Natural Born Charmer

I just discovered Susan Elizabeth Phillips about a week ago when I read the first of her seven book Chicago Stars series. I have read 7 books in about 1 week which goes to show that I haven't been able to put them down. I have literally laughed my way through each one and each one got better than the last. The female characters are strong and funny yet soft and vulnerable where it counts. The male characters are definitely all alpha males, masterful, intelligent, and sexy with their own particular boner abilities. One of the best series I've read, and I'm looking forward to reading much more by Ms Phillips.

I really love SEP books (I've read them all), but this wasn't her best. It was hard to like the main characters. It lacked the spark of her other books.

But don't let this review stop you from purchasing the book. In reality, even SEP's worst or average book is still significantly better than a lot of romance book releases. I give it four stars ONLY because it isn't HER best. Compared to most authors, this is still a five star book and a worthwhile read.

I agree with the other reviews--much of this book is a repeat of several previous SEP books all rolled into one. Having said that, this is still a great read if you're looking for a light romantic comedy, snappy dialog and characters you'll enjoy spending a few hours with.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has produced another great read with her latest book the Natural Born Charmer. I couldn't put the book down once I had started! She explores some very real life issues in a way that makes you hold your breath as you turn the page, I recommend this book thoroughly.

I have been a SEP fan for several years. However, with each of her recent books she has chosen to insert more and more personal political points of view through her characters until that's now the story. I read a novel to get away from that. It pulls the reader out of the story and into the New York Times.

What a cast of characters! I knew I would love Dean’s story. And Blue is the perfect woman to bring him down a peg or two. The verbal sparring between the two of them was hilarious and fun to read. But since I could also read about their internal thoughts I understood what that sparring was hiding.

One of my favorite things about this story was watching Dean grow as a person. Not only has he had to deal with having a beautiful face himself and his natural athletic ability that kept many fake people in his orbit, but he also had to deal with having a beautiful and wild mom while growing up. Plus, a father who everyone kept a secret. It’s no wonder the man had trust issues and used his cocky nature to hide that vulnerability.

As for Blue, her vulnerability was more raw. It was “yeah I’m damaged, what are you going to do about it?” type of attitude. But that attitude had taken over Blue’s persona so much she started to believe she wasn’t worth much. She was full of bluster but didn’t believe her own hype. Dean saw that pretty quickly and tried to deal with it in an indirect way so as not to get Blue’s back up.

Now throw in a tween with low self-esteem, a recovering addict trying to make amends, a middle age man coming to grips with all the mistakes he made in his past, and a crotchety old woman who feels she’s been wronged by an entire town. It’s madness, it’s fun, it’s heartbreaking, it’s mayhem, it’s perfect.

Only one more book left in this series and it makes me sad. SEP does such a great job at pulling me into her world and keeping me entertained. I always laugh and cry while reading her stories, and that’s the best kind of book in my mind.

Can I say how much I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips Natural Born Charmer! Seriously, this was indescribable. LOVE Dean and Blue! Anna Fields does an amazing job with this book. With so many characters that appear in this book, she was able to give each of them their own voice. With that said, I think I should go into more detail on each of those characters that are pretty important to the story.

Dean Robillard: Quarterback for Chicago Stars. He's kind of not sure what to do become happy. He felt that he had to get out of Chicago. Nothing like a road trip. He was feeling down till he met Blue Bailey.

Blue Bailey: Is a walking disaster. I mean when we first meet her she's walking on the highway in a beaver costume without it's head. I busted a gut. Tears were streaming down when Blue and Dean have their first encounter. Brilliant!

April Robillard/Susan O'Hare: Dean's mother. Very strain relationship at the beginning of the story, but eventually they work things out.

Riley Patriot: Half-sister to Dean. Decides to run away to Dean's house hoping he will want her around.

Jack Patriot: Dean's father. Rocker and didn't care much while Dean was growing up. Even more strain relationship than his mother.

Anita Garrison: The Mayor of Garrison. Wealthy. Kind of hates the town, but has good reason. Shows that she truly loves Blue, but that relationship takes some time to grow.

Of course we have the good people of Garrison who would love to see the town to grow, but Anita stands in the way.

Anyway, I loved every moment of the story, and there is sooooo much going on Natural Born Charmer. I love the banter between Dean and Blue. Blue keeps Dean on his toes and he has no clue how to handle her. They both see each other for who they truly are. She even helps Dean mend his relationship with his family, which is not the easiest task. This had me laughing out loud throughout most of the story. Tears, I tell you. However, there are moments where I did get a choked up on Blue's behalf. She does have rotten luck until she gets to Garrison. This story was so good I had to listen to the story again. I might have to get a physical copy of this book, because again it's that good. I can't wait to read/listen to other Chicago Stars books. They are worth the read. Run and get this book, and I normally don't say things like that. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Natural Born Charmer. If you are in need to find something that is going to put you in a good mood, check this book out.

Natural Born Charmer is a delightful contemporary fictional story, filled with funny situations and witty dialog. The characters in this book will win your heart, stir your emotions, and make you laugh.

Thirty-year-old Blue Bailey learned from a very young age that people could not be trusted. Everyone she has ever loved left her. She decided that it was easier to feel the heartache of loneliness, than to suffer the stinging pain of betrayal and rejection. So Blue Bailey hid herself behind a smart mouth, oversized tee shirts, combat boots, and a badass attitude.

Pro football player Dean Robillard smiled when he spotted a woman dressed in a beaver suit, stomping alongside the highway, blazing with anger. Intrigued, he pulled his car over. He had no idea that his life was about to change forever. Blue Bailey on the other hand had no idea that she was about to let in a self-centered, selfish man who would crack her inner fortress, and break her heart.

Blue Bailey marched along the Tennessee Highway, furious and fit to be tied. Her bank account had been ransacked, her car rendered useless, and if she didn’t get out of her beaver suit soon she was going to drop from heat exhaustion. So when Pro football star Dean Robillard stopped to offer her a ride, she took it.

Dean was used to women falling all over him. So when Blue Bailey refused his charms, he was stunned. Who was this girl? She certainly wasn’t a beauty queen dressed in men’s clothing and combat boots. She should feel lucky that he even acknowledged her presence at all. But the more time Dean spent with Blue, the more he discovered that her thick sarcastic exterior was just a cover for the insecure beautiful girl who lived beneath it.

Blue couldn’t understand why she even cared about Dean. He was a conceited jerk and treated his mother as if she were dead. Blue got it though; he had been abandoned, but so had she. Maybe her mother wasn’t a druggie like Dean’s, but at least his mother was trying to be there for him now. That was more than she could say about hers.

Blue had to get away from Dean Robillard. She was playing with fire, and her heart was about to be broken. So Blue took a job painting a portrait for a mean-spirited, hateful woman, who would end up befriending her.

Natural Born Charmer is a well written, funny and emotional read, crafted with several subplots. Susan Elizabeth Phillips does a fabulous job developing her secondary characters. She depicts for the reader the overwhelming guilt that hits a parent when they realize, that their self-indulgent lifestyle has left permanent scars upon their children. Each character in Natural Born Charmer pulled at my heartstrings, except Dean Robillard. He never won me over. I love the character of Blue Bailey though; she’s sassy, smart and funny and has a beautiful, loving heart.
The common thread in Natural Born Charmer is about relationships, the pain of them, the joy of them, and how some relationships are just worth fighting for, no matter what. I loved this book, it moved me emotionally and made me laugh. It’s unrealistic, but it’s so enjoyable that it really doesn’t matter. I read the book in one day.

I highly recommend Natural Born Charmer. Be prepared to laugh and ride a roller coaster of emotions. Smart mouth, badass Blue Bailey is going to win you over. I guarantee it.

I've read all the books in the Chicago Stars series and I believe this is my favorite with Match Me If You Can as a close second. I think it was the beaver suit that clinched it...

Dean and Blue are so different and have so many relationship issues that they need to work through that it seems almost impossible but they wind up perfect for each other.

There is secondary relationship that develops between April and Jack which is something I love about SEP's books.

The overall relationships that develop between Blue, Dean, April, Jack, Riley and Mrs. Garrison are heart warming. They genuinely become a family and it's desperately needed for all characters.

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves to laugh, get a little misty-eyed and enjoys a happy ending. It is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. If you can listen to it narrated by Anna Fields please do. She's absolutely wonderful!

Why oh, why have I let my reading of every new book and her old ones I missed slip lately. There was a time I would read each new release, but then blogging took over. So when I was approached by Megan, the publicist at Harper Collins, I had to jump at the chance to be part of this amazing blog tour. I get to review two of Susan’s previous titles (watch for Ain’t She Sweet in two weeks) and then I get to read her new one, Heroes are my Weakness. Three SEP’s in one summer, heck yes!!

And her books are just like I remember them, full of great characters, lots of humor and banter and a wonderful love story. Natural Born Charmer did not disappoint. What was even better, this was my book I enjoyed on the houseboat we rented to celebrate my husband’s 40th birthday. There was no better place to enjoy this book!

Is there a better place to relax with a book (note the Atlantic Ocean is just on the other side of those dunes and Cape Lookout was my other view, happiness!)

So Natural Born Charmer starts off with a bang. A hot guy in a hot car picking up a literally hot headless beaver on the side of the road. I mean it seems absurd but I could see it happening. Said beaver has quite a bit of spunk, a jerk of an ex and no money so she embarks on a trip with hot hunky football player to get where she needs to go, not knowing at the time that where she needs to be is with said football-player.

Dean and Blue are amazing characters. Dean is a natural born charmer which is one of the things that makes Blue hold off from him for awhile. Blue is a flighty but smart woman who has grown up in several homes so she’s a little scared of commitment. Dean is not all in from the beginning of the book either, he’s just intrigued by how different Blue is, but he is just as afraid as her that they can’t make it work because of their differences and because of his own issues in his life.

As they finally make it to Nashville where he is having a house redone as a second home (his first is in Chicago where he’s a Chicago Star football player). But he wants a more permanent home and he loves the one in Nashville. He comes home to a surprise or two that make the book interesting. I like how the book focuses on several other characters. At times I almost felt Blue and Dean’s romance was secondary, but it was okay, it really worked in the framework of the book and once the storylines started coming together, I could hardly put the book down. I was even reading it on the boat ride home and I never do that, I usually just enjoy the scenery, but it was that hard to put down.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips fails to disappoint as usual. You get romance, you get drama, you get laughs. I’m pretty sure I laughed and cried in this one. I loved every minute even when I was about ready to kill the main characters becasue of their usual stupidity at not facing love. But that just added to the story as well. This is number 7 in the Chicago Stars series, but reads great as a stand-alone. However it reminds me I want to go back and fill in the books I have missed and with a lighter review schedule I should be able to do that. Thank you Susan Elizabeth Phillips for providing me with a wonderful beach read and I look forward to continuing my summer of SEP soon!

Natural Born Charmer is a contemporary romance of the “you are everything I never knew I always wanted” variety with subplots of familial healing thrown in. Given the number of people with fractured or messed up families, I’m not surprised to see this element featured in several of the contemporary romances I’ve read. In addition to the main couple, there is a subplot featuring the hero’s parents who are also messed up and trying to find their way to stability. Natural Born Charmer has the slightly heightened reality common to romances, it’s sweet without being treacly and cacklingly funny.

Dean Robillard is gorgeous, rich, incredibly well-dressed, and gorgeous some more; to wit, “You look like an ad for gay porn.” (I’m still laughing.) A professional football player, his golden life looks perfect from the outside, but his broken relationship with his mother, his dissatisfaction, and his current road trip say otherwise. All that changes when he sees a woman in a headless beaver costume stomping down a side road. Blue Bailey (Hush, it’s a totally cool name.) is a feisty mess. A peripatetic artist, she moved from Seattle to Denver just in time to be dumped by the boyfriend she moved there to join. Alone, jobless, and broke, her car has just died and she is stuck. Claiming to be gay to make her feel comfortable, Dean offers to drive Blue first to her apartment, then to Nashville, and eventually to rural Tennessee where he is going to check on the farmhouse he is having renovated. She never leaves.

