Ain't She Sweet?

Any book that starts off each chapter with one liners from my favorite Georgette Heyer's regencies will dispell my misgivings at the offset. Let me not pretend to be too highbrow -I loved this book.
Not a careful purchase, but stacked onto my library pile as a last minute addition with that sangfroid of knowing if it was a bore it would just go back next trip, no pressure... and I was predisposed to dislike it, on account of "bitchy" heroine blurb on back cover.

Summation: Improbably named Sugar Beth must return to her hometown to reclaim her inheritance.

Unfortunately she doesn't have a whole lot of friends left in the town she once dominated. And she doesn't have a whole lot of success to ride back in on. Three failed marriages behind her and the last marking her as an Anna Nicole Smith type gold digger give her a lot to be ashamed of.

What is likeable about her character is the sheer nerve with which she carries all off. I would hope I would have similar backbone, & personal honour. In a good little pointer, SB explains it as `personal power' when having a discussion with her estranged niece.

Particularly appealing is the character the author has created in Sugar Beth.

OK THE NAME!!! It's bad, but you move beyond it.

I approached this book with extreme caution thinking I was going to hate the main character but in fact she shows more tolerance and humility than the people she victimized.

I loved the descriptions of small town life, and this book made it so real for me, although I have no familiarity or experience with the area's in which it is set.

There is soaring romance, and I was crying so many times as I read this book. What moved me was not some overly dramatic this person dies blah blah. Instead it was really well written scenes of the sort of day-to-day pathos everyone has to endure in their lives.

The other thing is: It's Very Funny.
WARNING: YOU WILL LAUGH it's not a sad book; it's a joyful read, and I felt thrilled, happy & completed, when I completed it.
kotori [email protected]

Take one part Erica Kane, one part Scarlett O'Hara, and a dash of the cast of Designing Women and you have Sugarbeth Carey. Once she reigned as the queen of cool in high school, but she left that world behind until now. She's come back, queen no more. Now she's older, wiser, and humbled but still proud. Though down on her luck, she's not out. It feels that way, though, when her only hope of a job comes from Colin Byrne, her one time English teacher, nemesis, and the man who has the most reason for revenge. Having the girl who ruined his career as his maid is too sweet, but if he thinks Sugarbeth is going to be a docile domestic, this Englishman had best think again. Even when forced to serve those who trample her crown, Sugarbeth is still dignified. Colin soon finds his bitterness turning to admiration and something a bit more carnal. Suddenly his research about the sexual habits of Victorian gentlemen becomes slightly more relevant, especially the chapters about servant girls. There is a problem in the plan, Sugarbeth has given her heart before, and does not agree with the poem about it being better to love and lose than not love. It's better to run away before you get hurt is her thought.
***** "Ain't She Sweet" snaps with sassy humor and quick wit, but has a serious message that is not so subtly spelled out. Sugarbeth is the best heroine since Ms Phillips' Daisy. Her banter with Colin is sharp and fun. You will laugh and cry. I can hardly wait for the next release by this author. *****
Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

The story is excellent and the characters are extremely lovable. I hated to see the story end. I laughed out loud at times and just had to admire Sugar Beth's strong-willed character, offset only by her ability to realize her stubborness and the ability to humble herself when the situation presented itself. A sequel would be a terrific way to hold onto these adorable characters and continue the story of Colin and Sugar Beth and their extended family and friends. Some of the storylines regarding the Seawillows were a little out there considering the grudges were held over a 15 year time span and the result of high school, teen tactics. However, the author's excellent writing skills and humor overcame the ridiculous antics of the town's southern belles! This was my first book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I was so impressed by her style of writing, I went right to the library to get another one of her books as I turned the last page of "Ain't She Sweet" (This Heart of Mine). I believe I have discovered another "favorite" author!

I discovered this wonderful novel, while I was dying of boredom in Korea. I checked it out hoping for a good read, not great because lets face it, with a heroine named Sugar Beth I was a little... suspcious.

