Texas Book 6) - Call Me Irresistible - A Novel (Wynette

It's been a while since I read any Susan E. Phillips, and I wonder now why I ever stopped. What makes Irresistible so entertaining is that the zany humor and wit is balanced out by the right amount of angst and great character development. Even the supporting cast is interesting. I enjoyed this so much, I've dug up three previous SEP books and am laughing my way through them (I'm also dying to read Torie and Dex's story). Ironically, the only reason Irresistible is not 5 stars is because after reading some of her other titles, I realized those were even better. Highly recommend Nobody's Baby But Mine & Dream a Little Dream (listen to the audio for an even better experience). It's from a different series, but it's been ages since a book made me laugh so hard.

A high-profile wedding, second thoughts, a friend to confirm these second thoughts....all these provided the incentive to call off the wedding. But would the bride's friend, Meg, be sorry she even mentioned to Lucy that perhaps she shouldn't marry Ted especially in a town where the groom was the mayor and could do any number of things to make things difficult for Meg?

And what a rough time Meg did have...Ted was brutally cruel to her; he never showed that side of him to the citizens of the town. Ted was everywhere Meg was. He knew she didn't have any money to leave town, and he also made sure no one would hire her. She was miserable...no food, no place to stay, and no one to help her. Meg was so happy she saw what Ted was really like and that her friend didn't marry him.

Since Meg couldn't leave and remained in the small Texas town, she decided to make some mischief of her own which got all the aristocratic Texas ladies in an uproar. But would her decisions backfire on her, make things better, or cause a never-ending pain in her heart?

You will love the book...a sensual storyline, and let's not forget wealth, jealousy, and greed. The characters are easy to love and easy to hate.

Phillips has authored another winner!!!

Giving it a BIG TEXAS 5/5....LOVED IT.

Overall, it's a good story and the writing is top notch, but I couldn't help but feel that it could have been a better plot. Part of the weakness were the unbelieveable parts...how a woman who has such rich family and friends get to a point where she has to live in her car and scrub toilets. Most of the side characters seemed unbelievable mean spirited and dumb, even some of the previous books' characters. Neverthess, I liked the hero and heroine and the writing keeps the pages turning, so worth 4 stars.

In order to enjoy this book, you must first suspend your idea of reality, because most of this book is outrageously unbelievable. Once you get past that little detail, the book is quite enjoyable. I loved the chemistry and romance between the two main characters. It was nice to revisit characters we've known and loved in Ms. Phillips' books before. I would have given this book 5 stars if I could believe that any of it could possibly happen in real life, but I couldn't.

it took me a long, long time to warm up to the romantic hero in this book. I loved Meg right off, and I am so looking forward to Lucy's book. But Ted kept me at arms length for a very long time. Actually, it was only the the last 1/3 of the book where I really liked him.
A very nice read, with plenty of small town quirkiness, but not SEP's best effort, in my opinion. Four stars might be a tiny bit much, but I think it's definitely better than 3.

I can't tell you how much I loved this book. It's romantic, funny and heartwarming. Meg is a sassy, intelligent, strong heroine - and she doesn't fall immediately in love with the irresistible hero. Ted's gorgeous and a saint in everybody's eyes (and Meg is just the shake up he needs to knock him off of his pedestal). Susan Elizabeth Phillips' best work. No doubt about it. Call Me Irresistible is a charming love story and if you're a hopeless romantic, you'll probably love it. If you're a bit pickier with your love affairs, this might not be to your liking. Only one way to find out...

All I have to say is, I only get 6 hrs asleep a night. I made the mistake of starting the book on Sunday night thinking I'll read it slowly. Nope, didn't happen! I stayed up all night until I was done and wanted to read more. I will say that she left the plot open for another book to come ;)) it was a satisfying round up of some of my favorite characters. I read about 10 books a month and this one was the best I have read in months!

So Funny! Meg's faults were so believable and so easy to identify with. Using Teddy's perfection as his quark was imaginative and different.

Also, I love getting to revisit some of my all time favorite characters.

While this was not my fave SEP book, I still had to give it 5 stars because even her worst book is better than the best books of other authors of the same genre.

My faves are Lady Be Good, Fancy Pants, First Lady, and the Chicago Stars series. For some reason I don't think her last few books are nearly as great as though, but don't get me wrong...they are still awesome!

I read this book on my Kindle first, then bought a hard copy because there were so many passages I wanted to experience again. Watching the adult children of older characters, Ted and Megan, grow into their own romances is a true pleasure. (They also inspired me to reread their parents' stories.) SEP's sense of humor is a gift to all who do not want to take life too seriously.

I think I can safely say Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of my favorite authors. Her writing and character development are so amazing, especially in the romance genre of books. Yes, there are some themes that pop up in several of her books but they work over and over again in each of her unique plots. I also love having characters from previous novels interact.

Some other reviewers have disliked certain parts of the story, such as the abuse Meg endured during the first half of the book and the perfectness of Ted but those are a huge part of what makes the story work. Ted's character lies in the town's view that he is perfect and he tries to live up to their huge expectations.

I loved this book and I give it a complete 5!

