Alphabet Soup Challenge: Susan Elizabeth Phillips - Heaven, Texas

Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to drag the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being a movie star -- and no plans to cooperate with a prim and bossy Ohio wallflower whom he can't get off his mind or out of his life. Instead, the hell-raising playboy decides to make her over from plain Jane to Texas wildcat.
But nothing's more dangerous than a wildcat with an angel's heart in a town too small for a bad boy to hide. And all hell breaks loose when two unforgettable people discover love, laughter, passion -- and a match that can only be made in Heaven.

Comment: This is the second installment of the Chicago Stars series by SEP. This is a very known contemporary series by the author, whose work I've tried last year and now plan to keep reading throughout the year.

I've decided to put this on my Alphabet Soup challenge status, with the alphabet running through titles of books, by picking a title with the letter H. According to the rules, the alphabet doesn't have to be followed in order, so, H it is to start with.

This is the story of Bobby Tom Denton, one of the athletes from Chicago Stars who we've met in the first book. Now, Bobby Tom has retired due to an injury and he doesn't know what to do with all his money or his life. He is starring in a movie and his hometown need him to still be viable and in the middle of the confusion that is his routine he meets Gracie Snow, a young woman sent by the film company to make him show up so the movie can start. But Gracie isn't like all the women usually seen around Bobby Tom and even more, she sees in him what others don't. Could this be a match made in heaven?

Two things I like about this author which I now realize are trademarks of hers. First, the fact her stories, despite some unlikely scenes, are quite well structured and following a logical human behavior. And also, how the romances, being it the main one and a slightly secondary one too, always manage to feel balanced because the couple complement each other.

These two things make this a author I now plan to read further. I like how her style is easy to follow and to appreciate. I like her voice and style and how the whole book environment was set to be, meaning from the character's building to the plot development, the story is approachable, easily recognizable and has a path a reader can follow well, without too many things clogging the story line or unrelated subjects that could turn this into a mess. The author has a target, a goal and writes to it, creating characters full of life and human traits I liked seeing. Like the scene when Suzy feels guilty over something she did and her reaction to it.

The romance also worked out for me. I think Bobby Tom had some less than stellar thoughts here and there but as a reader we have access to his thoughts and actions so we know why he acts and speaks like that. Gracie is sweet and I thought she would be more shy but her development, her growing trust in what surrounded her and her building self confidence were aspects I liked seeing.

I think they complement each other because where he is impulsive, she is more conscious of others, where he dreams, he is realistic, where he dares, she is more cautious, where he is determined and brave, she is a good learner and listener. I liked how their personalities fit each other well. This allowed the romance to feel more secure and real and that worked out well too.

The book is full of funny scenes. Although I didn't find them all that funny, I liked how that alleviated the tone from the more serious scenes, which do happen. Like I said, the author managed to give a good balance to the story.

This story worked out for me. I liked Gracie a lot and these days I feel I need to empathize with something about the heroine, or her alone, so that the book to work out completely for me. In this case it was so and thus the positive grade. I'll be eager to read more in the series.

Grade: 8/10