K.’s Reviews > It Had to Be You > Status Update

If I would have read this book first, I would never have known the wonderfulness of SEP. I couldn't make it past the 100 page intro! K., let me know if I should give it another go.

Your kidding Karen??!! I think I've gone on to even more SEP because of your love of her books! (Remember, I didn't like Heaven Texas that much (except for the finale), and have loved more of her stuff in audiobook (LOVED both Match Me if You Can, and Ain't She Sweet). Of course I enjoyed First Lady and Nobody's Baby But Mine in book form also.

I'm only at page 32 (book again) and Phoebee has been so abused in her childhood (I mean she was raped by a jock her football obsessed father didn't believe her over!?! AARG!), how could anyone not be on her side KH? And that was just ONE of the extenuating circumtances she endured! True she has already put forth a bunch of "false bravado" images as an adult in the beginning, but who can blame her? I think you should give this one another try with a more empathetic view. And (ya - that's the proverbial sentence started with "And" LOL! ;D) . . . you're probably older now reading it and have a more broad psychological base "reading" people. Know what I mean? I'm already seeing where Phoebee is coming from. Give it another shot (in audio?).
K.

I actually liked it because of Phoebe. She's a real fighter. But, I read this after reading all the sequels, so somehow, it seemed like the back story to This Heart of Mine.

One particular scene with Dan on Chapter 3 disgusted me so much that I stopped reading right away. Now I know that things aren't like I thought, thanks to another reader who "spoiled" it - at my request - and explained me the real deal, so the book is back to my TBR. :)

Nisha wrote: "I actually liked it because of Phoebe. She's a real fighter. But, I read this after reading all the sequels, so somehow, it seemed like the back story to This Heart of Mine."

Nisha: I was only uncertain about Phoebee for a short time. SEP did a good job of "explaining" her pretty early on, and I'm not a "quick to the DNF pile" type reader anyway. Good to know you enjoyed "This Heart of Mine" so much you returned to read this one. I have that on my TBR! :)
K.

Dina wrote: "One particular scene with Dan on Chapter 3 disgusted me so much that I stopped reading right away. Now I know that things aren't like I thought, thanks to another reader who "spoiled" it - at my re..."

Would that be the "teenage girl at the Shop-N-Stop" scene Dina?? If so, trust me, I DEFINITELY was doing a "What the . . .?!?" when I was reading it. THANK GOD it was not what it appeared to be. Otherwise, the author could have NEVER redeemed the hero for me!! I'm now at page 121 and fully absorbed. As Phoebee says to Molly in the story early on . . . "don't judge a book by it's cover!" Ironic really, considering I HATE the cover of this book ("boobs-ahoy" LOL!) :D
K.

Yup, it was the "teenage girl" scene, K. Scary stuff, but I found out later later - only this year, actually - that first impressions are deceiving, LOL. I hate the new cover too. Thankfully, I've got the old cover:

That crap he was pulling with the ex-wife was creepy as heck. He scared the heck of Phoebe. I really liked Phoebe too. I was mad at what Dan was doing behind her back, though he might have redeemed himself with avenging her against her attacker.

MelissaB wrote: "I was mad at what Dan was doing behind her back..."

Gasp! What was he doing? Don't tell me he was cheating on Phoebe with his ex-wife. :(

No, he wasn't "cheating". But I don't like what he was doing, basically he was treating Phoebe like she wasn't good enough for him.

I hate that. *hides book at the bottom of TBR*

Awww you should see what you think Dina. SEP just has too much drama for me but she does have some memorable scenes, especially the endings.

I will, Melissa. The book is still on my TBR, but I'm not rushing to pick it up.

Hmm - I didn't interpret the "flow" of the story that way at all Melissa (unless there's something after they "actually" get together that I don't know about yet?). This is a contemporary romance, and they aren't "together" when the ex-wife is in the picture. Can't fault a hero for that, for Pete's sake. And as for him treating her like she wasn't good enough for him in the beginning . . . that's EXACTLY how SHE acts in order to get that exact result from men. It's part of her game-plan due to everything that has happened to her. How can Dan be faulted for a reaction that she has set him up for??!

Dina - I think you do need to read this for yourself and decide. So far everyone's reactions in the story make perfect sense to me, and I'm almost to page 200. In fact, I'm at the turning point of the relationship. If Dan has any "bad hero behavior now," SEP better write some pretty good explanations for it! Then again, I can see Phoebe freaking out and not including Dan in what she's feeling, so he'll be clueless again about how he should act! AARG! . . . I'd better keep reading - HA!
K.

K,

It's later in the book after he and Phoebe are together. I am not talking about the ex-wife but about the teacher. He wasn't with the ex-wife after getting with Phoebe.

Oh No Melissa - Say it ain't so! I hope it all works out . . . that teacher thing has been bugging me a bit! Okay - back to furiously reading (and praying SEP is the writer I think she is for me *biting nails!*)
K.

K. wrote: "Dina - I think you do need to read this for yourself and decide."

I will, K. I feel like I'm playing yo-yo with this book, LOL.

K,

Don't worry it turns out okay! He wasn't doing anything physical with the teacher, it just bothered me because he knew Phoebe and who she was at that point.

I did like this book despite the drama and I can actually remember it! I really liked some of the scenes and it had a great ending.

I agree with Melissa, great ending. I also liked seeing this couple as time goes on in other SEP books.

It is strange. I just looked up SEP earlier based on a comment on Amazon's Romance forum and put one of her books on my TBR list. Then I check here and see a bunch of discussion of her. I guess I will need to read something by her. Bill

I must have picked this book like 3 times and never got past the first or third chapter, at first. Once i was in the right mood though i couldn't put it down. Almost wanted to pinch myself for not reading further earlier!

Mel, I didn't feel that way about Dan and the teacher. I felt that he had this ideal wife in his head after his first marriage, and if you notice the teacher fit it to a T. Thankfully, he figured it out on time. So really he sounded just like half of the heroes i read all the time.LOL