Heroes Are My Weakness: A Novel

Absolutely LOVED this story! Another unique, emotional SEP book! A very modern story, with just enough touches of Victoria Holt, Phillis Whitney, Mary Stewart, etc. that made me smile and remember all those wonderful authors I read so long ago...SEP, what a creative, gifted author you are!!!

This was a different book for Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I usually laugh out laud often ,when reading her books. This one seemed to have an edge of suspense that did not keep me laughing, but I really got caught up in the book and really liked it. Just different from her other books, but good.

"Ain't She Sweet" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of my favorite light reads. "Heroes Are My Weakness" reminds me a lot of that book. Two protagonists with a history...snappy patter...sweet romance. A very enjoyable read.

I really wanted to like this unfortunately I have to agree with some of her critics, this was far from her best. Boring story and less than attractive characters. Some of it made no sense which was disappointing.

This is a difficult "review" to write. I have loved everything I have read by SEP. She is a wonderful storyteller. I pre-ordered this book because I do enjoy her books so much. I do read reviews but don't allow reviews (good or bad) to color my opinion. If I like an author, I am a loyal reader-fan and I will usually buy their book regardless of what others say. Though it was pre-ordered, the book sat on my TBR pile for quite a while until I had the time to read it. I started this book with excitement and eagerness.

It ended up taking me much longer to read it than it normally would. I just couldn't get into the beginning of the book. I thought, "What is wrong with me?" "Is it just me?" So I did check the the store reviews and found many people had some of the same issues with the book.
The beginning of the book was not interesting to me, and I found it a bit creepy that the heroine talked to the puppet voices in her head. Five of six different puppets having conversations in her head, sometimes at the same time. Now I talk to myself all the time, and I even answer myself...but puppets. Perhaps because I tend to think of puppets in the same way as I think of clowns. {Shiver!} The hero was far from likable and the heroine, well, we have already established I found her a bit strange. Even the location put me off. Living in a state with terrible winters, I did not care to read about an isolated island off the coast of Maine in the winter. {Brr.}

Annie Hewitt is described as quirky, and not a great beauty. I can totally live with that. I actually like a real-life, realistic heroine, who I can identify with. The hero Theo Harp, on the other hand, was gorgeous, dark and brooding. I didn't have a problem with the disparity, I like the hero to be attractive. For me, it's what romance is all about. (Cinderella saved by the handsome prince...)

I did not abandon the book. I just hate not finishing a book. I look at it as a personal failure so I kept reading. I should mention, I HAVE given up on just a few books in the past. Obviously something compelled me to continue reading. I kept hoping I would be rewarded. I was.
As we get to know the characters more and more, I saw intriguing elements to their personalities. As the story unwinds, we learn some things, and some truths become clear.

I think another aspect of the book that I wasn't prepared for was the fact that it read more like a mystery, mini-thriller, and I thought SEP abandoned the genre I love. There were some twists and turns that seemed darker than anything she has written in the past. But as I continued to read, I embraced the story.

I WILL NOT give away the story. No Spoilers. But I hope if you do have a tough start to reading this book, you will keep going. I hope you will get invested in the outcome and want to finish the book. I didn't love this book as much as her others. But I am glad I finished it. The end was worth it.

I have found Susan Elizabeth Phillips does not disappoint and this book is no different. She is an imaginative and creative writer. I enjoyed this book as I have all her others. I'm already looking forward to her next book.

She never disappoints! I was not sure when I started the book with the puppets,etc......Do not stop! It is a great read and I loved the book. It is hard to get into an OK book after you read a Susan Elizabeth Phillips. You are there and the characters are real. Thanks Susan!

I'd been eagerly awaiting the release of this book, and as usual as soon as I began reading I wanted to race through to the end as quickly as possible.

This is a great book for aspiring writers to read because the author uses many subtle, clever tricks to show her characters' personalities and their progress throughout the novel. An example is the internal dialogue relating to the puppets in the beginning; it was frequent and on the verge of being annoying, but it gave a glimpse into the chaos that was Annie's mind at the time. As the novel progressed, the puppets' dialogue became less frequent, until it finally stopped completely when she had her life together and had figured out the direction that she wanted to head in.

It was nice to see the touches of humour, especially from Theo, who's now up there with Dean and Ren as one of my favourite SEP characters. I loved the chemistry between Theo and Annie, particularly once she got over the idea that he was trying to kill her.

Some aspects of this story are similar to her other novels, but there are only so many plots you can conjure up when it comes to writing HEAs. The mood is quite different from her others books, but the darker feel made for an enjoyable read.

Loved it!

This book was a winner! It was different from her other books as there was a mystery to solve which made it better. I especially liked the interchange between Annie and her puppets. I believe I could say that this book was my favorite of all Susan Elizabeth Phillips reads.

Love SEP, however this was not a show stopper for me. It took me forever to finish this story. It did get better and did have a nice ending but I will not be rereading again and again like all of her other stories. This just did not do it for me unfortunately.

