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Heroes Are My Weakness
New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips is back with a delightful novel filled with her sassy wit and dazzling charm
Deepest winter.An isolated island off the coast of Maine.A man. A woman.Puppets. (Yes, puppets . . .)And . . .A mysterious house looming over the sea . . .
He's a reclusive writer whose imagination creates chilling horror novels. She's a down-on-her-luck actress reduced to staging kids' puppet shows. He knows a dozen ways to kill his characters with his bare hands. She knows a dozen ways to kill an audience with laughs. But she's not laughing now.
Annie Hewitt has arrived on Peregrine Island in the middle of a snowstorm and at the end of her resources. She's broke, dispirited, but not quite ready to give up. Her red suitcases hold the puppets she uses to make her sensible Dilly, spunky Scamp, and Leo, the baddest of bad guys. Her puppets, the romantic novels she loves, and a little bit of courage are all she has left.
Annie couldn't be more ill prepared for what she finds when she reaches Moonraker Cottage or for the man who dwells in Harp House, the mysterious mansion that hovers above the cottage. When she was a teenager, he betrayed her in a way she can never forget or forgive. Now they're trapped together on a frozen island along with a lonely widow, a mute little girl, and townspeople who don't know how to mind their own business.
Is he the villain she remembers, or has he changed? Her head says no. Her heart says yes.
It's going to be a long, hot winter.
Deepest winter.An isolated island off the coast of Maine.A man. A woman.Puppets. (Yes, puppets . . .)And . . .A mysterious house looming over the sea . . .
He's a reclusive writer whose imagination creates chilling horror novels. She's a down-on-her-luck actress reduced to staging kids' puppet shows. He knows a dozen ways to kill his characters with his bare hands. She knows a dozen ways to kill an audience with laughs. But she's not laughing now.
Annie Hewitt has arrived on Peregrine Island in the middle of a snowstorm and at the end of her resources. She's broke, dispirited, but not quite ready to give up. Her red suitcases hold the puppets she uses to make her sensible Dilly, spunky Scamp, and Leo, the baddest of bad guys. Her puppets, the romantic novels she loves, and a little bit of courage are all she has left.
Annie couldn't be more ill prepared for what she finds when she reaches Moonraker Cottage or for the man who dwells in Harp House, the mysterious mansion that hovers above the cottage. When she was a teenager, he betrayed her in a way she can never forget or forgive. Now they're trapped together on a frozen island along with a lonely widow, a mute little girl, and townspeople who don't know how to mind their own business.
Is he the villain she remembers, or has he changed? Her head says no. Her heart says yes.
It's going to be a long, hot winter.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2014
648 people are currently reading
9,561 people want to read
About the author
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
53books15.6kfollowersSUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS
Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy and is the creator of the sports romance, beginning with her 1989 bestseller, FANCY PANTS. An internationally acclaimed author, her books have been published in over 30 languages. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, and a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.
Susan's newest book, SIMPLY THE BEST, is coming in hardcover, ebook and audiobook in February 2024. SIMPLY THE BEST is book #10 in the highly acclaimed CHICAGO STARS football series. Susan is also known for the Wynette, Texas book series and many stand-alone women's fiction/romance novels.
In addition to being a New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller, she is a hiker, lazy gardener, horrible singer, passable cook, passionate reader, wife, mother of two grown sons, and grandmother.
You can visit Susan on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy and is the creator of the sports romance, beginning with her 1989 bestseller, FANCY PANTS. An internationally acclaimed author, her books have been published in over 30 languages. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, and a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.
Susan's newest book, SIMPLY THE BEST, is coming in hardcover, ebook and audiobook in February 2024. SIMPLY THE BEST is book #10 in the highly acclaimed CHICAGO STARS football series. Susan is also known for the Wynette, Texas book series and many stand-alone women's fiction/romance novels.
In addition to being a New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller, she is a hiker, lazy gardener, horrible singer, passable cook, passionate reader, wife, mother of two grown sons, and grandmother.
You can visit Susan on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,036 reviews
February 19, 2019
4.5 Stars
First third of the book: Almost DNf'd it several times
Second third of the book: 4 stars
Last third of the book: 5+ stars
First third of the book: Almost DNf'd it several times
Second third of the book: 4 stars
Last third of the book: 5+ stars
January 15, 2022
I love SEP. All of her books that I have read have been solid 4 or 5 stars for me. So why did I put this on the long finger .... One reason, the title - I don't like it. Another reason - some friends reviewed it and were not very complimentary about it. Then I see my lovely friend, Karen started it and was enjoying it so I decided to bite the bullet and give it a shot - God those puns are dreadful
Shades of or .
Yes, indeed.
I really liked this book, Love Annie. Strong, independent. Stood up to Theo, the arrogant jerk. Even the puppets didn't annoy me.
I found the story flowed really well. The secondary characters were interesting.
Theo and Annie had a past. A past that had not ended well.
Some really funny banter between them and a fantastic epilogue.
ANNIE
THEO
The dead of winter.
An isolated island off the coast of Maine.
A man.
A woman.
A sinister house looming over the sea ...
Shades of or .
Yes, indeed.
I really liked this book, Love Annie. Strong, independent. Stood up to Theo, the arrogant jerk. Even the puppets didn't annoy me.
I found the story flowed really well. The secondary characters were interesting.
"Their kisses had gone on and on—cheeks, neck, mouth, and tongue. Seconds . . . minutes . . . hours. Then they’d start all over again. Adults were too fixed on the final goal to take that kind of time. Only teenagers afraid of the next step exchanged kisses that lasted forever."
Theo and Annie had a past. A past that had not ended well.
“He gave Dancer one last pat. 'You're luckier than you know, pal. Living without a set of balls makes life a lot less complicated.�
Some really funny banter between them and a fantastic epilogue.
ANNIE
THEO
“He tunneled his dirty hands through her hair and kissed her breathless. Her neck, her eyes, the corners of her mouth. He kissed her lips as if his life depended on it. Kissed their future into her. All they could have and all they could be.�
August 29, 2014
Definitely different, and I still can't believe I'm rating SEP book a three. I almost DNF'd twice. Thank God I continued because it got better towards the end but just barely though. :(
I can't wait to read this book by one of my favorite romance author ever!!
ARC provided by William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.
I can't wait to read this book by one of my favorite romance author ever!!
ARC provided by William Morrow in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2014
Review posted:
Blog rating: C-
We open with Annie, who is trying to find her “legacy� at her late mother’s home on Peregrine Island. She doesn’t expect to run into Theo Harp, a man who as a young boy made Annie’s life a living hell and almost killed her. He now writes grisly horror novels (which fits his personality according to Annie) and he’s staying at the Harp House near the cottage of Annie’s mother. Theo’s twin sister, Regan, had been a close friend of Annie’s growing up but Regan’s death followed by Theo’s wife killing herself has all added to Annie’s belief that Theo is unstable and she wants to stay far, far away from him. Yeah right. There’s much more to Theo and their past together than Annie realizes, and not everything is the way she believed it to be. As the truth comes out, her feelings for Theo change no matter how hard she tries to fight it.