2.5 stars - it took me a long time to get into this book, but once I did I enjoyed it. If this is going to be your first book by this author, I wouldn't recommend it. While this is meant to be a standalone book, I'd suggest first reading some of the earlier connecting books (Fancy Pants, Lady Be Good, First Lady, Glitter Baby, What I Did for Love). I learned at the end in the Author's Note that many of the secondary characters had books of their own. I think I would've enjoyed this book a lot more (like catching up with old friends) and been much less confused if I'd read at least some of those books first. Instead, I spent the first 1/4 of the book trying to keep all the secondary characters straight, wondering if this was supposed to be a romance novel because so much time seemed to be devoted to the secondary characters and there didn't seem to be a clear hero (couldn't be Ted, I thought, since the depiction of him felt strange and no pages had been devoted to his perspective, as in most romances) or heroine (would Lucy make a comeback and Ted and Lucy get back together, or was it Meg).

I've read many of the author's earlier books and I think she didn't do as good a job with this one in developing the main characters. I didn't really feel their pain and hurt, or love, for that matter, as I have with other books by this author and other authors. Perhaps in showing Ted as incredibly emotionally controlled (and not giving his perspective until well into the book/relationship), the author prevented the reader from connecting with him.

This book fell short compared to other SEP books but it was still an enjoyable read. Like other reviewers I got pretty sick of the self-righteous town folk constantly coming down on Meg. She was so likeable that it got old for me fast. Especially since they felt Ted was the definition of perfection. Even though I gave this 3 stars, SEP will always be an automatic buy for me.

I don't like to give "less than good" reviews but I must on this novel. The characters are shallow to say the least and the events ....even worse. I know lots of readers will love this foolishness but as for me, there are way too many good books out there to spend time on this one. After reading a little more than half, I surrendered and closed it for good.

I just finished listening to this book on my Ipod. I absolutely loved it. Mrs. Phillip's latest is definitely one of her best. The way this author weaves her characters from previous books into new stories is heartwarming. It's like running into old friends. The dialogue between Ted and Meg is wonderful. And the minor characters take on a life of their own.

If you wonder how the future of the couples from Glitter Baby, First Lady, Lady Be Good and Fancy Pants turns out - read this book. The only drawback - I didn't want it to end.

I admit, it took me a long time to read this one because when I first saw that Lucy WASN'T getting the guy, I lost interest. I remember Meg Koranda from previous works and I never liked her. The main character doesn't have to be a super model, but Meg just seemed oafish and awkward and I didn't really want to read about her. I never cared about her like I cared about previous characters.

What's so interesting about an over-privileged, over-grown child growing up years after she should have? She didn't really go through anything for her journey, other than to fall in love - which she's done a million times before.

The plot wasn't sustaining enough. SEP should have stuck with her original plan of making this a Lucy/Ted tale. That would have been much better.

Also, I really didn't like the fact that Meg had huge feet. It just added to her oafishness.

I wasn't sure how much I would like this book because it was based upon one friend running off on her wedding day, and the other falling for the dumped groom. However reading the book, I really liked it.

I loved Meg as a character. I think she was smart, funny, talented, industrious and everything a good heroine should be. She had cojones to go against the people of the wretched town. I know SEP doesn't write her heroines to be treated like princesses but there were instances where I wanted Meg to punch people in the throat, including Teddy. They were all so awful to her and for no real reason. Am I the only one who believes in the concept of free will and had the people in Teddy's family and town never heard of it? I saw everyone blaming Meg for breaking up the wedding when everyone involved had free will. The fact that Meg was so nice to all of them and forgave them so easily upset me as someone who believes that people should have pride enough to not let others walk all over them.

Additionally, I wasn't a big fan of Teddy throughout the book. I believe he eventually fell in love with Meg but I still didn't like his character as much as hers. He didn't have tragic flaws. He didn't make mistakes like Meg did. He was so cool, calm and calculated that it made me unhappy. Like Meg my heart broke when I realized he only kissed her in front of the women because they wouldn't reveal it to anyone.

I saw why Meg fell for him, and why he fell for her but I do believe she deserved better than him. I saw such tremendous growth from Meg as a character that I couldn't help but love her, while Teddy was just the guy who made her happy and he's fine enough I guess.

Since I didn't connect with the male lead of the story, I didn't give this a 5 but the book would be worth reading even if it was about Meg alone. Now I can't wait to read Lucy's story.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips never disappoints! I have read all her books and am always excited when a new one comes out. I love that her books have such warm, engaging and complex characters. I love that you can follow characters from story to story and watch them grow. It gives her story so much depth. You can never go wrong when you pick up a SEP novel!

So, I too downloaded this book only I did it this morning and I've got to say it was an amazingly relaxing read. Thank you God for making it an ice day in the capital. I had the day to relax and read and this is the perfect book to set the world aside and just fall in love with the characters. The whole story is romantic, funny, and because I actually read all the other books (huge SEP fan here) I felt so connected to the characters. I actually got that weird feeling where I'm kinda worried about reading Lucy's story because frankly I set her aside after she bailed on the wedding. I'm still in Meg's head and with this book and I really do want to read it again.

It's been hard to find good romantic comedies in the movies; it's great to have SEP back in great style with a great book.

Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

I was prepared to be disappointed after reading all the reviews, but I thought the book followed the SEP formula anad I didn't think the main character was treated any more harshly than characters in other books. What surprised me is that I started the book after work and read straight through to the end - I couldn't put it down. I thought it was a great read and that it had that great combo of humor, quirky characters (Hey! They're Texans!) and a story of twists and turns.

I am a HUGE*** SEP fan and yet I kept on waiting throughout the book for Ted's POV to come in. When we would get a look into his thoughts and feelings about Meg? Should I keep on reading and hope I find out? I have never given any of her books less than a 5 star rating and will read her books as long as she publishes them, but this is something I hope can be addressed in Lucy's book. One of the reasons I love SEP is that I get both the hero AND the heroine's POV and I would hate it if this was to become a pattern for future books. I would have given the book a 3 star for this alone, but the witty dialogue and classic SEP style makes this book a 4 star. I recommend reading if you love SEP but be prepared to scratch your head a little about what is missing.

I don't like to give "less than good" reviews but I must on this novel. The characters are shallow to say the least and the events ....even worse. I know lots of readers will love this foolishness but as for me, there are way too many good books out there to spend time on this one. After reading a little more than half, I surrendered and closed it for good.

I just finished listening to this book on my Ipod. I absolutely loved it. Mrs. Phillip's latest is definitely one of her best. The way this author weaves her characters from previous books into new stories is heartwarming. It's like running into old friends. The dialogue between Ted and Meg is wonderful. And the minor characters take on a life of their own.

If you wonder how the future of the couples from Glitter Baby, First Lady, Lady Be Good and Fancy Pants turns out - read this book. The only drawback - I didn't want it to end.

I admit, it took me a long time to read this one because when I first saw that Lucy WASN'T getting the guy, I lost interest. I remember Meg Koranda from previous works and I never liked her. The main character doesn't have to be a super model, but Meg just seemed oafish and awkward and I didn't really want to read about her. I never cared about her like I cared about previous characters.

What's so interesting about an over-privileged, over-grown child growing up years after she should have? She didn't really go through anything for her journey, other than to fall in love - which she's done a million times before.

The plot wasn't sustaining enough. SEP should have stuck with her original plan of making this a Lucy/Ted tale. That would have been much better.

Also, I really didn't like the fact that Meg had huge feet. It just added to her oafishness.

I wasn't sure how much I would like this book because it was based upon one friend running off on her wedding day, and the other falling for the dumped groom. However reading the book, I really liked it.

I loved Meg as a character. I think she was smart, funny, talented, industrious and everything a good heroine should be. She had cojones to go against the people of the wretched town. I know SEP doesn't write her heroines to be treated like princesses but there were instances where I wanted Meg to punch people in the throat, including Teddy. They were all so awful to her and for no real reason. Am I the only one who believes in the concept of free will and had the people in Teddy's family and town never heard of it? I saw everyone blaming Meg for breaking up the wedding when everyone involved had free will. The fact that Meg was so nice to all of them and forgave them so easily upset me as someone who believes that people should have pride enough to not let others walk all over them.

Additionally, I wasn't a big fan of Teddy throughout the book. I believe he eventually fell in love with Meg but I still didn't like his character as much as hers. He didn't have tragic flaws. He didn't make mistakes like Meg did. He was so cool, calm and calculated that it made me unhappy. Like Meg my heart broke when I realized he only kissed her in front of the women because they wouldn't reveal it to anyone.

I saw why Meg fell for him, and why he fell for her but I do believe she deserved better than him. I saw such tremendous growth from Meg as a character that I couldn't help but love her, while Teddy was just the guy who made her happy and he's fine enough I guess.

Since I didn't connect with the male lead of the story, I didn't give this a 5 but the book would be worth reading even if it was about Meg alone. Now I can't wait to read Lucy's story.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips never disappoints! I have read all her books and am always excited when a new one comes out. I love that her books have such warm, engaging and complex characters. I love that you can follow characters from story to story and watch them grow. It gives her story so much depth. You can never go wrong when you pick up a SEP novel!

So, I too downloaded this book only I did it this morning and I've got to say it was an amazingly relaxing read. Thank you God for making it an ice day in the capital. I had the day to relax and read and this is the perfect book to set the world aside and just fall in love with the characters. The whole story is romantic, funny, and because I actually read all the other books (huge SEP fan here) I felt so connected to the characters. I actually got that weird feeling where I'm kinda worried about reading Lucy's story because frankly I set her aside after she bailed on the wedding. I'm still in Meg's head and with this book and I really do want to read it again.

It's been hard to find good romantic comedies in the movies; it's great to have SEP back in great style with a great book.

Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

I was prepared to be disappointed after reading all the reviews, but I thought the book followed the SEP formula anad I didn't think the main character was treated any more harshly than characters in other books. What surprised me is that I started the book after work and read straight through to the end - I couldn't put it down. I thought it was a great read and that it had that great combo of humor, quirky characters (Hey! They're Texans!) and a story of twists and turns.