Blue and Dean are both deliciously sardonic and sarcastic. I found myself throwing my head back and laughing in the way they always describe in these books, but you don’t really believe is true until it happens to you. They also have abandonment issues and not necessarily healthy coping mechanisms, but eventually manage to figure things out. While their personal relationships are improved, they are not perfect, and there is a nice examination of what happens when children are let down by their parents, even if it is for a really good reason.

A great example of the genre, Natural Born Charmer is a very well executed and sweet read.

Natural Born Charmer is the final installment in Susan Elizabeth Phillips's Chicago Stars series. I am so, so sad to finally end this series but I LOVED this last book! There was so much hilarious banter between the two lead characters, I just couldn't get enough. I have enjoyed all the books in this series, although some more than others. But this last book Natural Born Charmer is definitely going on my favorites list!

The lead characters Dean Robillard and Blue Bailey are both proud individuals with chaotic upbringings, but other than that they are total opposites. Dean is a rich and famous metrosexual type- aka pretty boy, and Blue is a drifting artist and the daughter of a Mother Teresa type who can care less about how she looks. They meet by chance when Blue happens to be in-between temporary addresses. With nothing to lose, she reluctantly agrees to travel to Dean's farm with him as she needs a place to stay. From that moment on, hilarity ensues. There are some very touching moments though when family issues surface and are explored. Dean and Blue have amazing chemistry and I loved both of their characters. There are additional characters in this book that I adored as well, and who added their own craziness as well as warmth. This is a laugh-out-loud, excellent contemporary romance and it was a fabulous ending to an amazing series. It can be read as a standalone but why not read the whole series?

The Chicago Stars series includes the following installments:
#1: It Had to Be You
#2: Heaven, Texas
#3: Nobody's Baby But Mine
#4: Dream a Little Dream
#5: This Heart of Mine
#6: Match Me If You Can
#7: Natural Born Charmer

My favorite quote:
“You can't do extraordinary things in the world if you're spending time criticizing others because they don't look or behave the way you think they should.”

Check out the full review at Kritters Rambings

What is right now the last in the Chicago Stars series that centers around a fictional football team and each book in the series centers around a different character affiliated in one or another with the team. I have only read the last two books, but I didn't feel like I was missing too much by not reading them in order. At some point I do hope to go back and start at the first and read them all through.

This book centers around a wanderer named Blue Bailey and the quarterback of the stars Dean Robillard. They meet basically on page one and the book follows not only their love story, but some other characters from Dean's family and life. Although their relationship was a complete mess, I loved it. I loved how fiesty Blue was, the reader gets bits and pieces from her childhood that help to create the full image of why Blue is the way she is why she reacts the way she does. There are also some reasons as to why Dean is who he is and I loved seeing them overcome their individual pasts and start a relationship. It was easy to root for them!

This is probably my new favorite in the series. That being said, there’s a lot going on in this book, and it’s probably too much for a single book to contain. All of the little side plots were interesting, most of them were fun, but after a while they just detracted from the main focus on Blue and Dean. I really enjoyed the banter and the zany, quirky characters, but I have to agree with some of the other reviews that suggested enough was more than enough.

Any story that offers a female protagonist with bad hair and a sharp tongue is usually a draw for me. Just seeing that the underdog gets a chance in love is something that can keep the hope alive that there are some less than egotistical people on this planet. As SEP shares yet another story within a story that surrounds the elite Chicago Stars football team, I was not sure that there could possibly be another story that can tie together and still remain a stand alone book. But, SEP has managed to do that very well.

Blue Bailey is a force to be reckoned with in a small package. Talented, witty, but oh so damaged from her upbringing gets picked up by the golden arm of the Chicago Stars, Dean Robillard, along the side of the road in nonetheless.... a beaver costume (minus the head). It was touching to see that the initial attraction was not mutual of both parts (she needed to make some money and he needed a distraction), but as the story builds, we happen to be reading about two people that have a similar foundation of emotional damage. Dean's mother was a groupie that fell in love, got pregnant, and was dumped. While on a self-destructive path, she left Dean to grow up without any true parental presence. Dean's father, a famous rocker, managed to father another child that he left in the shadows, but realized that regardless of his 50+ years of age... he needed to grow up. Blue's mother, a radical freedom fighter, leaves her daughter to be raised in various houses all across the country while she fights the good fight. The lack of true parental guidance to mature her, Blue learns things the hard way to avoid getting hurt.

The banter that Blue and Dean have is more of a defense mechanism to avoid falling in love, but regardless of the past hurt, the present expectations, and the fear of the future, they fall in love. As each tries to come to terms with their shortcomings, it is the reality that second chances are what people really need. To amend their past transgressions and finally become whole again.

The stories about a golden boy with trust issues, a quirky vagabond painter with fear of falling in love or belonging anywhere, a young child seeking love from her estranged father after her mother dies, an ex-groupie making amends to her son after all those times she left him alone while she partied with rock stars, and an aging rock star embracing being a father instead of the absent presence with a bank account.... we also have a touching story about a bitter, old woman that becomes a fierce friend after being an even fiercer enemy, are the intricate pieces to a book that will make you laugh, cry and everything in between.

I would have given this book a 5-star rating, I had to knock off a half of a star for the ending. Regardless that most would expect it to be a fairy tale ending far sooner in the book, it was the challenge that Dean gave Blue that felt a little too heartless to become something believable of a soft ending that most romance/chick lit books offer. If the challenge was explained a little better and the feelings of both Blue and Dean offered a little more during that time frame, this book would have hit the 5-star mark it should deserve. I will say this.... I laughed at the banter, I cried at the touching parts, and it definitely held my attention until the end. I'd read it again...

With a series this good, it's hard to come to the end, but the good news is that there are plenty more books by this author that I can re-read, and I will.

The primary characters in this story are Dean and Blue. He's a gorgeous NFL quarterback and sometimes underwear model, She's a nomadic artist who looks more like a biker than the kind of woman he usually dates. He picked her up on the side of a country highway, dressed as a beaver. At first glance, a very unlikely couple. Add to that the fact that they both have trust/abandonment/relationship issues and this author has her work cut out for her getting them to their Happily Ever After. But of course she succeeds, and with lots of humor and quirky characters along for the ride.

I read this book on another platform, but the store is where I read and write reviews. I have read the whole Chicago Stars series, and this book was one of the more heartfelt ones, at times I teared up, at times laughed out loud. The author did a good job fleshing out both the main and the secondary characters. However, the fact that they were humanly flawed (e.g. the heroine's insecurities) was both a blessing and a curse. More specifically, it was hard sometimes to accept Dean's behaviour towards the end of the book, such as the time when his friends came to visit and mistook Blue for a servant and he did nothing to disabuse them of that notion, or how he enforced unnecessary separation, etc., etc...

Read one, they all have the same underdeveloped characters. The women are smart mouth little twits who are generally unreasonable and came from unhappy homes. The heroes also had bad home life and have women falling all over them...of course not the heroine, she's too busy being nasty so she won't fall in love. Oh well I guess SEP will continue to get away with these repetitive shallow plots until her sales show no one is interested. She can write. I wish she would get back to it.

I was a bit leery of this book at first; I wasn't sure I could get past the name of the heroine, but a few pages in I didn't notice any more.

This book continues the saga of the Chicago Stars. I believe it comes after "Match Me If You Can" which I enjoyed immensely. I was excited to read this book and wasn't disappointed.

I liked Dean and found him to be a stand-up kind of guy. I liked how the book dealt with the relationship between Dean, his mother, his estranged father and his half-sister.

I liked Blue. She wasn't the typical romance novel heroine; she wasn't conventionally beautiful and she didn't wear designer clothes. Which I appreciated. I am often annoyed when books describe the character's clothes by naming a designer. I always had a good idea of how Blue was dressed and felt her clothing choices mirrored her personality.

I enjoyed the relationship between Blue and the little old lady who owned the town, and I enjoyed the story of Jack Patriot and Dean's mother. Overall, the stories were all well done. The writing was clear and flowed well; I found this to be a fast, entertaining read.

My one disappointment was that Blue's relationship with her mother was never really dealt with. I was hoping that something would have been resolved with that, but it wasn't.

My chief problem with this hilarious, smart & sassy story is the fact that the HEA (happily ever after, usually pronounced "HEE-uh") comes together too quickly. I feel that so much page-time is spent on the subplots with Dean's parents and his baby half-sister, that we don't get nearly enough time with Blue and Dean themselves, so when everything works out for them, it just snaps into place. After a few hundred pages of excellent conflict and build up, I was disappointed that they basically got a wand-wave to fix their issues. Also, Dean needed to grovel more for a particular mistake.

Gotta say, I really love these MC's. Blue is perhaps my favorite Phillips heroine ever, because she's witty and independent, but never annoying, like those heroines who say they can take care of themselves but really can't. She's a self-starter and is so unpredictable, Dean can barely keep up with what she'll do next. I even love her decription--she's an artistic personality who wears hideous baggy clothes she finds in Lost and Found bins, but she also has babydoll eyes, "the color of grape lollipops," which is such a cute detail. I picture Zooey Deschanel when I read about Blue, or maybe a brunette Reese Witherspoon. Blue is quick-witted and snarky, and it's clear that nobody else could match Dean or shake him out of his apathy, because if Blue is too much of a caustic loner, Dean is too much of a team player. He's constantly having to shake hands, make small talk, sign autographs, hug, flirt, etc. 24/7, to the extent that most people think his charming public persona is his only persona. But he's far from empty-headed and has his own acerbic wit when the situation calls for it.

A few other things I love: as a rich athlete, Dean's never really had to pursue a relationship--they've always just happened for him, with little or no effort on his part. When things get complicated between him and Blue, Dean rather hilariously has no idea what to say or how to show Blue that she's important to him, and Captain Suave starts acting mighty clumsy. Then there's the nice small town setting of the story, the fact that the MC's have matching sets of trust and abandonment issues to work through, the laugh-out-loud moments...if there are any other downsides, it's that Phillips' writing tends to describe everyone's clothing in explicit detail every time they appear, and I just don't want that much detail. Also, after reading ten of her books, I think the heroes do occasionally think in non-guy-like ways (usually related to the aforementioned fashion obsession--the guy will be looking at his honey, and notice that she's wearing pumps/mules/wedge heels/slingbacks...how many average men would be able to register the difference?) but not so much that it's usually noticeable.

Natural Born Charmer is definitely charming, and for a good introduction to Phillips, I'd recommend picking up this novel, or the one just before it, Match Me if You Can.

I love to read. Moreover, I love to read romantic comedies. So I am at a loss as to why it took me so long to discover an author who, for good reason, has had legions of loyal fans for years! I was first introduced to Susan Elizabeth Phillips (or SEP which those of us "in the know" [wink, wink] like to call her) a couple of years ago when `AINT SHE SWEET' was first published. I bought it, I loved it. I then could not wait for her next book `MATCH ME IF YOU CAN' which immediately became one of my all time favorite books. So it was obvious that when `NATURAL BORN CHARMER' came out I ordered it on the spot. Regretfully it took me almost a year to the day of purchasing it to actually read it, but let me tell you it was well worth the wait!

SEP has a way of creating characters that her readers genuinely care about, a story that engulfs you and can weave a tale of romance that will leave even the ficklest of readers wanting more, and more, and more. In `NATURAL BORN CHARMER' she reintroduces us to Dean Rolbillard star player for the Chicago Stars football team who, in search of a much needed respite from the chaos of his everyday life, heads down to his Tennessee vacation home. He soon meets Blue Bailey who is also in need. She needs a roof over her head, a job and time to sort out the mess her life has become. These two soon find out that they have more in common than an instant attraction. They both come from similar childhoods and they both are stubborn, headstrong and not willing to give an inch. All of which makes this novel a ton of fun.

At the heart of this story, yes, it is a romance but there is so much more to it than that. It is about family, reconciliation, willingness to forgive and being able to look past some serious rough edges in order to see the good in people. All of which may sound a bit cheesy but believe me SEP makes it work.

I have a list of "go to authors" as I like to call them. They are the authors that I can always count on to produce quality work, who I know will never let me down. Now Susan Elizabeth Phillips, you my friend, are definitely on that list, I thank you.

I can promise you that Susan Elizabeth Phillip's NATURAL BORN CHARMER will top a lot of "Best of..." lists for 2007 with this wonderful book.

