Natural Born Charmer (Chicago Stars Series Book 7)

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 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.

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.

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...

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...

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.

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 [...])

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!