I am a HUGE*** SEP fan and yet I kept on waiting throughout the book for Ted's POV to come in. When we would get a look into his thoughts and feelings about Meg? Should I keep on reading and hope I find out? I have never given any of her books less than a 5 star rating and will read her books as long as she publishes them, but this is something I hope can be addressed in Lucy's book. One of the reasons I love SEP is that I get both the hero AND the heroine's POV and I would hate it if this was to become a pattern for future books. I would have given the book a 3 star for this alone, but the witty dialogue and classic SEP style makes this book a 4 star. I recommend reading if you love SEP but be prepared to scratch your head a little about what is missing.

I really enjoyed this book. It was the first I have read by this author and was thoroughly surprised at how much I liked it. I loved the characters and with such detailed writing the story just unfolded before my eyes. Loved it. Want more.

I enjoyed this book. Being from Texas, I was curious at how the author would portray a small Texas town. She wasn't far off. I live in a small Texas town (wasn't born and raised in it) and I'm still an outsider even after 10 years and multiple businesses. If you aren't "born" in the town, you'll always be treated as an outsider. So, I felt that the author was pretty smack on with how Meg was treated. I loved the story and all the characters involved.

I am not going to get into the the synopsis of the book as it has been written about over the last few months, I totally agree with the reviewers who said it's not fun to read a story where the heroine is bullied by 99% of the characters for nearly all of the book. It was sad. The constant reference to Ted being perfect got old in a hurry. This plot was so one-sided and negative that I just wanted to be done with the book, skipped pages hoping it would get better. I have read numerous books of Ms. Phillips and this one was just not on the same level as the others. I hate that I couldn't event get into the book.

I think I've read all of Susan Elizabeth Phillips books so I was excited to see a new one come out. I really enjoyed this one and would rank it just below her best (Match Me If You Can as an example of her best).

I loved this book! I haven't read SEP in a while...but heard there was a new book coming out, so I bought Fancy Pants, Lady Be Good and then Call Me Irrestible...I thought this was such a great book...it's tied with Fancy Pants and Glitter Baby as one of my favorites!

SPOILERS: (In response to some of the NOT 5 star reviews)

I can see where some readers were bothered with a "lack of connection" between Meg & Ted. But I think that mostly stems from us not getting in Ted's head until the very end...that bugged me for a while because I love to hear what each main character thinks and feels...But I think SEP did this on purpose...like all the people of Wynette and all of the women who "loved" Ted, none of them really knew him, how he felt or what he thought...SEP was giving us a taste of that...and how great it was when we finally got to hear his thoughts...I had made assumptions about him just like Meg and all of the people of Wynette did...but when I finally got to hear him, I was so excited...and immediately I felt his pain...I was sad for Ted...and I understood his confusion over Lucy and their relationship...he was such a logical guy...everything made sense with Lucy...but like he said "Lucy broke my brain" ...Meg broke his heart...

...and I really felt that they did have chemistry from the beginning...it was purely physical and it was confusing for both of them...(Meg because this was her best friends fiance and Ted because he really thought he loved Lucy, so how he could be so attracted to another woman, let alone his ex fiance's best friend, who broke up his wedding)

And because Ted was a "pleaser" who never let himself really feel anything or never let himself really go, the amazing sex that he provided Meg always left her feeling like something was missing because she sensed his control, his inability to let go, and she felt like she wasn't satisfying him (as far as the actual sex scenes, I thought they were pretty hot for an SEP book)...but in the end we see Ted unravel and finally lose himself...of course he has to realize he's fallen in love and that his heart is broken first for this to happen...like all of SEP's books, the characters have this growth process to go through...this journey they take to really get to know themselves before they can truly love another...it's never head over heels from the get go, or simple either...but that is SEP...

I LOVED the ending!!! This is one of my favorite SEP books!!!

I've never written one of these before, but I really wanted to write one for this book. For one thing, because I've been waiting for it since it was announced. Most of her novels follow the same pattern, this one being no different. Boy and girl meet under unusual circumstances, there's an attraction which eventually leads to the two sleeping together, making sure to establish that are no strings attached, until one of them does indeed become attached, which results in an emotional upheaval from either one or both parties and then eventually there's calm after the storm and a happy ending. And I'm in no way being critical of that because that's what a romance novel is, for the most part. I What sets her novels apart, not just from each other, but from all the others in the entire genre (at least in my opinion) is the way she tells her story. They're incredibly well written, whether it's humor, sexual tension, conflict, heartbreak, etc. I can't tell you how many "contemporary" romance novels I've read that are just so...dull. Metaphors strung together like a high school student being forced to write a narrative, generic dialogue, no personality or depth to characters, etc. It's small but very significant things like those that set apart an already established formula in romance novels from becoming archaic. At least, I find that i haven't really gotten tired of the somewhat repetitiveness in her stories and I owe that to her brilliant story telling. I'm sure there's a lot of readers out there who disagree.

I loved this story; Meg has easily become one of my favorite heroines from all SEP books, the first one still being Blue from Natural Born Charmer. My only complaint, like many others, is for some odd reason we don't get to hear Ted's viewpoint right up until the end. By the time I was reaching in on the middle of the book, I was almost anticipating it and it was really strange that it happened so late. This was billed as "Ted's book" but we were only given a glimpse into his mind in a very very VERY small portion of the book. It didn't in any way downplay him as an integral character but it's worth mentioning. All in all, I loved this book! I finished it within the first couple of hours of buying it and I'm still going back and reading parts here and there. I only randomly came across this author sometime last year and in that very short amount of time, i've definitely become one of her avid readers. I'm always on the search to find somebody who writes the way she does, or at least in a somewhat similar fashion. Unfortunately no luck so far, but I'm optimistic. And in the mean time I am patiently (not really) waiting for Lucy's book.

