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Chicago Stars #9
When Stars Collide
#1 New York Times bestseller Susan Elizabeth Phillips returns to her beloved Chicago Stars series with a romance between a Chicago Stars quarterback and one of the world’s greatest opera singers—and a major diva.
“Re-entering the world of the Chicago Stars is like a beloved friend come to call.” — #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr
Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens, the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars, is a team player, talented sideline coach, occasional male underwear model, and a man with a low tolerance for Divas.
Olivia Shore, international opera superstar, is a driven diva with a passion for perfection, a craving for justice, too many secrets—and a monumental grudge against the egotistical, lowbrow jock she’s been stuck with.
It’s Mozart meets Monday Night Football as the temperamental soprano and stubborn jock embark on a nationwide tour promoting a luxury watch brand. Along the way, the combatants will engage in soul-searching and trash talk, backstage drama and, for sure, a quarterback pass. But they’ll also face trouble as threatening letters, haunting photographs, and a series of dangerous encounters complicate their lives. Is it the work of an overzealous fan or something more sinister?
This is the emotional journey of a brilliant woman whose career is everything and a talented man who’ll never be happy with second place. Tender and funny, passionate and insightful, this irresistible romantic adventure proves that anything can happen…when two superstars collide.
“Re-entering the world of the Chicago Stars is like a beloved friend come to call.” — #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr
Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens, the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars, is a team player, talented sideline coach, occasional male underwear model, and a man with a low tolerance for Divas.
Olivia Shore, international opera superstar, is a driven diva with a passion for perfection, a craving for justice, too many secrets—and a monumental grudge against the egotistical, lowbrow jock she’s been stuck with.
It’s Mozart meets Monday Night Football as the temperamental soprano and stubborn jock embark on a nationwide tour promoting a luxury watch brand. Along the way, the combatants will engage in soul-searching and trash talk, backstage drama and, for sure, a quarterback pass. But they’ll also face trouble as threatening letters, haunting photographs, and a series of dangerous encounters complicate their lives. Is it the work of an overzealous fan or something more sinister?
This is the emotional journey of a brilliant woman whose career is everything and a talented man who’ll never be happy with second place. Tender and funny, passionate and insightful, this irresistible romantic adventure proves that anything can happen…when two superstars collide.
480 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2021
886 people are currently reading
24800 people want to read
About the author
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
47 books15.8k 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/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,685 reviews
July 23, 2021
This is not this author’s best, but it’s not her worst either. If you haven’t read this author before, don’t start with this book. If you have read this author before, you might be surprised to learn that the female main character is NOT poor (which is the case for most of her books I have read). Having a book that heavily references opera, something I know nothing about, was also a nice change of pace. I mostly liked this book up until a couple of big reveals. On top of that, there’s the whole break up scene that every contemporary romance must have and this one makes as much sense as they usually do - which is to say it doesn’t make sense at all.
So basically if this story had it’s ending changed, I would have rated this higher. But as it is, it’s good just not great. I’ll still keep reading these books by SEP though.
So basically if this story had it’s ending changed, I would have rated this higher. But as it is, it’s good just not great. I’ll still keep reading these books by SEP though.
June 29, 2021
When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Philips
Book 9 of the Chicago Stars series. Can be read as a stand-alone. Contemporary romance.
Beautiful story. Wonderfully written. Actually lyrical in places.
It took me a bit to warm up to the heroine. It was probably more than 20% when I learned enough about her to appreciate her standoffish behavior and attitude that she projected to the hero and the world. By that point, I was routing for them both.
Interesting twists and complexity.
I fully agree with him that he went too far but admired her tenacity in her efforts.
Effectively a PG romance. The sex scenes were a seductive dance which was a bit amusing.
Loved so much, the epilogue for the glimpse into the future and their lives which was complicated and loving.
A+ and all the stars.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.
Book 9 of the Chicago Stars series. Can be read as a stand-alone. Contemporary romance.
Beautiful story. Wonderfully written. Actually lyrical in places.
It took me a bit to warm up to the heroine. It was probably more than 20% when I learned enough about her to appreciate her standoffish behavior and attitude that she projected to the hero and the world. By that point, I was routing for them both.
Interesting twists and complexity.
I fully agree with him that he went too far but admired her tenacity in her efforts.
Effectively a PG romance. The sex scenes were a seductive dance which was a bit amusing.
Loved so much, the epilogue for the glimpse into the future and their lives which was complicated and loving.
A+ and all the stars.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.
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February 17, 2022
When Stars Collide is book nine in the Chicago Stars series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens, or Thad, is thirty six years old and is a quarterback for the Chicago Stars. He is brilliant both on and off the field and respected by his players. But one small issue keeps him from being the starter, from being the best. And being number two has never worked well for Thad. He is also known for his sense of fashion and for his beautiful face. He has been contracted to spend a month on the road promoting Marchand Timepieces along with a famous opera singer whom he’s never met.
Olivia Stone is a world famous opera singer, a Diva in every sense of the word. Olivia is a woman with secrets, secrets she definitely doesn’t plan to share with her new travel mate.
Both Olivia and Thad had preconceived opinions about each other and they were both wrong. In time, as Olivia begins to trust Thad, she admits to him that she has been receiving disturbing notes and gifts. As their tour progresses, the notes do as well. Thad is determined to protect her, or maybe he’s using protection as a way to get closer to her. Because being close to her is just about all he can think about.
Both of these two are focused on their career, Olivia to be an opera singer the world will never forget, and Thad to play football. As the chemistry between them grows stronger, would it be possible for them to give in until the end of the tour? Then go their own separate ways?
This was a fun, sexy, sweet story with a bit of danger that I enjoyed. I loved these two together and at first glance, you might think they were opposites, but really, they couldn’t have been more alike. I especially loved the epilogue. This is the last book SEP has written in this series. I’m not sure if she plans to add more in the future or if this is the end of the series. Each book can be read as a stand alone.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
June 16, 2021
Nice addition to the series
3.5 stars
I think I must have read my first Susan Elizabeth Phillips book 20 years ago. IT HAD TO BE YOU, was one of my very first sports romances. And ever since her light hearted and funny rom-coms have been part of my tbr.
Her latest book, WHEN STARS COLLIDE is a bit more mystery and romantic supsense than rom-com. But the writing, humor and characters all have SEP’s signature style. The book is a great summer/beach novel. Fun, engaging and entertaining. I especially loved the opposites attract trope, although the further I got into the book the more I AND the characters realised how similar they actually were. It was ridiculous how much Olivia and Thad had in common. Both were successful, driven, and professionals athletes. One a football player, the other an opera singer.
I absolutely adored the novel’s focus on opera. It’s such an interesting topic and world, that I have no experience in which made that side of the story so much more fascinating to me. There was this one scene when I found myself googling Brunnhilde’s battle cry, just to get a feel of the Ho-jo-to-ho! Getting a glimpse into the world of opera was refreshingly different.
Olivia and Thad had fantastic rapport. Banter, dialogues, and chemistry, it all worked. Honestly, they had such a great connection that they became fast friends and in the end they matched perfectly. The couple really understood each other. Supported each other’s ambition and drive. They just had to realise themselves that they were perfect for each other.
As I mentioned above, WHEN STARS COLLIDE was more a mystery romantic suspense novel than a rom-com. And I thought the author did a great job keeping the suspense high. Also I had no idea who the villain was until the last minute.
Overall, the novel was a nice addition to a beloved series.
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You can find me on my blog and on Bookstagram
3.5 stars
I think I must have read my first Susan Elizabeth Phillips book 20 years ago. IT HAD TO BE YOU, was one of my very first sports romances. And ever since her light hearted and funny rom-coms have been part of my tbr.
Her latest book, WHEN STARS COLLIDE is a bit more mystery and romantic supsense than rom-com. But the writing, humor and characters all have SEP’s signature style. The book is a great summer/beach novel. Fun, engaging and entertaining. I especially loved the opposites attract trope, although the further I got into the book the more I AND the characters realised how similar they actually were. It was ridiculous how much Olivia and Thad had in common. Both were successful, driven, and professionals athletes. One a football player, the other an opera singer.
I absolutely adored the novel’s focus on opera. It’s such an interesting topic and world, that I have no experience in which made that side of the story so much more fascinating to me. There was this one scene when I found myself googling Brunnhilde’s battle cry, just to get a feel of the Ho-jo-to-ho! Getting a glimpse into the world of opera was refreshingly different.
Olivia and Thad had fantastic rapport. Banter, dialogues, and chemistry, it all worked. Honestly, they had such a great connection that they became fast friends and in the end they matched perfectly. The couple really understood each other. Supported each other’s ambition and drive. They just had to realise themselves that they were perfect for each other.
As I mentioned above, WHEN STARS COLLIDE was more a mystery romantic suspense novel than a rom-com. And I thought the author did a great job keeping the suspense high. Also I had no idea who the villain was until the last minute.
Overall, the novel was a nice addition to a beloved series.
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You can find me on my blog and on Bookstagram
August 16, 2021
It was my first time reading a book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and I found this contemporary with a sports romance twist a fun jaunt!
When Stars Collide is part of a long running series, the Chicago Stars, but I think it was fine as a standalone because I didn’t feel like I was missing any backstory.
Thad is a backup quarterback and model. Olivia is a world-renowned opera singer and a bit of a diva. They end up working together on a traveling tour to promote a watch brand. Lots of drama ensues as they are opposites, and their chemistry was fun and full of witty banter. There’s also a side of mystery and suspense to the story with an unknown villain.
