It just so happens that I've been reading "It Had to Be You" the first of the Chicago Stars novels from SEP. I almost hate posting about her again so soon since talking about "MMIYC" - but it's fitting, so here goes.
This book is bull shit.
Things I hate about this book:
1) The number of times the
word "bimbo" is used.
2) Every one of the heroine's
"outrageous" outfits.
3) The hero.
4) Phoebe's bratty little sister
Molly (her story comes later,
"This Heart of Mine" she writes
children's books and gets the
quarterback - and is still a brat.
5) They can't even manage to
spell the hero's name correctly
on the back cover.
6) Oh, and the covers. This book
is pretty damn popular so
there have been several
printings and one of the covers
is just appalling.
7) The strong Congresswoman
ex-wife who still has "kinky"
sex with the hero through the
first 1/4 of the book.
8) The horrifying role-play scene
involving the hero and said
Congresswoman.
9) The hero's attitude to the heroine.
This novel is just full of asinine
assumptions about the intellect and
promiscuity of the heroine - like
that she wears tight clothes so
she must sleep around a lot.
He feels this way for most
of the book. Really.
10) The fact the the heroine was
raped by a football player -
but a big, tough, dominant male
former football star is just the
man for her sexual awakening.
11) The hero is convinced a nursery
school teacher must be the woman
he should settle down with because
she is shy and likes children.
He continues to try to convince
himself of this even after he has
sex with the heroine.
12) The heroine's pet poodle and
how it is an insult to the hero's
masculinity. I don't like poodles
either, but come on!
Things I like about this book.
1) The Heroine.
2) The plot is pretty original and
good marketing - most romance series
feature family members, siblings
usually, but the Stars are most
like MJP's "Fallen Angels" but,
instead of spies they are pro-football
players. This left SEP pretty
open-ended going from the coach to
players, even one player's troubled
sibling, to the hot shot sports agent.
Pretty good plan. In this one,
the heroine, who knows nothing
about football just inherited a
football team from her asshole father,
in an attempt to make happen in
death what he couldn't accomplish
in life. Gain control over her.
And, if the Stars win the AFC
championship she gets to keep the team.
3) The growth of the heroine
and her interactions with
the team members.
4) The GM who grows as a leader
and supports the heroine.
Would have been a better story
there if you ask me.
So, yeah. Kinda done re-reading SEP books. I'm 0/2 - and I just don't want to waste energy on "Dream a Little Dream" or "Heaven, Texas" or, "Glitter Baby" for that matter. I forgot what a jerk the hero is, really alpha male carryover from the 80's. And I would have enjoyed the heroine more without the descriptions of her clothes to cover up her actual insecurities.
Why can't more contemporary romance writers talk about Pop Culture and fashion like Jennifer Crusie? She gets it. She doesn't say designers, she focuses on accessories (like Min's shoes in "Bet Me") and she chooses signature musicians for her characters (Dusty Springfield in "Welcome to Temptation.") These things are classic, they don't go out of style or seem passe, unlike
" ...a pair of blue and gold socks were tucked into soft leather sneakers studded with rhinestones." p.226
Apparently team spirit = bedazzler.
In the end the Stars win,
she gets the team and the coach
Lucky her, I guess.
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