Annie was a struggling actress for years and has since starting using puppets and being a ventriloquist as a way to pay the bills. Because of this, she often thinks in the voices of her puppet’s personalities that she’s created. This…is annoying. I know it’s supposed to be charming and a way to get into Annie’s head a little bit as each of the puppets plays on her thoughts and emotions, but it came off as Annie just having multiple personalities, it was annoying and didn’t read all that smoothly. This is especially bad in the beginning when almost all of the conversations on page are between Annie and her puppets. Thankfully, as Annie starts to meet people and get more involved with Theo, her talks with her puppets dies down, although not completely.
I found Theo’s story and history to be the most interesting piece of this book and really would have liked more to have been told from his point of view. He’s misunderstood, but he keeps the truth about so many things hidden, playing on his psycho/bad guy persona that people have labeled him with. He’s on the island temporarily to try and finish his next book and he’s not having much luck. Instead he finds himself drawn back to Annie and acting as the island’s medical expert even though he’s only qualified as an EMT. Annie’s influence brings life back to Theo and he goes from an anti-social grump, to a man who finally has a ton of weight lifted off his shoulders when he’s able to let some things out.
There’s a small suspense storyline surrounding someone trying to force Annie off the island. I wasn’t able to really get into that portion of the story. I like that it served to bring Theo and Annie closer together, but the resolution to this storyline felt a bit weak and easy.
I struggled with the romance. There was a big lack of chemistry on page between these two, especially in the bedroom and it’s unfortunate because I know Susan Elizabeth Phillips can bring it for her couples, and it just was a letdown here. Their first time having sex almost seemed to come out of the blue, one sentence they’re kissing, the next BAM, on the floor having sex and fade to black. In general, I was left wanting a lot more not only when it came to their romance, but the relationship in general. I just never bought into them as a couple in love with each other.
I was ultimately letdown with this story. I enjoyed Theo and seeing his progression on page. Annie has some fun, quirky moments, but it wasn’t enough for me to fall in love with her or them as a couple. The first half of the book was struggle to get through as the pace felt incredibly slow. The second half picks it up a bit, especially when more about Theo comes out, but it ended up being a book that was easy to put down.
Blog rating: C-
We open with Annie, who is trying to find her “legacy� at her late mother’s home on Peregrine Island. She doesn’t expect to run into Theo Harp, a man who as a young boy made Annie’s life a living hell and almost killed her. He now writes grisly horror novels (which fits his personality according to Annie) and he’s staying at the Harp House near the cottage of Annie’s mother. Theo’s twin sister, Regan, had been a close friend of Annie’s growing up but Regan’s death followed by Theo’s wife killing herself has all added to Annie’s belief that Theo is unstable and she wants to stay far, far away from him. Yeah right. There’s much more to Theo and their past together than Annie realizes, and not everything is the way she believed it to be. As the truth comes out, her feelings for Theo change no matter how hard she tries to fight it.
Annie was a struggling actress for years and has since starting using puppets and being a ventriloquist as a way to pay the bills. Because of this, she often thinks in the voices of her puppet’s personalities that she’s created. This…is annoying. I know it’s supposed to be charming and a way to get into Annie’s head a little bit as each of the puppets plays on her thoughts and emotions, but it came off as Annie just having multiple personalities, it was annoying and didn’t read all that smoothly. This is especially bad in the beginning when almost all of the conversations on page are between Annie and her puppets. Thankfully, as Annie starts to meet people and get more involved with Theo, her talks with her puppets dies down, although not completely.
I found Theo’s story and history to be the most interesting piece of this book and really would have liked more to have been told from his point of view. He’s misunderstood, but he keeps the truth about so many things hidden, playing on his psycho/bad guy persona that people have labeled him with. He’s on the island temporarily to try and finish his next book and he’s not having much luck. Instead he finds himself drawn back to Annie and acting as the island’s medical expert even though he’s only qualified as an EMT. Annie’s influence brings life back to Theo and he goes from an anti-social grump, to a man who finally has a ton of weight lifted off his shoulders when he’s able to let some things out.
There’s a small suspense storyline surrounding someone trying to force Annie off the island. I wasn’t able to really get into that portion of the story. I like that it served to bring Theo and Annie closer together, but the resolution to this storyline felt a bit weak and easy.
I struggled with the romance. There was a big lack of chemistry on page between these two, especially in the bedroom and it’s unfortunate because I know Susan Elizabeth Phillips can bring it for her couples, and it just was a letdown here. Their first time having sex almost seemed to come out of the blue, one sentence they’re kissing, the next BAM, on the floor having sex and fade to black. In general, I was left wanting a lot more not only when it came to their romance, but the relationship in general. I just never bought into them as a couple in love with each other.
I was ultimately letdown with this story. I enjoyed Theo and seeing his progression on page. Annie has some fun, quirky moments, but it wasn’t enough for me to fall in love with her or them as a couple. The first half of the book was struggle to get through as the pace felt incredibly slow. The second half picks it up a bit, especially when more about Theo comes out, but it ended up being a book that was easy to put down.
November 15, 2016
Con sinceridad, espera más! Es decir, la novela está bien, pero hasta ahí, sin grandes sobresaltos ni emociones ni... Lo único que me a encantado ha sido el guiño que ha hecho la autora de Jane Eyre :)
August 6, 2015
4.5 'Lobster town' stars
Going in, I was feeling a little reserve and my expectation was lower due to not too glowing reviews from my GR friends. So color me surprised that I ended up enjoying it very much after reading past the initially awkwardness with the heroine.
As per SEP signature, got the witty humor, great supporting cast, the lovely backdrop, the brooding hero and a hint of mystery to keep me hooked.
I love the lovely description and the simple life they have in Maine Island.
"On Peregrine, hamburger is more expensive than lobster."
The heroine, Annie is a down on her luck, ventriloquist, who reached the island reluctantly and have stayed in her late mother's cottage.
Theo is the brooding and mysterious hero, who is also her ex-stepbrother turn crush turn bully. He is now a famous writer of horror story, who is secluding himself in the island's manor. Annie is convinced he is a total psychopath for what he did to her two decades ago.
"Stop going all bloody Heathcliff on me. The saunter. The hooded eyes, the whole bloody arrogant thing."
What I love:
1. the mystery behind Theo's past and the secret he keep
2. the mystery surrounding the accidents on Annie. Who is the one trying to drive her off the island?
3. Livvia, the mute girl
4. the humor and the sarcasm between Annie and Theo. They are just too entertaining.
"Aren't you supposed to take off your clothes now?"
