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I am beyond excited about this book!  Who couldn’t fall in love with Dean when he first appeared in Match Me if You Can spotting the gold earring and then begging Annabel to go to the beach with him?! 

And the excerpts are killing me - I know it’s only a few days away; however, it seems like a lifetime!

I love: Match Me If You Can and Kiss An Angel.  But, really, I’m biased: I love all of her books for different reasons. 

She’s great at creating secondary characters that don’t feel secondary.  Portia, anyone?

And she writes some of the best grovel scenes EVER!

I have to admit (hanging my head in shame) that I have not read any SEP, yet. Part of the problem is that I keep hearing about how they are all connected. So my question is: Can I start with Natural Born Charmer, or do I need to read the older ones first? Thanks, in advance, for the help.

Di

OMG~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I CAN’T WAIT to read this one!!!!!I also can’t wait for the 20/21st.... I know it will be a party here, especially if the seppies stop by~! I loved Match Me if You Can… I love the Chicago stars…

My favorite of that series (So Far) is This Heart of Mine… but I know this one is going to be fabulous… so we’ll have to see! I LOVE how her books make me feel like I went on a vacation everytime I read them.. and re-read them....

Teresa I can’t wait to read this book!!! This is a perfect teaser/review!

I also love the rest of her books… I’ve read every single one tons and tons of times.. and I love how quickly her books come out. Just as I think to myself… man I need a new SEP book to read… there one is for me to snatch up. I love it!!!!

YAY!

Hey Di!

I read them all out of order… And what happened to me is that I read about Phoebe in This Heart of Mine.. and I was like, man.. I have got to find her book. She rocks.

And so it started… there are some of her books that aren’t connected as well… I think Breathing Room is one.. (correct me if I am wrong anyone… ) That one will take you off on a beautiful vacation~!

I have got to get myself to a bookstore to get this new one…

Di,
The Chicago Stars books are very, VERY loosely connected.  (I think that’s what keeps them so fresh.) So you honestly wouldn’t have to have read a single one before you read a new one although I highly recommend trying them all.  And her stand-alone titles like DREAM A LITTLE DREAM and BREATHING ROOM are equally luscious.

Thanks, for the info! I will definitly pick this one up.

Di

To be honest I have only read one SEP, It Had to be You.  I had heard such great things about her I had to check her out.  I like to read series in order even if they are loosely based.  In this case I wish I hadn’t.  I liked the writing, the characters, the setting everything except the fact that she put Phoebe through so much trauma the first 100 pages I was just about ready to call it quits.  It really tore me up.  I stuck it out and I am glad I did, Dan Calebow is quite the hero and maybe if I hadn’t like Phoebe so much I wouldn’t have been so disturbed about how much hurt she had suffered.

Heaven Texas is the next book on my TBR pile and from what I have read since I am really looking forward to the rest of the series.  It will be great to have her here on Squawk. 

Did anyone else have the same reaction to Phoebe’s story or am I just hyper-sensitive?

I cannot wait for this book, it’s been driving me nuts waiting!

I have loved every book SEP has written but I think Match Me is probably my favorite.  I have a thing for Heath *sigh* (although, all of SEP’s heros are hard to resist).  SEP has an amazing way of writing that gets you at the first word on the first page.  She’s amazing and I can’t wait to to read NBC, and even more exciting I can’t wait to meet her again at one of her book signings!!!

Great post Ms. Medeiros

Di - you’ll love SEP!  Her books are quirky and funny - the type that you can’t put down and feel good after reading.  I started in the middle, with Phoebe’s story, and practically ran out to get as many of her books as I could find. 

Thanks for the review, Teresa.  I’m looking forward to Tuesday!

Okay, you hooked me! I hate this trend of new books coming out as hardbacks first, so was going to try to wait for the paperback, but I have a Borders giftcard from Christmas burning a hole in my pocket, and with a review like this...sigh. I love SEP’s books. There are a few authors I re-read and re-read and she’s one of them. I think Match Me If You Can is my favorite. I love that scene where she calls Heath in a fury and he goes to her house to find the football players have taken it over, but she’s giving as good as she gets.

I just love ALL of SEP’s books.  Whenever I re-read her I can never just pick one book.  I just read them all again.  Tuesday night is Borders Book Club night, I’ll be picking this up along with Sherrilyn Kenyon’s-Dream Hunter.