Call Me Irresistable is just that irresistable!!! Its honestly my favorite book and I havent even read the books that came
before this one. When I read reviews of people giving it one star, I think to myself, " Really?" but everyone is entitled to their opinions. This book made me laugh out loud, cry and grin like a fool constantly becuase it simply was great. So give it a try and Im sure you will fall in love with it :)

I read this book in one sitting. I must admit that first chapter was great but it didn't really pick up steam again for about 100 pages. While this book is good for the genre, it lacks the depth and emotional connection that I found in the earlier SEP books. The character growth isn't really seen and the ending is a bit shallow and easy. I did enjoy this book as it is my first SEP hardback and autographed. But I would really like to see some revisions and depth added to characters. Had the bones of a wonderful novel but I was disappointed.

First off, I really like SEP. I have read all her books. Some I have liked more than others. This was a nice read but many of her earlier books were so much better. I think she is starting to repeat herself. It is almost like a standard letter with new names typed in. Same story line, different location, characters, and circumstances but the same somehow. I hope she starts to think outside the box with her story of Lucy. I have not given up.

Let me first say that Susan Elizabeth Phillips is an amazing author. Usually.

But this last book was a let down for me. While Meg's clever digs and barbs at the oh so perfect Ted kept me reading, the hero was incredibly flat. Being amazing at everything does not equal hero material. Ted was incredibly one dimensional in his perfection. The only time he had a spark was when he was abusing Meg. After their romance develops, he kind of faded out for me.

CMI's heroine Meg is adorable but SEP takes the inferiority complex a little too far. Seeing her be abused over other people's mistakes for 300+ pages just got a little old. Her secondary characters came off as incredibly sanctimonious and I almost wanted to skim their lines, they were so uninteresting.

As for plot, it was a watered down version of Ain't she sweet? It seemed like a melange of her other books. Very predictable to say the least.

Meg's spunk made it an entertaining read but I give it 3 stars for lack of originality and weak characters.

This one felt short for me.

It is nice to see the next generation but it is not necessary yo know the back stories to enjoy this read. The book delivers what you have come to expect from this author: funnt characters,good plot, romance and a little something extra that will make you laugh out loud.

I read some of the reviews before I downloaded this book, and was truly waiting to be disappointed, but do not judge a book by it's one sided reviews. I absolutely enjoyed this book, with it's many twists and turns. Did it get a bit cheesy with the "sunlight" analogy for Ted, Definitely!!! But, it gives the reader a sense of depth for the enraptured feelings that the community has for Ted. This book reminds me a lot of "Ain't She Sweet" which was written in 2005, and to this day is still my favorite of all time reads.

I just downloaded "The Great Escape" and can't wait to find out what has happened to Lucy which was intricately weaved throughout this story. The thing about Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books is that once you read her latest read, you just know it's going to be a while before her next book comes out. When attempting to post this review, much to my surprise I find that Lucy's travels are now available! I have read all of her books, and was glad to hear an update to a lot of her previous characters. Kind of reminiscent of a "family reunion" of books past.

As for the naysayers of this book, and people that are looking in the reviews to determine whether to try this book, I say, "Read on." I truly enjoyed this book, and think that a true Ms. Phillips' fan will enjoy it as well!

I have read a number of this author's books and she and a few other authors played a welcome role in the transformation of the romance novel to a more modern type of love from the terrifying "bodice-ripper" of the 1980s and earlier, where the woman doesn't have to consent to sex, or take responsibility herself at all, but instead derives pleasure (albeit limited and fleeting pleasure) from the childlike passivity and lack of responsibility, and the pain of self-abnegation and the pain of abuse and exploitation by the heavily muscled, uncommunicative, romantic hero. These books often leave mysterious what happens after the bodice-ripping. The fact that such a woman may be left in poverty or may be raising a child or children alone never seems to happen. And the experience of the child of a bodice-ripping "alpha male" father in this situation is also completely ignored; it's all about the mother, who behaves like a child herself.

SEP's books still tend to include "bodice-ripper" scenes but they have a lot of context around them where the female protagonist does have some ability to stand on her own two feet and/or makes a lot of efforts in the direction of getting on her own two feet. In this book, Meg does make impressive efforts with people who seek to undermine her, but her attraction to Ted Beaudine, and his attraction to her unfortunately seems stuck in the "bodice-ripper." We are told the only good sex they have is when Ted turns into the uncommunicative, brutish type of man.

I think the culture is moving past this "patriarchal romance" - and needs to move past this - to the modern egalitarian marriage of shared earning/shared parenting. That is a context of actual equality, rather than the transient psychological equality that is often promoted in romance novels (as Simone de Beauvior astutely observed, "romantic love makes us feel like we are equals," but we are not really equals in a rational sense and so that love is, ironically, not sustainable). Transient romantic love is very different from enduring love between equals, who know each other's real selves, rather than their romantic images.