Overall, I enjoyed my time spent with this couple and would definitely read more from this well-loved author.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
When Stars Collide is part of a long running series, the Chicago Stars, but I think it was fine as a standalone because I didn’t feel like I was missing any backstory.
Thad is a backup quarterback and model. Olivia is a world-renowned opera singer and a bit of a diva. They end up working together on a traveling tour to promote a watch brand. Lots of drama ensues as they are opposites, and their chemistry was fun and full of witty banter. There’s also a side of mystery and suspense to the story with an unknown villain.
Overall, I enjoyed my time spent with this couple and would definitely read more from this well-loved author.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
July 7, 2021
It's actually really heartbreaking to admit, but I think SEP has run out of her story-telling steam. As the author that introduced me to my love of the romance genre and wrote some of my all time favorites, I will always hold her in high regard and I will certainly always love her older books, but the last few have been sub-par and this latest installment to the Stars series is actively bad.
The first half of the book in particular feels so amateurish it's confusing - it's super choppy, filled with boring & repetitious information delivered in bland bullet point form. For example "They arrived at the hotel at nine in the morning. Henri had kept his word. Thad and Olivia had adjoining suites. Hers had a kitchen and dining area. HIs didn't." That my friends is an exact quote, and I think a pretty good example of the point. point. point. tone that I found so baffling. I mean you'd be in the middle of a dull scene and it would immediately be the next evening somehow, in a few pages a week would pass, it's weird. Oh and here's a great example of some cut & paste time:
chapter 4: "Only now did Olivia see that Adam had been suffering from depression. He'd had trouble memorizing a new libretto, and his periods of insomnia alternated with nights he'd sleep for twelve or thirteen hours."
chapter 12: "Only in retrospect did Olivia see that Adam was suffering from depression. She remembered how difficult it had become for him to memorize a new libretto. The way his periods of insomnia had alternated with nights he'd sleep for twelve or thirteen hours."
Cool cool cool, keepin' it tight. Also HELLO EDITOR WHERE U AT GURL?
Usually it's easy to fall in love with her characters, you get to know them, you get a real idea of their background and formative experiences, and therefore you actually care about their present. Not so in this story. Having just finished the book I feel more perplexed than anything else in regards to how these two ended up together let alone fell in love.
The attempt at the enemies to lovers trope fell pretty flat. Olivia's original misconception really came to a head way too quickly. If you're going to go with it, let it marinate for more than a minute, you know? Also LOL to her phone conversation with her friend the false accuser - it was a great example of the unrealistic conversational style in this book. Olivia acted robotic most of the time, and not in an endearing socially awkward type of way, but then she'd randomly be super friendly and fun in a way that just never really made sense. It's hard to even critique this book because almost every step is a misstep. It's so frustrating.
Olivia theoretically has a pretty tragic past, but boy oh boy is it only briefly touched on. Which incidentally is pretty much a theme for this book: give us partial information on a large cast of characters without any actual substance. We met so many fucking pointless people and dealt with so many half-assed red herrings that weren't fleshed out that it was infuriating. LIke, can we talk about Paisley? Utterly useless as a character (if the paparazzi photos were a crucial plot-point, at least give Paisley a slight bit of personality and some sort of story-line instead of her being a useless stereotype). And Mariel? Equally unnecessary. We hardly got to know Henri, let alone his cousin, and I really resent people being injected into a book so they can simply deliver a predictable morality lesson to a hero or heroine. Oh and remember when Olivia went to see our old friend Heath Champion to try to get Thad's whereabouts? And she asked to speak to someone who wasn't "concerned with agent-client privilege"? UM. WHO? The next sentence is Olivia heading to his parents home in Kentucky. Who the fuck told her to go there? There are a lot of little moments like this, these lapses in logic that my brain can't let go of.
Incidentally I'm sure SEP spent a lot of time doing opera research, and probably enjoyed doing so, but i got a loooot more insider opera world descriptions than I either wanted or needed.
The eventual villain was so random that it hardly landed. The suspense wasn't suspenseful and there were so many little unknowns and mysteries that you end up not really caring about any of them, or if you do care a little, it doesn't go anywhere anyway. Remember how three women got the same fucked up suicide email? No? Right, that was a BFD that got dropped like a hot potato. Not to mention Olivia & Sarah discussed how the suicide note was mean, spiteful, and super out of character so I really thought there would be more to it but NOPE!
Let's see, what else? How about we compare Thad to the beloved Dean Robillard of Natural Born Charmer (but of course there's really no comparison) yes they are both nice men who are just too handsome for their own good, but in Natural Born Charmer you get to know Dean, he's funny and weird and you give a shit about him and what happens to him (and Blue of course) And you also care about the supporting characters, you really really know them, they have their own stories, loves, etc. In When Stars Collide we have a damn smorgasbord of partially known people and I cared about basically no one. Rachel and Dennis anyone? Snooze.
I could probably go on for pages and pages, but clearly my thoughts are a bit scattered so I'll end it here. I'm super depressed about an author I used to love delivering so much bad bad bad and it's making me sad sad mad.
The first half of the book in particular feels so amateurish it's confusing - it's super choppy, filled with boring & repetitious information delivered in bland bullet point form. For example "They arrived at the hotel at nine in the morning. Henri had kept his word. Thad and Olivia had adjoining suites. Hers had a kitchen and dining area. HIs didn't." That my friends is an exact quote, and I think a pretty good example of the point. point. point. tone that I found so baffling. I mean you'd be in the middle of a dull scene and it would immediately be the next evening somehow, in a few pages a week would pass, it's weird. Oh and here's a great example of some cut & paste time:
chapter 4: "Only now did Olivia see that Adam had been suffering from depression. He'd had trouble memorizing a new libretto, and his periods of insomnia alternated with nights he'd sleep for twelve or thirteen hours."
chapter 12: "Only in retrospect did Olivia see that Adam was suffering from depression. She remembered how difficult it had become for him to memorize a new libretto. The way his periods of insomnia had alternated with nights he'd sleep for twelve or thirteen hours."
Cool cool cool, keepin' it tight. Also HELLO EDITOR WHERE U AT GURL?
Usually it's easy to fall in love with her characters, you get to know them, you get a real idea of their background and formative experiences, and therefore you actually care about their present. Not so in this story. Having just finished the book I feel more perplexed than anything else in regards to how these two ended up together let alone fell in love.
The attempt at the enemies to lovers trope fell pretty flat. Olivia's original misconception really came to a head way too quickly. If you're going to go with it, let it marinate for more than a minute, you know? Also LOL to her phone conversation with her friend the false accuser - it was a great example of the unrealistic conversational style in this book. Olivia acted robotic most of the time, and not in an endearing socially awkward type of way, but then she'd randomly be super friendly and fun in a way that just never really made sense. It's hard to even critique this book because almost every step is a misstep. It's so frustrating.
Olivia theoretically has a pretty tragic past, but boy oh boy is it only briefly touched on. Which incidentally is pretty much a theme for this book: give us partial information on a large cast of characters without any actual substance. We met so many fucking pointless people and dealt with so many half-assed red herrings that weren't fleshed out that it was infuriating. LIke, can we talk about Paisley? Utterly useless as a character (if the paparazzi photos were a crucial plot-point, at least give Paisley a slight bit of personality and some sort of story-line instead of her being a useless stereotype). And Mariel? Equally unnecessary. We hardly got to know Henri, let alone his cousin, and I really resent people being injected into a book so they can simply deliver a predictable morality lesson to a hero or heroine. Oh and remember when Olivia went to see our old friend Heath Champion to try to get Thad's whereabouts? And she asked to speak to someone who wasn't "concerned with agent-client privilege"? UM. WHO? The next sentence is Olivia heading to his parents home in Kentucky. Who the fuck told her to go there? There are a lot of little moments like this, these lapses in logic that my brain can't let go of.
Incidentally I'm sure SEP spent a lot of time doing opera research, and probably enjoyed doing so, but i got a loooot more insider opera world descriptions than I either wanted or needed.
The eventual villain was so random that it hardly landed. The suspense wasn't suspenseful and there were so many little unknowns and mysteries that you end up not really caring about any of them, or if you do care a little, it doesn't go anywhere anyway. Remember how three women got the same fucked up suicide email? No? Right, that was a BFD that got dropped like a hot potato. Not to mention Olivia & Sarah discussed how the suicide note was mean, spiteful, and super out of character so I really thought there would be more to it but NOPE!
Let's see, what else? How about we compare Thad to the beloved Dean Robillard of Natural Born Charmer (but of course there's really no comparison) yes they are both nice men who are just too handsome for their own good, but in Natural Born Charmer you get to know Dean, he's funny and weird and you give a shit about him and what happens to him (and Blue of course) And you also care about the supporting characters, you really really know them, they have their own stories, loves, etc. In When Stars Collide we have a damn smorgasbord of partially known people and I cared about basically no one. Rachel and Dennis anyone? Snooze.
I could probably go on for pages and pages, but clearly my thoughts are a bit scattered so I'll end it here. I'm super depressed about an author I used to love delivering so much bad bad bad and it's making me sad sad mad.
April 4, 2024
This wasn't what I expected from SEP but her heroes do seem to be getting progressive with each book in the series. Who'd have thought?
This one was sort of a diva, but decent and kind. The heroine wasn't half bad, but her obsession with finding someone like her bestfriend's husband was the tiniest bit creepy. The plot didn't hold my attention as the previous ones in the series, and SEP's trademark banter was missing. Also, too much drama for my taste. Yet somehow I enjoyed this.