I really love almost every SEP book but I think the funniest so far is Nobody’s Baby But Mine, but my favorite so far is This Heart of Mine. I heart Kevin.
BTW, for the comments above-
The books that stand alone are Breathing Room, Kiss An Angel, Lady Be Good, Fancy Pants, Hot Shot, Honey Moon, and Ain’t She Sweet.

The order for the Stars series (I’m working on re-reading now in anticipation for the new release): It Had To Be You, Heaven Texas, Nobody’s Baby But Mine, Dream A Little Dream (is extra loosely connected because the main character isn’t a Chicago Star but is the brother of player and characters from the previous book show up again.) This Heart of Mine, Match Me If You Can, and now Natural Born Charmer.

When I was at Borders last night, I noticed that had paperback reprints of all of the SEP Chicago Stars books with new covers. 

And you’re right, Angie!  I totally forgot that DREAM A LITTLE DREAM was connected!

Oops I meant to say “they”, not “that” in the above post.  Hope Connie is still in bed! 

All us Seppies are in a dither about when we can get our greedy little hands on NATURAL BORN CHARMER. I know where my copy is

Teresa, I’m avoiding any comments about NBC until I read it, lol. So I’ll come back and read your words next week. Spoilers or not, lol.

I’m a stickler about reading series in order and I would only say to at least read THIS HEART OF MINE and MATCH ME IF YOU CAN before NBC. Or at least MMIYC. (plus it’s my fav book ever)
SPOILER:.
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Last night during my reread, the 10 or so pages at Annabelle’s packed house full of football players had me laughing my head off...again...after umpteen rereads. One of the funniest scenes ever written IMO.
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end spoiler
From all that’s being said, NBC might surpass MMIYC and that is no small feat
Giddy with anticipation!

I don’t often read contemporaries. But I decided to try an SEP because LauraT was SSSoooo crazy about them.  After I read Match Me If You Can… I thought WOW! Phillips really Is a great writer. She has a wonderful sense of humor. But she also has the ability to write about serious subjects. I like how SEP can “teach” one of her characters a life altering lesson without pouring on the sugar and the saccharine. Give me a sensitive story please, not a sappy one!  I love her characters too. They “feel” like real people. Elyssany is right on point when she said that SEP is “great at creating secondary characters that don’t feel secondary”

I love Lady Be Good.  It is a story about a woman trying to lose her virginity! Very funny and poignant.

One of my all-time favorite SEP scenes is from NOBODY’S BABY BUT MINE when the heroine picks all of the marshmallows out of the hero’s Lucky Charms

Jealous...jealous...jealous!!!  I can’t WAIT for it to be Tuesday!

I wasn’t much of a “modern” girl until picking up MMIYC at an airport (there was nothing involving corsets on the shelves and I was dead-bored).  But after that book, I couldn’t help it, I had to read them all!  My favorite is Nobody’s Baby But Mine.  I love the way she makes “cringe scenes” (like those first ones between “Rosebud” and “the Bomber") create the perfect balance of nervous laughter, excitement and fear in her reader (or at least me!).

For anyone who hasn’t read her-- read her!  She’s wonderful!!!!

Teresa- Wonderful teaser!  I’m more excited about the book now than I was 10minutes ago.

I discovered SEP about a year ago on this board.  She has since become one of my all time favorites!  I love everything about her writing.  I agree with Elyssany about her creating great secondary characters (Portia and Bodie, Dexter and Tori, Ryan and Winnie, etc.).  I also agree with Avery about her tortured heroines.  But I’m a little different than you Avery, because I LOVE tortured heroines.  Phoebe has so much strength and heart I just love her. 

She creates real men with real flaws where you just want to smack them one minute and you fall in love with them the next.  And she creates real women with real hang-ups.  Some are tortured, but she manages to avoid making them whiney or TSTL, I think the secret is that they are vulnerable, but not weak.  She does great friendships - male and female and great “guy talk”!  The ending chapters in her books are some of my favorites of all time.  I love the way she wraps up her stories. 

I’d have a hard time picking my favorite.  I love them all for different reasons.  I’ll have to think about that.

I just realized that I left off the part about how wildly sexy NATURAL BORN CHARMER is.  The fascinating thing is that SEP is such a good writer is that she can use very few words and yet still make me quiver with lust.  (Um...I mean make her characters quiver with lust.)

Thanks for the sneak preview, Teresa. I cannot wait for this one to come out. I’ve read every SEP book published, and I love each one better than the last. I guess my favorites are THIS HEART OF MINE, HEAVEN, TEXAS, NOBODY’S BABY BUT MINE (which is the first one I read), and--for some weird reason--HOT SHOT. I actually like to listen to SEP’s book on audio. She has the best reader out there.