"It would only be pity sex. I won't insult you like that."
"Go ahead. Insult me."
What I don't like:
1. The sex scene are kinda hush and short. Totally not satisfying at all. But at least is better than fade to black. Is saying a lot that I can enjoy the book without the dirty stuff.
2. Her multiple alter ego. Annie is a ventriloquist who tends to talk to herself. At first I found it really annoying especially in the beginning, but their part was tone down a little towards the middle and I started to warm up to them too. We got Scamp, Dilly, Peter and Leo. I love Leo...The way he sneer. Peter sounds like a douche.
The mystery just keep me guessing who will be the main culprit, I had my suspicion but I often got it wrong. I love the slow revelation of Theo's true nature and his history. Initially he was described as Lord of the Underworld, but later we get to know the responsible and compassionate man who was deeply affected by his past.
Overall, this is the kind of book that make me have a huge smile on my face and close the book with a big satisfying sigh.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to figure out, but I'm not exactly used to having love feel good."
Going in, I was feeling a little reserve and my expectation was lower due to not too glowing reviews from my GR friends. So color me surprised that I ended up enjoying it very much after reading past the initially awkwardness with the heroine.
As per SEP signature, got the witty humor, great supporting cast, the lovely backdrop, the brooding hero and a hint of mystery to keep me hooked.
I love the lovely description and the simple life they have in Maine Island.
"On Peregrine, hamburger is more expensive than lobster."
The heroine, Annie is a down on her luck, ventriloquist, who reached the island reluctantly and have stayed in her late mother's cottage.
Theo is the brooding and mysterious hero, who is also her ex-stepbrother turn crush turn bully. He is now a famous writer of horror story, who is secluding himself in the island's manor. Annie is convinced he is a total psychopath for what he did to her two decades ago.
"Stop going all bloody Heathcliff on me. The saunter. The hooded eyes, the whole bloody arrogant thing."
What I love:
1. the mystery behind Theo's past and the secret he keep
2. the mystery surrounding the accidents on Annie. Who is the one trying to drive her off the island?
3. Livvia, the mute girl
4. the humor and the sarcasm between Annie and Theo. They are just too entertaining.
"Aren't you supposed to take off your clothes now?"
"It would only be pity sex. I won't insult you like that."
"Go ahead. Insult me."
What I don't like:
1. The sex scene are kinda hush and short. Totally not satisfying at all. But at least is better than fade to black. Is saying a lot that I can enjoy the book without the dirty stuff.
2. Her multiple alter ego. Annie is a ventriloquist who tends to talk to herself. At first I found it really annoying especially in the beginning, but their part was tone down a little towards the middle and I started to warm up to them too. We got Scamp, Dilly, Peter and Leo. I love Leo...The way he sneer. Peter sounds like a douche.
The mystery just keep me guessing who will be the main culprit, I had my suspicion but I often got it wrong. I love the slow revelation of Theo's true nature and his history. Initially he was described as Lord of the Underworld, but later we get to know the responsible and compassionate man who was deeply affected by his past.
Overall, this is the kind of book that make me have a huge smile on my face and close the book with a big satisfying sigh.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to figure out, but I'm not exactly used to having love feel good."
July 2, 2015
Oh...it was okay. Far, far from SEP's best. It took about half of the book for me to even get a inkling about the hero. The heroine is a bit obsessed with her puppets...they talk to her and give her advice. I know they are meant to be her sort of conscience or something, but I just found them annoying. The story with the little girl and the goings-on in that arena really brought the story up to a more interesting place, but it was too little too late for me to really love it. Entertaining, if forgettable.
August 26, 2014
First up, let's get the compliments out of the way. I started reading this last night shortly before one in the morning with the intention of putting it down AND OF COURSE I KNEW BETTER. Didn't stop me from breezing through the entire thing and going to bed just shy of five o'clock. SEP's forte is precisely this sort of over-the-top romance with reluctant lovers, sordid pasts, personal wounds, and dramatic settings. She runs at this novel full-tilt, and there's a lot to enjoy if you dig contemporary romances with a streak of larger-than-life joie de vivre.
However, I feel that Heroes shares a lot of similarities with another better SEP novel, Ain't She Sweet? We have a down-on-her-luck heroine whose only home is a tiny cottage on the lands of her former, much larger home. We have a mysterious and hard-to-find artistic legacy that would keep our heroine in funds if she could only find it. We have two lovers with a past that includes one of them being incredibly cruel to the other. And a dark brooding writer with a penchant for the dramatic, who is stuck creatively. With all these echoes of Ain't She Sweet, which took unusual risks in making SugarBeth, the heroine, a real manipulative person in her past, frankly Heroes has a lot to live up to.
Heroes, alas, falls short. The SugarBeth storyline worked because it was unusual. Inverting the dynamic so that the hero seems to be the one arcing from manipulative to loveable plain doesn't work as well in modern romance--it requires an Idiot Plot to keep up the dynamics. While I get that SEP was trying to do a deliberate call-back to Rebecca, basically all the tension is largely because the two main characters, and most especially, our Hero, don't bother to talk out their past. Five minutes of conversation would have derailed this entire plot--and in the meantime, our Hero looks like a certifiable psychopath on the thinnest of pretexts. There's no need for the Idiot Plot in Ain't She Sweet--SugarBeth's past is undeniable and manufactures enough trouble to maintain the steam for most of the book. The stuff that SugarBeth doesn't tell Colin is legitimately stuff that he doesn't need to know, whereas the major stuff that Theo doesn't tell Annie DOES concern her. I wanted to have him have a more clear-cut reason for rebuffing her and not telling her, and it never really materialised.
Modelling a book on a romance classic also comes with downfalls. If you know the plot of Rebecca, you know certain elements before the characters do. Certain things will happen. The tension comes from wondering HOW they happen, and honestly, I'm not sure that SEP was able to pull it off completely, as I felt certain elements were entirely predictable, and I felt frustrated that it took the characters so long to figure it out or address various issues.
The final point is something of a personal nitpick and less a structural one: The conceit of Annie's puppets talking out her issues grew old rather quickly for me, and more than a little twee at times. I felt the story picked up more for me when the puppets stopped talking so damn much.
As I said, I felt this was a large retread for SEP in many respects, but I still enjoyed the hell out of it and read it into the wee hours. She's a fun writer and even when she recycles a plot and grafts it onto Rebecca, it's still a fun ride. But I really do feel that the over-all structure and plotting and emotional arcs in Ain't She Sweet trump Heroes and it's hard for me to read it and not have that colour the experience.
However, I feel that Heroes shares a lot of similarities with another better SEP novel, Ain't She Sweet? We have a down-on-her-luck heroine whose only home is a tiny cottage on the lands of her former, much larger home. We have a mysterious and hard-to-find artistic legacy that would keep our heroine in funds if she could only find it. We have two lovers with a past that includes one of them being incredibly cruel to the other. And a dark brooding writer with a penchant for the dramatic, who is stuck creatively. With all these echoes of Ain't She Sweet, which took unusual risks in making SugarBeth, the heroine, a real manipulative person in her past, frankly Heroes has a lot to live up to.
