazing.

I absolutely enjoyed how Chris gradually fell for Sue when he only wanted to seduce her to teach her a lesson initially. Nothing about it felt forced. This is where Katmore’s writing style gets me every time. The sizzling moments between her heroes and heroines are always a delight! And in this book Chris really went all out to be with his girl. The fake date? I loved it!

As a bonus, you also get some answers to burning questions the first book left open in all of us. Ted and Ethan’s phone number? I’m not saying more, but you will looove this!

Of course, there are moments when you want to shout at the characters and in Chris’s case, just cry with him especially when Susan cuts him out of her life, then his mother hold him tight during his despair and heartbreak. The heroine is a nice girl and going through a difficult patch, but she can be quite stubborn and made him suffer a LOT. Yeah, didn’t like that!
And when Chris finally finds his backbone again, you just know all will be good.

This was definitely a page turner! 5 big and very heart-felt stars for Chris!

[Isabella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this two stars because it was my fault, I should have know better. I HATED the last one and nearly swore I wouldn't read this one, but I'm a major sucker for companion novels in the guy's POV so when I saw it on Amazon yesterday the voice in my just started screaming NO NO NOOOO!! And what did I do? I read it anyway, so I still hated the character but I expected that, what I didn't expect was how stilted the writing was, I've read a few (6) Anna Katmore books and the the writing has always been pretty good, but this was terrible it was like driving on a dirt road, and that has to be one of my biggest problems with books, I want the conversion to flow smoothly and I'm not talking about stuttering or something I'm talking about the way the words sound, like okay with this part. To clear my head with some distraction, I logged on to Facebook. Lauren had posted from the shopping center. Change of plans it said beneath the picture of her and Rebecca, each toasting the camera with a fancy cocktail and smiling big. The only part that really bothers me is the first part, it's just not a natural thought maybe it's just me but I've never thought, to clear my head with some distraction I'm going to read. Oh and btw that was just me scrolling to a random part of the book not me nitpicking on that one thing, there were plenty more where that came from.

[Martha Dunlop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the Trouble with Dating Sue. This book and its companion, (Dating Trouble) have been my favourites of all the Grover Beach Team books. Chris is great character, and I love the contrast between him and his identical twin, Ethan.

This book is told from Chris’s point of view, and focuses on his budding relationship with Susan, his brother’s best friend. There is plenty of flirting and drama, and there are a lot of misunderstandings thrown in along the way. Susan certainly turns the tables on Chris, who is used to having any girl he wants. She is rude to him, pushes him away and doesn’t believe a word he says. Meanwhile Chris’s job is to persuade her that he is in fact more than his playboy reputation.

It’s a wonderful, feel good story, with fabulous characters and some beautifully memorable moments.

[MeaCulpa_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Herrlich. <3

[✿ℎazℯℓ - thℯ ℛock Cℎick ℱairy✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I read after months and months of hiatus from the book world, so forgive me if my review sounds a little rusty. :)

This story honestly made me feel like a teenager all over again. At the back of my mind, while I was reading the main guy's POV, I can hear the song "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry. Yep, that was me being totally affected by Chris Donovan's thoughts. ❤ He's just this kind of cliche guy in highschool who has lots of girls fanning all over him, but has his eyes on only one. The one who doesn't bat her eyes for him. The thing is, even when it sounds and feels so cliche, I still enjoyed it because his thoughts are really cute and as a former highschool girl myself, I would have loved to know that a guy thought of me as much as Chris did.

Sue on the other hand, is this mystery of a woman. In my very humble opinion, nothing much was divulged about her character. These are the thibgs that I basically know:

> She's not a geek.
> She gets emotionally embarrassed way too often.
> She's that girl who listens and tells her friends her secrets, waits for them to advise her then thinks about it. Idk if that's a positive trait or not.
> She has lots of control over her attraction.

Now, if you ask me if I like her character, I'll probably say that I'm halfway there since I honestly don't feel like I know her character much.