Writers are a notoriously jaded and nit-picky lot so it's rare that we'll admit that we adore every word that comes out of an author's mouth. But for me, Susan Elizabeth Phillips (or SEP as she's known to her legion of equally adoring readers) has always been that author. I first fell in love with her work when I read FANCY PANTS, a book where she performed the impossible feat of making golf (and golfer Dallie Beaudine) incredibly sexy. Her fabulous earlier books like HOT SHOT and HONEY MOON had equal elements of romance and women's fiction. In 1994 she launched her wildly popular "Chicago Stars" series with the perennial romance classic IT HAD TO BE YOU. Since then those Chicago Stars coaches, players, and agents (Heath Champion anyone?) have been scoring regularly, both with Susan's heroines and her readers.

It's only fitting that Super Bowl weekend would bring us the latest installment in the series--NATURAL BORN CHARMER. I don't want to ruin a single delightful surprise from this book but it does boast one of the cutest "meets" I've ever seen in a romance when Dean Robillard slams on the brakes of his Aston-Martin after he spots Blue Bailey stomping down the road in a giant beaver costume. I never could resist a smart man with a smart mouth and their resulting banter reminded me of a Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant flick. The tone of their relationship is set when she tells him, "You look like an ad for gay porn" and he tells her, "You look like a national disaster."

Some of you may remember Dean as Annabelle's "buddy" from MATCH ME IF YOU CAN. As a hero, he's a delicious study in contradictions: a drop-dead gorgeous man who never looks at himself in the mirror; a smart man known more for his brawn than his brains; a generous man afraid to give away even a tiny portion of his heart. He's flawed and funny and oh...did I mention drop-dead gorgeous?

It's rare that you fall equally in love with the heroine of a romance but Blue Bailey is about as likeable and irresistible as they come. Her untidy ponytail, snappy comebacks, and scuffed-up biker boots hide a keen wit and a tender heart. When Dean asks her, "Who says you're not pretty?" she replies with, "Oh, it doesn't bother me. I have so much character that adding beauty to the mix would be greedy." And when his mother points out, "You're not his usual type of girlfriend," Blue zings right back with, "Once again, my three-digit IQ separates me from the pack."

A common theme of every Susan Elizabeth Phillips book (and perhaps one of the most primal themes of the romance genre itself) is the creation of a family where there was none before. Susan explores this theme beautifully in CHARMER as both Dean and Blue are forced to confront and lay to rest the ghosts of their childhoods. These subplots and secondary characters enhance the romance that's at the heart of the book instead of detracting from it. Perhaps her greatest strength as a writer is her ability to create empathy for EVERY character in the novel. She can write an insecure, overweight 11-year-old girl as well as she writes an embittered old woman hiding a heart of gold or a hunky football player. She unearths a universal truth in this scene: "As Dean gazed around the table, he saw a travesty of the American family. It was like Norman Rockwell on crack." Well, when it comes right down to it, aren't ALL of our families like Norman Rockwell on crack? It's the fact that we love them in spite of it that makes us noble creatures worthy of a happy ending.

As a writer, I'm in awe of descriptions like, "With her big blond wig, diamond chandelier earrings, and free floating pastel caftan, she looked like a parade float sponsored by a senior citizens' bordello." Susan writes smart books for smart readers and I laughed out loud several times during the book, even catching a few obscure cultural references like Blue calling Dean "Deanna" when he comes up to her and says, "You look pissed." (That would be empath Deanna Troi for all of you non-Trekkers out there.)

You'll have to forgive me if this blog sounds more like a valentine than a review but once again, SEP has created a cast of unforgettable characters who will live on in my heart forever. To me, that's the happiest ending of all.

(Originally published on the website of author Teresa Medeiros at [...])

After reading alot of the 1-3 star reviews I approached this book with reservations. I actually got the unabridged audio version as well as the actual book and perhaps that helped alot. The reader was very engaging and entertaining and I believe it helped with some interpretations that many may have misread in type. Oftentimes, I'm not particularly into the secondary characters which SEP always has a giant sideline of, but this time, I really enjoyed them all. Although the story starts somewhat unbelievably, it slowly transforms into lessons learned, family values and new beginnings. Blue and Dean are both self protective, sarcastic, but wonderful people who deal with things the only way they know how. Thier chemistry together is great and I laughed out loud alot. Some felt the ending was disastisfying because you couldn't tell that Dean really loves Blue until the end. I didn't see it that way, and during the scene where his friends show up and Dean misleads them into thinking that Blue is just the help and not his romantic interest, I actually found it somewhat realistic. When you're thrown into a situation that you're not prepared for and you want to protect someone instead of throwing them helplessly into a possibly caustic confrontation without any warning, sometimes doing nothing and talking about it after is the way to go. They had never actually discussed their relationship and with Dean being so high profile, announcing that Blue is his girlfriend could have had her running for the hills. She was consistently skittish throughout the book and the way it was handled was likely the best way to go at the time. It's a happily ever after all around, and I had a smile on my face for almost all of it.

This is a lovely book, a very much SEP'like offering, I did recognize elements she used before, but in a totally new mix, so it was familiar - I mean, it was obviously a book nobody else could have written but SEP - but it was not at all a repetition (to react to a reviewer below).

I adored the characters and their development, they way SEP respects even the most difficult people, making them special or showing how they learn from their mistakes.

I liked how the interaction between all the characters is so well contructed, it does not feel like hard plotting, or contrived, it just flows.

My one issue: The old emotional hurts of Blue and Dean were real and deep. They went a long way to be healed, during the development in the book, but the final step towards healing did not convince me. The ending felt rushed, I was not really feeling that these two had truly overcome their old baggage, the resolution did not satisfy me. I do not know if I simply missed a bit more description, or if these two should have taken some additional step, if confronting Blue's childhood (=mother) would have solved it, or telling us a bit more about her new career, or re-connecting her to some friends from her past, to give her roots. I do not want to spoil the book, so I avoid details. I seriously doubt that these two are already over their problems, I think they will still have a bit of clarifying to do, now they are together, about staying together, so the happy ending is not yet fully there for me. Very probable, but not yet achieved.

Otherwise, perfect, fun, authentic, beautiful.

Less "laugh out loud" than a few older ones, but very very good.

I often take long driving trips and look forward to letting well-read books entertain me. Natural Born Charmer turned out to be a good choice for a recent trip to Philadelphia. Why? The book opens with a scene where a driver sees a woman stomping down the highway wearing a headless beaver suit. From now on, I'll be keeping my eyes open for such a character.

In addition, I can tell from listening to the book that I would have found it not nearly as entertaining if I had read the book silently instead of listening to the wonderful Anna Fields whose versatility makes the characters more interesting than Susan Elizabeth Phillips wrote them.
While most readers capture accents and sex pretty well, Ms. Fields adds wonderful qualities of emotion and character to her reading that reflect a deep appreciation of the story . . . adding to my understanding and appreciation.

NFL star quarterback Dean Robillard isn't feeling very happy during the off season as he recovers from his first serious injury. Rather than working on rehabilitation, he's gone for a long drive . . . possibly to his new home that's being restored. His attention is taken by the angry woman in the beaver suit, and he picks her up looking for some amusement at her expense. When she turns out to be seemingly unaware of who he is and filled with witty comments, he decides to let her ride along . . . as long as she stays amusing.

Blue Bailey is one of the feistiest women you'll ever meet in fiction, almost as feisty as some real women I've met. She has attachment problems and keeps moving like the proverbial rolling stone. On top of that, life has dealt her some tough blows that she's struggling to contain.

The battle of the sexes takes many new turns as the two try to out smart and out talk each other. And many surprises await when they arrive at their destination. It turns out that Dean's life wasn't always so rosy, and he has deep insecurities that he doesn't want to talk about.

Before the book ends, you'll meet all of Dean's family and they will come to terms with one another in new ways.

But can the smooth, well-dressed quarterback find happiness with one slim, argumentative, fashion-challenged woman who doesn't care about her appearance or what people think of her? You'll enjoy finding out the answer.

I often take long driving trips and look forward to letting well-read books entertain me. Natural Born Charmer turned out to be a good choice for a recent trip to Philadelphia. Why? The book opens with a scene where a driver sees a woman stomping down the highway wearing a headless beaver suit. From now on, I'll be keeping my eyes open for such a character.

In addition, I can tell from listening to the book that I would have found it not nearly as entertaining if I had read the book silently instead of listening to the wonderful Anna Fields whose versatility makes the characters more interesting than Susan Elizabeth Phillips wrote them.
While most readers capture accents and sex pretty well, Ms. Fields adds wonderful qualities of emotion and character to her reading that reflect a deep appreciation of the story . . . adding to my understanding and appreciation.

NFL star quarterback Dean Robillard isn't feeling very happy during the off season as he recovers from his first serious injury. Rather than working on rehabilitation, he's gone for a long drive . . . possibly to his new home that's being restored. His attention is taken by the angry woman in the beaver suit, and he picks her up looking for some amusement at her expense. When she turns out to be seemingly unaware of who he is and filled with witty comments, he decides to let her ride along . . . as long as she stays amusing.

Blue Bailey is one of the feistiest women you'll ever meet in fiction, almost as feisty as some real women I've met. She has attachment problems and keeps moving like the proverbial rolling stone. On top of that, life has dealt her some tough blows that she's struggling to contain.

The battle of the sexes takes many new turns as the two try to out smart and out talk each other. And many surprises await when they arrive at their destination. It turns out that Dean's life wasn't always so rosy, and he has deep insecurities that he doesn't want to talk about.

Before the book ends, you'll meet all of Dean's family and they will come to terms with one another in new ways.

But can the smooth, well-dressed quarterback find happiness with one slim, argumentative, fashion-challenged woman who doesn't care about her appearance or what people think of her? You'll enjoy finding out the answer.

This is the 6th (if I'm counting correctly) book in the series featuring the Chicago Stars football team.

How can you resist a book that starts with a headless beaver walking down the side of the road?

Said beaver is Blue Bailey, who's been abandoned after doing a roadside advertising gig. She's picked up by Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard, and they immediately start to irritate each other. And yet somehow, she ends up accompanying him on the drive to his farm in Tennessee.

Natural Born Charmer could just stick with that much story and be cute and clever and fun. But it goes much further than that. Both Blue and Dean have abandonment issues in their pasts--both had neglectful parents, to say the least, and the reason Blue took a job as a beaver is that the boyfriend she went to Colorado to be with left her for someone else, and she's broke because her mother emptied Blue's bank account to fund a rescue.

We meet Dean's parents as well as his young half-sister, and the romantic comedy part of the story becomes the framework for a much deeper tale of families, love, neglect, abandonment, and forgiveness. The characters are all very vivid and larger than life, all complex and neither good nor bad. All of them are struggling with various issues.

Parts of Natural Born Charmer were hard to read because they hit a little close to home, and parts made me angry (like Dean's solution to Blue's inability to trust him), but they all fit the story and the characters, and I finished it feeling emotionally exhausted and satisfied, which is for me the perfect result.

This was the first book I read of SEP and it made me an instant fan. I think what I really liked about this book was that she effortlessly intertwined the secondary characters into this book without you feeling like it was forced or an annoyance. Their time in the books provided a lot of good back story to the main characters and also added depth to the story.

I always love a story with a creative and unusual heroine so Blue was fantastic. The interactions between Dean and Blue were really a lot of fun to read. And same with Blue's interactions with the town biddy. I loved it. The ending threw me for a loop though. I had a hard time with how it played out especially after Dean did something really hurtful to Blue. But overall, I really fell in love with all the characters. As someone else wrote - this books is more than just a romance. It's about family and who you consider to be your family and about forgiveness.

Blue Bailey has played the sucker for love role one too many times. On the two occasions where her ex-boyfriend Monty professed his undying love to her, Blue's left everything behind, and packed up her belongings to follow her guy wherever he would go. Unfortunately, the second time she's made the move, she was hit with a nasty surprise. It seems that Monty has made himself at home in a new town and with a new woman. Now she has to pick up the pieces of her broken heart - and bank account.

Blue is certain that she will have to make do in the state of Colorado where she has no friends or family to lean on for help or support - that is until she meets Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard.