I conceed that I was completely wrong!

The minute Sugar Beth drives back into her hometown you start to discover her personality and all the things that she hides in her heart. I quickly found her to be a caring person. She had done a few Horrible things in high school, but you instantly see why and that she was a hurt teenager.
Now to move onto to Collin. Ah, Collin..... I found him to be a brooding, sexy kind of hero. Not a warrior type, that has muscles bigger than his head, but a knowledgeable, sure hero. Who just happens to be really, really hott. He is one of the many, many people in Parrish that finds Sugar Beth..- ugh, I can't even type that name out, I'm just going to call her "Beth"- a terrible person who has wrecked man lives.

But their relationship grows, and they both start to see a different side of each other, than neither one knew exsisted. They had amazing chemistry, and believable interactions.

Another thing that SEP does wonderfully is the secondary characters. They were written wonderfully in this book.

For all this, Ain't She Sweet?, is one of my top novels. A shelfer as I call it. Because if I'm keeping a book,its obviously left a good impression on me.

Sugar Beth Carey is back in town. After a fifteen-year absence and three husbands later, Sugar Beth returns to the small town of Parrish, Mississippi, to claim her inheritance from Aunt Tallulah, the carriage house belonging to Sugar Beth's childhood home, Frenchman's Bride. Desperately seeking funds to help support her mentally disabled adult step-daughter, Sugar Beth searches the carriage house for a precious painting hidden by her deceased aunt. But there is hell to pay, as Sugar Beth has nary a friend in Parrish, and Frenchman's Bride is now owned by Colin Byrne, her former English teacher that was bounced after she accused him of sexual misconduct. Even her long ago friends, the Seawillows, have deserted Sugar Beth in favor of her step-sister Winnie, after Sugar Beth abandoned them years ago.
In this complex study of small town relationships, Sugar Beth must learn to co-exist in a town that has abandoned her as its golden girl, even as she faces Winnie, the woman she humiliated as a girl who married Ryan Galantine, the man Sugar Beth discarded years ago. While the sparks fly between Sugar Beth and Colin, he is determined to exact his revenge for her role in getting him fired years ago. Hiring Sugar Beth as his housekeeper seems to be the perfect humiliation, but underneath Sugar Beth's witty banter, Colin is surprised to find a woman as desirable for her looks as her strength of character. Ms. Phillips latest never ceases to entertain in this novel that creatively combines steamy romance with a captivating plot line.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a writer we all wish we could be. I know she must have days where she's very content with what she has written... God bless her for using her talents for our enjoyment.

I just finished reading this book for the second time. I was surprised by the details I had forgotten... Ain't she sweet is full of side stories and secondary characters and they each add to the story with plotted refinement. I did not skip a word on any one page. Ain't She Sweet is a page turner, fast and furious. At the end of the book I was frantically trying to recall more than the general outcome, but I could not, and I felt anxious alongside Sugar Beth.

As the story was winding down, I was considering suggesting the book to my 14 year old son, so he would get a sense of the long term effects of high school behaviors towards others done with or sans spite, but always with consequences. For a few reasons I guess I decided against it. This book does remind us of some of our own past hurts we may remember or caused. I know I still do not feel kindly toward a boy who tried very hard to force his way with me in the back seat of his car before we even arrived at the prom dance. He told viscious lies about me afterward. I had other male friends who were willing to beat him up for me. I told them not to, but weren't they sweet?

I was born and raised in Northern Mississippi and graduated from Ole Miss, so I was attracted initially to the book because of its setting. I wanted to see if the author would portray Mississippi as it really is and not what Yankees think it is. It was so accurate that I felt as if I had fallen into a time warp! Ms. Phillips' story of a down and out Southern belle is charming without being overly sweet. I felt as if I knew each of these characters because they remind me so much of people I grew up with in the Mississippi Delta town of Marks. We get to experience the ups and downs of Sugar Beth as she goes about redeeming the sins of her past. No matter what happens, she remains sassy to the end. I don't know where the author is from, but if she is not from Mississippi - the land of Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright and countless other great authors, I would be greatly surprised. A great summer read!