I love Chris though. ❤

Anyhoo, this story made my entire month. It's cute, lovable, not as predictable as I thought, plus, the other characters are also cool. I recommend this to anyone who wants to chill and just have fun. :)

[Sam Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars

This was an unexpectedly great book! The brother dynamic between Ethan and Chris was definitely my favorite aspect. As always, I also love hearing from the guy’s perspective in these kinds of romance stories. This was an awesome addition to the Grover Beach series!

[Denise Trevino · Rating 4 out of 5]

TRIPLE DOUBLE

I absolutely love the Grover Beach series. The first two were hands down, undeniably, the best. Hunter Ryan is the ultimate high school, SWOONWORTHY, alpha male heartthrob....EVER!!!! I'm still hoping Anna Katmore would consider writing a book after they graduate high school. Would love to read about them graduating college, getting married, and having kids. There's so much more to read about their love story.
Book 5 and 6 are Susan and Chris's story. It wasn't as addicting as Hunter and Liza's story. But it was definitely cute, charming, romantic, and funny. I absolutely loved the confusing moments Sue had of not being able to tell Ethan and Chris apart. It was hilarious.....But towards the end, Sue's insecurities became too repetitive. Her constantly questioning his intentions (and true feelings) were becoming extremely annoying. And it continues in book 6.
I enjoyed Chris's version in book 6. I dare say, he's just as swoonworthy as Ryan. I love his determination to be with Sue. Quitting is not a part of his vocabulary. He knows what he wants and he's not going to quit until he gets it. I love that about him. But, I don't know if Sue is worthy enough for HIM. She again, like in book 5 was great. But towards the end, she just becomes too darn annoying. And in this version, she just seems flat out cruel and mean. I felt so bad for Chris. I actually wanted him to forget about her. She didn't seem worth his heartache to me. I know what he did was wrong. But, she took it to another level. I felt it dragged out too much.
The epilogue from book 5 was not included in this book.....In my last review I'd stated I was kind of surprised that she went that route, but I understood why she did. It genetically made sense. Lol ......as I was getting towards the end, I was actually kind of looking forward to reading the epilogue through Chris's eyes. Curious to read his version. But, to my dismay, it was not included. I was kind of disappointed about that. Why? If you wrote it in book 5, Own up to it.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Anna Katmore is hands down a great author and I look forward to reading more of her books.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something about reading a love story from the guy's POV that I love. This one did not disappoint me. I've read all the other books in the Grover Beach Team series, but this one was by far my favorite/ I loved this book.

I thought I loved Ryan Hunter, but Chris Donovan takes the cake for me. He was cocky and sure of himself, but he was really sweet and vulnerable deep down that one just had to get past his tough exterior to see. Were there times he acted like a complete jerk? Yes. But after reading certain scenes from his POV, I felt like Susan was away harsher than I thought she was in Dating Trouble.

If you are a fan of the series, the author, or teen love stories in general then I would definitely recommend this book. But read Dating Trouble first. I think if I had read this one first, I would have hated Susan.

I didn't have any issues with the way it read or notice any spelling/grammar errors. These two are the thickest in the series so I wouldn't say it's an easy one-day read. More like a few days depending on your schedule. Overall I was very pleased with this book and I loved the epilogues.

[Mary McFarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my god I loved this book!!! I just loved seeing his side of everything, I mean I fell in love with him during Sue's POV but seeing his was even better! Also the full epilogue was amazing having Will Davis come back also, I had a feeling it was him in Sue's book but getting the last name in this book was even better and then Lisa and Hunter also being at the end!! Ugh!!! Just loved it! Really excited to read Chloe's book and to see how she grew up being I know it's not set in high school we should see how it goes

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's official, Susan and Chris are my favorite Grover Beach Team couple. Sorry Ryan and Liza. I loved Chris's POV just as much as Susan's. I also appreciated how Lauren didn't turn out to be the typical catty mean girl just because she was Chris's "go to girl" before he fell for Susan. It was nice to read a story where a girl isn't villainized for promiscuity.