Okay, here are my favorites and why (trying to stay away from spoiler info):

It Had to Be You – the Art Fair - Dan just melt my heart dealing with Molly and her teenage angst.  The sex scenes seen from 2 different perspectives – I love when authors do that.  It’s so funny that they are engaged in the same act but looking at it in a completely different way!

Heaven, Texas – who doesn’t love Bobby Tom!  What a great character.  And Gracie so clumsy and seemingly unattractive is such an excellent match for him. The football quiz!

Lady Be Good – the scene after Emma’s trip to the drugstore.  Need I say more!  And Dexter the sexy nerd!

Kiss An Angel – a theme SEP uses a lot - “appearances can be deceiving”.  I love how she slowly shows us who these two people really are and what really motivates them.  Also a great “aha” moment for Alex which leads to some great ending chapters.

Match Me If You Can – I love everything about this book!  The funny/antagonistic relationship between Annabelle and Heath, the secondary characters, the sense of family and deep friendships, Heath and Pippi!  And, again, an excellent “aha” moment for Heath towards the end leading up to some really great ending chapters.  An excellent epilogue!

Ain’t She Sweet – Sugar Beth is classic!  I love the way that every character in this book could be a cardboard cutout, but SEP makes them real and human and very sympathetic.  The Sea Willows are a stitch.  Great ending chapters!

This Heart of Mine – the softball game at the cottages!

Nobody’s Baby But Mine – Jane’s “big reveal” in front of Cal and his brother!

Breathing Room – Ren and Italy are amazing!  Good secondary romance.  An excellent epilogue!

First Lady - I love men dealing with children!  Hilarious and touching.

Can you tell I LOVE this woman!  If I were a writer I would want to write SEP books!  I cannot wait until Tuesday!

My first SEP was IMAGINE. I didn’t like it much. Two years later, I read FANCY PANTS, and I got hooked.

MATCH ME IF YOU CAN stands out for me, mainly because of the humour. The scene with all those guys at her house and the whole sequence beginning with Heath finding Portia at his yard after she had the chemical peel job - simply made me laugh out loud.

I like the way SEP writes about her characters’ growth -coming to terms with their flaws, overcoming their trauma/heartbreaks.

Damn it, Teresa! I’m trying to finish a book here! I can’t pick up an SEP book because I’ll just want to read the beginning, then the first chapter, then it’s three hours later and I haven’t gotten anything done.

I’m another who hasn’t read an SEP book, but I think I’ll have to pick this one up when it comes out. Looks good!

I just checked the SEP website, and I’m so excited!!  Authors rarely seem to come to my corner of Virginia but SEP will be on book tour 30 minutes away next Friday! 

I’m there!

I too have never read any of her books, but after reading all your comments I am going to go today and purchase one. 

It is a sad fact that all my favorite mystery writer’s books are piling up in my closet.  I buy them as soon as they come out, but I’m to busy reading all these great romances that you all recommend. I hadn’t read any romance books until about a year ago, so I have a lot of catching up to do!

I have to laugh, my word is “pressure27!”

I am very ‘cited about this book as I am of all the SEP books I have read.  I am a newbie to her writing and so have been ‘catching up’ little by little. 

I can’t wait until she visits here with us!  I’ll have read the book by then and will have a TON to say.  And you know me, I’m generally so reserved!

I ordered It Had to be You a couple of weeks ago. Haven’t receive it yet, and haven’t read any of this series! I am looking forward to getting hold of it!

Oh Carolyn, lucky you!  Susan is just as warm and delightful in person as she is between the pages of her books.  I hope you get to meet her!

I’m another lucky one who managed to get her hands on an ARC of Natural Born Charmer. I don’t want to reveal anything either, but I’ll second Teresa’s opinion: it’s wonderful!!! Those of you who haven’t read SEP, I highly recommend you find one ASAP. They’re always such a treat.

It was to my absolute joy that I won an ARC of this book.  I and all my family are supremely grateful that it arrived on a day and a time when I was about to blow my stack BIG TIME. I took my bad mood and steaming temper into another room with Dean and Blue and came out several hours later having laughed, cried and enjoyed myself immensely. I didn’t want to even let the book go and carried it around telling anyone who would stand still long enough to be snared how wonderful it was.  It’s amazing how just the right book can turn your day from crumbs to diamonds if you’re lucky enough.