I absolutely adore Susan Elizabeth Phillips, she is one of my favorite authors ever! Okay, just had to say that first! Now, on with the review of one of my favorite books in the entire world...

Sugar Beth? Did I read that right? Sure did! How amazing is that name? When I saw this book I had gotten no further than the first sentence of the synopsis and I had already decided to buy it, I knew that with the leading character named Sugar Beth I would love this book.

Ain't She Sweet is one of those books that you finish, and instantly want to reread. This book has betrayal, lies, love, sex and everything in between. The total package okay?

You absolutely want to hate Sugar Beth, but you can't. Everyone makes mistakes and SB made more than her fair share! Trying to overcome her reputation as a 'mean girl' in the town she grew up in... Where her illegitimate half sister is now married to her high school sweetheart... She ends up housekeeping for her High School English teacher... The same guy she had rode out of town on a red hot rail...

I find myself not even being able to describe how immensely great this book is, because all the words I put together don't do it justice. In short- JUST READ THIS BOOK.

I truly loved this book Ms. Phillips has managed to pen yet another sweet novel that is not too sweet but at the same time touching and completly unforgettable.
Sugar Beth is a very complex character that I must admit to not thinking I would like. I thought "how can I read this book when the heroine is so totally nasty, spitful, and mean?". But trust me, you will end up liking this woman after you get to know her through Ms. Phillips clever writing. This book has many secondary character's that are totally revelant to the story and in fact there is a secondary storyline between Winnie (related to Sugar Beth) and Winnie's husband Ryan (Sugar Beth's high school sweetheart) that is also entertaining. And lets not forget our hero Colin. This story is set in the South in Mississippi a place that I called home for three years long ago, and Ms. Phillip's writing brought me back to what it was like to live in a small southern town. Not the spitfulness of it but the sense of community. This is a story that will have you turning the pages simply because you want to find out if there is such a thing as a "happily ever after" for Sugar Beth, and if forgiveness can be obtained by her as well for the way she treated her old friends from long ago. Who says that you can't go home again. This is truly a story about forgiveness, and growing and one that I hope you will pick up.

Sugar Beth Carey was once the wealthy spoiled princess of Parrish, Mississippi. But fifteen years later, she forced to return back to her birth town broke and desperate. She had hurt lots of people in this town and now it's pay back time. One of them is Colin Byrne , her high school teacher whose career Sugar Beth had destroyed.

But now the table is turn. Colin is a famous writer who had all the power in his hand. So low in cash, Sugar Beth had accept Colin offer to become his new maid, although she knew the man only had one reason to hire her. To get his long due revenge. But the line between love and hate is really thin.

Again, Susan Elizabeth Phillips demonstrated her skillfully writing. Very enjoyable. Its compel me to read and just kept reading. The characters will captured your heart. As always, like in other of her books, the sub characters ( i.e. Sugar Beth step sister) were interesting too. I recommend this book to everyone who love to read romance novel.

This is by far the best romance book with the plot where the heroine goes back to her hometown to stay. Lots of romance books with differrent authors try the same plot but no one can write as good as her.

I was disappointed with SEP's last offering Breathing Room and thought Ain't She Sweet won't live up to her marvelous books such as Kiss an Angel (my favorite), Nobody's Baby But Mine, This Heart of Mine and others.

Boy was I wrong! After reading the book in 1 night, I now have a new SEP favorite! While some parts are funny, Ain't She Sweet is unbelievably emotional and heart-wrenching.

It's a testament to SEP's writing talent because many less accomplished writers would have made me hate Sugar Beth for the mean things that she did in high school. Instead, I was cheering her from the beginning, hoping that everything would work out for her. The other characters in the story are just as strong and delightful.