This one was sort of a diva, but decent and kind. The heroine wasn't half bad, but her obsession with finding someone like her bestfriend's husband was the tiniest bit creepy. The plot didn't hold my attention as the previous ones in the series, and SEP's trademark banter was missing. Also, too much drama for my taste. Yet somehow I enjoyed this.
July 15, 2021
4.5 STARS
I have been waiting for this book to be released with bated breath. I have read almost every book SEP has written, and dearly loved each and every one of them. And I will admit that I was just a little nervous about the release of this long awaited book. So much greatness in those books, how will it ever compare? I don't envy the author that has to "live-up" to their own best work. It amazes me when they do, and I can't help but be disappointed when they don't.
So I am pleased to say I am once again amazed. I loved this newest episode of the Chicago Stars series. Although I did find it a bit different, in that it focused more on our heroine and her career as an opera singer, than our gallant back-up quarterback. But honestly, who better to stand behind this larger-than-life diva than a self-less Hero with a tragic-flaw.
Love love loved these two characters! Loved their chemistry. Loved the supporting characters, but I did miss that little side romance she usually has going on. I found the whole mystery/stalking storyline to be a little disjointed and hokey at times, but it didn't bother me enough to take away my overall impression of the book. Some have called this book a rom-com. I don't know that I'd categorize it that way. It was definitely not as deep as some of her other books, serious yes, but not tragic or overly emotional. Definitely not a comedy. I think it will fit in nicely with the rest of the Chicago Stars series.
If you ask me... she's still got it! Keep them coming SEP!
"You have Wednesday and Thursday off between performances next week. Does Thursday work for you?"
She lost herself admiring the dark arch of his eyebrows.
"Thursday?"
I have been waiting for this book to be released with bated breath. I have read almost every book SEP has written, and dearly loved each and every one of them. And I will admit that I was just a little nervous about the release of this long awaited book. So much greatness in those books, how will it ever compare? I don't envy the author that has to "live-up" to their own best work. It amazes me when they do, and I can't help but be disappointed when they don't.
So I am pleased to say I am once again amazed. I loved this newest episode of the Chicago Stars series. Although I did find it a bit different, in that it focused more on our heroine and her career as an opera singer, than our gallant back-up quarterback. But honestly, who better to stand behind this larger-than-life diva than a self-less Hero with a tragic-flaw.
Love love loved these two characters! Loved their chemistry. Loved the supporting characters, but I did miss that little side romance she usually has going on. I found the whole mystery/stalking storyline to be a little disjointed and hokey at times, but it didn't bother me enough to take away my overall impression of the book. Some have called this book a rom-com. I don't know that I'd categorize it that way. It was definitely not as deep as some of her other books, serious yes, but not tragic or overly emotional. Definitely not a comedy. I think it will fit in nicely with the rest of the Chicago Stars series.
If you ask me... she's still got it! Keep them coming SEP!
July 3, 2021
I follow SEP on FB and she posted a comment a few days ago, prefacing it with the following statement ... "I'm getting mild kickback from some readers who received an advanced copy of WHEN STARS COLLIDE about my billing this book as a romcom ... Do you think of my books like MATCH ME IF YOU CAN, LADY BE GOOD, HEAVEN,TEXAS, etc. as rom coms?" My answer was NO, I don't think her books are romcom - to me, they are more than that - usually a little deeper with great character development .... yes, some humour but much more than that. Well, that was a question about her previous books. I just finished this one and yes, this one I would regard as more "romcom", cos I don't really like books that are touted as "romcom" and, honestly, this book wasn't a patch on the previous books in the Chicago Stars series. I think I rated all the previous EIGHT books FIVE STARS... this one gets a THREE from me. Where are the macho, chauvinistic Dallie Beaudine/Dan Calebow types gone? The guys that strut around in jeans, boots and checked shirts (not purple t-shirts, with D&G metallic jackets)?? No thank you very much. Wasn't a fan of SEP's last book and this one didn't do much for me either. I know my expectations are very high prior to reading her books as she has been a firm favourite in the past.
I wanted to love this. Please don't let me put you off reading it... I want to know what you think of it if you do read it - my opinion is just one opinion ... there are plenty of five star reviews out there for it. It just didn't click with me. Will I still read SEP in the future? Of course I will. Plus I will re-read her Chicago Stars books again and again and again... some of those books have my absolute favourite characters in them, Dan and Phoebe, Molly and Kevin ... Daphne and Benny!
And any guy who dresses like this will definitely lose points from me ... loafers and no socks are a "no go" area for me ... I know, I know ... fickle to the end, I am.
Plus, it sort of pains me to pay $20 for an ebook that I didn't really enjoy that much. I also listened to some of it on audible ... Anna Fields is a sad loss to the SEP narration team.
I wanted to love this. Please don't let me put you off reading it... I want to know what you think of it if you do read it - my opinion is just one opinion ... there are plenty of five star reviews out there for it. It just didn't click with me. Will I still read SEP in the future? Of course I will. Plus I will re-read her Chicago Stars books again and again and again... some of those books have my absolute favourite characters in them, Dan and Phoebe, Molly and Kevin ... Daphne and Benny!
And any guy who dresses like this will definitely lose points from me ... loafers and no socks are a "no go" area for me ... I know, I know ... fickle to the end, I am.
Plus, it sort of pains me to pay $20 for an ebook that I didn't really enjoy that much. I also listened to some of it on audible ... Anna Fields is a sad loss to the SEP narration team.
July 2, 2021
3.5 stars
When I saw the words; sports, romance, and Chicago in the publisher synopsis, I knew I should pick this book up. Adding an opera singer to the mix along with a mystery incorporated into the story really made it a fun read. When Stars Collide is the 9th book in the Chicago Stars series but can easily be read as a standalone novel.
Pro football quarterback, Thad Owens, and opera superstar, Olivia Shore, are under contract to promote a luxury watch brand. One month of flying from city to city as brand ambassadors. Strictly business, right? Besides, these two can't have a thing in common. Oh, and by the way one of them is the recipient of some threatening letters. Sounds like it might lead to a dangerous situation or two.
The chemistry between Olivia and Thad was good and I did like their humorous banter back and forth. Olivia had a rich backstory but Thad didn't have much going on in regards to his background. Given the story alternates between the two character's perspectives, it was disappointing to feel like Thad was given the short end of the stick in terms of character development.
The mystery was interesting for a huge portion of the book but it eventually bogged down the story. Probably could have trimmed down the page length by at least 50 pages to keep the momentum going with the romance. Everything does seem to wrap up nicely in the end and overall I did enjoy the book. I'm glad I can add Susan Elizabeth Phillips to the rotation for romance authors for when I'm in the mood to read a book in that genre.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
When I saw the words; sports, romance, and Chicago in the publisher synopsis, I knew I should pick this book up. Adding an opera singer to the mix along with a mystery incorporated into the story really made it a fun read. When Stars Collide is the 9th book in the Chicago Stars series but can easily be read as a standalone novel.
Pro football quarterback, Thad Owens, and opera superstar, Olivia Shore, are under contract to promote a luxury watch brand. One month of flying from city to city as brand ambassadors. Strictly business, right? Besides, these two can't have a thing in common. Oh, and by the way one of them is the recipient of some threatening letters. Sounds like it might lead to a dangerous situation or two.
The chemistry between Olivia and Thad was good and I did like their humorous banter back and forth. Olivia had a rich backstory but Thad didn't have much going on in regards to his background. Given the story alternates between the two character's perspectives, it was disappointing to feel like Thad was given the short end of the stick in terms of character development.
The mystery was interesting for a huge portion of the book but it eventually bogged down the story. Probably could have trimmed down the page length by at least 50 pages to keep the momentum going with the romance. Everything does seem to wrap up nicely in the end and overall I did enjoy the book. I'm glad I can add Susan Elizabeth Phillips to the rotation for romance authors for when I'm in the mood to read a book in that genre.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
June 28, 2021
TITLE: WHEN STARS COLLIDE
AUTHOR: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
SERIES: Chicago Stars #9
RELEASE DATE: June 29, 2021
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
THEMES & TROPES: Enemies to Lovers; Stalking, Suicide (off-page), Forced Proximity
RATING: 4 STARS
CLIFFHANGER: No
OCD people, cover your eyes:
*takes a deep breath*
THISISMYFIRSTCHICAGOSTARSBOOKANDTHESECONDIREADBYSEP
#sorrynotsorry
I have no idea how the others in this series compare but this one was a winner for several reasons. Did I have issues with it? Sure. When I started reading this one I was completely taken aback because the heroine hated the hero from the get-go. I was very worried that I'd have two unlikable characters on my hands and would have to drag myself through the story. So for those who are tempted to quit early - don't. After resolving this first issue I really started to like Thad and Olivia.
Both of them have a totally wrong perception of one another although they are so alike on so many levels. Both of them professionals, a football player and a celebrated opera singer. Due to impaired vision Thad couldn't be the starter quarterback for the stars, he always had to play second fiddle. Olivia's ex-boyfriend had always begrudged her her success and when she broke up with him he committed suicide. So a relationship in which her partner wouldn't support her 100% and would demand too much of her headspace wasn't going to happen again. From the onset it seemed that these two didn't have the best cards to work out but over the course of the story Thad and Olivia learned to understand one another on a very deep level. I enjoyed their banter so much - I have to say that SEP's dialogues are some of the best out there. I had so much fun with Thad and Olivia going head to head.