Heroes, alas, falls short. The SugarBeth storyline worked because it was unusual. Inverting the dynamic so that the hero seems to be the one arcing from manipulative to loveable plain doesn't work as well in modern romance--it requires an Idiot Plot to keep up the dynamics. While I get that SEP was trying to do a deliberate call-back to Rebecca, basically all the tension is largely because the two main characters, and most especially, our Hero, don't bother to talk out their past. Five minutes of conversation would have derailed this entire plot--and in the meantime, our Hero looks like a certifiable psychopath on the thinnest of pretexts. There's no need for the Idiot Plot in Ain't She Sweet--SugarBeth's past is undeniable and manufactures enough trouble to maintain the steam for most of the book. The stuff that SugarBeth doesn't tell Colin is legitimately stuff that he doesn't need to know, whereas the major stuff that Theo doesn't tell Annie DOES concern her. I wanted to have him have a more clear-cut reason for rebuffing her and not telling her, and it never really materialised.
Modelling a book on a romance classic also comes with downfalls. If you know the plot of Rebecca, you know certain elements before the characters do. Certain things will happen. The tension comes from wondering HOW they happen, and honestly, I'm not sure that SEP was able to pull it off completely, as I felt certain elements were entirely predictable, and I felt frustrated that it took the characters so long to figure it out or address various issues.
The final point is something of a personal nitpick and less a structural one: The conceit of Annie's puppets talking out her issues grew old rather quickly for me, and more than a little twee at times. I felt the story picked up more for me when the puppets stopped talking so damn much.
As I said, I felt this was a large retread for SEP in many respects, but I still enjoyed the hell out of it and read it into the wee hours. She's a fun writer and even when she recycles a plot and grafts it onto Rebecca, it's still a fun ride. But I really do feel that the over-all structure and plotting and emotional arcs in Ain't She Sweet trump Heroes and it's hard for me to read it and not have that colour the experience.
August 28, 2014
I think I would have liked this one better had the dummies/puppets not been in it. I found the start of the book creepy with Annie using the puppets voices to talk to herself. It seemed like she did it all the time, to the point that I was about to give up on the book. It did back off, so I kept reading. Later in the book I did like the role that the puppets played, loved how Theo took some liberties with the puppets and created some fun scenes for Annie to come home to.
I had a hard time buying into the romance, that Annie and Theo had the connection as kids, then it stopped, but picked right up as adults. For some reason I was amused with how Annie was at the start with Theo, loved that she antagonized him.
Another part of the book that I had a hard part with was how the islanders treated Annie, especially at the end and how Annie let them and did nothing in return.
Overall I felt like this book wasn't one of the author's best.
I had a hard time buying into the romance, that Annie and Theo had the connection as kids, then it stopped, but picked right up as adults. For some reason I was amused with how Annie was at the start with Theo, loved that she antagonized him.
Another part of the book that I had a hard part with was how the islanders treated Annie, especially at the end and how Annie let them and did nothing in return.
Overall I felt like this book wasn't one of the author's best.
October 12, 2016
Vale. El primer capítulo del libro...¡lo odié!. Lo siento, pero fue duro para mí ver a la protagonista del libro hablando con sus muñecos.
PERO... Como siempre sabe hacer SEP, poco a poco empieza a conquistarme con la historia.
Punto fuerte del libro: la intriga!!! Yo he empezado a crear hipótesis desde el segundo capítulo {cuando dejó de hablar con los muñecos}, y por supuesto, me he confundido.
Aunque he leído en bastantes comentarios la crítica hacia los protagonistas, porque lo que les une es algo más físico que amoroso, ¡a mi eso me gusta! Lo veo mucho más actual, y me alegra que SEP así lo exponga. ¡Yo creo en lo físico de los comienzos!
Hay un "momentazo" dentro del libro, que HE AMADO. No es nada significativo pero capta perfectamente la magia que SEP sabe plasmar en una escena insignificante. Para los que se queden con el gusanillo de saber cuál es, lo contaré muy pronto en el BLOG.
Y los muñecos... SEP ha conseguido cambiar las tornas para que terminen gustándome. Me parece tan bonito lo que la protagonista de la historia decide hacer con ellos...
Ay SEP!!!!!!!
Reseña en BLOG:
PERO... Como siempre sabe hacer SEP, poco a poco empieza a conquistarme con la historia.
Punto fuerte del libro: la intriga!!! Yo he empezado a crear hipótesis desde el segundo capítulo {cuando dejó de hablar con los muñecos}, y por supuesto, me he confundido.
Aunque he leído en bastantes comentarios la crítica hacia los protagonistas, porque lo que les une es algo más físico que amoroso, ¡a mi eso me gusta! Lo veo mucho más actual, y me alegra que SEP así lo exponga. ¡Yo creo en lo físico de los comienzos!
Hay un "momentazo" dentro del libro, que HE AMADO. No es nada significativo pero capta perfectamente la magia que SEP sabe plasmar en una escena insignificante. Para los que se queden con el gusanillo de saber cuál es, lo contaré muy pronto en el BLOG.
Y los muñecos... SEP ha conseguido cambiar las tornas para que terminen gustándome. Me parece tan bonito lo que la protagonista de la historia decide hacer con ellos...
Ay SEP!!!!!!!
Reseña en BLOG:
May 27, 2019
This is the second romance book I've read by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and I'm happy to say I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first one. , in case you were wondering! I'm not typically a fan of contemporary romances but this one really worked for me as I liked the characters, the romance, the humor in the story, and even the tiny bit of drama and mystery we got in the story. While this did have a few dark and touching moments it was mostly a soft romance story with some comedy to help keep the tone light.
Annie Hewitt is a unsuccessful actress, turned puppeteer to make ends meat, who has fallen into debt after spending most of her own money on her mother while she was sick and dying. Now that her mother is gone Annie decides to visit her mothers old holiday home in a remote island off the coast of Maine to see if it has any valuables that might be worth selling to take her debt down as her mother was a famous actress in her own day. A bizarre stipulation in the lease of the house means it reverts back to her old stepfather's family if the home is not occupied two months out of every year. All that means Annie is stuck on the island for two months. What could have been a fun break is complicated by the fact that Theo, the son of her mothers (brief lasting) second husband, has also returned to the island and is her nearest neighbour on the remote island. The pair have a complicated history and are soon pushed together by necessity. This is a romance so you guys can guess how it all played out!