This book is definitely a keeper. Read it when you feel like immersing yourself in a good book that will overcome you with its emotional depths.

I was disappointed with SEP's last offering Breathing Room and thought Ain't She Sweet won't live up to her marvelous books such as Kiss an Angel (my favorite), Nobody's Baby But Mine, This Heart of Mine and others.

Boy was I wrong! After reading the book in 1 night, I now have a new SEP favorite! While some parts are funny, Ain't She Sweet is unbelievably emotional and heart-wrenching.

It's a testament to SEP's writing talent because many less accomplished writers would have made me hate Sugar Beth for the mean things that she did in high school. Instead, I was cheering her from the beginning, hoping that everything would work out for her. The other characters in the story are just as strong and delightful.

This book is definitely a keeper. Read it when you feel like immersing yourself in a good book that will overcome you with its emotional depths.

Fifteen years ago Sugar Beth Carey was the richest, most popular and the most beautiful girl in high school. She used the power she had to in selfish and destructive ways. She ended up leaving Parrrish, Mississippi, but not before throwing over her boyfriend, cutting off her girlfriends, ruining a teacher's reputation, and making her illegitimate sister's life a living hell. Now Sugar Beth has been through three husbands and any money she ever had. She comes back to Parrish and struggles to overcome her past reputation and to rectify old mistakes.
I'm generally not a huge fan of romance novels, but this one hooked me from the first page. I loved all the characters especially Sugar Beth. There is something very appealing about a bad girl gone good. There was good chemistry between the female and male lead characters plus a very good secondary cast of characters. The plot was standard romance fare, but the writing was good and the characterization makes a five star romance novel.

This is one of the best romantic novels written by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Sugar Beth (as a matter of fact, Frances Elizabeth) is back home. She wants to get a painting than has inherited, in order to sell it and obtain the money she so desperately needs. She has lived enough to fill three lives with failures and misfortunes. And she has clear ideas about what she wants. People in the village apparently still live in the past. They see her as she was, and not how she actually is now. They all become teenagers that want to revege for all the terrible things she did when they were young. Beth is more mature, she accepts their hate with dignity, witness and a certain grace.

The man, Colin Byrne, an elegant English writer in love with Faulkner's Old South, soon discovers that revenge is not as sweet as he expected; desire and love are much more gratifying.

And beside them, unforgettable minor characters. In the end, the scenes are very moving, as the different characters get over their problems, the admit their own failures, they forgive and look to their present and their future.

This is the first time I've encountered Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I picked up the audio book at the library. I was hooked within the first 3 minutes. Honey Beth is everyone's high school nightmare... rich, popular, blond and perfect. I loved her sense of humor and unbreakable spirit. Her interactions with Colin were a hoot. The only thing I have negative to say about the audio version is the narrators awful British accent. I kept picturing Hugh Grant's voice... much more appropriate. I usually listen to books on cd on my way to work and on road trips. I took this one inside and listened to it for two days until I devoured all 11 hours. I found myself laughing out loud and mumbling to myself like a nut. So if you're looking for something entertaining especially for a long commute this is a good pick!

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a rare breed of writer that never ceases to amaze me with her ability to flawlessly blend the reader's emotions. I constantly hold my breath when I am reading her novels, and "Ain't She Sweet?" was no exception. In the space of a few breathless moments, I wept over Sugar Beth's amazing strength of will to walk into a room of her fiercest enemies and face the demons of her own making, and I laughed with her during her inspired moments of selfish hilarity.
She was that girl we all despised in high school for her high-handed and bullying approach to the lesser species of teenagers, but she became that woman whom we all want to become, because she displays a tenacity that tugs at the heart, and her pride and dignity brings the rest of the estrogen crowd to their feet in a display of unrelenting girl power.
I was so excited when I discovered that Phillips newest book would hit the shelves, and I was even more giddy to have those pages of in my hand. She is a writer who fully develops the cast in her story. Everyone has a story and a past to explain the nuances of their behavior, and that is what makes her books so unique. Whether we laugh or cry or hold our breath, she never has failed to follow through on her reputation as one of the best. "Ain't She Sweet?" is one of her best. And the only disappointment I felt was when the last pages were read, and I realized that I would have to wait a long time before Phillip's next story was published.