Afraid you can’t keep up with me, aren’t you? Afraid you’ll be a dud.”
“I’m not afraid I’ll be a dud.” She stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets. “Okay, I might be a dud.”
He laughed. “You’re adorable when you’re insane.”
The opera setting was quite unique and although I'm not an opera fan I grew up in Vienna where classical music and opera are a big thing. When Olivia lost her voice Thad helped her to get out of her head and was so incredibly supportive (although his last act of support was stupid and hurtful). Olivia is high-strung but the beginning notwithstanding I didn't hate her. She was a kind, smart and funny woman who simply was scared. She definitely frustrated me but I loved her anyway, which is weird because I usually can't stand this kind of characters.
“You’re at the top of your game. In the starting lineup! A fucking tornado, not some twenty-year-old pretender afraid to open her mouth!”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not—”
“Stop being such a pussy.”
I loved Thad's protective nature, when Olivia received threatening letters he was always there to save the day. I got a little annoyed when Olivia put herself in harm's way despite knowing that it was dangerous. I also had an issue with how Thad treated Olivia towards the end. That last conflict felt more like him throwing a temper tantrum and being intentionally cruel. I understand that this was supposed to build up to a grand gesture but I didn't feel that the way Thad handled it was fair. But then again, there wasn't just one diva in this relationship.
She was so fierce and strong—ready to avenge wrongs and slay selfish lovers with her powerful arias—but he’d also seen her vulnerability.
I loved their chemistry though, the way they embraced each other's flaws, their unwanted attraction and I think my favorite part was when they started to respect one another. They fought their feelings tooth and nail but they were also very open and honest about every aspect of their relationship. I also enjoyed the suspense aspect of this story which was very well done and just what I needed.
Despite everything I loved WHEN STARS COLLIDE. SEP's writing style is very engaging and riveting and whenever I picked the story back up I didn't want to put it down. So I get it, I totally get why this author is such a big deal. I'm glad I have a huge backlist to catch up to. Yay.
September 15, 2021
This is ninth in a series, but I read the others long enough ago that I can't really tell if there is a lot of crossover. We get some Piper from the previous, so there's some. Probably read at least that one before this. Maybe?
It's been a while since I saw a new SEP so I was excited to get another this year. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. I liked the protagonists, well-enough. For most of the story at any rate. I mean, they both have kind of rote negative motivations* and Olivia's is nonsensical after we get to a certain turning point ().
And I got a little peevish when we get to a scene that seemed pretty tightly scripted so that both of them would be the exact right kind of stupid. For reference, if you care, it's the limousine scene and both of them act like idiots with the (seemingly to me, anyway) sole purpose of . Like all the tension and guns and stuff were just window dressing so you'd get that one result eventually.
But I rolled with it because I likecapable protagonists... um. Right. Olivia is being a huge weenie the whole story. So she is the opposite of capable. She's all "poor me I killed a guy" when all she really did was dump a fiancé she didn't love. She missed the signs of depression and he ended up killing himself leaving her an email accusing her of being the cause. So she's so guilty that she can't sing any more. This despite talking about how important it is for her to be the very best singer, everything else be damned. Only, those two sentiments are never proximate, possibly so that readers don't catch onto the cheap contradiction at the heart of her character. And to be clear, yeah, people can be that complex. But if that complexity were deliberate, you'd think the author would highlight it as a core contradiction and something that needed reconciliation. That's not how it worked. So it just felt sloppy to me.
But I liked Thad, despite his shallow relationship opinions. He's kind and fundamentally decent and I liked how he cared about the people around him, even at the expense of his own goals and desires. It was endearing.
But it completely blew me up when they had a dark moment. And then I hated everybody and everything. I mean, the one who blew things up kind of expected the other to come up with a grand gesture and I'm all "rly?!? It's your own stupid fault!" And then the other pulls a ghost with an emotional withholding kicker, which, okay, kind of justified. But then things happen and they're admitting love and how they can't imaging not being together and I'm all "you were just imaging not being together you stupid freak!"
And don't get me started about the unnecessarily hasty marriage thing that happens even before we get to the cookie-cutter epilogue.
So I'm a disappointed camper on this one. I hate to give SEP a one star rating, but I can't justify anything more. It makes me very sad. I hope we get more from her, but I hope even more that the next is worth reading. I no longer have the assumption that it will be.
A note about Steamy: There are a handful of explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. They took long enough getting there, but at least it didn't suck once they did.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
It's been a while since I saw a new SEP so I was excited to get another this year. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. I liked the protagonists, well-enough. For most of the story at any rate. I mean, they both have kind of rote negative motivations* and Olivia's is nonsensical after we get to a certain turning point ().
And I got a little peevish when we get to a scene that seemed pretty tightly scripted so that both of them would be the exact right kind of stupid. For reference, if you care, it's the limousine scene and both of them act like idiots with the (seemingly to me, anyway) sole purpose of . Like all the tension and guns and stuff were just window dressing so you'd get that one result eventually.
But I rolled with it because I like
But I liked Thad, despite his shallow relationship opinions. He's kind and fundamentally decent and I liked how he cared about the people around him, even at the expense of his own goals and desires. It was endearing.
But it completely blew me up when they had a dark moment. And then I hated everybody and everything. I mean, the one who blew things up kind of expected the other to come up with a grand gesture and I'm all "rly?!? It's your own stupid fault!" And then the other pulls a ghost with an emotional withholding kicker, which, okay, kind of justified. But then things happen and they're admitting love and how they can't imaging not being together and I'm all "you were just imaging not being together you stupid freak!"
And don't get me started about the unnecessarily hasty marriage thing that happens even before we get to the cookie-cutter epilogue.
So I'm a disappointed camper on this one. I hate to give SEP a one star rating, but I can't justify anything more. It makes me very sad. I hope we get more from her, but I hope even more that the next is worth reading. I no longer have the assumption that it will be.
A note about Steamy: There are a handful of explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. They took long enough getting there, but at least it didn't suck once they did.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
July 25, 2021
3.5 ☆ rounded up
Multilingual and tall with striking looks, Olivia Shore is the prima donna soprano of the Chicago Municipal Opera. Olivia is a woman at the top of her field and she has aspirations to climb even farther.
So even though flying around the country for four weeks with a brainless, overpaid jock is not her idea of fun, she'll do it since Marchand Timepieces is a sponsor of her opera house. As the luxury Marchand watches are also the official timepiece of the Chicago Stars, Henri Marchand has organized a promotional tour with brand ambassadors chosen from each organization.
Cursed with a pretty face, Thad Owens is a quarterback with the Chicago Stars. Despite his Heisman trophy, fate has placed him second, as the relief quarterback to a younger athlete and as the second choice to be the male face of Marchand.
When Stars Collide is the story of the clash of two seemingly diametrically opposed worlds - the highly cultured versus the rough and tumble. And while Olivia and Thad are quick to ascribe misconceptions to one another, sparks fly. Their grueling tour is further complicated by Olivia's secrets as she's being haunted from beyond the grave, which spiced the plotline with an interesting little mystery.
When Stars Collide is the ninth in the Chicago Stars series, which primarily featured NFL athletes and which is certainly not among my preferred reading. Since beginning this series in 1994, Phillips has substantially altered her writing style and each book can be read as a standalone. And although there are an alpha male protagonist and over-the-top drama in every book, the tone has evolved from a straightforward style (playing up the melodrama worthy of any telenovela) to a lighter, humorous one that is much more suited to my tastes. A few of the earlier books in this series attained DNF status, but Match Me If You Can was the one that convinced me to keep trying. When Stars Collide just might be my favorite novel by Phillips. In particular, I really liked Olivia because here was a confident, capable woman who was well-matched with a professional athlete who had brains and heart that equaled his athleticism. Not only did I enjoy their emotional journey but also the backstage view of the world of opera. For longtime Phillips' fans, while her narrative voice has changed, her epilogue format has not.
Multilingual and tall with striking looks, Olivia Shore is the prima donna soprano of the Chicago Municipal Opera. Olivia is a woman at the top of her field and she has aspirations to climb even farther.
"I want to do work so monumental people will still be listening to my recordings long after I'm gone."
So even though flying around the country for four weeks with a brainless, overpaid jock is not her idea of fun, she'll do it since Marchand Timepieces is a sponsor of her opera house. As the luxury Marchand watches are also the official timepiece of the Chicago Stars, Henri Marchand has organized a promotional tour with brand ambassadors chosen from each organization.
Cursed with a pretty face, Thad Owens is a quarterback with the Chicago Stars. Despite his Heisman trophy, fate has placed him second, as the relief quarterback to a younger athlete and as the second choice to be the male face of Marchand.
When Stars Collide is the story of the clash of two seemingly diametrically opposed worlds - the highly cultured versus the rough and tumble. And while Olivia and Thad are quick to ascribe misconceptions to one another, sparks fly. Their grueling tour is further complicated by Olivia's secrets as she's being haunted from beyond the grave, which spiced the plotline with an interesting little mystery.
He had an unsettling thought - a notion, that up until this very second, he could never have imagined entertaining. What if Olivia Shore was out of his league?
Absurd. He was Thad Walker Bowen Owens. No woman had ever been out of his league. He was a star. And Olivia ...?
Olivia Shore was a superstar.
"Because, whether you admit it or not, who I am is more than a man like you can handle."
