Rating: 
Summary: Wait for the paperback
Review: I loved It Had to Be You, and couldn't wait for this book to be released. However, my recommendation to others is to wait for the paperback. Molly as a heroine is to stupid to live at times, and Kevin a close second. I never quite connected to either one. The secondary romances are never quite flushed out and seem like padding. The story seem cliche. SEP has the ability to move the story along, I never was bored, but it lacked the humor of It Had To Be You, or the emotional pull of Dream A Little Dream. Rather like eating a Snicker bar, when you have come to expect Godiva Chocolate.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful, warm, witty, and wise . . .
Review: There's a reason that Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the Queen of Romantic Comedy: she writes books like THIS HEART OF MINE. Two of the toughest things a writer can do is make the reader laugh and also make her believe in love, and SEP pulls both off beautifully in this warm and funny story of a writer who vents her frustrations in her books (gee, wonder where that came from) and an athlete who vents his frustrations on the field until they get trapped together in the off-season and have only each other to vent to. Add a cozy setting, a touching subplot, and SEP's compassionate world view, and you've got this winner of a novel. Wonderful, warm, witty, and wise: that's Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Fortunately, that's her books, too.
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST READ FOR "SEP'S" FANS
Review: CONTINUING THE "STARS" SAGA, S.E.P. HAS ONCE AGAIN GIVEN US A STORY THAT WON'T QUIT & IS HARD TO PUT ON HOLD UNTIL YOU'RE FINISHED READING IT. THERE ARE SOME BEAUTIFULLY TOUCHING MOMENTS THAT BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES, ESPECIALLY WHEN KEVIN RUSHES MOLLY TO THE HOSPITAL & HER FEARS ARE SHARED BY HIM. THE RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENTS BETWEEN MOLLY & KEVIN ARE SHARED WITH OTHER CHARACTERS WHICH MAKES THE WHOLE STORY RICH WITH DIVERSITY. MOLLY'S ACTIONS PROVE HER TO BE A FREE SPIRIT BUT THEN THE HERO/HEROINE CONNECTION WOULDN'T BE THERE IF SHE ACTED IN A TOTALLY "MATURE" WAY. IT'S NICE TO READ STORIES WHERE THE "LEADING LADY" ISN'T A "BLOND BOMBSHELL" (LIKE HER SISTER) BUT STILL MANAGES TO "GET THE GORGEOUS GUY!"
Rating: 
Summary: Molly and Kevin...
Review: Molly has always had a crush on Kevin. Because of that, she will approach Kevin in a secretive way. That, and her rash personality will cause her to do something that quite frankly, I see as unforgivable. And, maybe, because of that poor beginning for me, I could not get into this book. I just never learned to like Molly. Reckless, stupid, self-pitying, are all adjectives I could use to describe Molly. And maybe because the book so centers on Molly, that Kevin's personality seems to fade into the scenery, at times. With several other issues going on in the book--the anti-gay group, two other romances, Kevin's problems with his parentage, his problem with the camp itself--I just didn't see any growing up, or growing together, between Molly and Kevin. Ms. Phillips is such a skillful writer. She writes scenes that are laugh-out-loud funny, and I particularly enjoyed the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter, that tells the story of Daphne the Bunny, and Benny the Badger. I just wish I had enjoyed the story about Molly and Kevin.
Rating:
Summary: Charming, romantic, tender--heads above the crowd
Review: This Heart of Mine combines the warmth and sass that are a Phillips' trademark. While Phillips has always created wonderful, endearing characters, she's added something new with this book. Kevin and Molly are part of a larger community where their actions and concerns--and, yes, their quite hot romance!--give the reader a sense of a larger world than one often finds in a romance. The secondary characters around Kevin and Molly and the "critters" in Molly's book are quite splendid and involving. And funny--laugh-out-loud funny, in fact! All this makes the This Heart of Mine poignant, touching, and quite special, a book that stands out from the crowd. And the writing? Well, nobody keeps up a pace like SEP, that's for sure! I can't imagine an evening better spent than entering the world of THIS HEART OF MINE. Loved it, loved it, loved it!
Rating:
Summary: A Joyful Read!
Review: What a wonderful book this is, reminded me of the magic and joy of the movie "Chocolat." Molly, the heroine, must overcome tragedy to find love while Keven must learn to trust his emotions instead of turning them off. There are too many LOL (laugh out loud) moments to list here, but several times I cracked up and laughed so hard my sides hurt. The book also explores the power and importance of family. I loved the secondary love story with Liam. And the chapter openings using excerpts from Daphne the Bunny (a children's story that Molly writes as a children's author) are charming and delightful. This author just has such a special magical way of telling a story that is always fresh, always compelling, and always pulls you in until the very last page. I also loved seeing Phoebe and Dan from IT HAD TO BE YOU to see how their relationship had grown and their love had deepened. All in all a gem of a read! You finish reading this book and the feel-good glow stays with you long afterwards!