While driving, on his way to Tennessee, Dean catches Blue who is dressed as a headless beaver, pacing down the highway. This comical scenario peaks his interest, so he stops and offers her a ride. Pride already in shreds, she realizes that she has no other option and decides to unwillingly go with this gorgeous stranger who irritates her from the very beginning.

Throughout their travels, they bicker and fight to the death and you begin to think no two individuals are more wrong for each other than they are. But, as the story moves forward, we begin to see that the two of them suffer from painful pasts and trust issues that causes them to react the way that they do.

I got so much more from NATURAL BORN CHARMER than a romance. It's a story that also speaks of forgiveness, moving on and the importance of family. It isn't easy to tie in serious themes with light hearted comedy - but that's what makes SEP a great author.

I almost didn't finish reading. I didn't like the opening few pages. I'm glad I stuck with it. The characters are interesting and delightful. Loved the story line. It did get tedious and predictable. But overall, a great read. I look forward to reading more of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books.

Natural Born Charmer is a light-hearted romance, and a VERY light and easy read. From someone who normally prefers a little more depth and substance to material, and who has never read a book by SEP, it still kept me engaged. All in all it was a nice fluffy, fun book with enough clever banter and screw ball action that it felt like going to the circus and eating a very large enjoyable piece of cotton candy.

The lead character is described as looking like a sexy, fairy tale charachter - and the book feels like an unbelievable fairy tale at that. But, it's still a nice little tale that'll take you away for a fun, little lark.

After reading the other reviews, I'm curious now to see if the other novels the author wrote that everyone claims are really much better - are in fact better - or if they're all just so much the same that people eventually get bored with them. I suspect that over time, reading too much SEP could be like eating too much candy. Still, if you're in the mood for something light-hearted I'd go ahead and give this one a shot.

This started off a little rocky for me with the TSTL scenes of the heroine in the beaver costume and the battle with her ex and his girlfriend, but the hero sounded too delicious to give up on, so I stuck it out, and I'm very glad that I did. I really enjoyed the wise cracking heroine even though her aversion of getting involved with the hero was a bit long winded and started to grate after a while. The last 10 percent of the book was my favorite. I loved how they gave each other the opportunity to prove their love for each other. I was laughing and crying by the end. I don't really like secondary romance but this one was done well. Who could resist reading about a rock star and a former groupie girlfriend? The elderly Nita was also a nice touch. Not a bad read. 3.5 stars

Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard is driving to Tennessee when he spots a headless beaver walking down the side of the street. He can't resist stopping and lending her a hand. Nor can he resist offering her a ride half way across the country. After a shoulder injury puts him on the sideline, Dean questions his mortality and what he wants to do after playing football. Picking up the beaver whose name he learns is Blue Bailey, is the most fun Dean has had in ages. Someone that doesn't seem to know who he is and a woman that doesn't come on to him is as refreshing as it is baffling.

Blue Bailey is broke. Again. She's also homeless. Thanks to her ex-boyfriend the loser and her mother the peacemaker, Blue has reached the end of the road. When Dean Robillard picks her up on the side of the road, Blue knows exactly who he is. She also knows that to let on how attracted she is to him would be a big mistake. With no other options, Blue talks Dean into taking her to Tennessee with him.

When then arrive on Dean's newly acquired farm, Dean finds that his housekeeper isn't who she says she is. When an 11 year old girl claiming to be his sister is found sleeping on his porch, Dean wonders how life could get worse. It soon does when his estranged father shows up to claim the girl. With all the family drama, the only thing keeping Dean sane is Blue. He'll do anything to keep her there. This book is rich with emotion and romance. SEP has a talent for drawing the reader into the story so the reader feels emotionally invested in the outcome. There is far more than the relationship between Dean and Blue. There is a broken family that tries to find its' way back. There is a child who finds her way back to her father and a man who has to find forgiveness in his heart for a mother that would never ask for it. Add in the one-liners that she is so good at and you won't be able to put down NATURAL BORN CHARMER.

Don't pass this one up!

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of my favorite authors. Her writing skill rises above those of almost every other author in this genre. She makes me feel like I personally know each character in her books, whether I like them or not! Her gift for dialogue and humor is unmatched. In this one, the sparring between the hero and heroine kept me laughing for most of the book. The relationship between the two, however, was not as believable as in her other books. Although there was some steam, the romance and love seemed to be lacking something. I never believed that they couldn't be without each other. He betrayed her several times in the book (I don't want to post spoilers), and those betrayals weren't resolved (to me, anyway). The ending was off - somewhat confusing - and didn't leave me feeling hopeful for the two of them, even after they were married. Overall, it was worth the read for the humor and sparring alone, it just could've been a lot more than that.

I'm a big SEP fan and I think this is one of her best. She is at the top of her game with her razor sharp wit and strong secondary characters.

Blue is down on her luck in Colorado, but along comes a great lookin' guy in a great car and pulls her from the edge. Blue and Dean get to know each other (intellectually, not sexually) on a road trip to Tennessee and the sparks begin to fly. There are complications at his newly-acquired Tennessee farm, but Blue stays around to help him through it (and keep a roof over her head). As the relationship develops, Blue understands the need to change the balance of power in the relationship - he has all of it - and she steps back from him and away from his farm. Smart move....Dean begins pursuing her and the relationship deepens. There are some bumps along the way - both carry serious baggage from much-to-be-desired childhoods, but the end is satisfying.

There's also a good secondary story with Dean's never-been-married-to-each-other parents. If you like a good contemporary romantic comedy, this one is among the best.

I grabbed this as an audio book for my daily commute, and did not want to leave my car! Dean is the man we all dream of but we believe is going to be a jerk anyway, Blue is the perfect foil--gamin but with a quick wit that she's not afraid to use. For those of us of a certain age, who loved our rockers and wished we could be groupies, there is that storyline, too. Add in the bitterly mean town matriarch and the lost child, and of course you have one of the best stories ever! My only regret is that I read the first of the Chicago Stars series, and this is the last of the series. Wish I had read them in order, but that's OK--I'll catch up knowing I won't be disappointed!

My favorite novel of this author has always been Heaven Texas but this book has completely taken over first place!!
It is so full of warm, witty characters who continually make you laugh throughout the book, really a jewel of a read.
This is a book you will not want to put down and you will be sad when you realize you have finished the story.
I really cannot pick my favorite character there are so many,the verbal jousting between Dean and Blue and Blue's adoration of Jack,who is Dean's father and I loved the retorts Blue thinks up when holding her own with the rude pugnacious Mrs. Garrison who owns the small town where Dean's farm is located
and as Dean says in the book his family is like Norman Rockwell on crack
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves razor edged wit and a good laugh
If only men were as interesting as the personality the author creates for
Dean's character sigh.....

Terrific light reading with the style of writing that only SEP dishes out. Football jock, Dean Robillard (another of SEP's famous Chicago Star's quarterbacks) is driving to his summer home in Tennessee when he falls upon a young, sassy (and very plain) girl, Blue Bailey, dressed in a beaver costume, who desperately needs a ride and a job to "somewhere." In typical SEP fashion, Dean and Blue are extreme opposites. Similar to several of SEP's novels, the super sports hero and the feisty little tomboy-type girl begin battling it out from the start, only to discover a weird kind of chemistry between them. A truly enjoyable and entertaining story unravels as Dean discovers his aging rock star father and a surprise in the way of a teenage half sister who has multiple insecurities of her own. I would recommend this story to anyone who just wants a "fun" book to read on a lazy summer day.

If you haven't tried a Susan E. Phillips novel yet and want something funny and enjoyable with good writing and sharp dialogue then this is for you. I have to admit I loved this book from start to finish. I loved everything in it and can't wait to pick up another novel by SEP. I have read most of her books since 1999 but skipped Ain't She Sweet. I think I enjoyed this one the most. After reading other reviews I think I will have to search out her earlier books to see if they are truly better. The humor was great and I loved the blend of quirky characters in this book. (don't want to give anything away but I thin I even fell for Jack Patriot by the end!!). Aside from the romance between Dean and Blue that is spicey to say the least - If you like art, old home redo's, dancing and good music, nice clothes, puppies and small towns coming to life again you'll enjoy this one.

Sorry, Ms. Phillips. I'd never heard of you and had not read any of your work. I came upon 'Natural Born Charmer' by accident and am I glad I did. What a wonderful story! I was charmed from the first jock/beaver interchange. Great characters, situations, plot twists and, particularly, dialog. Pithy. Anyhow, I found it all endearing and loved the ending, inevitable though it was. You done good, girl.

I am noticing that I either love an SEP book, or am a little annoyed. This book, had me a little annoyed. I felt the h/h had almost ZERO chemistry, the things that each of them did would never happen in real life and it left me wanting to hurry up and finish the dang audio book and start another one. Even Kate Fleming/Anna Fields, the fabulous reader she is, couldn't make this one any better. In fact, if I would have read it, it may have ventured in the 2's. I felt Dean deserved a much better story and this was mediocre. It seems SEP has this formula to write a story, separation, some universal complication, a secondary romance, heroine quirky. Is it just me? I don't know. With her hits like Ain't She Sweet and Match Me If You Can, I can't shelf her. But some of her books, like this one, I'd like to.

This book was a riot...some of it laugh out loud funny... Blue is a pistol... and together with Dean... the sparks just fly... snappy dialogue, lots of laughter, maybe a few tears... characters you'll care about... well maybe not Mrs G... but she'll grow on you by the end... well done...

I will not write summary as you can all read it here.

I just wanted to say that I LOVE this book. Sure, it reminded me of her older books ("Heaven, Texas" anyone??). Fortunately, I LOVE her older books. It's her newest that I cannot stand. I loathe "This Heart of Mine" and "Breathing Room" to the very core, that as soon as I finished, I threw them away and gave them to someone else. "Match Me If You Can" did not made me all feel good inside as well. I almost gave up on her.

So when SEP returns with these, giving "tributes" to her older writings - with characters that I CAN love, verbal sparings that I CAN enjoy, as well as endings that made me go "aaaah", I definitely welcome it with open arms. Definitely one of my personal favorites of her. Even if it "steals" scenes from her earlier books.

Love SEP's fun books - sometimes you just need a little mental fluff and diversion. Really enjoyed the building family relationships between Dean, April, Jack and Riley. Absolutely loved Blue's humor and her interactions with Nita. Leading man, Dean, seemed one dimensional and the story faltered about 3/4 of the way through. Sensed that SEP couldn't make up her mind how to pull everything together where he was concerned.

The romance part of the story started out great and progressed very well, but then it degenerated into porn (Blue's romp with Dean in the woods). This unnecessary plot device sent the story spiraling. That chapter really demoralized the main female character. Up until that point, I loved the book. After that point, I was wasn't as enthused.

I have only ever read one other SEP book. It was so long ago, I dont even remember the title. But I remember I liked it. This one was recommended to me. So I tried it. SEP has a unique style to her writing. It floats along exactly as you expect. Good. But expected. And then BAM, she throws in something unexpected. I love that. It is a longer read. There are no parts that you can coast thru. You dont want to miss a thing. So dont. Just plan for the time and enjoy the ride. Its worth it.
I normally take note of wonderful passages or lines. But I did not on this one. And now, I regret that. Because there are notable worthy parts.

I am listening to this CD for the 2nd time because I enjoyed it so much. Very well written story and excellent performance by Anna Fields. The heroine, Blue Bailey, is as sassy and "smart-mouthed" as they come. She is also very intelligent, compassionate, and accomplished. When mega-star quarterback Dean Robillard meets her, Blue is down on her luck and very angry at her ex-boyfriend. The dialogue between the two is priceless - some of the best I have ever experienced in chick-lit!

The other characters are also great and there is even a secondary love story. Wonderful "happily ever after" epilogue. I can't say enough good things about this story or the CD narrator and will definitely recommend it to others!

Like most of SEP's books, this one was full of charm and wit and great lines. I love to laugh out loud when I read and I do that more with SEP's books than any other. I thought the characters were flawless in all their idiosyncrasies. Each person was quirkier than the next which made for a very fun read.

And yes, I agree with some of the reviews that SEP's heroes tend to get away with a lot and her heriones seem to take it, but that's what makes it fiction. I'd forgive a lot too if I had a Dean or Bobby Tom Denton or Dan Calbow wanting only me!