When Stars Collide is the ninth in the Chicago Stars series, which primarily featured NFL athletes and which is certainly not among my preferred reading. Since beginning this series in 1994, Phillips has substantially altered her writing style and each book can be read as a standalone. And although there are an alpha male protagonist and over-the-top drama in every book, the tone has evolved from a straightforward style (playing up the melodrama worthy of any telenovela) to a lighter, humorous one that is much more suited to my tastes. A few of the earlier books in this series attained DNF status, but Match Me If You Can was the one that convinced me to keep trying. When Stars Collide just might be my favorite novel by Phillips. In particular, I really liked Olivia because here was a confident, capable woman who was well-matched with a professional athlete who had brains and heart that equaled his athleticism. Not only did I enjoy their emotional journey but also the backstage view of the world of opera. For longtime Phillips' fans, while her narrative voice has changed, her epilogue format has not.
September 1, 2021
Oh, dear. This was boring. The only conflict between the opera singer heroine and the aging football star hero was at the beginning when heroine thought he was a sexual predator based on a lie her friend had told to make her boyfriend jealous. Heroine is sorry she misjudged him and she makes a great apology. From then on the hero is full of admiration for the heroine.
SEP has to manufacture some angst and tension - so she devises two mysteries to keep our heroine in danger while the H/h tour the country peddling luxury watches.
I never was worried about the heroine because she was so unflappable. I liked her a lot. And the opera/football parallels were fun. Hero was fine - sweet and supportive, but not a bit interesting.
I'll take controversial SEP over insipid heroes any day. His ghosting at the end - for some last-minute angst- felt like weak and manipulative beta behavior rather than forgivable alpha cluelessness. That is not something you want your hero to be remembered for.
SEP has to manufacture some angst and tension - so she devises two mysteries to keep our heroine in danger while the H/h tour the country peddling luxury watches.
I never was worried about the heroine because she was so unflappable. I liked her a lot. And the opera/football parallels were fun. Hero was fine - sweet and supportive, but not a bit interesting.
I'll take controversial SEP over insipid heroes any day. His ghosting at the end - for some last-minute angst- felt like weak and manipulative beta behavior rather than forgivable alpha cluelessness. That is not something you want your hero to be remembered for.
September 9, 2025
The characters and their developing relationship were exquisitely written, fun, almost tragic, and fully engaging.
The mysterious, frightening events dogging the FMC were ridiculous.
And, yet again, this author delivers some stupid third act drama to dampen my enjoyment of the inevitable outcome. More about that later.
At 36, Thad Owens is looking at the final years of his football career, a career that came short of his hopes and dreams. Impossibly good looking and known for his personal style, Thad is third choice for brand ambassador for a luxury watch brand and embarks on a two-week cross country promotional tour with fellow brand ambassador, Olivia Shore, shining star in the world of opera.
Olivia has heard of Thad and labors under a completely erroneous impression of his character, so things get off to a rocky start. However, once that misconception is overcome, these two people get to know and—OMG—LIKE each other. What a refreshing change in a romance novel! I loved every minute of it.
These two might look like opposites—the jock and the opera diva—but quarterbacks and singers have been known to happen. (Wink) Besides, Thad and Olivia are so much alike it’s scary.
Thad is a confirmed bachelor, a serial monogamist who likes his life just the way it is and intends to keep it that way (this makes him sound like a typical dickhead womanizer, but he’s so upfront, sincere, and comfortable about it it’s hard to dislike him for it). Olivia is an ambitious, single-minded perfectionist who wants to be an opera legend, have her name engraved on the list of all-time greats, and there’s no room in her life for an ambitious, career-oriented man with a life of his own. She tried that once with horrible results. The only kind of man she can envision for herself is one who dedicates himself to HER career, like her friend Rachel’s husband, Dennis. (This makes her sound like a typical self-absorbed, me-first-and-only diva, but she’s so upfront, sincere, and passionate about her career it’s hard to dislike her for it.)
Watching Thad and Olivia navigate those complicated issues would have been enough for me. However, Olivia is carrying so much guilt over a failed relationship that , and she’s receiving distressing messages from a dead man, and someone is rifling her belongings, and then she’s physically attacked twice by a mystery assailant with an unknown motive. And the ultimate revelations about all that? Weak at best, and silly at worst. In spite of how ridiculous some of those extraneous plot points were, I still found them a little bit fun because the writing was good and our main characters didn’t have to pretend to be brain dead while they were in progress.
No, the brain death happened after everything else was resolved. This author, without fail, forces her characters to do the most idiotic things to create that last-minute relationship split before she allows them their HEA. And in this case, she really embarrasses both of them.
***spoilers***
Olivia had kicked Thad out of her life because her career was her priority, her be-all and end-all. She ended it, it was over. Fini.
Later, she realizes her life without Thad feels empty and sees nothing but a bleak future in front of her. She wants to see him, talk with him. She texts him. Calls him. Goes to his apartment. Calls his friends. Goes to his friends’s houses. DRIVES SIX HOURS TO HIS PARENT’S HOUSE IN ANOTHER STATE. Thad ghosts her. The reason? According to the author, Thad assumes she feels guilty about breaking his heart and wants to apologize again and he can’t handle it. 😂😂😂😂 Yeah, like a woman spends days chasing a guy all over Chicago and drives to his parents’s house in Kentucky to say, “I just wanted to say I’m sorry again for breaking up with you.”
That’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read.
To make matters worse, once Thad’s brain cells reanimate and he follows Olivia home, she refuses to see him, supposedly to convey that she won’t stalk him anymore, that she’s setting him free of her noxious presence. Because a guy who rappels to her 22nd floor apartment balcony from a window on the 23rd floor really wants to be free of her.
That’s another of the stupidest things I’ve ever read.
But stupid endings are part of SEP’s formula, so I just bear them as best I can. The rest of the books are worth the pain.
The mysterious, frightening events dogging the FMC were ridiculous.
And, yet again, this author delivers some stupid third act drama to dampen my enjoyment of the inevitable outcome. More about that later.
At 36, Thad Owens is looking at the final years of his football career, a career that came short of his hopes and dreams. Impossibly good looking and known for his personal style, Thad is third choice for brand ambassador for a luxury watch brand and embarks on a two-week cross country promotional tour with fellow brand ambassador, Olivia Shore, shining star in the world of opera.
Olivia has heard of Thad and labors under a completely erroneous impression of his character, so things get off to a rocky start. However, once that misconception is overcome, these two people get to know and—OMG—LIKE each other. What a refreshing change in a romance novel! I loved every minute of it.
These two might look like opposites—the jock and the opera diva—but quarterbacks and singers have been known to happen. (Wink) Besides, Thad and Olivia are so much alike it’s scary.
Thad is a confirmed bachelor, a serial monogamist who likes his life just the way it is and intends to keep it that way (this makes him sound like a typical dickhead womanizer, but he’s so upfront, sincere, and comfortable about it it’s hard to dislike him for it). Olivia is an ambitious, single-minded perfectionist who wants to be an opera legend, have her name engraved on the list of all-time greats, and there’s no room in her life for an ambitious, career-oriented man with a life of his own. She tried that once with horrible results. The only kind of man she can envision for herself is one who dedicates himself to HER career, like her friend Rachel’s husband, Dennis. (This makes her sound like a typical self-absorbed, me-first-and-only diva, but she’s so upfront, sincere, and passionate about her career it’s hard to dislike her for it.)
Watching Thad and Olivia navigate those complicated issues would have been enough for me. However, Olivia is carrying so much guilt over a failed relationship that , and she’s receiving distressing messages from a dead man, and someone is rifling her belongings, and then she’s physically attacked twice by a mystery assailant with an unknown motive. And the ultimate revelations about all that? Weak at best, and silly at worst. In spite of how ridiculous some of those extraneous plot points were, I still found them a little bit fun because the writing was good and our main characters didn’t have to pretend to be brain dead while they were in progress.
No, the brain death happened after everything else was resolved. This author, without fail, forces her characters to do the most idiotic things to create that last-minute relationship split before she allows them their HEA. And in this case, she really embarrasses both of them.
***spoilers***
Olivia had kicked Thad out of her life because her career was her priority, her be-all and end-all. She ended it, it was over. Fini.
Later, she realizes her life without Thad feels empty and sees nothing but a bleak future in front of her. She wants to see him, talk with him. She texts him. Calls him. Goes to his apartment. Calls his friends. Goes to his friends’s houses. DRIVES SIX HOURS TO HIS PARENT’S HOUSE IN ANOTHER STATE. Thad ghosts her. The reason? According to the author, Thad assumes she feels guilty about breaking his heart and wants to apologize again and he can’t handle it. 😂😂😂😂 Yeah, like a woman spends days chasing a guy all over Chicago and drives to his parents’s house in Kentucky to say, “I just wanted to say I’m sorry again for breaking up with you.”
That’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read.
To make matters worse, once Thad’s brain cells reanimate and he follows Olivia home, she refuses to see him, supposedly to convey that she won’t stalk him anymore, that she’s setting him free of her noxious presence. Because a guy who rappels to her 22nd floor apartment balcony from a window on the 23rd floor really wants to be free of her.
That’s another of the stupidest things I’ve ever read.
But stupid endings are part of SEP’s formula, so I just bear them as best I can. The rest of the books are worth the pain.