...And, that fruit cream cake sounded delicious.

[Ayanea · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Nettes Buch für Zwischendurch*

Nachdem ich von der Autorin das Buch "Was sich neckt, das liebt sich..meistens" gelesen und geliebt hatte, war für mich schnell klar: ich brauche mehr Lesefutter von Anna Katmore. Wie gut, das sie schon einige Bücher raus gebracht habe und ich fing an dieses Buch zu lesen. Eigentlich ist es bereits das 6 te Buch einer Highschoolreihe, da jedes Buch um ein anderes Pärchen handelte, habe ich es trotzdem begonnen zu lesen. Zurecht, ich kam wunderbar damit klar.

Es geht in diesem Buch um Susann und Chris. Susann hatte sich ursprünglich in Ethan, den Zwillingsbruder von Chris verliebt. Als es eines Tages jedoch zu einer Verwechslung seitens Sue kam, bemerkt Chris jedoch ganz schnell, das ihm Susann nicht aus den Kopf geht. Diese wiederum will von Chris jedoch nichts wissen, was Chris dazu verleitet eine Wette auszusprechen ala : Ich küss dich bis dann und dann.

Der Beginn des Buches war für mich mit am besten. Es war einfach interessant zu lesen, wie diese zwei doch sehr engstirnigen Personen auf einander treffen: Chris hurt sich natürlich nur so durch die Gegend und Sue ist aus der Streberfraktion- sieht dabei jedoch unglaublich gut aus. Hier werden zwar so einige Klischees bedient, aber das ist eigentlich völlig in Ordnung. Das Lesen macht dennoch Spaß und geht flott von der Leber weg.

Ab der Hälfte des Buches kam ich nicht umhin, einige Längen im Buch zu bemerken. Das Gezicke von Sue ging mir schon arg auf die Nerven. Sie hat sich dermaßen geziert und gesträubt, da hätte ich - anders als Chris - wohl schon viel früher das Handtuch geworfen. Ich empfand, das hier die Autorin einfach zu lange auf der Situation herum geritten ist und wollte es wohl somit noch spannender gestalten. Ich fand es jedoch leider sehr nervig.

Weitere Personen werden auch genannt, laufen jedoch nur sehr am Rande mit. Ich vermute es handelt sich bei diesen Personen, um die Figuren aus den ersten Teilen (finde ja immer schön, wenn diese in Nachfolgebüchern wieder aufgegriffen werden).

Der 5te Band beschäftigt sich mit der selben Storyline nur aus der Sicht von Sue. Nachdem ich jedoch diesen Band hier nur mittelmäßig finde, werde ich den 5. definitiv nicht lesen. Dazu interessiert mich die Geschichte zu wenig, als das ich diese aus den Augen von Sue erleben müsste.

Fazit: ein mittelmäßiges Buch für Zwischendurch. Nicht mehr, nicht weniger. Finde, es gibt bessere Bücher dieser Autorin.