I think Lady Be Good, Heaven Texas, and Natural Born Charmer are the best. SEP's others are really good as well.

Chicago Stars star quarterback Dean Robillard hurts his shoulder in a serious injury that forces him to reflect on life after football. He takes to the road in his Aston Martin when he sees a woman wearing a beaver costume walking along the road in Colorado. He stops to offer her at least a lift.

Blue Bailey is broke, unemployed, and stranded so she accepts a ride with the hunk with luxurious wheels. They drive to Dean's new farmhouse in Tennessee with him trying to make it with her and she resisting his NATURAL BORN CHARM as the miles flies by. By the time they reach the Volunteer State they are in love, but though opposites in outlook each shares the trait of distrusting others having experienced first hand betrayal.

The third football romance is a charming contemporary tale starring two likable protagonist who have been sacked in previous relationships so have fourth down doubts about going for it. The road show east is filled with verbal battling as each tries to score and actually picks up at the farm where his mom shows up to penalize the lead duo with pass interference. Sports romance fans will enjoy the latest Stars tale and seek out previous team player sagas (see HEAVEN, TEXAS and NOBODY'S BABY BUT MINE).

Harriet Klausner

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has set the bar very high, particularly in her Chicago Stars series, and this book, while enjoyable, does not meet the quality of some of the others. The lead characters just don't involve the heart and mind of the reader to the degree that one comes to expect from Ms. Phillips, although in comparison to most other writers' characters they stand out. The hero and heroine are not as engaging as the secondary characters, and both the beginning and the end feel lackluster and contrived. That said, the relationships between all of the characters is believably complicated and human, and as a group they are people the reader comes, however reluctantly, to care about. Definitely worth a read, but you probably won't re-read it with the appreciation of some of her best books.

SEP is a very witty writer and I enjoy her books very much. I like the hero, he's supposed to be movie star handsome and loves to look good too. I didn't understand his attraction to Blue, especially the way she was written up the first 70 pages. I had a hard time believing Dean was so desperate for a distraction that he would take her on a road trip. Blue's description had her looking like a mongrel puppy...maybe nearer the end of the book, I tried picturing Reese Witherspoon with a pixie hair cut.
My favorite parts of the book were the exchanges between Blue and the cranky old lady. The aging groupie and the little half sister were interesting side stories too.

When Chicago Stars Quarterback Dean Robillard is on a voyage if self discovery, he comes across a damsel in a beaver costume outside of Denver and offers her a ride. When they arrive at her rooming house, damsel Blue Bailey has an altercation with her ex and discovers that he absconded with all her cash (not to mention that her mother stole her life savings to help the poor children in South America). Dean feels bad and offers her a ride to Kansas City; as he is en route to his newly purchased farm in Tennessee.

Immediately the two start bantering and she sticks with him all the way to Tennessee. Despite outward appearances, the two have a lot in common, including being abandoned by their parents. When he discovers that the person in charge of renovating his farm is his estranged former groupie mother, he hits the roof, but Blue helps to smooth things over. After a disastrous first sexual encounter, Dean has to really argue his way into a second try, but soon the two are in synch. Add to the mix his estranged rocker father, a young sister who appears destined to mirror his childhood, and a town matriarch that can't find the silver lining in anything.

Known for her witty bantering and charismatic leads, this story was just so lacking that even her great dialogue can't save it. Did she write this on auto-pilot? The plot was so familiar - reminiscent of "This Heart of Mine," and "Nobody's Baby But Mine." The heroine was so bland right down to her tacky clothing (and she had more chemistry with the town matriarch). And all the name dropping of various musical groups, most of which won't be around in ten years was just totally distracting. SEP has done the seemingly impossible - written a novel that I can't rave about. Despite the flaws, it is well written, just not up to par with SEP's past efforts. I'm so glad I got this one from the library first!

I'm so excited that Dean Robillard finally got his own story...and with the most unlikely woman.

Dean takes a road trip to discover himself after an injury takes him out of the game for a while. Along the way he runs into a Blue Bailey,a woman with a void inside her she thought nobody could fill. They then journey to Nashville to the farm Dean just bought,not knowing a few surprises are in store for them.

I loved this book so much. Susan Elizabeth Phillips is such an awesome author and I've read every book about the Stars/Bonner brothers. I can't wait for more books in this series. Keep up the awesome work.

I have become a SEP junkie and have plowed through almost every book of hers I can get my hands on in the past month or so. This was a great heart warming story of family, love,redemption, second chances and healing. The characters are well thought out and stay with you long after the last page is turned. What I love most about SEP's witting is how realistic her characters are and how their flaws make up who they are.

Dean & Blue are so darn funny together I laughed out loud more times than I could count. I just fell in love with Nita and watching the relationship between her and this family of characters unfold.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips fans had a long wait for Dean's story. The problem I have with waiting and looking forward to something is I tend to be disappointed when the event finally occurs. All that anticipation makes it easy to be let down. This was not the case with this book. It more than met my expectations, this book exceeded them. Natural Born Charmer was well worth the wait.

Dean is another member of SEP's fictitious NFL team, the Chicago Stars. He is breathtakingly handsome and adored by all. He is a Natural Born Charmer. But Dean has a lot of secrets in his life. This book exposes them all, and gives you a front row seat to watching how he handles and deals with the obstacles in his life.

On a road trip he encounters a woman on the side of the road in a beaver costume, minus the head. Blue is a loner, she has a tough exterior but a soft core. She's an artist who has currently lost her savings. She is another complex character with trust issues that plague her life. They set out on a Journey to Dean's farmhouse in Tennessee. Each has their motives for wanting to stick together.

There is so much chemistry between the two main characters. She has written such a vivid and entertaining book, you feel like you have known these 'people' all your lives. She brings to life secondary characters so much so, that this becomes much more than Dean and Blue's story. It becomes a story about an entire 'family' struggling with the present while trying desperately to make amends with the past. April, Jack, Riley and Nita are essential to this book. I can't imagine the story without them and I don't want to.

Blue and Deans repartee is absolutely hilarious. They trade barbs all the while you can feel their attraction grow, their chemistry sizzle. This book made me laugh, cry and made me laugh some more. Natural Born Charmer was a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable read, she touches every emotion. This will be a book I'll read over and over again and never be bored. Enjoy!

When he sees the beaver on the side of the road, star quarterback Dean Robillard has to stop--because the beaver is sporting a woman's face. Blue Bailey is pissed--pissed at her ex-boyfriend for lying to her, pissed at her mother for stealing her money for her mother's saintly purposes, pissed at the woman who was supposed to pick her up from her job advertising a lumber yard in a beaver suit, and pissed at the sexy quarterback who think he's too pretty for the world and who pretends to be gay so she won't feel threatened.

Dean and Blue both have issues with abandonment--and neither is willing to take another chance, to truly love again. Even when Blue starts to fall for Dean, and even when Dean decides not to fight the physical attraction that sparks between them, their past injuries and fears keep them from committing, from doing more than playing a game.

Dean and Blue aren't the only messed up characters around, though. Dean's mother has been trying to make up for her years as an alcoholic and drug abuser--to reclaim some sense of family with her son. And Dean's half-sister, who's recently lost her mother, is seeking a brother. Life gets complicated when Dean's father shows up to claim his daughter and finds his long-ago love.

Author Susan Elizabeth Phillips delivers a charming story. Combining humor and emotion, Phillips's engaging prose keeps the reader involved, cheering for Dean and Blue to get over their problems and move on to the next step in their relationship. There isn't a lot of suspense about where they're going--and Blue and Dean are practically the only people (including other characters and the readers) who don't know where they're going, but in this story, that's half the fun.

NATURAL BORN CHARMER lives up to the title. Susan Elizabeth Phillips delivers a charmer of a story.

I am new to SEP books. I read Kiss an Angel and Dream a Little Dream and LOVED them, especially Dream. Great writing, great emotional reads with wonderful characters you can care about. Then I picked Natural Born Charmer. A BIG mistake I guess.

The male lead, the hero, was a shallow, callous, self-absorbed jerk. The whole book he had the "it's all about me" attitude. He was the stereotypical spoiled rich jock. Not at all likeable. I felt no pity for his upbringing, when his attitude was so poor. Blue was a likeable heroine UNTIL she gave in and let Dean into her bed. I lost respect for her then. But, it made me angry when he treated her like dirt beneath his shoes when his friends visited and she took it. And, he admitted to himself he didn't want to have to answer his friends questions about her. But, what was worse, IMO, the author degraded the heroine by turning it around on Blue and making it her fault! She was to blame for Dean's not trusting her??? Huh? It was ok for him to treat her badly because of his insecurities, but he calls her a coward when she acts upon her insecurities. Double standard. It went downhill from there. He never apologized, ever, for his treatment of her. Then there was his callous and cold reaction to her pregnancy test. Never apologized for that either. Why she didn't leave then and there was beyond me. Then, she's supposed to sit for 6 mos. with no calls or communication from him to "prove" she trusts him and his love. Unbelievable! THEN, he's caught on camera kissing another woman and Blue doesn't leave??? She trusts him implicitly??? HUH?

It isn't a romance when the hero treats the heroine like this. Turns the blame on her for his insecurities and never gets called on it. I don't find it romantic when I keep waiting for the heroine to get a spine and gain some self-respect and leave the jerk behind.

I think SEP did women a disservice with this one. It was demeaning and the kind of romance that I thought died with the early 80's.

I really like her writing style and I'd love to find another of hers that is more like Kiss an Angel and Dream a Little Dream, but many of hers are about football stars and if they're anything like this one, I'll pass.

I cannot recommend this one. If you prefer books where the heroine is treated with respect and has self-respect, skip Natural Born Charmer.

I have been reading SEP books forever. They are an auto buy for me and i covet the next one before it's even released.
Her Chicago stars series are such a winning series but recently her books have been so cliche-ed. Same stories, same side romance stories going on. One or a couple of forlorn children to go in the mix and you have a recipe that's been used too long and certainly too often.
Her Glitter Baby and Match me if you can have been certainly much better than this book.
I found the language a little rough. Too much of the f word. And the whole 70's rock god theme and crazy stoned, sex maniac mom , i don't know how neccessary that was. It turned me off the book a little. At one point i was pushing myself to get through the book so that i could be done with it.
I felt the ending didn't tie up very gracefully. the whole living apart at the end to prove commitment seemed so strange.
I didn't get the 'feel good' feeling I've always got after finishing an SEP Book. I hope her Jan 2011 release will be something to look forward to.( I will only be buying it because it has characters from her past books with potential).

Before I bought Natural Born Charmer, I read some of the reviews on the store. Based upon these reviews, I was expecting this book to be a flop. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. This book had all the charm of SEP other novels: sharp dialogue, quirky, well developed supporting characters, and a great love story. Sure, it wasn't a 'sexed up' as her other novels, but to be honest, I was quite okay with that. I loved all the characters, even crochety Nita, owner of the town, but especially Riley, Dean's half sister, and April, Dean's mother. SEP's heroine, Blue, is spunky and interesting. Her hero, Dean, is gorgeous and kind. SEP's strength is creating a world of characters that the reader truly cares about. She has a knack for building up rag tag families which feel like our own, or ones of which we wish we could be a part. I am happy to say that SEP hasn't lost any of her natural born writing talent.

As a long time SEP fan who has introduced her books to many friends, I couldn't wait for this book to be released but I have to say I was disappointed in it. Like another reviewer said, it was familiar. In fact, this book seemed like a replay of past SEP books, most strongly This Heart of Mine, but not as funny. There were the same elements: a football player, an artist (this time a painter), trust issues, a place needing renovations to become "home", and a secondary romance that actually took so long to take off that I stopped caring if they did get together in the end. One thing I was disappointed in was the lack of recurring characters (we only see 2 from the previous novel). These books are generally tagged as the Chicago Stars series and I like getting updates on what Phoebe, Dan, Molly, Kevin and all the rest are doing. Some new characters were introduced but it wasn't clear if they were teammates and their behavior made them people I didn't want to read about again.