April 28, 2022
3.5 stars. Quite a nice read about two big name stars who fall in love - an opera singer and a quarterback. I liked both main characters, and their story was a decent one. Unfortunately it didn't quite have the magic of some of Ms Phillips' earlier books, and I would have liked a bit more chemistry between the MCs. I also found that at times there seemed to be too many characters and I wasn't quite sure who was who. I started to get the names mixed up. I had to stop and think about, who was that again, and I started to lose interest in the mystery aspect of the book. It all came together nicely in the end, though.
So yeah, a decent but not stellar read. A little bit flat compared with some of her past books. At least it was a much better read than her last book, Dance Away With Me, which I didn't really enjoy.
So yeah, a decent but not stellar read. A little bit flat compared with some of her past books. At least it was a much better read than her last book, Dance Away With Me, which I didn't really enjoy.
February 14, 2024
Series: Chicago Stars, Book 9
(although some characters from previous books will make their reappearance, the book can be read stand alone)
Narrated by: Nicole Poole
Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
Publication Date: Jun 29, 2021.
Its my favorite cover up to date by SEP
What??? There will be new Chicago Stars Novel????
Susan Elizabeth Phillips returns to her beloved Chicago Stars series with a romance between a Chicago Stars quarterback and one of the world’s greatest opera singers—and a major diva. This is the emotional journey of a brilliant woman whose career is everything and a talented man who’ll never be happy with second place. Tender and funny, passionate and insightful, this irresistible romantic adventure proves that anything can happen…when two superstars collide.
Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens and Olivia Shore... this story sounds already interesting. Can't wait to read it!!!
***********************
SEP DID IT AGAIN!
This story was engaging, emotional, poignant, passionate and crazy. Once again SEP created two interesting characters who at first glance have it all but deep inside they struggle with their insecurities and search for something meaningful in their lives.
I must admit that Thad and Olivia weren't all that endearing at first. But at one point I was completely immersed in their lives, cheering on, wanting to see what will happen next.
I liked that SEP didn't rush with the romance but she let their relationship build and grow naturally. I enjoyed their attraction, sexual tension, funny banter, insecurities, crazy and tender feelings, angsty moments etc.
I've noticed that SEP has started to add a bit mystery to her romance novels.
It is also good that when I read her books, I can not predict where the storyline takes us or what the characters say or do next. This is so much fun and entertaining.
Definitely another keeper and re-reading material. I sincerely hope SEP is not done with this series!!!!
Edit: It looks like SEP is working on her next installment into the Chicago Stars series, coming out in February 2024 and called SIMPLY THE BEST.
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/su...
(although some characters from previous books will make their reappearance, the book can be read stand alone)
Narrated by: Nicole Poole
Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
Publication Date: Jun 29, 2021.
Its my favorite cover up to date by SEP
What??? There will be new Chicago Stars Novel????
Susan Elizabeth Phillips returns to her beloved Chicago Stars series with a romance between a Chicago Stars quarterback and one of the world’s greatest opera singers—and a major diva. This is the emotional journey of a brilliant woman whose career is everything and a talented man who’ll never be happy with second place. Tender and funny, passionate and insightful, this irresistible romantic adventure proves that anything can happen…when two superstars collide.
Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens and Olivia Shore... this story sounds already interesting. Can't wait to read it!!!
***********************
SEP DID IT AGAIN!
This story was engaging, emotional, poignant, passionate and crazy. Once again SEP created two interesting characters who at first glance have it all but deep inside they struggle with their insecurities and search for something meaningful in their lives.
I must admit that Thad and Olivia weren't all that endearing at first. But at one point I was completely immersed in their lives, cheering on, wanting to see what will happen next.
I liked that SEP didn't rush with the romance but she let their relationship build and grow naturally. I enjoyed their attraction, sexual tension, funny banter, insecurities, crazy and tender feelings, angsty moments etc.
I've noticed that SEP has started to add a bit mystery to her romance novels.
It is also good that when I read her books, I can not predict where the storyline takes us or what the characters say or do next. This is so much fun and entertaining.
Definitely another keeper and re-reading material. I sincerely hope SEP is not done with this series!!!!
Edit: It looks like SEP is working on her next installment into the Chicago Stars series, coming out in February 2024 and called SIMPLY THE BEST.
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/su...
July 31, 2021
This was a thoroughly enjoyable romp with something for everyone. Sports, music, romance, mystery and intrigue, topped off with a happily ever after.
Thank you to William Morrow and Harper Collins Publishers for the complimentary hardcover.
Thank you to William Morrow and Harper Collins Publishers for the complimentary hardcover.
July 15, 2021
You all know how much I love SEP's books. I especially love this series. And her older books are fabulous too. I love re-reading them and listening to them too. I always get a little nervous when I start one of her new books. Will I love it? Will it be as fabulous as her other books? Will the hero and heroine win me over and steal my heart?
When Stars Collide was really good though not as great as the others in this series.
Of the two I loved Olivia just a little more than Thad. Don't get me wrong, he was great in that sexy and bossy way SEP writes her men but Olivia just one upped him. :)
There was some great banter between them and the slow burn was worth it in the end. I wasn't a huge fan of the threats and 'dangerous encounters' but I didn't hate it either. In the end she made it work.
And of course we get a sweet epilogue! ❤
Want to read
January 8, 2021January 8, 2021
Just noticed the New Cover! 2021 Needs SEP's Book!
October 13, 2020- Thank You, Mo, For The Heads Up!
Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens...
May Have Four Names...
Be An Occasional Male Underwear Model...
But He Is Also Known To Be...
A Man Who Doesn't Hold Well With Drama...
As The Backup Quarterback, Team Player...
Sideline Coach for The Chicago Stars...
Divas Are Not His Thing...
Olivia Shore...
An International Opera Superstar...
A Woman Who Had Made Her Way...
By Standing Strong, With A Passion For Perfection...
And Need For Justice While Also Having Secrets Of Her Own...
Is Rightly Diva Extraordinaire...
So When Owens...
Gets Tied To Ms. Shore...
Not By Choice But By...
The Draw Of A Luxury Watch Brand Promotion...
They Become Strange Bedfellows, For Sure...
We Get To Experience...
Both Traveling Together...
Locked And Loaded To Be Combatants...
But Then A Funny Thing Happens...
While Sparing or Trash Talking...
Or Assuming So Much...
Something Else Surfaces...
Something To Be Concerned About...
Emotions Start To Rise...
Feelings Become Strong...
This Is What Happens...
When Stars Collide: A Chicago Stars Novel- June 29th 2021
It Had to Be You (Chicago Stars, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Heaven, Texas (Chicago Stars, #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Nobody's Baby But Mine (Chicago Stars, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dream a Little Dream (Chicago Stars, #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This Heart of Mine (Chicago Stars, #5)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Match Me If You Can (Chicago Stars, #6)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Natural Born Charmer (Chicago Stars, #7)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
First Star I See Tonight (Chicago Stars, #8)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
When Stars Collide: A Chicago Stars Novel
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
Just noticed the New Cover! 2021 Needs SEP's Book!
October 13, 2020- Thank You, Mo, For The Heads Up!
Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens...
May Have Four Names...
Be An Occasional Male Underwear Model...
But He Is Also Known To Be...
A Man Who Doesn't Hold Well With Drama...
As The Backup Quarterback, Team Player...
Sideline Coach for The Chicago Stars...
Divas Are Not His Thing...
Olivia Shore...
An International Opera Superstar...
A Woman Who Had Made Her Way...
By Standing Strong, With A Passion For Perfection...
And Need For Justice While Also Having Secrets Of Her Own...
Is Rightly Diva Extraordinaire...
So When Owens...
Gets Tied To Ms. Shore...
Not By Choice But By...
The Draw Of A Luxury Watch Brand Promotion...
They Become Strange Bedfellows, For Sure...
We Get To Experience...
Both Traveling Together...
Locked And Loaded To Be Combatants...
But Then A Funny Thing Happens...
While Sparing or Trash Talking...
Or Assuming So Much...
Something Else Surfaces...
Something To Be Concerned About...
Emotions Start To Rise...
Feelings Become Strong...
This Is What Happens...
When Stars Collide: A Chicago Stars Novel- June 29th 2021
It Had to Be You (Chicago Stars, #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Heaven, Texas (Chicago Stars, #2)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Nobody's Baby But Mine (Chicago Stars, #3)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dream a Little Dream (Chicago Stars, #4)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This Heart of Mine (Chicago Stars, #5)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Match Me If You Can (Chicago Stars, #6)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Natural Born Charmer (Chicago Stars, #7)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
First Star I See Tonight (Chicago Stars, #8)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
When Stars Collide: A Chicago Stars Novelhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
July 20, 2021
NOTE: Full review posted on July 19, 2021
One of my most anticipated books for 2021 – and it feels so good to be back among the “Stars.” Susan Elizabeth Phillips never fails to treat readers to something special and the battle royale between two opposites made for a fun read.
Oops! She’s gone and done it again – made me fall for another SEP hero – but sadly Thad Owens, who is the gorgeous Chicago Stars back-up quarterback still got upstaged by the powerful voice of the A-list opera Diva, Olivia Shore.
Heartwarming, mysterious, sexy. This charmer sparkles with humor and sizzles with romantic tension. Even so, it didn’t razzle dazzle me quite as much as some of SEP’s previous Stars, but she still outshines others by a mile.
For me, the biggest complaint I have with the latest from SEP is that too much time was spent on everything else but the relationship building between the two primaries. I enjoyed learning the extras on opera and the touch of mystery added some additional incentive to stay tuned, but all in all, I really just wanted more of the Diva and Quarterback finding their connection and pathway to happy-ever-after.