Rating:
Summary: Incredible as always
Review: Well if you are wondering if you should wait for this book to get to paperbook, DON'T-BUY IT NOW!! I usually do, but Susan E. Phillips is one of my favorite authors and I had to have it now and it was worth it. This story rounds out the Chicago Stars Football series and features Kevin (football player) and Molly (writer) who were minor characters from previous novels. By the way, if you are new to her books you should read "Heaven, Texas" (one of my favorites). This book takes these two characters to a campground for the summer (after a difficult start to their relationship) and this is where they fall in love. While it is just a little bit slow in the beginning once you get into it you can not put it down. I laughed outright many times during the story. It is just so heartwarming. And it is a must read. ENJOY!!
Rating:
Summary: Daphne the Bunny and Benny the Badger grow up!
Review: I am a HUGH SEP fan. I've been waiting for the release of this book for what seems forever. Starting a few years ago with "Nobody's Baby But Mine" then "It Had To Be You" and "Heaven Texas" I have been following the ups and downs of the Chigago Stars organization and all the wonderful characters SEP gives to us. I liked Kevin Tucker in "Nobody's Baby But Mine" and even felt alittle sorry for Molly in "It Had To Be You". Together in this book they are wonderful. Kevin is the football obsessed quarterback who prefers his women with limited english (foreign models) so that he doesn't have to clutter his life with a relationship. He is all about football. Unfortunately, his recent bouts of risk taking (skydiving, motocycle racing and fast cars) hasn't clued him in yet that football isn't all he needs in his life. Restless and looking for thrills to fill the void, Kevin is getting in trouble with the Star's management for endangering their valuable property (him!). Molly, well Molly has been restless for years. Making her living writing children's stories, Molly is not expected to be anything but the good little brainy heiress so she tries to define herself with outrageous haircuts and occasional bursts of bizarre behaviour ("incidents" as her sister Pheobe calls them). As a result of one night of a not so great "incident" Kevin and Molly go through some hard times, some fun times and finally grow up to see what love really is. I liked this book enough to read it in one sitting (4:40 a.m. I closed the cover), I really enjoyed Dan and Pheobe and their children. I loved the Daphne and Benny characters in the children's story as it helped to define Kevin and Molly's relationship. I think the secondary love story of Lilly and Liam was great. Having said all that, these characters didn't take on lasting personalities that stayed with me long after I finished the books quite the same way as Bobby Tom and Gracie did in "Heaven Texas", Cal and Jane in "Nobody's Baby But Mine" or Dan and Pheobe in "It Had To Be You" I felt that physically Molly and Kevin were not described enough. I couldn't "see" them in my mind. He had blond hair, was tall and gorgeous but what else? That's my half-baked rationale for not giving it a five. Don't get me wrong, I loved the book and will undoubtedly reread it. Maybe I'm just alittle sad that there will be no more news from the Chicago Stars.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Combination
Review: I laughed and cried throughout the novel. And although I was sluggish the next day, it was only because I stayed up until 2am to finish the book! Philips delivers yet again the perfect combination of characters, coming back to the "Chicago Stars" series. I enjoyed this work much more than her last one, "First Lady". Even though this is printed in hardcover, it's worth purchasing. I have a feeling I will be re-reading this one alot in the future!
Rating:
Summary: Average and a bit disappointing
Review: I agree with the reviews of the readers from Mission Viejo, CA and Baltimore, MD (2/7/2001) that this latest book is just not up to the usual standards one comes to expect from Ms. Phillips. Rather that retell the plot line(s) that have already been related by other reviewers, I will just add that the characters were not well defined, and the multiple story lines were disjointed and at times annoying. For example, at the beginning of the book, just when I thought that the relationship of Molly and Kevin might be better explained and explored, these two characters just dropped of the face of the earth and a new plot line was introduced. While some authors of mystery novels use this irritating method to build suspense, the change of the story line at a critical point in this book just didn't make sense. I also agree with another reviewer that Molly's quirky character needs some serious shrink time. Molly appears to "live" her life through the imaginary characters she has created for her children's books; and when the great "love" scene with Kevin finally arrives, Molly retreats into her imagination rather than enjoy the reality of a moment that we've been told she has been fantasizing about for years. Kevin's character also seems to be in crisis, but the reason for his odd behavior isn't explained or explored as Ms. Phillips did so well with earlier, similar characters such as Cal Bonner, Bobby Tom Denton, and Kenny Traveler. In short, the problem is that this book seems so weak in comparison with Ms. Phillips' earlier brilliant works. If you can't wait to read the book (as I couldn't), I'd recommend checking it out at the library; otherwise, wait for the paperback.
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