The greatest thing about this book is that it had a story and a plot, a backbone that had romance as a definite theme, but did not rely merely on that romance to create a good story.

Sugar Beth Carey was one of those queen bee popular girls in high school, the cliched, beautiful brat that made some poor soul's life a living hell. But Phillips does a wonderful job writing her as a woman in her thirties, reflecting back on her youth and trying to grow up. Several surprises unfold along with the story: her relationship with the girl she traumatized through high school, the teacher she got fired, her past marriage. The story is full of great dialogue and wit, as well as a very strong and believable romance.

This book is among the best for modern day romances. The cookie cutter love-turns-to-hate romance is well written and not cookie cutter at all. The characters are believable and you feel for each of them. And the happily ever after makes everything worthwhile.

Some of my favorite stories by SEP are about redemption. And boy, does Sugar Beth Carey need redeeming. Nobody takes risks like this author, with her stories and her characters. Sugar Beth did some vicious things in her past that she hasn't outlived and when she returns home to Parrish Mississippi, nobody's in the mood to forgive her. Sugar Beth is broke and 3-times divorced and in desperate need of a job while she searches for the valuable painting her Aunt Tallulah left her. Nobody wants to hire Sugar Beth until Colin--the high school teacher she got fired from his job years ago--hires her as his housekeeper.
What SEP does is take an unsypathetic character and expose different layers of Sugar Beth until we grow to like her in spite of ourselves. And SEP doesn't pull in punches. Sugar Beth did some awful things and she richly deserves the humiliation that's coming her way. But somehow, in the middle of the lesson, Sugar Beth's smart mouth, sassy attitude and pride turn the tables.
I laughed out loud so many times in this book, I can't count them. SEP has never been funnier. Sugar Beth's aspersions about Colin's sexuality (he is a bit of fop) are hilarious. And Colin is sarcastic enough to both enjoy them and return the favor. This book has some of the best dialogue I've ever read in a romantic comedy between the two leads.
Then there is Sugar Beth's relationship with her half-neice, Gigi, a budding Sugar Beth who's the richest girl in town and shows signs of being a beauty. Gigi is forbidden to have anything to do with her aunt, which of course drives her right into Sugar Beth's path. Sugar Beth teaches Gigi about how to grab hold of her power and it's one of my favorite subplots in the book.
I have to put this one up with my two other favorites--"It Had to be You" and "Dream A Little Dream".

This book was too funny. I found myself cracking out loud several times. SEP does a good job of depicting southern life. She manages to pick up on quirky southern elements that people might be put off by and spins it into something funny and positive. My only criticisms would be that she spends a lot of time discussing high school - almost in a way that makes me thinking I'm reading some teen novel. Also, Colin's Britishness is a little exagerated. ANd I wonder if SEP ever got a lawyer to read her manuscript. I find if kind of funny that Sugar Beth's mother didn't will anything to her daughter. Even if she died before Sugar Beth's father, they were married at the time in which case she would have a whole bundle of legal rights. So the Cinderella impoverishment strikes me as kind of funny. But what the heck, this is fantasy, run away with the mind kind of novel. It's still great! And funny too!

I just finshed the audio version of this book, and I have to say it is one of the best books Philips has ever written. I laughed so hard I cried, and I cried at times too.
Sugarbeth is not quite what she appears to be, and I will not spoil the book for any new reader by saying much about the plot, but Sugarbeth truly is a "woman for the ages." There is a lot of wisdon buried in the pages of this book, and Philips does not cheat her readers by ending the story too soon, or taking the easy way out.
I spend a lot of time and money on books, in particular audio books which cost a lot more than a paperback, and I appreciate an author who gives me 110%. That is rare today when a lot of best selling authors pump out books by the dozen and feed us recycled junk in order to get us to buy another book. That is not true with Philips, and this book is a great example of the writings of an author who loves her audience and her characters.