An extra treat came with cameo appearances by some old favs and a few new faces we’ll hopefully see more of in future releases (Clint and Paisley, I'm talking about you two). I’m counting on SEP continuing this series and not ending it on a fumble.
Outstanding writing and the trademark witty dialogue - what you can always expect from this talented author. Certainly not a bad book — it just didn’t have the overall appeal of some of the others that have come before in a long list of all-time favorites. I was so happy to see those extra points in the game ending Epilogue.
One of my most anticipated books for 2021 – and it feels so good to be back among the “Stars.” Susan Elizabeth Phillips never fails to treat readers to something special and the battle royale between two opposites made for a fun read.
Oops! She’s gone and done it again – made me fall for another SEP hero – but sadly Thad Owens, who is the gorgeous Chicago Stars back-up quarterback still got upstaged by the powerful voice of the A-list opera Diva, Olivia Shore.
Heartwarming, mysterious, sexy. This charmer sparkles with humor and sizzles with romantic tension. Even so, it didn’t razzle dazzle me quite as much as some of SEP’s previous Stars, but she still outshines others by a mile.
For me, the biggest complaint I have with the latest from SEP is that too much time was spent on everything else but the relationship building between the two primaries. I enjoyed learning the extras on opera and the touch of mystery added some additional incentive to stay tuned, but all in all, I really just wanted more of the Diva and Quarterback finding their connection and pathway to happy-ever-after.
An extra treat came with cameo appearances by some old favs and a few new faces we’ll hopefully see more of in future releases (Clint and Paisley, I'm talking about you two). I’m counting on SEP continuing this series and not ending it on a fumble.
Outstanding writing and the trademark witty dialogue - what you can always expect from this talented author. Certainly not a bad book — it just didn’t have the overall appeal of some of the others that have come before in a long list of all-time favorites. I was so happy to see those extra points in the game ending Epilogue.
January 23, 2021
I’d give this book 100 stars if I could. I have read all of Ms. Phillips books (a few got me through postpartum depression). Sometimes when an author gets to the last few books in a series it starts to feel like they are just trying to get it over with. You cannot say this about this book. It is laugh out loud funny and I dare you to try and put it down. It is that good! My only complaint is that it is the last book in the series but I know another great book is on the way. I was lucky enough to get an arc of this book from Netgalley
July 26, 2021
book 1, 3, 6, and 8 in this series are my comfort rereads..
but this one was such a disappointment I guess that happens when you don't care about the main couple and the romance part was very meh and unbelievable.. Olivia was particularly insufferable and I missed the magic from previous books!! there were some things that happen that served for preachiness but were done poorly and didn't affect me in a way I think the author intended..
cw: suicide
but this one was such a disappointment I guess that happens when you don't care about the main couple and the romance part was very meh and unbelievable.. Olivia was particularly insufferable and I missed the magic from previous books!! there were some things that happen that served for preachiness but were done poorly and didn't affect me in a way I think the author intended..
cw: suicide
December 24, 2021
4 Estrellitas. Estaba algo indecisa, porque no sé muy bien qué me ha parecido ésta novela, pero sí que me ha gustado.
He notado que en sus últimos libros, SEP ha cambiado de tónica, ya puede ser ésa chispa, ésa comicidad tan típica de sus novelas, y que ya no estoy encontrando. Pero eso no hace que la novela no me haya gustado, o sea mala o desmerezca. Sólo la hace distinta.
"Cuando las estrellas colisionan" es el noveno libro de la serie Chicago Stars, pero porque a SEP se lo parece, no porque salga algo de fútbol americano (que no sale nada). Thad Bowman es el quarterback del equipo, con treinta y seis años le queda poco para que le releven, pero se ha convertido en una leyenda, y como tal, al inicio de la novela le hacen una oferta que no puede rechazar.
Thad firma un contrato con la empresa de joyería Marchand para posar y modelar en su próxima campaña y gira. Durante un mes lo acompañará como modelo la famosa cantante de ópera Olivia Shore, otra super estrella del mundo lírico. Y como no podía ser de otra manera, estas dos estrellas colisionan y hace que salten chispas de pura química.
Al principio las cosas no son fáciles para ellos, Olivia piensa que él es un cavernícola descerebrado y maltratador, y Thad piensa de ella que es una diva fría y frívola, una arpía que se cree superior y por la que hay que besar el suelo por el que pisa. Pero nada más lejos de la realidad cuando los protagonistas se vayan conociendo durante todo ése mes de abril que deben recorrer Estados Unidos de una ciudad a otra, de sesión de fotos a entrevistas y viceversa.
Lo que ha tenido de interesante la novela, es un recurso al que SEP no nos tiene acostumbradas a sus lectoras, y que para mi gusto le ha quedado muy bien. SEP se ha atrevido con el thriller, a través de una serie de misteriosas cartas y mensajes amenazantes que le están llegando a Olivia. Olivia oculta un pasado que se irá desvelando poco a poco y que me ha tenido enganchada hasta el final de la novela, pues cuando parecía que un misterio estaba resuelto, la autora vuelve a otra cosa. Esa manera de mantener la atención del lector atrapada es lo que más me ha gustado.
El romance, sin ser muy sobresaliente, me ha gustado bastante. Es verdad que entre los protas hay mucha química, Thad es el prototipo de macho protector con el que puedes contar, y del que te enamoras fácilmente. Quizás Olivia ha sido un personaje más extraño o desdibujado, no sabía muy bien cómo nos la presentaba SEP, pero no hay duda de que es humana.
¿Cómo puede funcionar una historia de amor entre un deportista de élite y una cantante de ópera para la que su carrera y estatus lo es todo? Pues SEP lo ha hecho y me ha convencido.
En general, aunque le falte ésa chispa de comedia, no hay duda de que estás ante una novela de SEP, con personajes muy típicos suyos, pero como siempre; me ha gustado como para mantenerme enganchada y desear que siga escribiendo novelas. Es más, estoy deseando que escriba la futura novela de Clint Garrett, el jovencísimo suplente de Thad en el equipo, y que ha protagonizado algunas de las escenas más memorables del libro.
He notado que en sus últimos libros, SEP ha cambiado de tónica, ya puede ser ésa chispa, ésa comicidad tan típica de sus novelas, y que ya no estoy encontrando. Pero eso no hace que la novela no me haya gustado, o sea mala o desmerezca. Sólo la hace distinta.
"Cuando las estrellas colisionan" es el noveno libro de la serie Chicago Stars, pero porque a SEP se lo parece, no porque salga algo de fútbol americano (que no sale nada). Thad Bowman es el quarterback del equipo, con treinta y seis años le queda poco para que le releven, pero se ha convertido en una leyenda, y como tal, al inicio de la novela le hacen una oferta que no puede rechazar.
Thad firma un contrato con la empresa de joyería Marchand para posar y modelar en su próxima campaña y gira. Durante un mes lo acompañará como modelo la famosa cantante de ópera Olivia Shore, otra super estrella del mundo lírico. Y como no podía ser de otra manera, estas dos estrellas colisionan y hace que salten chispas de pura química.
Al principio las cosas no son fáciles para ellos, Olivia piensa que él es un cavernícola descerebrado y maltratador, y Thad piensa de ella que es una diva fría y frívola, una arpía que se cree superior y por la que hay que besar el suelo por el que pisa. Pero nada más lejos de la realidad cuando los protagonistas se vayan conociendo durante todo ése mes de abril que deben recorrer Estados Unidos de una ciudad a otra, de sesión de fotos a entrevistas y viceversa.
Lo que ha tenido de interesante la novela, es un recurso al que SEP no nos tiene acostumbradas a sus lectoras, y que para mi gusto le ha quedado muy bien. SEP se ha atrevido con el thriller, a través de una serie de misteriosas cartas y mensajes amenazantes que le están llegando a Olivia. Olivia oculta un pasado que se irá desvelando poco a poco y que me ha tenido enganchada hasta el final de la novela, pues cuando parecía que un misterio estaba resuelto, la autora vuelve a otra cosa. Esa manera de mantener la atención del lector atrapada es lo que más me ha gustado.
El romance, sin ser muy sobresaliente, me ha gustado bastante. Es verdad que entre los protas hay mucha química, Thad es el prototipo de macho protector con el que puedes contar, y del que te enamoras fácilmente. Quizás Olivia ha sido un personaje más extraño o desdibujado, no sabía muy bien cómo nos la presentaba SEP, pero no hay duda de que es humana.
¿Cómo puede funcionar una historia de amor entre un deportista de élite y una cantante de ópera para la que su carrera y estatus lo es todo? Pues SEP lo ha hecho y me ha convencido.
En general, aunque le falte ésa chispa de comedia, no hay duda de que estás ante una novela de SEP, con personajes muy típicos suyos, pero como siempre; me ha gustado como para mantenerme enganchada y desear que siga escribiendo novelas. Es más, estoy deseando que escriba la futura novela de Clint Garrett, el jovencísimo suplente de Thad en el equipo, y que ha protagonizado algunas de las escenas más memorables del libro.
July 22, 2021
4 Stars
December 9, 2023
Thad Owens, back-up quarterback for the Chicago Stars, and Olivia Shore, International opera star, have been hired by Marchand Timepieces for a four-week promotional tour of their new lines of watches. Initially the two do not get along; but eventually they sort out their differences and become friends who actually have a lot in common. They are both devoted to their careers. When attraction strikes, neither of them believe they have what it takes to make a successful long-term relationship. But when Olivia begins receiving threatening letters, Thad decides he isn't letting her out of his sight.