And I would hope by now the emptiness and unsustainability of this "patriarchal romance" is obvious to everyone, given the the legions of recent male politicians, celebrities, businessmen, and sports heroes who fit the "alpha male" fantasy (Tiger Woods, Jesse James, John Edwards, Arnold Schwarzenegger), but whose actual lack of interest or concern for their wives or children has now been revealed, thanks in no small part to the increased economic and political autonomy of women, which has made this reality visible.

SEP is getting closer to this adult love in her books, but she's not really there yet. In this book, she has a female President, and a female talent agent (Meg's mother), but she is not, I think, quite hitting it yet on how these marriages would need to work with regard to shared parenting/shared earning. The male parents are awkward and superficially drawn, sometimes overly sentimentalized, and the women are still dominant in the daily parenting relationship (if not the final word, which tends to go the often sillily and childishly aggressive "alpha male" father) and in domestic chores. In one scene, SEP tries to show that Meg's parents communicate without speaking; this is ridiculous. Anyone in an actual shared parenting/shared earning situation knows that this is not how it works. I also think these women's careers are a fantasy in a non-shared parenting world; I personally don't think we will have a woman President until the shared parenting/shared earning model becomes the norm (which it does look like may be the case with Millenials and younger people).

This change to shared parenting/shared earning requires getting out of the "patriarchal romantic fantasy" that books like this have a tendency to promote. I suspect that some people remain trapped in this "alpha male" stuff because there is this view that productivity will be threatened and/or a conditioning that many people have of the "provider" father that people don't want to grow out of because it would require that they accept adult responsibility. And some people don't have the emotional and intellectual maturity and differentiation for an adult "passionate," fully communicative relationship and so all they can get is this shallow and primitive passion of the "patriarchal romance." Ironically, from a productivity standpoint, I think that the "patriarchal romance" is actually much more threatening than love between equals; it's just the internal psychology of people who grew up in male breadwinner homes that is limiting them - and sometimes the rest of us.

I'd love to see SEP get away from the alpha male fantasizing; she does some deconstruction in this book, showing how Ted Baudine is all intellect and duty and no emotion or "passion," and how he miraculously supposedly awakens from this to have some feeling for Meg (although, significantly, not to empathize with and relate to her). This was still a pretty facile portrait based on romantic love rather than adult love. I personally find these guys very threatening. I had one for a father and he was very traumatizing; my mother's co-dependence with, worship of and deference toward him was further traumatizing; she had no ability to really know her children, nor did he. Romanticizing this dysfunction really falls flat and is something I object to.

When men and women really are equals, there is sometimes room for role-playing, like the brute, uncommunicative man and the passive woman, etc. But this requires adult psychological boundaries, economic, emotional and political autonomy in both the man and the woman, and better relationship skills than either of these characters possessed.

I really enjoyed reading about Teddy after enjoying his parents story Fancy Pants and seeing him as a friend in Lady Be Good. This was such a fun book to read that I did not want to put it down. I have even gone back and read my favorite parts because I enjoyed it so much.

I wasn't crazy about this book,I felt that the 1st 100 pages were very slow and the main characters only meet like 3 times, the rest was just alot of useless writing. I loved her Ain't She Sweet book and was hoping for something more like that, this wasn't it.

What's up with the bad reviews? This book was great! And as an added bonus we got to visit with old friends from prior books. I really got a kick out of the ending. Looking forward to The Great Escape - the next book in the series.

I almost didn't read this book because I read so many negative reviews the first couple days of it's release. Now after I did take the plunge on it, I can say if you are thinking about this book, don't hesitate! It's a fantastic book and well worth the time and money. Honestly, I was also a little hesitant because most of SEP's books lately just haven't been up to her usual writing, but I just can't resist at least trying any new book of hers. The story, characters, humor and setting for this book are great and you really get wrapped up in it. A definite must read!

After reading SEP's First Lady, I was excited to read this book... what a let down. Meg deserved to be treated badly from the town's people for breaking up her best friend's wedding then go after her husband-to-be. If she thinks she's a loser for dating her psychotic ex-boyfriends, she's a even bigger loser for having sex with the guy that belittle her and caused her all kinds of trouble. Mr. Irresistible himself is cold, hash, but rational person that all of suddenly turned into an emotional mess. unbelievable. Not at all irresistible in my opinion.

She does it again. I think Susan Elizabeth Philips is not only a great romance writer but is also a great writer in general. She knows how to tell a story that
makes you not want to put the book down. The first book of hers I read was Nobody'S Baby But Mine and I have been a fan ever since.
Call Me Irresistible continues her track record. You are in for a treat.

Never had read anything from author SEP until I pick this new book out on a desperate need for something to read. With that being said, I could not be anymore please with this book. It was so much fun to read and the characters were so addictive and likeable that I am searching for more of SEP books to read where a lot of these characters start from. I also can not wait to see if SEP has plans for continuing the story with these characters through more of her future books. I hope that she does because I will be first in line! With this book SEP has made a huge fan of her work through me!!!!

Susan E. Phillips, You did it again!! a great author. I bought the book late yesterday and finished very early this morning. I couldn't put it down. I loved all her characters and their personalities. Looking foward to her next book.