Also, in the beginning, Dean is worried about no longer seeming "invincible" because he was injured for the first time in all his days of professional play which made me think he'd at least have a meeting with the coach or some serious thoughts of what he would do when he retired from football, but the injury was rarely mentioned again and his idea about a business he would open after retirement seemed like an afterthought in the final chapter of the book. A bit disappointing.

There were some cute lines in this one and I'll buy SEP in the future, but I have to say I'll look twice before buying the hardcover without a second thought.

I just put down this book and I feel almost stunned at the beauty and complexity of this story. SEP is the absolute best at this type of writing -- unsurpassed wit, humor and drama all mixed to create yet another masterpiece.

Yes, once again we get extremely flawed characters with major emotional issues. But isn't that what SEP does so well? In a way, it's like reading a great mystery and trying to figure out how the seemingly mismatched pair will fall in love amidst the background of events that shaped their personalities.

It is all the more heartwrenching to include the extended family and seeing those wounds healed. I must say I was surprised at the twists and turns this book took as each character was introduced.

Like Blue, SEP is truly a word artist as she paints us picture after beautiful picture of relationships in all their pain and glory. Do not miss this wonderful book!

I'm a longtime SEP fan, and have always enjoyed her special blend of romance and humor. That said, though, NATURAL BORN CHARMER is not, in my opinion, nearly as good as some of her former work.

With unrealistic situations (what woman would hitchhike with a stranger in this day and age, even if you knew, technically, who he was -- and then go off with him to his vacation home) that made me dislike the main character, I had to work to get into this story. Once involved, though, I did enjoy the plot, but not nearly as much as I have in the past.

This isn't a bad book, but it's by no means SEP's BEST work.

Susan Elizbeth Phillips is the best auther ever. This book is in a series of chicago stars books. It can be read out of order thats not a problem. Susan just writes about character's connected to the "chicago stars" football team. If you have never read her books you are in for a big treat getting caught up. Start with "It had to be You" then "nobodys baby but mine" then "dream a little dream"... and so on though her series. All susans books are great. The characters are so funny and refreshing. The books move fast and are just a delight. I read her books over and over again like watching a favorite movie over and over.

This book is a little cornny at first but give it a chance you will fall in love with the characters. Have fun reading:)

I liked smart mouthed heroines and I understood Blue's motivations. She understood herself well enough to know that falling for Dean Roubillard would be disastrous. She uses everything that she can think of to ward him off, to turn away his natural born charm. Her best weapon is her brain and her mouth.

Yet, for all her knowing, like many romance heroines, she fails to see that her being a challenge is the best way to attract him. Dean knows women and he is pretty sure that Blue is attracted to him, after all he's rich, famous and gorgeous. That's enough to make any girl's heart rate rise. On the other hand, he's a little disconcerted that she doesn't fall easily into his hands. As a super competitive person, Dean becomes challenged. Soon everything between Dean and Blue becomes a contest. Who can give the most witty retort. Who can confuse the other the most. Who can be the most frustrating.

The story would have been good just watching Blue and Dean spar, but this more than a love story, its a story about families and their capacity to love, betray, hurt and forgive. It's about second chances and who deserves them. What you have to do in order to deserve them? Does a mother who spent her time high and floating from one man to another in search of a better hit deserve forgiveness and a chance at a relationship with her son. Does a father who wanted nothing to do with his son except when the son becomes famous deserve the same? The problem that this book has is that because of the mostly lighthearted overtones, the chance to explore the deeper themes of love and betrayal is missed. Those parts are glossed over. They maybe be glossed over because neither Dean nor Blue really want to explore their past, but their methods of coping can't continue to work if they are to grow as characters.

Where I felt really cheated was that the patterned behavior of abandonment learned by Dean is re-enacted against Blue, Dean doesn't really come to see the truth of his own actions. In fact, I thought there was a point of great betrayal by Dean to Blue that is simply explained away with a sentence or two. There needed to be groveling. Lots of it and publicly done. The lack of the good grovel after the humiliating event coupled with the superficiality of some themes cast a minor pall over the end pushing the grade of this book down to a B.

The book is fun to read. You wont forget it, and the characters are so addictive that I couldn't help but read the book twice. But for Susan Elizabeth Phillips fans.
You get the feeling that you're reading one of Susan Elizabeth Phillips older books when you read this. She's really creative and so this book is a little bit of a let down for me.
For anyone else I would have given five stars. I never read a book twice, but Susan can do better.

This is a review of the Audiobook!!

First of all, that beaver thing, and calling Blue(!) 'The Beave'... it was just wrong.
That being said: I don't know what she does or how she does it, but SEP does it well. I just kept nodding off, lulled to sleep by the narrator's voice, and then waking up and rewinding so I wouldn't miss one bit of the story.. A very, very weird experience. The story just felt like it was reaaally long, and slooow in it's development, but it didn't seem to bother me(?!)
You just get sucked into the SEP world and don't want to leave.
And it totally got me hooked on her Chicago Stars series.. That's some weird talent, ms Phillips..
(The narrator did lull me to sleep, but that was because her voice was very pleasant. In all honesty I think she did a great job!)

I was just browsing one day, looking for something to read and was turned on to this book after reading the jacket flap. How can you resist a book whose main characters are (and I'm only naming a few) a middle aged ex-groupie, a bitter football star and a rock idol? It's not often that an author can make me laugh but Phillips' dialog had me chuckling long and often. What a find! I can't wait to read some of this author's other offerings.

SEP has done it again. In Blue Bailey, she's created another terrific female character you'll never forget and hate to let go, like Phoebe and Sugar Beth and Isobel. Someone touched on the darker themes in this book and SEP doesn't shy away from these: abandonment, drug abuse, etc. But as an author, SEP always writes with a non-judgmental approach to her characters and through her talent, she peels away layers until she finds that one true note that explains her characters' motivation. And suddenly you understand. SEP writes comedy with human drama mixed in and although she touches on these darker themes, she doesn't allow them to steal the story. It takes a deft touch to handle these themes the way she does because the stories could so easily become humorless. As usual, there's the great dialogue, the funny one-liners, the peerless descriptions that make SEP one of a kind, and the love for her flawed characters that sparkles on every page. I wish we could clone Susan, or just compel her to write faster.

This book was nowhere near as good as some of Phillips' older works (Heaven, Texas and Lady Be Good come to mind). The plot just wasn't very gripping. I found myself not caring for the characters halfway through. But I stuck by it, hoping things would improve, only to be completely disappointed with the ending. Absolutely nothing was resolved! Both characters still had abandonment issues and I didn't really buy Dean's reconciliation with his parents in the end; it just seemed sort of sudden to me. Furthermore, the reader is led to believe Blue's mother is so busy being a do-gooder, she couldn't be bothered to be separated from South Americans for just one day so she could attend her only daughter's wedding. It just seemed impossible to me that someone so giving and caring of strangers could be so cold to her only child. By the end, I was actually kind of shocked she'd even gone through with the pregnancy and actually had Blue or that she hadn't at least put her up for adoption.

This book had two fundamental problems that prevented it from being truly touching. First of all, there were way too many characters. Even at the halfway point of the book, we were still being introduced to core characters. It just made it extremely difficult to feel for any of these characters because just when you started to form a connection with a character, this other character's story that had to be continued and so naturally cut in. I ended up skipping a lot of the scenes where it was just Blue and Nita because I felt they were pointless. Riley, who seemed to be such an important character in the first half, became a ghost in the second half, hanging around to witness the action but not really a part of any of it. This would have been a much better story (or at least, a lot more focused), if Phillips had just stuck with the absent mother on the farm plot line. But the reason Phillips probably decided against that brings me to my second problem with this book...

The plot line is completely recycled from previous Phillips' novels. Riley and Jack had to be present or else this book would have been too similar of a plot to This Heart of Mine: a football player and a not quite pretty enough for him yet he's still sexually attracted to her female, isolated on an empty lot owned by the football player and forced to share a home, and an absent mother trying to reach out to her son while her son wants nothing to do with her...There was even a pretend engagement, though to be fair Kevin and Molly were actually married, even if the marriage was fake. All that's missing is the miscarriage from that formula. But that's not the only book she borrowed from. The road trip was a ripoff (and less entertaining version) of the one Gracie Snow and Bobby Tom Denton went on in Heaven, Texas. As another reviewer pointed out, even Blue's reasons for why Dean should keep her around were identical to the one's Gracie gave. Nita Garrison, the cranky old woman who hates everyone yet takes a liking to Blue and becomes a sort of maternal figure for her, sounds quite a bit like Cal Bonner's grandmother in Nobody's Baby But Mine. It's as if SEP just looked over all her old works for inspiration before sitting down to write this. Do yourself a favor and just skip it. Read This Heart of Mine instead. The plots better, much more original and well-focused, and the characters are more likable.

Even though I agree with a few people the SEP books have can be a little formalistic I rated this books so high due to the great humor. I haven't laughed so hard with any other book. The heroine is written with such wit and unabashed sarcasm that you can't help laugh. The plot is fun and steamy, and yes if you have read many of SEP books a little familiar. But it's worth the read if only for the great dialog.

I listened to this on Audible.com and found the narrator only helped add to the fun of the book.

I really enjoyed the independent character of Blue, and her interactions with Dean were amusing. Frankly, however, I thought her character was better revealed in her relationship with the town queen bee and their repartee. Some of the conclusions are a little too pat, though I did think that the author has insights into dysfunctional families and abandonment issues. This book is a good way to while away an afternoon.

This is my first SEP book, and I wasn't disappointed. Was a bit leery at first (main female character in a beaver suit??), but found I couldn't put the book down. Fast-paced and funny, solid writing. Blue and Dean were both interesting characters I wanted to find out more about, and I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Very humorous and warm story. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Like another reviewer, I'm a huge SEP fan and will buy her books without question the moment I see them on the shelves. As usual, with snappy dialogue, humor & insight she hits the mark with Blue & Dean. And it's nice to see a quirky, unusual heroine - something else SEP tends to specialize in. Not a drop-dead beauty that most of us cannot relate to.

I also liked the 2nd romance (SEP always has a secondary romance that seems to start at the mid-way point of the book) between April & Jack. The relationship between the fading rock star & the former groupie has some nice bittersweet ache to it, without being sloppy-sentimental. I know publishers would never invest in a relationship between two "mature" people with a past history as a stand-alone novel, so it's nice to read this strong secondary story mixed in with the story of the main couple.

Have never read this author before. A friend gave me this book. I have to say, I laughed out loud many times reading this book. Especially the beginning chapters. The author writes with humor and is very descriptive. I had a visual of everything going on. I loved the book. I also liked the fact that the woman character wasn't some terrific beauty and how the relationship between her and "Boo" developed.

I am a loyal SEP fan because I can always count on her to deliver a book that satisfies. I enjoyed NATURAL BORN CHARMER immensely. I loved the witty conversation and humor, and I felt that the secondary characters were multi-dimensional, realistic, and interesting. I also liked the secondary storylines. This book made me laugh and brought tears to my eyes a couple of times. Great job!

I'm usually not a fan of celebrity male lead characters like movie or sports stars, but I read this book because I liked the main character Dean from his previous appearance in Match Me If You Can. In my opinion, SEP's male characters ride a precarious line between being men with jerk tendencies I can forgive and men that are such disrepectful jerks I want to reach through the pages and strangle them. Unfortunately, the character of Dean is the latter.

Dean Robillard is driving to his vacation home, despondent with his life. (Of course he is. I mean, who wouldn't be...he's only a handsome millionaire football player with women falling all over him.) He gets caught up with stray starving artist Blue Bailey and winds up taking her with him. Waiting at his home is his recovered alcoholic, rock groupie mother. Although this is a predictable and overdone charater type, SEP portrays her well and does a good job on the relationship between Dean, his mother, his secret father (rock star Jack Patriot), and Dean's young half sister (by his father). All of the supporting characters are interesting to read about.

The storyline from here develops pretty predictably, until Dean's team comes down to visit (and of course brings a "date" for him). When they arrive at the house with his date they assume Blue, whom Dean is sleeping with by now, is household help. They make her fetch and carry for them. Deans reaction: NOTHING. He never tells them he is dating Blue or that she is not household help. Instead, he spends time with Courtney, the "date" his teammate have brought him. I'm not sure even why, because he just complains about her (but this is nothing new because he complains about everything). Dean came up with some lame excuse as to his motives for his behavior. The excuse and the apology were VERY lacking. Dean expertly showcases that he is a disrespectful jerk with an overinflated ego. I only finished the book hoping that Blue would grow a spine and dump his sorry butt. To my dismay, this did not happen.