I felt like this was a fun enemies to lovers tale. I liked Annie a lot and her puppets, both real and imaginary, brought a lot of fun humour to the story. As this was told mostly from Annie's POV Theo started out as a bit of a mystery but despite his dark past and history with Annie he did not take long to grow on me and seemed a likeable guy once we got to know him a bit better. I liked both characters and did enjoy their romance as they seemed like a good pairing by the end of the story!
This story had a few dark moments and a tame bit of mystery and tension but was mostly a fun uplifting romance. I enjoyed it a lot and found Phillips writing quite engaging. This story held my attention from start to finish which is always a great sign.
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: This was narrated by Erin Bennett and I felt like she did an excellent job with the audio. She really got the tone of the story and was great with the voices.
Annie Hewitt is a unsuccessful actress, turned puppeteer to make ends meat, who has fallen into debt after spending most of her own money on her mother while she was sick and dying. Now that her mother is gone Annie decides to visit her mothers old holiday home in a remote island off the coast of Maine to see if it has any valuables that might be worth selling to take her debt down as her mother was a famous actress in her own day. A bizarre stipulation in the lease of the house means it reverts back to her old stepfather's family if the home is not occupied two months out of every year. All that means Annie is stuck on the island for two months. What could have been a fun break is complicated by the fact that Theo, the son of her mothers (brief lasting) second husband, has also returned to the island and is her nearest neighbour on the remote island. The pair have a complicated history and are soon pushed together by necessity. This is a romance so you guys can guess how it all played out!
I felt like this was a fun enemies to lovers tale. I liked Annie a lot and her puppets, both real and imaginary, brought a lot of fun humour to the story. As this was told mostly from Annie's POV Theo started out as a bit of a mystery but despite his dark past and history with Annie he did not take long to grow on me and seemed a likeable guy once we got to know him a bit better. I liked both characters and did enjoy their romance as they seemed like a good pairing by the end of the story!
This story had a few dark moments and a tame bit of mystery and tension but was mostly a fun uplifting romance. I enjoyed it a lot and found Phillips writing quite engaging. This story held my attention from start to finish which is always a great sign.
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: This was narrated by Erin Bennett and I felt like she did an excellent job with the audio. She really got the tone of the story and was great with the voices.
September 27, 2016
And I sure did love Heroes are my Weakness. Well done Ms. Philips. You are the shining star on the top of my favorite authors tree.
I know what you are thinking. Another five star book. How can that be? Quite honestly I just love the way she writes. Her stories give me that “easy like a Sunday morning� feeling. Her creativity and wit allows for her magic to happen which only makes it is easy to fall in love with her characters and let your mind drift away with the story.
While there were similar SEP threads within this one there was a mysterious thread too. For me this was different. There was something about the hero that appeared a bit forbidding. I was intrigued. SEP balanced him off with a heroine that was sweet and funny so it provided for a rather entertaining and dare I say tender story. Then you add in a few fabulous side characters and voilà a 5 star book�.IMHO!
I ❤’d Theo ~ He was mysterious, sexy, brooding and sweet. His past broke my heart.
I ❤’d Annie ~ I loved that she was feisty yet soft hearted. She would be Theo’s undoing.
I ❤’d Livia ~ She was precious. She stole my heart.
Such an enjoyable story. It was different yet the same if you know what I mean. If you love SEP and haven’t read this one, be sure to check it out soon.
September 6, 2014
The gothic feel at the beginning makes this different from SEP's prior reads. As the heroine, Annie returns to the isolated, small island off the coast of Maine, she's bombarded by painful memories. At first, I was wary as Annie worked out her problems through brief conversations with her puppets. However, as the story unfolds, they fit perfectly.
Of course, the root of her most painful encounters is the hero, Theo Harp. His psychotic behavior when they were teenagers was another cause of concern. But once again, SEP's talented writing produces a very compelling hero.
Mystery, suspense, and a sexy, dark, brooding hero all work to make this a very good read. I enjoyed the sassy banter between Theo and Annie as well as the fantastic epilogue.
Heat factor: 2.5
Of course, the root of her most painful encounters is the hero, Theo Harp. His psychotic behavior when they were teenagers was another cause of concern. But once again, SEP's talented writing produces a very compelling hero.
Mystery, suspense, and a sexy, dark, brooding hero all work to make this a very good read. I enjoyed the sassy banter between Theo and Annie as well as the fantastic epilogue.
Heat factor: 2.5
March 8, 2017
El argumento me encantó. Me sorprendió el enfoque de misterio y suspenso que le dio SEP a esta historia, y el contraste que logró con escenas y momentos de exquisita dulzura. El discurso fue efectivo (para mí siempre lo es). Y los personajes me parecieron adorables y muy bien construidos.
Entonces, ¿por qué solo 4 estrellas? Por los protagonistas. Theo y Annie me encantaron... individualmente. Pero no logré conectar del todo con ellos, como pareja.
Entonces, ¿por qué solo 4 estrellas? Por los protagonistas. Theo y Annie me encantaron... individualmente. Pero no logré conectar del todo con ellos, como pareja.
December 24, 2016
After taking care of her dying mother, Annie Hewitt is at the end of her resources. She has no steady job, no place to live, and no immediate way to pay off a mountain of debts. But there is one place she and her puppets can go -- a cottage on an island off of Maine that her mother won in a divorce. The cottage is nice in the summer, but not so great when Annie arrives there in February. Just to make sure she’s truly miserable, her former stepbrother, Theo, with whom she had a very disturbing brief relationship as a teen, is also there, living in his father’s mansion, and Annie is stuck dealing with their complicated past and present. Sparks fly � but can two flinty people ever really warm up to each other?I was intrigued by this book’s premise as a modern Rebecca/Jane Eyre/Wuthering Heights. But it never quite manages what it’s trying to do with a suspense subplot (somebody wants Annie off the island!), plus the whole Dark Hero thing fell a bit flat for me.
I don’t want to knock the book too hard, because I really enjoyed the setting and subplots. The isolation of a small town on an island in winter was sharply drawn, and the townsfolk and the issues they faced all felt very real. I liked Annie’s puppets and the habit she had of talking with them in her head (and yes, there is a good reason for puppets being in this book) -- it was creative, and almost made up for the fact that Annie didn’t seem to have any actual real-life friends. I loved how the puppets played into Annie’s relationship with Livia, a traumatized 4-year-old who refuses to speak. I appreciated the depth of all the supporting characters and their complex interactions with Annie and each other. And I admired how all the subplots did eventually come together and get resolved. Susan Elizabeth Phillips works a beautiful plot, with no thread left hanging.