I was so happy to get back into the Chicago Stars series. I adored both Thad and Olivia. They were a perfectly matched couple who had fantastic chemistry. I loved their witty banter. There really wasn't a lot of football talk in this book since it was the off-season. I did learn a lot about the opera though, which I found very interesting. My rating: 5 Stars.
I was so happy to get back into the Chicago Stars series. I adored both Thad and Olivia. They were a perfectly matched couple who had fantastic chemistry. I loved their witty banter. There really wasn't a lot of football talk in this book since it was the off-season. I did learn a lot about the opera though, which I found very interesting. My rating: 5 Stars.
July 18, 2021
4 Stars - Great to be back with “Chicago Stars” 💝
Book #9 in the Chicago Stars Series, published this summer 2021.
The book blurb is really “enemy-to-lovers” tempting. A kind of favorite contemporary romance style. Always a good plot to start with when written by SEP as well. 😉
I truly liked and enjoyed this one. Much to smile at, sometimes heart wrenching romantic and as always a sweet happy end. Grownup main characters and a developing relationship to believe. I also learned about things about opera and could truly feel with the main characters.
… My only big opinion is that I missed a second lovebirds couple to feel for, usually a specialty by SEP.
I listened to the audiobook edition (in English) and it was very nicely narrated by Nicole Poole. Poole is really good at succeeding in bringing out the humorous, witty and subtle tone in stories like this one.
I LIKE - … always when by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Read July 10, 2021
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
Written months ago…
A new SEP! A new Chicago Stars Series book. Part #9 in the best series ever (or?) — Looking forward to something really good to read enjoy this summer 2021 (and it will be available as an audiobook in my subscription already June 29th).
Book #9 in the Chicago Stars Series, published this summer 2021.
The book blurb is really “enemy-to-lovers” tempting. A kind of favorite contemporary romance style. Always a good plot to start with when written by SEP as well. 😉
Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens, the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars, is a team player, talented sideline coach, occasional male underwear model, and a man with a low tolerance for Divas.
Olivia Shore, international opera superstar, is a driven diva with a passion for perfection, a craving for justice, too many secrets—and a monumental grudge against the egotistical, lowbrow jock she’s been stuck with.
When two superstars collide…anything can happen.
I truly liked and enjoyed this one. Much to smile at, sometimes heart wrenching romantic and as always a sweet happy end. Grownup main characters and a developing relationship to believe. I also learned about things about opera and could truly feel with the main characters.
… My only big opinion is that I missed a second lovebirds couple to feel for, usually a specialty by SEP.
I listened to the audiobook edition (in English) and it was very nicely narrated by Nicole Poole. Poole is really good at succeeding in bringing out the humorous, witty and subtle tone in stories like this one.
I LIKE - … always when by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Read July 10, 2021
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
Written months ago…
A new SEP! A new Chicago Stars Series book. Part #9 in the best series ever (or?) — Looking forward to something really good to read enjoy this summer 2021 (and it will be available as an audiobook in my subscription already June 29th).
July 6, 2021
Opposites attract, or as the title suggests: When Stars Collide. What will happen when stars from two totally different entertainment areas smash up against each other? The love story between a football quarterback and an opera diva is a very entertaining book. An SEP romance with a touch of mystery and humor. It's been five years since the last Chicago Stars book and I have to tell you, it was worth the wait. This book met and exceeded my expectations and it is wonderful. All you SEP fans will just love it.
Off the scales hot and smart, Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens, is currently the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars. His football career didn't go as planned, but when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. He is a mentor to his team and is trying his best to make the young quarterback into the history making player he could be. He has wide ranging interests, but opera isn't one of them and when he is paired with The Opera Diva of the moment for an ad campaign, he's not impressed. He is especially not impressed with her attitude, even if the rest of her is . . . impressive.
Beautiful and successful, Olivia Shore, is the reigning mezzo soprano and an international opera superstar. But she is hiding a deep secret and is in no mood to be glued at the hip to a Neanderthal jock she knows is someone she doesn't want to be around. But the nationwide tour promoting a luxury watch brand is good money and publicity and will provide her with the time she needs to work out her problem, she hopes.
After working out their initial misconceptions, Thad and Olivia find they get along together almost too well. When she receives mysterious letters and has a dangerous encounter, Thad makes it his mission to make sure nothing happens to her, at least not before they can explore this explosive chemistry they have together.
Off the scales hot and smart, Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens, is currently the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars. His football career didn't go as planned, but when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. He is a mentor to his team and is trying his best to make the young quarterback into the history making player he could be. He has wide ranging interests, but opera isn't one of them and when he is paired with The Opera Diva of the moment for an ad campaign, he's not impressed. He is especially not impressed with her attitude, even if the rest of her is . . . impressive.
Beautiful and successful, Olivia Shore, is the reigning mezzo soprano and an international opera superstar. But she is hiding a deep secret and is in no mood to be glued at the hip to a Neanderthal jock she knows is someone she doesn't want to be around. But the nationwide tour promoting a luxury watch brand is good money and publicity and will provide her with the time she needs to work out her problem, she hopes.
After working out their initial misconceptions, Thad and Olivia find they get along together almost too well. When she receives mysterious letters and has a dangerous encounter, Thad makes it his mission to make sure nothing happens to her, at least not before they can explore this explosive chemistry they have together.
February 18, 2021
Opera star Olivia and pro quarterback Thad seem like complete opposites, when they're both chosen as the faces of a luxury watch campaign. Neither is thrilled about spending the next month traveling together. But as they get to know each other, they may have more in common than they thought (not just their star-sized egos), including an inconvenient mutual attraction.
The Chicago Stars were one of the first contemporary romance series I ever read, and they have a fond place in my heart. But this newest entry has some of the same--now glaringly obvious--issues as the earlier books. Phillips's heroes are loving but overprotective, and her heroines are brilliant and well-meaning but have a tendency to stubbornly put themselves in danger for no good reason. Thad and Olivia fit right into these categories, as she continues to haplessly deny that her life is in danger. Meanwhile, he keeps vowing never to give up on her, while simultaneously issuing her so many ultimatums. I was very frustrated with both of them.
Also, the plot is needlessly byzantine, as there are multiple misunderstandings and denouements and reveals. It's just too much. I'm sorry to say, I think I'm done with this series. Phillips has written some other lovely books, and I hope she'll continue her exploration into women's fiction and away from these increasingly stereotyped romance characters.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
The Chicago Stars were one of the first contemporary romance series I ever read, and they have a fond place in my heart. But this newest entry has some of the same--now glaringly obvious--issues as the earlier books. Phillips's heroes are loving but overprotective, and her heroines are brilliant and well-meaning but have a tendency to stubbornly put themselves in danger for no good reason. Thad and Olivia fit right into these categories, as she continues to haplessly deny that her life is in danger. Meanwhile, he keeps vowing never to give up on her, while simultaneously issuing her so many ultimatums. I was very frustrated with both of them.
Also, the plot is needlessly byzantine, as there are multiple misunderstandings and denouements and reveals. It's just too much. I'm sorry to say, I think I'm done with this series. Phillips has written some other lovely books, and I hope she'll continue her exploration into women's fiction and away from these increasingly stereotyped romance characters.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
February 2, 2023
Recensione sulla mia pagina Bookstagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKbhzYKh...
I protagonisti di questo romanzo sono due veri campioni nel loro campo, lei nel mondo della musica classica, lui nello sport, il football per essere precisi, essendo preziosa riserva dei Chicago Stars.
Due stelle insomma, incompatibili sotto tutti punti di vista e dichiaratamente antipatici l’uno agli occhi dell’altro, eppure…
Eppure un velo sottile separa l’insofferenza che li ha avvinti dal primo momento, dalla forte attrazione che li sospinge “inspiegabilmente” l’uno tra le braccia dell’altro.
🖋️È stata una piacevole lettura, scorrevole e veloce, divertente al punto giusto e leggera, capace di far emozionare e anche tanto, soprattutto sul finale.
Una coppia improbabile che si ritrova all’improvviso affine e affiatata sul piano sentimentale, tanto da vivere una deliziosa avventura romantica, che ci dimostra come in amore tutto può accadere.
La regina del romance contemporaneo è tornata! E ringrazio Leggereditore per questa bellissima copia nella sua nuova veste
*Ringrazio la CE per la copia cartacea e la collaborazione
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKbhzYKh...
I protagonisti di questo romanzo sono due veri campioni nel loro campo, lei nel mondo della musica classica, lui nello sport, il football per essere precisi, essendo preziosa riserva dei Chicago Stars.
Due stelle insomma, incompatibili sotto tutti punti di vista e dichiaratamente antipatici l’uno agli occhi dell’altro, eppure…
Eppure un velo sottile separa l’insofferenza che li ha avvinti dal primo momento, dalla forte attrazione che li sospinge “inspiegabilmente” l’uno tra le braccia dell’altro.
🖋️È stata una piacevole lettura, scorrevole e veloce, divertente al punto giusto e leggera, capace di far emozionare e anche tanto, soprattutto sul finale.
Una coppia improbabile che si ritrova all’improvviso affine e affiatata sul piano sentimentale, tanto da vivere una deliziosa avventura romantica, che ci dimostra come in amore tutto può accadere.
La regina del romance contemporaneo è tornata! E ringrazio Leggereditore per questa bellissima copia nella sua nuova veste
*Ringrazio la CE per la copia cartacea e la collaborazione
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