Not one of SEP's best. The supporting characters are well written, but can't make up for the major personality flaws of Dean. I can't recommend this book to any woman who has any self-respect.

This book was about so much more then just Dean and Blue's relationship. What I really liked was that it took place over more than a two week period of time. The story was about the meaning of family and how they can hurt you the most and help you the most. It was nice to see Dean realize that Blue's friendship was as important to him as anything else. I do not always read the parts about the secondary characters very thoroughly but in this book I did because they added so much more to the story. Definetly recommend.

But she didn't.

This is the first novel of SEP where I thought maybe the guy would fall in love first.

But OF COURSE NOT. It's the girl who has to have the hopeless love first. Then he graciously manages to fall in love with her, and it doesn't ring true.

The pattern she writes is over and over the same thing: plainish girl (pretty but no knock out) meets big celebrity guy who can have any woman he wants. She falls in love with him and realizes she can't have him, because, of course, he can have any woman and won't settle for just her.

Then miraculously he decides he loves her in the last couple of chapters.

Entertaining read if you are an SEP fan but not as good as some of her other books. The hero, Dean Robbilard, is charming and definetly a looker but the heroine, Blue, with her biker books and negative sarcastic attitude never really musters enough sympanthy by the reader to make her worthy of Dean's love. It just felt like he was being forced into loving her because well that's the way a romance novel has to end, but their love had no real depth to it.

If you are a fan of SEP books you'll find it entertaining but will probably agree its not one of her best. I fell in love with her book, "Match Me if you Can" because of its witty-comedic-romance and just had to read the rest of her books after that. The hero, Dean, makes several appearances in that book which naturally made me anticipate Natural Born Charmer to hear about his story. But I was sadly disappointed it didn't hold a candle to some of her other books.

Down on her luck but ballsy Blue Bailey is sporting a beaver costume while walking along a dusty road and trying to figure out her next step. Chicago Stars ace quarterback Dean Robillard, who is on his own quest to find meaning in the life he's created, stops and comes to her rescue. Despite how different they are and worlds apart on the surface level, the two seem to find a common ground that begins to knit a random fly by chance meet-cue into something more.

I really wanted to like this book, especially since this series started off so well. SEP tried to be light and humorous, attempted to keep it interesting and random (of the worst kind) but it just didn't work. It tried way too hard to be something good but ended up being a headache I wish I could give back. I can't even begin to start how bad this book is or comprehend how so many people seemed to like it--nay, love it. Really? For one, there is WAY too much going on and the characters are so all over the place that I had no way of understanding them let alone relate to them or even like them. The evolution of their romance was not endearing but slapstick and head-scratching. SEP didn't know what to do with the characters and it clearly shows, not to mention following a path that all bad romance authors follow, especially the constant misunderstandings and interpretations of each other's 'emotions', as well as the 'prove your love to me or else' and of course, the characters NEVER having a real conversation other than AROUND each other. UGH, puh-please). Their backstories were inserted at random but without any real purpose other than to get it out of the way and setup the next lackluster and ridiculous scene. Also, the plot is so over the top and unbelievable that I was cringing and rolling my eyes the whole way. SEP is usually so good at the natural chemistry between her main characters but Dean and Blue are so polar opposite for most of the book, I was left confused and rather appalled at the whole premise SEP was trying to feed us. Honestly, I'm not sure what book others read and I'm baffled by all the rave reviews...

I am reminded of her less than stellar books in which the Plain Jane gets the hunky hot stuff muffin beefcake--Heaven, Texas; This Heart of Mine; Match Me If You Can; even, to a degree, Nobody's Baby But Mine though I did enjoy it quite well--a formula she seems to think works and is endearing but really isn't. All the zany and crazy everything just got old and all the filler (over 1/2 the book) was dull and uninspiring, though it was meant to aspire to something intriguing and enjoyable (but wasn't). At least for me. While Blue is no mouse, she retreats back to the same feminine weakness that wasn't at all present in It Had to Be You and Dream a Little Dream. She was not consistent at all and Dean was the stock go-to of arrogant, self-centered a**hole and all about sex before anything else type that is unappealing but regrettably the tried, true and woefully predictable standard. Her secondary story was completely out of place but at least it was part of the primary tale, though again, completely uninteresting. After a string of bad books, and hoping this book would remind me of the good, I'm left remiss and wondering where the magic is gone, and if SEP can actually recapture it again. For right now, I'm inclined to think of the latter and move onto greener and better romance reading pastures...

to be honest i have found most of the books in this series to be hit or miss, they are either ok or great. this was one of the ok books. it could have been better, but i can't exactly put my finger on why it wasn't great. it was odd. i was frustrated by the fact that something was missing, something i just couldn't identify.

so with that being said if you have read the previous books in this series and enjoyed them then you should definately read this one. it is good and it is nice to see some of the other characters again - although you don't see as much of them as you do sometimes. for those of you who haven't read the other books, this isn't a bad starting point, although there are some of them i liked better (i liked match me if you can for some reason although i had issues with it) but still this wasn't bad.

i think part of the issue maybe was the characters, i wasn't as fond of them as i have been of others. to me they didn't grow as much as i would have liked or maybe they just started off wrong, but i just never got as attached to them as a couple as i want to in a good book.

but anyway, regardless of what you read, i hope you enjoy it rather it be this book or another. :)

Hilarious, romantic, great story, great H/h, AND great secondary characters. A definite keeper and re-read. I still have to read 5 more SEP's books, but so far, this is one of her best (like Nobody's Baby But Mine and It Had To Be you.) Jane Stewart, thanks for your recommendation.

I have just started reading Susan Elizabeth Phillips. After reading this I went and bought all of the previous ones. They are great light reading. The stories are wonderful and full of great descriptions and wonderful humor. I have read most of them in just a couple of days. I highly recommend this story line.

A return to form after a few disappointing novels, this has all the SEP trademark quirks - too gorgeous athlete with troubled childhood, quirky defensive heroine, small lost children, and a fluffy dogs. It has the older (but not too old!) couple reconciling and some snappy dialogue too. I really enjoyed it.

I love this author and the series so I was looking forward to this book, but I found this book lacking depth in some areas which ended up relegating the potential five stars this book could have achieved. I give this book a

3 1/2 stars but the lack just could not make up for the rest of the good parts of the book.

The absence of the portrayal of the charaters' intimate encounters, which SEP does so well in her other novels, is lacking from this book. As a result, it felt like parts of the book were missing.

Another reason why I found this book lacking is the loose strings that are mentioned and left hanging. Dean's football career seems to be thrown to the wayside when it could have added much more depth to the book. His injury/pain is also never discussed after a cursory mention.

While this book was good as far as it went, I decided against the hardback and I really am not sure if I want the paperback when it comes out. I would rather use that money on her other books. It is still one to read along with the rest of the series.

When the story began, I thought I was reading someone's description of a farfetched goofy dream...I soon realized it wasn't a dream at all but a well-written comedy to keep me reading. I loved the easily loveable characters and really enjoyed all the love stories :)Natural Born Charmer

I absolutely love Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books. She has an incredible sense of humor and her books are fun! I also love listening to her books-on-tape. She has hired an incredible reader (Anna Fields), full of talent, a great voice, and you can tell too, that she has a great sense of humor. My commute is 45 minutes to & from work. I can complete a Books-on-Tape very quickly. I always get so sad when I am on the last C.D. of a S.E.Phillips book because I don't want it to end. Her books make you feel good, make you laugh. Her characters are fun. I often find myself laughing and chuckling out loud in the car. Thank you Susan for continuing to put out great romantic novels! Keep up the great work!

this book is in my top 5 list which is hard to do. i loved blue because of her wit and humor. i was laughing almost non stop because of all the little comments she made especially with natty. blue and the hero are a perfect match with great chemistry and character depth. i read this book several times a year and never tire of it or stop laughing. i would put this on my must read list

This was my first Susan Elizabeth Phillips book. It will not be my last! I found myself cheating by jumping to the next chapter and reading a page or two because I couldn't wait to see what happened next! REALLY good book.

And certainly not my last - I cannot believe I have never heard of or read this author! I only came across this book because it was a new release/weekly reader at my local library, and the jacket contents intrigued me. I could not put this thing down, and I cannot tell you how many times I just sat there cracking up from the dialogue. I read all the reviews here AFTER I read this book, and am surprised that so many of her avid readers didn't seem to care for this book. Oh well, I did, and now I'm happy to say I have a new author to add to my list. I read for entertainment, and this book totally delivered.

I am a faithful fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and have read every novel published by her. That said, I did enjoy "Natural Born Charmer", but when compared to other novels earlier in her career (i.e. "Dream a Little Dream", etc.) I found it lacking a little spice. The characters were very likable. However, I felt the romantic tension, and love scenes could have been stronger, and the series of events that led to the two protagonists' extensive time together, more realistic. In addition, the side characters' story was quite predictable, and I would've liked to see more development in the relationship between to the two main characters. I would still buy any book written by SEP, don't get me wrong, but this one is not at the top of the list as far as favorites.

This is the best romance novel i have read in a long time. It was long, yet kept me engaged to the last page. The characters were amazingly well developed. They had clear motivations, their actions were believable. It was a charming wonderful read.

I read this book while listening to a compilation of Spanish love songs. The combination of both acts just made me feel and understand better the action, the feelings, the uncertainties and the characters.
The book is a top 5 in my list of books.

I love all her Chicago Stars books and think this is one of the funniest. The dialogue and interaction between Blue and Boo made me laugh out loud. I hated to finish it but will listen to this one on audio and recommend it to all my friends who are avid readers.

thanks susan - keep writing and i'll keep reading.

I have to admit, I love SEP. I am an avid reader, and can always count on her to entertain. All of her books are enjoyable, but her wisecracking lovable football heroes are my favorite, and she has created another winner in Dean. If you are looking for the usual SEP witty dialogue and unusual characters, and I do mean Charaters with a capitol C, you can find them here.

I'd like to preface this review by saying that SEP used to be one of my favorite authors. I loved Kiss an Angel, IHTBY, Heaven, Texas, Dream a Little Dream, Nobody's Baby But Mine, and Lady Be Good, but it seems that ever since she went mainstream with hardcovers, that her books have become predictable and formulaic and NBC is no exception. Beautiful and brilliant but troubled jock with too much money falls in love with a quirky, poor woman who also has family issues. For some reason, her earlier Chicago Stars books had some elements of realism, but I feel like she's lost her touch in writing relatable characters and plausible story lines. The plot was too far fetched and didn't focus enough on the two main characters. The book lacks the steam that once made SEP famous. I think the book is less of a romance and more of a mainstream family story since the subplots really took over the book.

While it had some great lines and some great scenes, it's not worth the money.

Although it has serious moments I found myself laughing out loud at parts of this book- and I mean that as a compliment. I think this is Susan Elizabeth Phillips's best book- And I have liked almost all of them.

As a true SEP fan, I was anxiously awaiting this book for months and it didn't disappoint. I loved all the characters in the book, not just Dean and Blue but April, Jack, Riley and even Nita (the old bat). SEP has a way of bringing all the characters to life while showing the tremendous growth and change they all go through by the end of the book. Blue was my favorite, though. She was someone you wanted to hang out with and to have as your best friend.

This one is definitely a keeper!

As usual, another SEP story that had me laughing. Of course I bought it on CD because no one could tell the story the way Anna Fields always did. I'm saddened to hear of her most unfortunate tragedy and she will be missed. I loved the way she played out each character. I really can't believe that anyone else will be able to narrate SEP's stories in the way she did but I do hope they can find someone comparable. I love how the characters all tie in from previous books which allows me to relive the other great books by SEP. Read this. It was hilarious.

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips was great! Dean is a football player on his way to his home outside of Nashville when he stops to help out headless beaver. Blue was working as a Beaver and becomes stranded in the middle of no where - and Dean comes into her life. Lot of twists and turns - A hot football star and artist/free spirit - a great mix.