But at the same time, the minuses of this book made for uneven ground. The biggest one was that I never felt any real chemistry between Annie and Theo. Maybe that was because I never really saw them as a good match, not even after all the revelations at the end. I felt that I was being pushed to like Theo because he was the Designated Love Object, but I never found him all that likable. Part of the problem was that this book has too many genuinely mentally unstable women -- because if you’re re-telling Rebecca and Jane Eyre, there have to be crazy women, right? -- and their stories were too much along the Women In Refrigerators trope, as their pain existed mainly to make Theo look suffering and sympathetic and chivalrous. I did not like this treatment of mental illness at all, and it really took away from the story for me. I would have especially preferred
More minor complaints are that:
(1) If anyone in this book had ever shown any real interest in each other instead of blocking one another out all the time, the story would have been finished in five pages. And while I understand that every character was wrapped up in their own problems and not really inclined to care about anyone else, the abruptly-ending-conversations-so-no-one-could-ever- reveal-what-was-actually-going-on-with-them, or just- refusing-to-be-curious-and-ask-questions behaviors got really overused.
(2) The conditions for keeping that cottage were ridiculous. If Annie were to spend a day “off the island� by going out in a fishing boat and then returning to the island, without ever touching dry land elsewhere, it still counted as leaving and breaking the legal contract? I’m having a hard time believing a lawyer would actually apply that argument.
(3) In the Epilogue, Livia is turning 10 when she should be turning 11. Age problems in books just bug me -- I’m always mentally keeping track of what ages characters are at various times in a story.
All that said, I did read this book quickly and breathlessly, because the writing is excellent and the pacing is mostly good. But if this had been my first book by this author, I wouldn’t be running off to read everything else she wrote. I’m looking for some more Chicago Stars for my next SEP.
April 26, 2015
5 STARS
Another fiver! Believe it or not� I’m actually trying to find fault in Susan Elizabeth Phillip’s books. It seems I can’t give her less than 5 stars. This book had some mixed reviews, so I thought maybe this one will bring me back to reality. Nope. I was wrong.
Although this was a much different storyline, almost reminiscent of the old gothic romances of du Maurier and Brontë. SEP takes us to a desolate and rugged island off the coast of Maine during the dead of winter. Where our heroine, Antoinette Hewitt must spend the next sixty days of her life in order to fulfill an obligation she inherited from her mother, who has recently died.
But surviving the harsh winter on this rugged island may just prove to be the easiest part of her obligation. It seems that some demons from her past that she left on the island years ago are back to remind her of a time she would just as soon forget. A time that almost took her life.
Theo Harp is the villain in question. And she’d heard he’d left the island years ago. Not that she was keeping track, she wasn’t. She’d just as soon never lay eyes on him again. Not that he’s difficult to look at� unfortunately he’s quite the opposite. It’s just that little incident eighteen years ago, when he tried to kill her.
Theo what have you done?
She’d heard he was a writer now. She even read his book� and then wished she hadn’t. What kind of warped mind writes such gruesome and horrifying stories? There were also those mysterious deaths in his past. Was he really as insane as she suspected?
I really loved all of the creepy imagery in the story. And I loved Annie’s quirky personality. (or should I say personalities) Yes, she is a puppeteer/ventriloquist. And her puppets never really leave her thoughts or her company. I know it sounds bizarre, but it was actually quite endearing. She was also strong willed and independent to a fault. She was used to looking out for herself and those she loved even at her own cost.
He was a hero, and true heroes didn’t pretend to offer what they weren’t prepared to give.
The supporting cast was fabulously odd and perfectly woven into the story. The writing was beyond creative. Recalling Annie’s past stories was so compelling, I felt like I experienced them right along with her.
The love story between Annie and Theo may have started when they were teens, but there was no love lost between them now. The trust issues between them were insurmountable. In fact, let's just say that finding any trust between them was nearly impossible. After all, her last memory of him involved a near death experience. And his current behavior definitely had her questioning his sanity.
Ticktock goes the clock.
But despite the fear and mistrust, there was still something there between them, and they both knew it, and it had both of them wanting to run for the hills.
A bastard’s nature was to act like a bastard, and he’d done what came naturally.
So how did they end up in each other’s arms?
She’d been caught in Theo Harp’s web � not because he’d diabolically cast it around her, but because she’d run into it with her arms outstretched.
There was a good bit of mystery woven into the story which kept me guessing throughout the book. And I was almost never right in my predictions. But then, a few moments later I would find myself laughing out loud. SEP’s witty dialogue is always clever and her heroines almost always quite funny.
“Fine!� he shouted back. “I’ll do the talking. I love you, and by damn I’m not ashamed of it, and you may not have as much baggage as I do, but don’t pretend you don’t have some with all those losers you attached yourself to.�
“Only two!�
“And only two for me, so we’re even!�
“Not even close!� They were fifteen feet apart and she was still screaming.
“My two were self-centered assholes! Yours were homicidal nutcases!�
Fantastic book, I didn’t want it to end. Many of her books follow a certain theme, this one was a bit different, and I loved it just as much.
It was good. Really good. In fact, it couldn’t have been better.
Another fiver! Believe it or not� I’m actually trying to find fault in Susan Elizabeth Phillip’s books. It seems I can’t give her less than 5 stars. This book had some mixed reviews, so I thought maybe this one will bring me back to reality. Nope. I was wrong.
Although this was a much different storyline, almost reminiscent of the old gothic romances of du Maurier and Brontë. SEP takes us to a desolate and rugged island off the coast of Maine during the dead of winter. Where our heroine, Antoinette Hewitt must spend the next sixty days of her life in order to fulfill an obligation she inherited from her mother, who has recently died.
But surviving the harsh winter on this rugged island may just prove to be the easiest part of her obligation. It seems that some demons from her past that she left on the island years ago are back to remind her of a time she would just as soon forget. A time that almost took her life.
Theo Harp is the villain in question. And she’d heard he’d left the island years ago. Not that she was keeping track, she wasn’t. She’d just as soon never lay eyes on him again. Not that he’s difficult to look at� unfortunately he’s quite the opposite. It’s just that little incident eighteen years ago, when he tried to kill her.
Theo what have you done?
She’d heard he was a writer now. She even read his book� and then wished she hadn’t. What kind of warped mind writes such gruesome and horrifying stories? There were also those mysterious deaths in his past. Was he really as insane as she suspected?
I really loved all of the creepy imagery in the story. And I loved Annie’s quirky personality. (or should I say personalities) Yes, she is a puppeteer/ventriloquist. And her puppets never really leave her thoughts or her company. I know it sounds bizarre, but it was actually quite endearing. She was also strong willed and independent to a fault. She was used to looking out for herself and those she loved even at her own cost.
He was a hero, and true heroes didn’t pretend to offer what they weren’t prepared to give.
The supporting cast was fabulously odd and perfectly woven into the story. The writing was beyond creative. Recalling Annie’s past stories was so compelling, I felt like I experienced them right along with her.
The love story between Annie and Theo may have started when they were teens, but there was no love lost between them now. The trust issues between them were insurmountable. In fact, let's just say that finding any trust between them was nearly impossible. After all, her last memory of him involved a near death experience. And his current behavior definitely had her questioning his sanity.
