PHILLIPS Susan Elizabeth - Booklover Book Reviews

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Book Review – MATCH ME IF YOU CAN by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

Match Me If You Can – Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Book Synopsis:

Annabelle is tired of being the lone failure in a family of overachievers. She’s endured dead-end jobs and a broken engagement. But that’s going to change now that she’s taken over her late grandmother’s matchmaking business. All Annabelle has to do is land the Windy City’s hottest bachelor as her client, and she’ll be the most sought-after matchmaker in town.

With his money-green eyes and calculated charm, Heath Champion is the best sports agent in the country. He’s wealthy, driven, and gorgeous, so why does he need a matchmaker, especially a red-haired screw-up like Annabelle Granger? True, she’s entertaining, and she does have a certain quirky appeal. But Heath is searching for the ultimate symbol of his success: the perfect wife. And to make an extraordinary match, he needs an extraordinary matchmaker, right?

If Annabelle isn’t careful, she just might find herself going heart-to-heart with the toughest negotiator in town, a man who’s beginning to ask himself…exactly how perfect does perfect have to be? (Audible)

My Review:

While there are many that deride contemporary romantic fiction and chicklit, I believe that when executed well, the genre can be compelling and a whole lot of fun. We all like to suspend reality for a few moments and see a happy ending every once in a while, right? Why else are disney movies so popular?

While it’s not a skill to follow a formulae, it is one to create characters that have a likeable attitude and also to write conversation that is compelling. Susan Elizabeth Phillips has created a lovable and hapless protagonist in Annabelle Granger - battered and bruised from her life experiences but still with enough ‘perky attitude’ to make waves. Heath Champion is your typical, initially unlikeable, tough nut to crack – the perfect challenge for Annabelle. Phillips peels back the layers of the characters with sufficient care to hook her audience. For instance, Heath’s interactions with a precocious 3 year old at a ‘fairy party’ add a lovely touch.

In addition to the plight of Annabelle and Heath, several other great characters with their own stories add depth and colour to Match Me If You Can. I’ve also learnt many of those characters play leading roles in Phillips’ previous novels.

I think chicklit is made for the audiobook format – add a wonderful narrator, Anna Fields (Kate Fleming) and it’s like you’re at the cinemas.

Reading for pleasure cannot always be about broadening one’s mind – every now and then I like a bit of pure escapism. Match Me If You Can ticked all the boxes on that score.

BOOK RATING: The Story 4 / 5 ; The Writing 3.5 / 5

BOOK DETAILS: Match Me If You Can (Audible – listen to a sample) ; Match Me If You Can (Amazon)

Genre: Romance, Humour