I read this book in a day. I thought it was clearly one of her best (along with Dream A Little Dream & Ain't She Sweet). It was funny and touching with great characters and subplots. Clearly worth the price of a hardback. It's everything a romance novel should be and too often isn't - a compeling story with compeling characters (and some hot sex)!

Again SEP sends out another hilarious and witty winner. The dialogue between our heroine and hero is sarcastic and totally fresh. The chemistry that sizzles between them moves at a believable pace. Not sure that I cared too much about the romance that evolved between Dean's parents, but it didn't dominate the main storyline. Would have liked to re-visit Annabelle and Heath a little more because they had such a great story. The only thing off with this story was the ending. It was like SEP didn't know how to end it. The surprise party would have been a perfect ending, or even the jailcell, but still it dragged on and on. Overall though it was fantastic.

I love this book simply because it's believable, whereas it isn't your ordinary romantic book since the main character, Blue, doesn't automatically fall head over heels in love. Falling in love in this story represents what it is like to fall in love in real life: there are "real" problems that of which are believable.

Read this book if your tired of just your everyday romantics whereas the man and woman fall in love without a problem in the world, and live happily ever after.

;) Enjoy

It's a quick, light read, but doesn't disappoint. There were a few "yeah, right, like THAT would ever happen" moments, and the whole thing seemed to tie up nicely at the end, but what else would you expect? I'd recommend it for a rainy day. (This wasn't my first SEP book, and won't be my last.)

I love SEP's books and I couldn't wait for this one to come out. Lately, when I get books by my favorite novelists I am inevitably disappointed. I don't know if my expectations are too high or if I am just tired of flat characterizations and repetitive plats. This was NOT a problem with this book (and my expectations were incredibly high!). This book is funny, witty and sweet. I loved the characters (even Blue - a woman with NO concern for personal appearances which is usually drives me nuts). Anyway - this book is totally worth the purchase price. Just block yourself out a chunk of time to curl up and read it because if you are anything like me you won't want to put it down.....

I am a huge SEP fan but was somewhat disappointed by NBC. I enjoyed it, the fast-paced and sarcastic lines are there, and I would recommend it to any SEP fan. Dean is wonderful and a very well-developed character. You actually get to know him and can see (even if not agree with) the reasons behind his actions. Blue, on the other hand, was impossible to connect to. SPOILERS - The whole "not cute on purpose" thing, her sticking around after the awful events with Dean's friends at the farm, her forgiveness of Dean coming too fast.... Almost everything about her annoyed me. The end seemed rushed and unexplored. It would have been nice to have had a glimpse of how their lives would be back in Chicago - Dean is not that close to retirement. Finally, I just can't get over the fact that Annabelle was so important to Dean and we don't see her interacting with Blue. Her cameo seemed forced and unnecessary. That being said, I will continue to anxiously wait for the next SEP book and buy it on hardcover (padding or no padding).

I have had this book since it was released. I rarely read books more than once, but this is my go-to book. The characters are likable and well written. Ms. Phillips is hysterical, and this book is no exception!

Funny and entertaining. I've read just about all of SEPs books and she never fails. Probably can't be called literature, by some, but great Chick Lit for the rest of us, who enjoy it. I listened to the audio version and it was exceptionally done! Great narrator!

I had picked this book up years ago on a bored whim and next thing I know I fell in love with the natural flow and connection between all the characters and the different views in how people can experience any type of familial or romantic love at any age. Plus Phillips made me laugh again and again :)

I usually like SEP books. They make me smile. Most of the characters in this book were flawed but redemptive. I can buy that. Nita was a howl; Riley captured by heart. There was something missing tho.

Dean was the prerequisite alpha male. Blue was 'different'. OK, SEP needed a really good hook. The repartee was excellent. But toward the end it got as hoaky as it could. I am glad it had a happy ending but this was so over the top.

It was entertaining because I let it be. But I had to stretch my imagination quite a bit. But I have read better SEP books.

This was my first read of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' work. She really zeroed in on the truth that so many of us let the bitterness of our past keep us from claiming the joy of a wonderful future. It was encouraging to see her characters work through that and come out victorious.

I've read every one of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books since I discovered, and loved, First Lady. The last few books have gotten lighter and lighter until I practically had to hold this one down to keep it from floating away. There were so many sub-plots that I never got to know any of the characters well enough to care what happened to them. The main male character was so wooden I couldn't even like him. I love a humorous novel with feisty characters, but I wish the author would put a little more depth back into her plots.

Since everyone else has summed the story up pretty well, I'll just say that I LOVED THIS STORY! Blue and Dean have sparks from the get go and they keep going through the entire book. I had such a good time with this story. Giggle moments, laugh out loud moments, "awww" moments, and gasping moments... all these elements together make this one of the best reads of 2007 so far.

I don't like sports and I've never had a thing for athletes, but I fall a little in love with each of SEPs men. I liked the secondary love story in this almost as much as I liked the main story. I like the sexy vulnerability she gives her men.

I am a huge SEP fan and have read every book. This one is hilarious. I thought it was very fast paced with no drag chapters. Couldn't put it down and I think it will take the place of my favorite book from her. If you want a fun read but also complex characters this is the book for you. Sit back relax and get ready to smile, read Natural Born Charmer.

If you've never read Susan Elizabeth Phillips, she is a great author! I've enjoyed every book she's written. As a continuation of the Chicago Stars series, I looked forward to reading this one. It was a great read, of course, although after several books, it did start to feel a little formulaic. It was reminiscent of "This Heart of Mine". Still, I loved it and of course didn't want it to end!

I loved most all of Susan Elisabeth Phillips books, particularly the Dallas Star series as you can catch

up with the other characters from other books. I was looking forward to Dean's book and was left wanting.

I can't put my finger on why I didn't care for it. I will probably still look forward to the next SEP book, but not buy it in hard back.

Too many characters with problems. Borrrrrrrrrrring! The dialog between the two main characters, Dean & Blue, was unrealistic, wisecracking all the time. Who really talks like that? I believe the best character in the story was Nita, the mean old woman yet a softy inside. Her friendship with Blue was most entertaining to read (therefore the one star rating).

Loved this book! I have read it before and loved it even more this time around! I had forgotten how much a book can make you cry and laugh and just enjoy! If you want a few hours of escape, this is the best!

I love Mrs. Phillips' books. But, with this book she seems to be stepping away from one of the major components of the romance novel...the physical intimacy between the two characters. At first I had to ask myself why this bothered me so much. I was essentially thinking there wasn't enough sex... But it is not about that. It is about the way she describes what these two people feel for each other in a physical act. I believe if you are going to be true to the characters, treat them like real people, which one must do when writing, then the sex(making love!) is very important. With Dean and Blue there was huge potential and, like with some men, it was over in less than a minute. You know what I mean? Dean and Blue had such chemistry, such good lines, and while we got plenty of descriptions of what Dean's body was like, without the intimacy Blue's body was never described through Dean's eyes. It left me thinking that she, Phillips, was ashamed to write more. I felt like I wasn't allowed inside that part of the characters relationship or that she skipped over it like so many authors of 'fiction' instead of 'romance' in the bookstore. I respect Phillips' writing so much especially for this genre, but with this book I was disappointed in this area.

For the other parts, it was excellent. I almost cried twice. Like I said, she is the best at what she writes. But I feel like she hid some pieces of her characters from us and I am left wondering why?

I love books where the girls are just so spunky and outspoken. It was fun to read.. But, I gave it a four star only because I never really liked how most of her books she has so much going on with her other characters as well. That's just me. I would recommend it

I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips and yet I was surprised by how good this book was. It may be her best yet. I bought it yesterday and began to read it and found that I could not put it down until it was finished. A funny, charming and heartwarming story! This is exactly what every fun novel should be.

The first book I read by Susan Elizabeth Phillips was "Dream a Little Dream" and I was immediately hooked. I went on a one-week bender and purchased all of her prior novels and enjoyed them as well. Her last few books have been disappointing and this one is continuing that trend. The characters were not very well developed and, with the excepton of Riley, not sympathetic. The themes were fairly cliche...damsel in distress and taciturn, sex-oozing stud who by the end of the book becomes emotionally evolved. All-in-all, if you wish to read a SEP books, I would not recommend this one. I hope the next one is better.

Like all of her books, I laughed, I cried, I neglected my piles of laundry to finish it. I love her characters, the way they connect in a natural realistic progression. I liked that her heroine was stubborn with out being stupid.

I am a great SEP fan, and she does not disappoint. This may be one of my favourites from her(although I seem to love all her novels). SEP is the only writer that can actually make me really smile or laugh while reading one of her novels. Love her characters, they are always so full of faults like the rest of us,which makes us believe and relate. BRAVO Susan! Too bad she does not write more than one novel a year.

This is the first SEP book that I have read, and I thought it was wonderful. She is very witty and funny. I read it in one sitting, very cute and sexy! I'll definitely be looking for more of her books in the future!

under achieving down on her luck half-assed artist woman mooches ride (randomly) from famous (and incredibly handsome) football player. Seamlessly maneuvers herself to live with him in his rural ranch getaway, as a smart - ass banter based romance evolves (thru borderline rape and semi-conscious molestation). insert her mother: a missionary who stole all her money; his mother an ex-addict, ex-groupie (we all know one of these, right?), his father: a country music superstar and his 20 year younger half sister a fat rich girl. they spend about 5000000 pages rehashing their past and alternating between sleeping with each other and then running away from each other. The great thing about these characters is that they are relatable. I mean, I totally remember when my groupie mom couldn't make it to my boarding school play because she was off with Mick Jagger, But it ended up okay because my guitar playing dad bought me a plane and then I became the best football player of all time. what the crap? is this nonsense. Also, this plays like a reverse Married With Children. Every obvious female fantasy/stereotype of irrational unpredictable game-playing self centered-ness is played as some sort of heroic trait. If a man wrote this, the main character would be a fat unemployed man who lives with his mom and somehow has sex with 100 supermodels, all the while blowing evil robots up and choking Hitler out with his bare hands.
Pure rubbish.
The good news: you can make the audiobook of this into a drinking game! take a shot every time the words or phrases are uttered: "the game they are playing" "abs" "adoringly" "charming" "junkie" "heat" and "quiver."

I thought this was another great SEP story. I love all the stories from the Stars Football Team. I was a little disappointed that not alot of the previous characters from other books appeared. Still the new characters were interesting and fun. The story in itself has a simple message about change, trust, and love.

Too many "Dysfunctional Characters" What a depressing plot, everyone had so many emotional problems steming from their early backgrounds it was hard to keep score. Story lacked the usual humor and sharp quick witty dialogue I was so used to in Ms Phillips previous books. ... Too hard to find a likeable character!! (I was so glad I borrowed the book from the library & didn't waste money on it!!!)

This has to be one of the best books I have read since the last Susan Elizabeth Phillips. It was wonderful to visit some of the same characters all over again. I would recommend this to anyone and the entire series of books.

I raced to Target during my lunch break to Natural Born Charmer. I'd purchased the last two SEP books as hardcovers and loved them (Ain't She Sweet is one I revisit often) and consider myself a fan of SEP, and so really didn't mind paying hardcover prices for these books. That as my experience, why would I have a problem buying NBC in hardcover? Why indeed.

Before you buy, beware: the book is padded. By the second page I realized that the margins (inner margins specifically) seemed to be wider than average and the line spacing seemed just slightly larger than is typical in a hard cover book. I pressed on. By page 4 it was starting to bug me--so I compared it to SHS and yes in fact the inner margin is about 1/8 inch wider...not much, but enough that you'll get a few pages from it (who hasn't messed with their margins when writing a term paper?). While this is annoying, its hardly worth writing a bad review for. Then came page 20 and the end of chapter 1; you see its blank. As are about 8 others throughout the book (this number is rough as I only flipped through the book quickly). When a chapter ends on an odd right-side page, they skip a page and start the next chapter on the next odd right-side page.

Most people would probably say that this is no big deal, but it irritates me to no end, when publishers think we're stupid and won't realize when they are padding a book to make it seem longer than it is.

The story seems good enough and I'll finish reading the book, I just thought you'd like to know before you buy it in hardcover--maybe you'll want to wait for the paperback edition.