This was the first book I read by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and I became an instant fan! This book was a lot of fun to read and I didn't want it to end. I would definitely recommend this book. Since reading Call Me Irresistible I decided I had to have more of SEP so I went out and bought four of her earlier books and I haven't been disappointed yet.

I love this author but was so disappointed in this book! The hero was a jerk throughout the entire thing and I can't believe the other characters were so mean to the heroine. They treated the hero like he was Mr. Perfect and the heroine the devil personified. I made myself finish it just so I could see the hero redeem himself but never got the satisfaction/closure I was looking for. I would skip this book and read one of her previous titles.

As always... I love reading whatever Ms. Phillips writes. As a writer, I covet my time to actually read and this book enchanted me and made me damn happy I don't live in a fishbowl town. I now have to work backward to read the other stories before catching up with Lucy.
Thanks for the escape, Susan.

This was another great story from SEP! Who wouldn't love another story based in Winnette! I was so excited to read Teddy's story and I wasn't disappointed. I couldn't put the book down and stayed up until 4am finishing it.

Recommended by Diana Gabaldon, aka Herself, and Ms. Phillips does not disappoint. Her writing is funny, sexy, and pleasingly unpredictable. This was my first of her novels but it definitely won't be my last!

I'm a huge SEP fan. Have all her books. Couldn't wait until the release date and bought the book the day it was released. But was VERY, VERY disappointed in this book. I was actually squirming in my chair while I read this book because of the nasty, hateful way the people of Wynette, Ted, and Ted's parents treated Meg. I hate that 3/4 of the book is from Meg's POV, nothing about the way Ted feels. This book did not work for me at all. I hope SEP's future books she takes into account that her readers can only take so much of the heroine being treated like crap.

Also, as for the stupid interview between Phillips and Jennifer Cruise above - I guarantee my mother's banana bread can beat both of your banana breads hands down!

I just finished this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. The romance was touching and hot and her characters wonderful. So dispense with preconceived notions of how people really behave, live, react, and just enjoy. It's fiction, don't expect people to act like real live folks,just live in Susan Elizabeth Phillips world for a while and forget reality.

This was everything I expect from a Susan Elizabeth Phillips book. It was funny and fast-paced with redeemable characters, a dash of pain and a tight conclusion. While I did note the absence of Ted's point of view, I think it made my attachment to Meg that much stronger. This is a keeper.

Since the synopsis has been shared and it's been out a few weeks, I won't use space for that. I totally agree with the reviewers who said it's not fun to read a story where the heroine is bullied by 99% of the characters for nearly all of the book. It was sad. The constant reference to Ted being perfect got old in a hurry. This plot was so one-sided and negative that I wanted to finish it just to be done with it. I've read all of SEP's novels and this one really missed the mark.

I have every one of SEP's books on my shelf. I really enjoy her style and I always love her characters. But not this time. For the first time ever, I put down one of her books before I finished it, and I won't be picking it back up. When the hero from this book, along with two heroes from previous books (who I loved) all basically turned into a gang of pimps - I gave up. Maybe this book has a fabulous redeeming ending... but I won't be reading it. I'm very, very disappointed in this book.

Who knew Francesca could be so cold. And Mat, too, for that matter. I just don't think Meg stood a chance of being likable from the get-go.

Ted may have deserved better than a strange woman who dressed weird.

I am such an SEP fan..I love how she makes her characters so believable, funny and the love story between the hero/heroine believable. Not in this book however :( I waited to read this book, and I think I expected it to be soo much better than that. Almost all of the book was from Meg's POV which made me dislike Ted. Also, some of the characters I loved in previous books just were so mean that I actually disliked them, which is unfortunate because they have a special places in my romantic heart..
All in all, I thought that this book was not worth the wait at all..I know SEP can write sooo much better than this, and I hope lucy's story is better.

...and how long will I keep buying them in hardback? This book was such a disappointment. I'd already noticed several books ago how often SEP repeats herself...Heroine is down, way down on her luck; she lands in an unfriendly place and is mercilessly bullied by the locals. Sometimes she arrives in town in a ridiculous outfit (Fancy Pants, Natural Born Charmer). Sometimes she and other characters float around their natural surroundings dancing for joy (Nobody's Baby But Mine, Natural Born Charmer); sometimes the heroine has a huge inferiority complex owing to a super-accomplished family (Call me Irresistible, Match Me If You Can) or super-gorgeous hero (This Heart of Mine, Heaven Texas). I could go on I'm sure but I barely remember What I Did for Love and some others. It saddens me that the last SEP I really enjoyed was Ain't She Sweet. That book shares key plot points with this one(abandoned and despised heroine forced to humiliate herself) but had a much, much better payoff in the end in that the "redemption" resonated. It could be the characters were better drawn and more likable (honestly, when all is said and done, Meg's a big wimp and Ted is boring). I don't know. I do know that when asked, SEP jokes that she gets her ideas from a warehouse in Tulsa. Maybe it's time to find another one.

Some of SEP's books I found I really love. This one was not one of them. It was good, but not to her standard. With the revival of some of the other book's characters I thought it would have been better. I enjoyed it, but did not love it.

loved it - absolutely loved it. and yeah, as another reviewer said, i couldn't
put it down. phillips has always had a writing style of cutting quickly to the heart, but i thought this
little jewel had more smarts, snark, and wisdom than her most recent books........in fact, blasphemy upon blasphemy - - - - - heaven, texas has always
been my favorite, but i do believe meg & ted may have just outranked my favorite
stripper & football player...

yep, i'm gettin' the soap now.