Ticktock goes the clock.
But despite the fear and mistrust, there was still something there between them, and they both knew it, and it had both of them wanting to run for the hills.
A bastard’s nature was to act like a bastard, and he’d done what came naturally.
So how did they end up in each other’s arms?
She’d been caught in Theo Harp’s web � not because he’d diabolically cast it around her, but because she’d run into it with her arms outstretched.
There was a good bit of mystery woven into the story which kept me guessing throughout the book. And I was almost never right in my predictions. But then, a few moments later I would find myself laughing out loud. SEP’s witty dialogue is always clever and her heroines almost always quite funny.
“Fine!� he shouted back. “I’ll do the talking. I love you, and by damn I’m not ashamed of it, and you may not have as much baggage as I do, but don’t pretend you don’t have some with all those losers you attached yourself to.�
“Only two!�
“And only two for me, so we’re even!�
“Not even close!� They were fifteen feet apart and she was still screaming.
“My two were self-centered assholes! Yours were homicidal nutcases!�
Fantastic book, I didn’t want it to end. Many of her books follow a certain theme, this one was a bit different, and I loved it just as much.
It was good. Really good. In fact, it couldn’t have been better.
January 13, 2015
Audiobook-
1.7 stars-I should have quit- this was not my kind of book at all
Quick and dirty- a down on her luck ventriloquist returns to her recently passed mother's island cottage to recover from many woes where she runs into and old flame, a mute child and an island of misfit grannies. She talks to her dolls, acts weird, avoids honest conversations, bends over backwards to keep everyone OK, sleeps with someone she shouldn't and gets shot at.
I do not like talking dolls, and dolls that people converse with are just creepy. I know, that is what a ventriloquist does, dummy ! No, this was more, she talked with them when they weren't even there, when she was alone, as her confidants, her friends. In the beginning of the story it was so overpowering I was just shaking my head muttering "this chick is wacko". There could be arguments that the dolls did have a positive spin, therapy dolls. I can see that being a great thing but ARGUH ! it did not screen romantic, sweet, endearing, no it screamed crazy to these ears. Why was it so dominate in the story ?
Was there romance, sure a very predictable step by step one. Was it sweet and made my heart flutter ? No, I was hear Scamp or Leo or some other freaky voice while things where getting waned up which ruined it for me. She played games, she couldn't manage to speak her mind on matters of her heart, she was a bender, no solid back bone.
1.7 stars-I should have quit- this was not my kind of book at all
Quick and dirty- a down on her luck ventriloquist returns to her recently passed mother's island cottage to recover from many woes where she runs into and old flame, a mute child and an island of misfit grannies. She talks to her dolls, acts weird, avoids honest conversations, bends over backwards to keep everyone OK, sleeps with someone she shouldn't and gets shot at.
I do not like talking dolls, and dolls that people converse with are just creepy. I know, that is what a ventriloquist does, dummy ! No, this was more, she talked with them when they weren't even there, when she was alone, as her confidants, her friends. In the beginning of the story it was so overpowering I was just shaking my head muttering "this chick is wacko". There could be arguments that the dolls did have a positive spin, therapy dolls. I can see that being a great thing but ARGUH ! it did not screen romantic, sweet, endearing, no it screamed crazy to these ears. Why was it so dominate in the story ?
Was there romance, sure a very predictable step by step one. Was it sweet and made my heart flutter ? No, I was hear Scamp or Leo or some other freaky voice while things where getting waned up which ruined it for me. She played games, she couldn't manage to speak her mind on matters of her heart, she was a bender, no solid back bone.
June 19, 2014
Oh how I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips!!!! More Gothic-y than I ever remember SEP ever being, the mystery fueling this romance had me turning the pages until my contacts were stuck to my dry eyeballs. And man, the love scenes were so well done! I often scan or entirely skip love scenes in other romances, but I got wrist-tingles from this passion,as per usual. Worth waiting for; please keep them coming Ms Phillips!!
May 7, 2021
4.5
Non c'è nulla da fare, la SEP è un'autrice alla quale non riuscirò mai a dare meno di 4 stelle. Su questo romanzo avevo molti dubbi viste le recensioni discordanti: c'era chi lo reputava banale, chi un capolavoro, chi diceva che era divertente e chi invece lo definiva noioso. Io invece ritengo che sia, come sempre, originale rispetto a romanzi dello stesso genere. Riesce sempre a inserire quell'elemento che lo distingue dalla massa. In questo specifico caso ho trovato un'ambientazione quasi gotica, molto cupa e, anche le scene descritte rimandavano a classici della letteratura. Ad esempio l'entrata in scena del protagonista maschile, mi ha ricordato molto "La leggenda si Sleepy Hollow" quando il cavaliere senza testa sfrecciava nella notte sul suo destriero. Alcune descrizioni della residenza dove si svolgono le vicende rimandavano a Jane Eyre...insomma molto molto particolare e, già per questo, la valutazione sale. Certo chi si aspettava il clima della "Chicago Stars" non lo ha ritrovato in questo libro; tratta un argomento molto difficile e per questo più impegnativo. Probabilmente questo ha spiazzato le lettrici, io invece ho apprezzato!
Non c'è nulla da fare, la SEP è un'autrice alla quale non riuscirò mai a dare meno di 4 stelle. Su questo romanzo avevo molti dubbi viste le recensioni discordanti: c'era chi lo reputava banale, chi un capolavoro, chi diceva che era divertente e chi invece lo definiva noioso. Io invece ritengo che sia, come sempre, originale rispetto a romanzi dello stesso genere. Riesce sempre a inserire quell'elemento che lo distingue dalla massa. In questo specifico caso ho trovato un'ambientazione quasi gotica, molto cupa e, anche le scene descritte rimandavano a classici della letteratura. Ad esempio l'entrata in scena del protagonista maschile, mi ha ricordato molto "La leggenda si Sleepy Hollow" quando il cavaliere senza testa sfrecciava nella notte sul suo destriero. Alcune descrizioni della residenza dove si svolgono le vicende rimandavano a Jane Eyre...insomma molto molto particolare e, già per questo, la valutazione sale. Certo chi si aspettava il clima della "Chicago Stars" non lo ha ritrovato in questo libro; tratta un argomento molto difficile e per questo più impegnativo. Probabilmente questo ha spiazzato le lettrici, io invece ho apprezzato!
September 6, 2015
Reconozco que comencé a leer ”Los héroes son mi debilidad� con cierto pánico. Sep es mi escritora favorita y fueron sus libros los que me volvieron adicta a la lectura.
Y si es cierto que no me ha decepcionado, pero tampoco ha cubierto del todo mis altas expectativas.
La historia es atrayente y tiene un ritmo rápido, que unido a la forma de narrar de Sep, termina absorbiéndote. El suspense está muy bien llevado, y agradezco que hasta casi el final no se desvelen los misterios, pese a que estaba en un sin vivir interno.