[Tiana_Loreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last but not Least habe ich es nun endlich geschafft den Abschluss der Reihe zu beenden. Mit Band 5 angefangen habe ich schon vor Ewigkeiten, aber irgendwie schaffte ich es einfach nie die Reihe zu beenden. Nun habe ich es getan!
Band 5 ist aus der Sicht von Chris Donovan geschrieben, also für all jene, die Band 4 „Verknallt hoch 2“ kennen, ist der Inhalt keine Neuheit mehr. Aber das ist gar nicht schlimm, immerhin liebe ich es, wenn ich endlich die andere Sicht der Protagonisten erfahre. Warum hat sich Chris in manchen Situationen wie ein Mistkerl aufgeführt? Nun bekam ich die Antworten!
Aber so wie in Band 4, fand ich leider auch, dass das hin und her zwischen den beiden sich ewig lange hingezogen hat. Gut, diesmal war es weniger Chris‘ Schuld, immerhin hat er versucht um Susan zu kämpfen, aber das, was ich bereits in Band 4 nicht so toll fand, war, dass Susan einfach so stur war. Ja, Chris hat einen Fehler gemacht. Aber ihm immer böse sein?
So hat sich die Handlung leider ziemlich in die Länge gezogen, sodass ich kämpfen musste das Buch nicht aus der Hand zu legen.
Aber die Reihe liebe ich dennoch immer noch sehr!
Die Charaktere sind authentisch und ich liebe es, dass die Proats der ersten Teile wieder ihre Auftritte haben.
Chris ist so richtig sympathisch, vor allem, weil man hier sieht, wie er sich Schritt für Schritt verändert. Für Susan.
Aber um ehrlich zu sein, ICH hätte nicht so viel Geduld mit Susan gehabt. Vor allem wie sie sich Chris gegenüber manchmal verhält, war das nicht okay. Wobei beide sich gegenseitig ziemlich oft das Leben schwer machten.
Die Schreibweise ist wie gewohnt locker, leicht und total angenehm zu lesen. Die Dialoge flüssig und nicht erzwungen.
Mit „Die Sache mit Susan Miller“ ist Anna Katmore ein runder Abschluss der Reihe gelungen, der mir aber leider nicht ganz so gut gefallen hat wie die Vorgänger. Aber nicht schlimm, immerhin hat es mich dennoch gut unterhalten und ab und an habe ich sogar Tränchen vergossen. Von mir bekommt der Abschluss der „Grover Beach Team“-Reihe jedenfalls 3,5 von 5 Federn!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like with some of the other books, this, is just the guys version of the story.
Even though we already know what happens from Sue's perspective, and therefore we've already read some of this book... I still get sucked in by those "behind the scenes"
The parts you don't always see.
Or in this case, Chris's perspective. Especially the tears. I love an emotional man.

Knowing I'm at the end of the series is actually quite a bummer, but I'm glad I stuck with it this time around.

I love that the pair click over mutual interests and manage to find a way to each other without snide comments and tears.

I'm glad Chloe didn't 1000% ruin Sam's life. Well instead of pushing them apart, she pulled them closer.

Another lovely little read

[September Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my I thought I loved Ryan Hunter but Chris broke my hearts and I stole the show. The depth he felt for Sue was so beautiful plus he was an great character full of energy and determination it was wonderful to see his softer side. I really enjoyed reading in between the two books and getting both Sue and Chris’s point of view together. P.S. if want a glimpse in the future of Ryan and Lisa life the characters are in the book and especially in the epilogue. ❤️❤️🤫

[Miss E]

Twins for the win!

In this final book of Grover Beach Team, we get Chris' side of the story. I love getting deeper into all the epic little details. Actually, this was the series that made me fall in love with dual POV.
I still really, really want to read Ethan's story too. Learn how he got his HEA.
This is an awesome series for anyone loving YA romance with all the feels. I highly recommend this book and the series.

[Laura M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked her version of events so much more. Somehow it became sooo unbelievable to see his side of events. He says that he doesn't really know her himself, and still hes hung up on her like nothing else. It sadly just made no sense at all.

[Shaelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

WTH

How did the author forget the name of the H in the first and second books of this series.😂🤣😅Her name is Liza not Lisa.If you can’t remember names don’t include her in other books LMAO

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Britany Pond · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and the story was super cute, but it just dragged and dragged and dragged.... way longer than it could have been, hence only 3 stars.

[Raissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet! I really liked this series.
I could read more ten books about them...

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how we learn a bit more than in the other one :) that epilogue is adorable :)

[Shannon Miller hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Trouble With Dating Sue" by Anna Katmore
5 out of 5 stars

This book is a must read!! It’s another goal scored for fans of the Grover Beach series or a great place to jump in and make some new friends if you’re new in town! I can’t speak highly enough of Anna Katmore. In a literary world overrun with books all clamoring for attention she is a shining beacon of light in the chaos. If you’ve read my reviews of her previous works you know I’m a huge fan and each book just solidifies why I adore her. She is a wiz at imagery, bringing you straight into the Grover Beach world and making you feel like you are truly a part of story. I love the way she is able to write from male or female perspective with ease, ensuring that you are riveted to every word on each page.