Another good story from this author including a lot of old friends from other books. Ted has grown up and is getting married but gets left at the altar. The maid of honor Meg, gets blamed for it. Through a lot of things that go wrong, a few that go right Ted ends up married to Meg. And they lived happily ever after.

Meg Koranda arrives in town to be a bridesmaid for her best friend Lucy Jorik's wedding to Ted Beaudine, the favorite son of Wynette. One look at Lucy and Ted together has Meg advising Lucy that she needs to call off the wedding. To her surprise, Lucy does and takes off, leaving Meg behind to deny that she was responsible for the canceled wedding. Everyone now hates Meg, including Ted, and an unfortunate chain of events has made it impossible for her to leave town. One sludge job after another has Meg pushing onward while she tries to convince those around her in Wynette that she isn't the bad person they've declared her to be. Ted gets in on the punishment of Meg and the two battle toe-to-toe as she wants to prove to him she isn't a spoiled rich girl. Hate soon turns to lust between them. She, the bad girl of Wynette, is bedding the town's shining star. They're total opposites, yet the attraction between them sizzles hotter than a Fourth of July fireworks show. Even so, Meg is convinced that Ted is nothing but a robot controlled by lack of emotion. If he'd let it loose, then he'd be even happier. But if that happens, what will become of their tenuous relationship? Surely there is no future between Ted and the woman who broke up his wedding to another.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has crafted a wonderfully engaging tale in CALL ME IRRESISTIBLE that brings back characters from several of her previous books. (You can find the family tree up on her website at [...]) Meg has wandered around in her adulthood not quite knowing what to do with her life. Her family has basically washed their hands of her, and the one true friend she has is Lucy Jorik. Meg thought she was doing Lucy a favor by offering advice about her impending marriage. She didn't expect that Lucy would indeed take off just as she was about to march down the aisle, leaving Meg to pick up the pieces. During the ensuing weeks afterward, while Meg's misfortunes seem to worsen, she learns to hold her head up high and not care what others think of her. She finally discovers that she can take care of herself. Ted is mayor of Wynette, and they are in the process of negotiating with plumbing magnate Spencer Skipjack to build a new golf course. Ted, of course, is perfect in everyone's eyes...except Meg's. Even if she isn't intentionally doing so, she is bent on stripping away the veneer of control he has in place. When Spencer starts pursuing Meg (to her horror), Ted and everyone in town has to treat her with respect for fear of the golf course deal being called off.

With lively banter, Ted and Meg shine together as a couple, despite the fact that even they can't see how they can possibly have anything in common. She's messy. He's a neatnik. They are the quintessential opposites attract. Yes, they're an irresistible couple. I loved reading their story, and at times, found myself losing track of time as it flew by, which is why I have to give CALLME IRRESISTIBLE a much deserved Perfect 10. I have read the previous, related books about the characters mentioned and it was fun getting my memory jogged with a pleasant trip down memory lane.

I haven't read Ms. Phillips recent releases (though they are on my "to be read" pile), but CALL ME IRRESISTIBLE reminded me why I have enjoyed her in the past. Run to the nearest bookstore and grab this one. CALL ME IRRESISTIBLE is a book you'll want to put at the top of your reading list.

For Romance Reviews Today

This book was received from LibraryThing in their Early Reviewers program.

Having read several of the author's previous novels ("Fancy Pants" and 'Lady Be Good"), it was wonderful to revisit so many characters and to continue the story line.

Ted Beaudine, the perfect son and hero of the town of Wynette, Texas is getting married...but at the altar is stood up. Everyone blames the bride-to-be's best girlfriend, Meg who runs out of money and cannot leave town. Talk about being picked on.

A love/hate relationship between Ted and Meg develops and they are forever butting heads and at the same time falling in love.

This book is a perfect summer novel to take to the beach or read on a rainy day; just indulge yourself in the world of romance with quirky characters and a happy endings. What more could you ask for?

I would bet that we will be hearing more from the folks in Wynette, Texas. I for one will be looking forward to further books from Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

No Spoilers,

just the honest opinion that most SEP fans will not be completely satisfied. It was still really, very good. But like a great dinner without dessert, there was just a little something missing. Don't get me wrong, you'll still enjoy Mrs. Phillips' biting exchanges between the two leads, with plenty of older stories revisited, but there is just a little, ever so small something missing when you put the book down.

Overall, really great story though :)

Just a note to the people who say this story is similar to others SEP has written: Who cares? A great story can be told multiple times as long as it is done so well! Case in point: Ferngully, Atlantis, Avatar! All the same story with different twists and characters. I ate up this latest book by SEP because I love the perfect hero turning out to be not so perfect, and the heroine vice-versa. Also, I can never put down the book about the down and out heroine coming through on her own steam. I loved it. I also thought the twist on the "perfect lover" scenes was nothing short of brilliant. I get a little tired of these heroes who are uncontested supermen. All I have to say to SEP is: Do It Again!