Review: Simply the Best

Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been reading this series since the very first book: It Had to Be You, and all of the rest of her books. I can see where Ms. Phillips has grown as an author. Her books have usually been wonderful reads for me. They are both funny with serious (sometimes very serious) elements. I always come away wanting to turn right around and do a re-read.

This book seems to take off in a different direction. We don't seem to deal much with the team anymore. Rory (our female lead) is a strong and very opinionated woman who makes one mistake that I was not very happy with. Spoiler Alert!  ( [ She gets drunk and then sleeps with an unknown man who happens to turn into our male lead ) Things finally do get cleared up in Ms. Phillips's usual zany manner. And then tragedy strikes—a murder.

Things seem to go downhill from here; the book starts centering on the relationship tension (if you know what I mean) more than any of the other essential plot lines (and there are several) like Rory starting her own artisanal chocolate business and getting her brother cleared of murder charges. Yes, this is a romance, so I accept that aspect of this book, but unlike some of Ms. Phillips's other books, it seems to happen too quickly and too often for my tastes.

Although I'm a bit unhappy with this edition of the series, I'm not disliking it either. Other fans will likely like, and perhaps even love this book. So I think this book will be well worth the read.

It's best not to start the series with "Simply the Best"!

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SYNOPSIS: "#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips returns with the next book in her Chicago Stars series where a successful sports agent and the sister of his biggest client engage in a take-no-prisoners battle of the sexes.

Take one hard-driving sports agent…

Throw in a failed chocolatier…

And her superstar football player brother…

Add a quirky pink and purple food truck…

Then, to really screw things up, mix in a very unfortunate murder.

Brett Rivers is the hottest sports agent in the business—fast and furious, swift and deadly. Failure? Not an option.

Rory Garrett is—let’s be honest—a disaster. She has a big heart, an empty bank account, a passion for making exquisite chocolate, and a huge inferiority complex from living in the shadow of Brett’s most important client, her football legend brother.

Brett and Rory should never have met, and they absolutely, positively should never have had to deal with the consequences of one stupid, drunken night…one disastrous lie…one career in jeopardy…one missing football player…and a very dead body.

It’s going to get messy…and dangerous…and heartbreaking…and sexy. To Rory, Brett represents skewed values and a devious mind. To Brett, Rory is forbidden fruit, off limits, do not disturb, and no entry—definitely no entry.

A woman who has succeeded at nothing and a man who’s succeeded at everything confront the challenge of their lives as they struggle with themselves and each other. When it comes to love—what price are any of us willing to pay to be simply the best?  "