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

Sugar Beth grew up in a small town and when she was in her high school years she was both popular and a mean girl. She is returning but only to get some things from her inheritance and then leave, but she is confronted by people from her past and she has to choose how she is going to respond.

Sugar Beth ends up living in the guest house of her childhood home and I loved how one of the people she persecuted ended up living in her childhood home. The many times that she is hurt by the people in the past, I loved her many reactions. Eventually the story gets to the love part and I completely loved it. The relationship didn't start easy and had some speed bumps, but I loved how Colin treated her and didn't completely forgive her of her past at the beginning.

In high school, Sugar Beth Carey and her Seawillows dominated the local scene treating everyone else with contempt. Among her victims was a young British teacher Colin Byrne, whose career she ruined. Years later Sugar Beth returns home having accomplished little in her life except regrets. She hopes to sell her deceased aunt's valuable painting done by renowned local artist Ceredon Ash.
Sugar Beth is shocked at how well everyone has made it since she dumped her sweetheart Ryan when she left for U of Mississippi for a football star who is now her ex-husband. When she sees Colin she is sorry for what she did to him and is very attracted to him, but he does not trust her though he finds he desires her. Winnie Davis is running scared that her spouse Ryan still loves Sugar Beth. However, that does not matter to Sugar Beth as she now believes you can never go home as nothing remains the same. She wants Colin permanently in her life, but believes he could never forgive her though she hopes he lovingly deem her his forever honey.
AIN'T SHE SWEET is an engaging relationship drama that focuses on whether a former teen pack leader can ever go home especially as a failure. The story line is character driven as the audience understands what makes key players tick, especially the fear that motivates the lead couple, the former Seawillows, and the Davis duo. Though not much action occurs, to fans of tales that go deep inside the soul of its stars Susan Elizabeth Phillips provides a delightful read.
Harriet Klausner

Sugar Beth is sassy and sarcastic and determined not to let her hometown former friends see her down. She is broke and looking for a job and determined to get her life under control again. She has been away for 15 year, had 3 husbands and has learned life the hard way. After being the town princess thru high school, people are looking for the spoiled teenager with the poison tongue and bit by bit find the true person she has become. Colin Byrne the guy she did wrong so many years ago tries to humiliate and humble her but this steel magnolia is stronger than he thinks. A very well written and wonderful read

From the moment that you first see Sugar Beth returning to the scene of her high school crimes in her beat up Volvo, accompanied by her hostile basset hound, you know you're in for a great read. This is an amazingly funny book that you simply can't put down. The characters are well drawn and attack each other with razor sharp wit, and the writer's psychological insights are dead on. I can't remember when I so thoroughly enjoyed a book from cover to cover.

This is the first book by this author that I've read, so I have no comparison to her previous work, but I plan to get every one of her earlier books and devour them at the earlist possible moment.

I strongly recommend that you do the same; you won't regret it.

I found SEP approximately 8 years ago and have been driven ever since to find and devour her stories of strong women overcoming all kinds of unimaginable hardships.
The heroine, Sugar Beth, is the girl we all loved to hate in our youth. She seemed to have everything, only to yearn for the one thing every girl needs; her father's love.
She finds the love, but in the most unlikely way. I just loved the part about the pearls. Every true "Lady" needs her pearls and Sugar Beth finds them and more.
This book inspired me and I really needed this message right now.
Thank you Susan Elizabeth Phillips... really, thanks

Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips introduces us to Sugar Beth Carey. When Sugar Beth left Parrish, Miss 15 years ago she was the pampered princess of the town. She doesn't come home that way at all. Former friends and enemies are dying to give her, her comeuppance.
Leading the pack wanting to get even is a former teacher Colin Byrne. Sugar Beth ruined the start of his teaching career and that has Colin wanting payback.
But Colin wasn't planning on the changed life had dealt to Sugar Beth or his growing feelings for her.
Ain't She Sweet is a sensational story, its funny, sexy and will touch your heart.