This is certainly a far more favourable review than the ones at DearAuthor (not to knock on either review; I like seeing different reader reactions).  I only wish it were being released in PB, although I suppose it’s a good thing for SEP that it’s coming out in HC.  This is a bit of a buying dilemma for Feb, because Whedon’s Torn is out on Valentine’s Day… but too many books is better than not enough!

My favourite SEPs (and I think I’ve read almost her entire backlist now) are Fancy Pants, Dream a Little Dream and Ain’t She Sweet?.  And my non-faves of hers are quite good too.

I have noticed, probably due to reading them very closely together, that she uses a lot of the same themes in her books, but it usually doesn’t come across as redundant or unoriginal.

"Ain’t She Sweet” by SEP
I love the Stars series and her other books as well (Kiss An Angel- love love love) but that book has always just stuck with me.

I have and have read and re-read all of SEP’s books.
My favorite..."Nobody’s Baby But Mine”....the Lucky Charms scene will live in my mind always. (My favorite cereal).

Looking forward to this book. The teaser chapters certainly make me want to read the rest of the book.

When I see SEP’s name on a book, I KNOW that the book will make me laugh and cry and sigh; it will be filled with scenes witty and poignant and true; it will be about characters who are endearing and flawed and capable of growth. Just knowing that Natural Born Charmer will be in my hands by Tuesday makes next week look much better.

Choosing a favorite is difficult. I would not want to lose a single one of my 16 SEP keepers, but I do think It Had To Be You has one of the best opening scenes I have ever read, Dream a Little Dream is one of my top five “good cry” reads, and Molly’s use of “slytherin” (THOM) gets my personal award for Best Pop Culture reference in a romance. And I have to mention Kss an Angel and First Lady since they have received insufficient raves in this discussion so far.

Teresa

I’m so excited that SEP has a new book coming out and I too LOVED Dean in Match Me If You Can. The man who sleeps with a picture of himself, as Annabelle says.
I love all SEP’s books for different reasons and I know it is old and out of print and all but don’t everyone forget The Copeland Bride.

Shana Galen, I love listening to SEP’s audiobooks too. I own all of them. Kate Fleming, the lady who read SEP’s books, was one of the best readers out there and I was so sad when I heard about her tragic death.

Molly’s use of “slytherin” (THOM) gets my personal award for Best Pop Culture reference in a romance

I would have liked it a lot better if she hadn’t explained where it came from.  Even a non-Potter fan like me I think would have gotten it without having the refence filled in.

Kiss an Angel is the circus book, right?  I liked that one, except for the whip fetish.  That was my second “first” SEP (I had read THOM a while back - for some reason I keep confusing that title with It Had to be You, not an unusual occurence for me - and I don’t know why I didn’t look for more books by her at the time) and I was taken somewhat aback by the forced/arranged marriage, but I got past it and really liked the rest of the book.  I think “Ain’t She Sweet?” was the one that made me really fall in love with her writing.  (but enough to buy in HC?  I don’t know...)

I love Susan’s books and I’m really anxious to read NATURAL BORN CHARMER.  Anticipation....

Hi everyone,

I’m another one lucky enough to have read this book as an ARC—and I made it stretch into TWO WEEKS.  One chapter a day is all I allowed myself most days, just because it was so absolutely deliriously wonderful.

I’m all set to read it again!

Eloisa (who just reread Lady, Be Good, one of my favorites)

I voting Dream a Little Dream as my favourite just because it’s the first SEP book I ever read.  When I realised what a wonderful story teller she is, I went back and started reading all her back list books in order.

Only, I didn’t get to read Match Me if you Can and now I feel bad because her new one is coming out and I’m behind… I better remedy that and get reading!!

For me, it’s a toss up between Lady Be Good and Nobody’s Baby but Mine.  I love the whole football theme!

I’ve had this on order since I got 2 large Amazon.com gcs for Christmas.  I can’t wait.  Hopefully, I’ll have it in my greedy little hands by Thursday or Friday. 

I read the cute meet on-line at SEP’s web site.  I want to read it again and again.  I loved Dean in “Match Me If You Can” and knew he was destined to be a great hero when he grew up. 

Thanks for your lovely Valentine review of it, Teresa.  BTW, “Nobody’s Darling” is still one of my all-time favorite reads.  My copy is so dog-earred that I’m thinking of ordering a new one.

Brain freeze, I read too much. I like all of the books in this series. Too bad I’ll miss Susan. Tuesday I’ll be reading “Innocent In Death” and Wednesday I’ll read “Natural Born Charmer”, after I buy it on the 20th.