Rating: 
Summary: Phillips is a Rare Breed
Review: Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a rare breed of writer that never ceases to amaze me with her ability to flawlessly blend the reader's emotions. I constantly hold my breath when I am reading her novels, and "Ain't She Sweet?" was no exception. In the space of a few breathless moments, I wept over Sugar Beth's amazing strength of will to walk into a room of her fiercest enemies and face the demons of her own making, and I laughed with her during her inspired moments of selfish hilarity. She was that girl we all despised in high school for her high-handed and bullying approach to the lesser species of teenagers, but she became that woman whom we all want to become, because she displays a tenacity that tugs at the heart, and her pride and dignity brings the rest of the estrogen crowd to their feet in a display of unrelenting girl power. I was so excited when I discovered that Phillips newest book would hit the shelves, and I was even more giddy to have those pages of in my hand. She is a writer who fully develops the cast in her story. Everyone has a story and a past to explain the nuances of their behavior, and that is what makes her books so unique. Whether we laugh or cry or hold our breath, she never has failed to follow through on her reputation as one of the best. "Ain't She Sweet?" is one of her best. And the only disappointment I felt was when the last pages were read, and I realized that I would have to wait a long time before Phillip's next story was published.
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Summary: Ain't She Sweet? You betcha!
Review: I'm fascinated by books that grab me from the first sentence and don't let go. Phillips' books always do that for me--the flow of the words, the dialogue, the humor--sometimes belly- busting, laugh-out-loud, sometimes a wry recognition of one of life's realities--her wonderful characters, including the Phillips' trademark hero, who inevitably learns something and changes. She has a rare gift for storytelling. Ain't She Sweet delivers. It's funny, bittersweet, moving, and it showcases a sense of nurturing and community. These themes have such power in Phillips' books. I'm constantly amazed by how she combines her inimitable humor with this warmth. Amazing. I finished the last page of Ain't She Sweet with a smile on my face and the feeling that living in a Phillips' fictional world would be a great place. I wanted to hang out with Sugar Beth and The Sea Willows and laugh and cry with them. The Phillips' world is a great place to visit and, in the case of Ain't She Sweet, the visit is over all too fast.
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Summary: Courage just when I needed it...
Review: I found SEP approximately 8 years ago and have been driven ever since to find and devour her stories of strong women overcoming all kinds of unimaginable hardships.
The heroine, Sugar Beth, is the girl we all loved to hate in our youth. She seemed to have everything, only to yearn for the one thing every girl needs; her father's love.
She finds the love, but in the most unlikely way. I just loved the part about the pearls. Every true "Lady" needs her pearls and Sugar Beth finds them and more.
This book inspired me and I really needed this message right now.
Thank you Susan Elizabeth Phillips... really, thanks
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Summary: SEP has done it again!
Review: Susan Elizabeth Phillips has penned yet another heartfelt story with strong characters and a sense of humor that will make you laugh out loud. I've listened to the unabridged audio version and reader Anna Fields (used in most all of SEP's other audiobooks) did a beautiful job of making the story come to life, as always. Sugar Beth Carey is another strong woman who faces adversity (some of her own making) and manages to overcome. What I love about SEP's characters is that they are usually imperfect women with hurdles to jump and they do it with grace, courage, and determination. The way she writes it makes for a fun, satisfying story. I've listened to all SEP's books and, although it's hard to choose one, I do think this is one of her best.
Rating:
Summary: one of her best
Review: I'm another fan that has read all of SEP's books, and have to say this is one of my favorites. My only real complaint is that I wish I hadn't finished it so fast... Yes, I found it heart wrenching in places, but the dialogue between Colin and Sugar Beth was great, and made for a good mix of seriousness and lightheartedness. Through it all, I was able to clearly see how the lack of Sugar Beth's fathers love really shaped her relationships with men. Understanding how she ended up where she did made me love her character all the more. One of SEP's best!
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Summary: Expectations met
Review: Susan Elizabeth Phillips rarely disappoints and this is one of her best - funny, touching, heartwrenching, feisty. It was a great read.
Rating:
Summary: A must read!
Review: While not having the laugh out loud parts that many of this author's books have, there still is the classic humor that lives in all of her books. This was an extremely satisfying read, and each and every character was so thouroughly developed, you felt as if you were right there with them. I won't go into the storyline details, as that has been taken care of in other reviews, but this truly is a story of strength, redemption, and a lesson that people are not always as they seem. Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of those gifted authors who can have you smiling on one page, and fighting back tears on the next. Well done! A must read!
Rating:
Summary: another stellar read from SEP
Review: This book does not have the continuous humor of previous books, there's too many heart-tugging emotions for the laughs. That was a surprise. But it isn't a bad thing - this is too good of a book. Sugar Beth is a complex woman who faces the people who have the most reason to despise her. Her past actions should make her an unlikeable person but Sugar Beth is a woman redeemed. Or at least she is attempting to find her place as a woman of honor. I loved the story. SEP's ability to present the emotions of all the characters is fantastic. She continues to create people of interest with very real foibles and quirks. I recognize them in myself and people I know. Thanks, Susan for another keeper.
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Summary: The BEST
Review: I do have all the books by Mrs. Phillips and so far I think this is the BEST! I didnt like "Breathing Room" too much and was apprehensive about the new one. But WOW! what a surprise! You will NOT be dissapointed!I couldn`t put it down! You just got to love the characters and the dialogue between Colin and Sugar Beth... PRICELESS!
I did Not want it to end, the waiting time for Mrs. Phillips new book is going to be very loooong!
Rating: 
Summary: Not so Sweet
Review: After a year of waiting, I opened my Amazon box and dove into SEP's latest. Reading the reviews, blurbs, book jacket, I was ready to indulge in a good few hours of heart-tugging, laughter filled hours with yet another new bunch of characters I felt like I knew.
Boy was I surprised. There's nothing funny about Ain't She Sweet. It's a fantastic book, and the characterization is as good as ever, but this book is heart-wrenching. More Dream a Little Dream than Breathing Room. I don't mind reading a book with a powerful punch, but I want fair warning when it's going to happen. Every bit of publicity on this book promised comedy. By the end, the humor is there, but it's almost bitter-sweet. Reading this book reminded me of when I went to see Step Mom expecting to laugh my way through the movie and left needing a box of Kleenex. With SEP's latest, I was blindsided by a poor publicity job on all parts: SEP's, the publisher and the advance reviews.
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