Sugar Beth Carey was a terror growing up in Parrish. In high school she ruled, deciding who was in the in crowd, and who wasn't. Those that weren't, she tormented. Now three marriages later, Sugar Beth is all grown up and on her way home. She has ammends to make and a painting to find. What she discovers right off the bat is Colin Byrne. When she was younger she ruined his career and reputation, but he's come out on top. He has a chance for a bit of revenge...trouble is, revenge doesn't taste nearly as sweet as Sugar Beth does.
Two wounded souls come together in another winning story by Susan Elizabeth Phillips!

Simply put, this might just be the most perfect romance ever written. SEP is a MASTER!

How do you go about convincing readers to root for a heroine you would have taken a contract out on in high school??? MS. Phillips has done the impossible, inspiring compassion for a world of characters who, half the time make you hate them, the other adore them.

Sugar Beth returned home in search of a painting, and must confront those she wronged years ago and prove to them all she's changed.

If I had a scoring system, AIN'T SHE SWEET would be off the charts.

This was my first SEP book. I normally read historical romances, but bought this book on a whim, off the bagain table. I've never read a book that was so romantic, sexy, and funny, all at the same time, throughout the book! I, too, found myself going back and reading the "good" (not always sexy) parts, and still do even though I finished the book days ago. Colin was wonderful. I understood his need for revenge, but oh my, what a romantic he turned out to be. Sugar Beth's sassy come-backs, and endurance, made her a great lead character. Gordon's role brought a down-to-earth aspect, especially when he had a broken home. The book was so capivating I found it hard to put it down; and when I read before bed, I found I had a hard time going to sleep. I plan to read it again in the future, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a funny, sexy, read. I will definitely read another SEP book.

This book was fabulous. It is laugh out loud funny, thought provoking and poignant. It is a keeper. I will probably read this book again and again just to relive the magic.
Well Magnolia...you've done it again! Now I have to wait another year for your next book. Heavy sigh...

This is not Susan Elizabeth Phillips' best. It is not her worst. I am willing to sell or trade the book back, so that should tell you something. Not only that, but I had to pick up the book to remember the heroine (Sugar Beth's) name.

Now, when I first began reading the description of Colin Byrne, I thought SEP was kidding. He sounded like a joke. I thought she couldn't figure out how to make him sound and appear more ridiculous or more of an enigma. Half man, half woman? Ugly, handsome? Her description of him reminded me of Sexy Beast, which was a weird one, but I digress. I liked his character, but honestly, what did Sugar Beth do to earn his respect, apart from not slapping all her snotty friends upside the head? I didn't particularly care for them either, nor did I care for Sugar Beth's whiney sister or her toffey nosed husband.

The other part of the story that was not fully developed was a reason to feel some sympathy for Sugar Beth. Examples of her father's cruelty were given, but they didn't connect the dots in any meaningful way. It's as if no one in that little one horse town saw a thing (The Emperor's New Clothes) while that disgusting piece of human excrement treated his daughter like a toilet. I'm sorry, I think abuse is too serious to treat so casually.

When it comes to getting your just desserts, did anyone feel the injustice of Winnie (whiney) getting everything? Yes, I know the father loved her, and nor do I feel he treated her well, either, nor her mysterious mother who probably looked like a frog (to match the father, of course). When you really think about it, this book was hilarious. Eh?

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has outdone herself. How unique to tell the book from the perspective the of the rich, spoiled teenage bitch who bravely faces her comeuppance. Each of the characters had depth. None of the stories rang false. And the dialogue was snappy, funny. I can't say enough. I haven't like all of this author's books. In particular, I've thought some of her plots were pretty unbelievable. But this book was believable and moving from the first page to the last.