Chris is all teenage boy…complete with sports on his mind and raging hormones that he isn’t afraid to act on. I was already seriously infatuated after Susan’s book, but with this one I fell head over heels. Katmore peels back Chris’s layers a little at time and each new emotion builds a character that is worthy of romantic-lead status. Out of all the male characters in the series, I find Chris the most appealing. He’s confident, sexy, has just enough swagger, and when he loves…well, it has no bounds. His relationship with his brother is so realistic and only adds to Chris’s charm. I could read as many books about Chris as Katmore chooses to write and be a ridiculously happy girl!

Susan, as seen through the eyes of Chris, is a treat. I loved the previous book that focused on her, but here we get an even better perspective on what she is really like. I always saw her as witty but her interactions here turn that into something feisty with a side of spice. Katmore has done an awesome job weaving Susan’s vulnerability with her fierceness, enabling the character to grow under the pursuit of Chris. I felt like I was reading an entirely new story as I saw scenes I was already familiar with unfold in a whole new light.

Don’t be afraid to add this one to your cart…and while you are at it, throw in everything else in Katmore’s library. She is one of a handful of author’s that I truly anticipate what they are writing next and I’ve yet to be disappointed. Her style is fluid and the voices she gives her characters is realistic and exciting. She does romance exceptionally well and stands out among her peers as a true wordsmith.

Have fun visiting Grover Beach and I’ll see you next time!

Shannon, Up To Shenanigans

[n · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest with you. I read this Dating Trouble book when I was in a phase.

A phase that involved a 30 day free trial of a popular book app and the fact that I had no TV, YouTube or Tumblr for the months of June, July and August.

(And also I read any trash available.)

So I had high expectations because I had (obvz) loved this book and had hoped Chris' perspective would be amazing (also *SPOILER* I wanted the baby scene.) But reading this I was like, "What the freaking hell did I see in this book?"

It's a romance-y clichè stuff which I do adore, but majorly through the book I felt like I was reading through a pervert's eyes. And their love story did chafe me a bit. There's a limit to things.

But that did not mean it was not addictive.

I mean I would read it if I had nada to do on my list, but not a treat to read.

2.5/3 out of 5? Idk......

[Edit~A · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I do like the exciting tingle. I just don’t want the heartache that comes with it.”

I just want to say to the author that this is getting old. I didn't want to read this one, but I had, cause I am like that, I have to finish the series, no matter how awful it is, if I have started it. Luckily this is not an awful series, but this 2 book each story book is annoying, since both books are old from 2 POVs, if it was 1POV per book, I would understand but this?? Not really! It rally drops the actual value, meaning of the story, so I hope after will respect her work enough to stop this nonsense.

The couple was cute as I said in the previous review, but since I already knew story it was not interesting, and I found many things to do just to not read this book.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like with some of the other books, this, is just the guys version of the story.
Even though we already know what happens from Sue's perspective, and therefore we've already read some of this book... I still get sucked in by those "behind the scenes"
The parts you don't always see.
Or in this case, Chris's perspective. Especially the tears. I love an emotional man.

Knowing I'm at the end of the series is actually quite a bummer, but I'm glad I stuck with it this time around.

I love that the pair click over mutual interests and manage to find a way to each other without snide comments and tears.

I'm glad Chloe didn't 1000% ruin Sam's life. Well instead of pushing them apart, she pulled them closer.

Another lovely little read

[n&#x1faf6;&#x1f3fd; · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I prefer the book better from Sue's POV. In this book Sue is annoying and lacks a whole lot of personality, she seems ridiculous and unreasonable, and she doesn't have any depth at all. That's probably because she spends most of her time ignoring Chris and talking to Ethan about everything and that worked for her book, but it didn't work here. I had quite a few of those "Why the hell does he even like this chick she's so damn vanilla" moments that I hate when reading about a supposed amazing female lead.