I love how this book delivers, our fears, fantasies, mysteries, and happiness. Family is important, not perfect, and the characters Annie and Theo show us their strengths and weakness. I enjoyed this book. Thank you, SEP!

I have to agree with the other reviewers. I love SEP. However, I wish I had read the reviews before I purchased this book. It is really weird and disjointed. The characters aren't "quirky and adorable" weird - they are just plain strange. Don't get me started about the ladies in the town - that part is really unbelievable. It is a disappointing book.

The ventriloquist beginning had me a little concerned, but Susan is an all time favorite so I had to continue. As usual and as expected, she shines. The way she spins her stories and most importantly her characters, is true perfection. How she can make you not like an unsavory character, then switch to rooting for him, it is a fun ride for the reader. Please keep writing SEP, we love you!

Other reviews are wrong! I almost didn't buy this book because of reviews about creepy puppets and a dark scary hero. They claimed to be fans of SEP and didn't think this book was like her others. Thank God I was out of summer reads and bought it anyway. I don't know what books those supposed fans of hers have read, but this book was classic SEP! The puppets weren't talking, it was basically the character talking to herself (which happens in many SEP books). She's a puppeteer so she has turned each side of her personality into one of her characters and relates to them when she's thinking: big deal. I thought it was cute and not as weird as bringing the cartoon bunny to life at the end of "this heart of mine" which is still one of my favorites. As for Theo being dark and scary, I don't think they were paying attention. He was mysterious and standoffish at first, but all her characters start off not liking each other for some reason and falling in love despite themselves. As for the dark storyline of what happened when they were young, it wasn't far into the book that it became clear there must've been a misunderstanding. He was obviously not the evil kid she remembered (he was just too darned nice as a grown up). I loved all the characters including the friend with the sad story and the little girl who wouldn't talk. They were all sweet and ultimately, as usual with SEP, I got my happy ending! A lot of drama, who done it, great sex and happy endings. You can't ask for more and SEP delivers as always with a few laughs along the way.

Wonderful rewriting of the traditional gothic romance. This time even though you're still not sure who the good guy is the heroine is feisty and can take care of herself, mostly. One I'll keep to re-read. The author even dedicates the book to all those authors I couldn't get enough of; Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt, and Mary Stewart to name a few.

Another tale woven with quirky, yet strong heroines and tender hearted, yet fiercely rugged heroes that somehow manage to keep you laughing, on edge, entranced and seduced at the same time! Susan brilliantly does it again!

You have to suspend reality to enjoy this book but it is an enjoyable escape. An escape is one reason to read this genre . I was dipping to the end to find out what happened but then did read it all to fill in the gaps.

This book is a real change for Susan Elizabeth Philips. It's kind of gothic with a dark brooding hero and mystery as a central theme. (probably the kind of book SEP grew up reading)Though it's a different venue for her, and not humorous, it's still a great book and I enjoyed it. No matter what Susan Elizabeth Philips writes, she is a master storyteller with entertaining plots and multidimensional characters. This book is no exception. Personally, I'm glad to see her branch out into something new and stretch herself. If you want to read the same SEP book over and over, this probably isn't for you, but if you want to see how she handles a completely different kind of book, I highly recommend it.

I liked this book, the story was slightly confusing at first, so unsure how the author would make me like the hero at the beginning. But then, i think the mystery and the characters development were well done. And the love scenes were very cute too, not as gripping as other susan e. phillips books but still. It made me want to re-read her old books too, so that's a plus.

This book was a very big disappointment! I read many of the reviews before I bought it, and hesitated because they were so negative.. I went ahead and made the purchase anyway, since I really enjoy this author. Should have paid attention.. It was one of the worst books I have ever read. Do not waste your money!

I love SEP. That said, I absolutely despise this book. It's dark in a way all of her other books, even with such a wide variety of events in people's past, haven't been. The humor fails to cancel it out or make you feel better about it, and you feel some real danger for people's life throughout the course of this book. One time, fine, but there were too many times this book felt like a thriller instead of a well written romance novel. If you want to write a thriller SEP, then advertise it as one instead of a romance novel! As a thriller it would have been a great read, if I was into thrillers anymore, which I am not. No heads up warning, just- BAM!- dark book. There were also too many broken relationships- all of them, that had no smooth flow to the dialogue as SEP's books usually have. The ending does not make up for the huge dark current, not note, that winds its way through the pages.
That said, the book does sweep you away, but mainly because you keep turning pages, hoping, praying that things are about to get better.

Really different - this is a little dark but it never is scary. I loved the plot. It was a combination if a good fashioned gothic novel and a contemporary romance. I read a lot so this was a total breath of fresh air for me. No graphic sex, but sexy. I thought I had figured out the mystery (which is really light) but I only got it half right. No Spoilers - since everyone knows there will be a HEA but I really loved how they got there.
I highly recommend this book.

I loved the puppet storyline. Scamp is hilarious. I almost didn't read this one because of some poor reviews, but it really isn't possible for me to skip one of Susan's books. I've read and enjoyed everthing she's written. For me, she's a reliable good read.