...but Sugar Beth Carey is coming home to Parrish. There she rediscovers Colin Byrnes, a teacher she wronged years ago. Colin's out for revenge, but sometimes it's not quite as sweet as you'd imagine. Colin and Sugar Beth find more together than just a history...they find a future.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips has the ability to take not very likeable characters and make you fall in love with them! You feel their every nick and scrape as their story unfolds. In Ain't She Sweet, Phillips is at the top of her game!

This book sat on my book shelf collecting dust for months, I finally decided to pick it up and give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. It was hilarious! I was totally expecting one of those shallow, annoying, sex-filled chick-lit books...but how wrong was I!! This was a very tastefully done book about a down-and-out former beauty/princess of small town Mississippi, who finds her true inner strength and pride. I definitely recommend this book to all, it's very funny and will keep you entertained throughout. One of the best books I've read all year!!

Except for sex scenes dropped in randomly that totally didn't fit with the mood or the story, I really enjoyed the gritty characters and the fun banter. I had trouble mentally switching between imagining the southern belle accent and the English one. It was refreshing that the character was mature and not artificially immature and sweet but with plenty of baggage like we all are at 35. Despite many additions to my "never write this in a book" list I still liked it.

In high school, Sugar Beth made many enemies. When she left town for college and deserted her "Seawillows" she made more. Now, she has come home broke and desperate, but to get what she is after, she will have to repent for her sins. This was a real catchy book. The characters were awesome and Sugar Beth was hilarious. I found my self laughing out loud several times. This is not your every day romance novel and I would definitely recommend it!

This book has great female characters--especially Sugar Beth, Winnie, and Gigi--and a wonderful sense of community. Top that off with a trademark SEP romance and it's just flat-out fun. She gets extra points with me for trying a very different kind of heroine and pulling it off beautifully. Susan truly is the queen of romantic comedy.
(Note: I posted a review of this two weeks ago and it still hasn't appeared so I'm trying it again. If two reviews from me show up, it's not because I'm padding Susan's rating, it's because the other one wandered around in the ether for awhile, although this book is worth ten stars, so it's all good.)

Amazing book. This is not a genre (modern romance) that I typically read and was very pleasantly surprised. It's been a long time since I stayed up to 3 am reading a book that I started at 8 pm. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down.

Some of the problems in romances is that characters are often not likable or make really stupid choices or decisions. Or the author insults the reader by patronizing him/her. This book makes none of those mistakes.

I am usually not a fan of contemporary romance novels and to be honest wasn't impressed by the synopsis but read it anyway based on a recommendation. Could not have been more pleased!! Story had me hooked within minutes. You felt every emotion regardless if it was fear, anger, lust or laughter. Passionate scenes were written well; incredibly sensual and made my skin tingle without being raunchy. I am reading everything else I can find by this author.

I came here for the sole purpose of ordering more SEP books, but I just finished this book and couldn't resist a quick comment. If this wasn't the best book I have ever read, it's darn close. Sugar Beth struck a chord for me. Victim to a cold, vengeful father, she acts out in high school only to be paid back by karma for the next 13 years. Three marriages later, battered and broke, she returns to her home town to claim a small "inheritance" left to her by her aunt. Problem is, she can't find it. She spends most of the book looking for the inherited painting, but is forced to deal with all the people who hated her for being popular in school. Dont' get me wrong, she was cruel to many people and deserves a lot of what she gets. Until you find out the crap her dad dished out when she was a kid, and then you start to feel pretty bad for her, too. But for every humiliation she encounters, she comes out swinging, with a mixture of good ole southern charm and biting wit. I think the only heroine I may have liked more was in The Mad Earl's Bride, by Loretta Chase, but I'll have to give that one some thought. Regardless, I have been reading romance for 30 years, and I know talent when I see it. This author is the real deal.