Y lo digo, Sep me ha tenido engañada todo el libro. He estado más de medio libro teniendo claro quién era “el malo�, y al final mis suposiciones eran erróneas.
Los personajes están muy bien perfilados, con un carácter bien marcado.
Theo Harp creo que es la gran sorpresa del libro. No quiero decir nada para no desvelar demasiado, pero ese hombre va a ser difícil de olvida. Creo que es el personaje masculino más macabro que ha creado Sep en todos sus libros.
Pero la historia de amor, para mí ha sido muy light.
Y si es cierto que no me ha decepcionado, pero tampoco ha cubierto del todo mis altas expectativas.
La historia es atrayente y tiene un ritmo rápido, que unido a la forma de narrar de Sep, termina absorbiéndote. El suspense está muy bien llevado, y agradezco que hasta casi el final no se desvelen los misterios, pese a que estaba en un sin vivir interno.
Y lo digo, Sep me ha tenido engañada todo el libro. He estado más de medio libro teniendo claro quién era “el malo�, y al final mis suposiciones eran erróneas.
Los personajes están muy bien perfilados, con un carácter bien marcado.
Theo Harp creo que es la gran sorpresa del libro. No quiero decir nada para no desvelar demasiado, pero ese hombre va a ser difícil de olvida. Creo que es el personaje masculino más macabro que ha creado Sep en todos sus libros.
Pero la historia de amor, para mí ha sido muy light.
October 26, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️ three stars -
Three stars goes to this gothic-type romance read from Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
This story comes from the very talented SEP; her romances are normally very solid, clear cut modern-day fictional romances. “Heroes Are My Weakness� gets the distinction of veering off into the direction of a romantic suspense/thriller. At least in part, anyway.
Actually, the many classifications of this story is what ultimately ends up detracting stars from its overall rating for this reviewer 💁♀�
Did SEP intend this novel to be:
. a romance?
. a romantic suspense?
. a gothic tale?
. a mystery?
None of the above story arcs was ever completely committed to, in this reviewer’s opinion; and this is the main reason for the failure of this tale as a satisfying romance.
As someone who does generally enjoy the writing of SEP, I was put-off by a few glaring shortcomings in this 2014 stand-alone romance. A few things I noticed that detracted from my own enjoyment:
. repetition repetition repetition - what happened to Phillips� editor? A few glaring repeats of near exact phrasing seeped through in several areas, and distracted me
. lackluster romance. Normally SEP is a slam-dunk winner for me in the romance category, and since the trope here does include a childhood connection between our two mc’s, and since I normally eat those types of stories right up, I unfortunately ended up disappointed that the romantic sizzle magic SEP usually delivers was missing here 💁♀�
. the plot that could never decide what it wanted to be (as mentioned above). If anyone else had written this, it probably would’ve ended up a convoluted mess, but SEP is a very skilled author, and she is able to corral the story, but just not enough to garner a strong enough arc at completion. For me, the romance did not satisfy. The mc’s lacked chemistry 💁♀�
A good effort from the author, I’m sure she gets bored writing the same out-of-the-box style romance reads (which I normally love about her - see “Kiss An Angel� for an example of this type of read 👉 /review/show...).
To sum it all up, this was not nearly a favorite SEP. It’s meh, but I did enjoy the heroine here and how she grew into a stronger person. Although, it’s all surface level character development. Again, SEP gets too caught up in the story development to fully develop her characters here, and this story suffers from lack of character development. That’s the crux of what’s wrong with it, imo.
A passable way to spend time in a book. Read only if you’re trying to make your way through this author’s bibliography, as I am 📖
Three short stars.
Three stars goes to this gothic-type romance read from Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
This story comes from the very talented SEP; her romances are normally very solid, clear cut modern-day fictional romances. “Heroes Are My Weakness� gets the distinction of veering off into the direction of a romantic suspense/thriller. At least in part, anyway.
Actually, the many classifications of this story is what ultimately ends up detracting stars from its overall rating for this reviewer 💁♀�
Did SEP intend this novel to be:
. a romance?
. a romantic suspense?
. a gothic tale?
. a mystery?
None of the above story arcs was ever completely committed to, in this reviewer’s opinion; and this is the main reason for the failure of this tale as a satisfying romance.
As someone who does generally enjoy the writing of SEP, I was put-off by a few glaring shortcomings in this 2014 stand-alone romance. A few things I noticed that detracted from my own enjoyment:
. repetition repetition repetition - what happened to Phillips� editor? A few glaring repeats of near exact phrasing seeped through in several areas, and distracted me
. lackluster romance. Normally SEP is a slam-dunk winner for me in the romance category, and since the trope here does include a childhood connection between our two mc’s, and since I normally eat those types of stories right up, I unfortunately ended up disappointed that the romantic sizzle magic SEP usually delivers was missing here 💁♀�
. the plot that could never decide what it wanted to be (as mentioned above). If anyone else had written this, it probably would’ve ended up a convoluted mess, but SEP is a very skilled author, and she is able to corral the story, but just not enough to garner a strong enough arc at completion. For me, the romance did not satisfy. The mc’s lacked chemistry 💁♀�
A good effort from the author, I’m sure she gets bored writing the same out-of-the-box style romance reads (which I normally love about her - see “Kiss An Angel� for an example of this type of read 👉 /review/show...).
To sum it all up, this was not nearly a favorite SEP. It’s meh, but I did enjoy the heroine here and how she grew into a stronger person. Although, it’s all surface level character development. Again, SEP gets too caught up in the story development to fully develop her characters here, and this story suffers from lack of character development. That’s the crux of what’s wrong with it, imo.
A passable way to spend time in a book. Read only if you’re trying to make your way through this author’s bibliography, as I am 📖
Three short stars.
May 15, 2015
Reconozco que la historia de amor entre ellos no me ha emocionado, al contrario, es muy física y en algunos momentos me ha dejado muy fría
Entonces, por qué las 4 estrellas? Pues porque con el suspense SEP me ha enganchado. Además creo que el tema está muy bien llevado, una de las cosas la tenía muy clara desde el principio, a veces es algo que me da mucha rabia, pero con el resto me ha sorprendido.
Una historia recomendable. No soy fan de esta autora, creo que este es el tercer libro que me leo de ella, pero he disfrutado del suspense y, sobre todo, me ha encantado el personaje de Theo
Reseña completa:
Entonces, por qué las 4 estrellas? Pues porque con el suspense SEP me ha enganchado. Además creo que el tema está muy bien llevado, una de las cosas la tenía muy clara desde el principio, a veces es algo que me da mucha rabia, pero con el resto me ha sorprendido.
Una historia recomendable. No soy fan de esta autora, creo que este es el tercer libro que me leo de ella, pero he disfrutado del suspense y, sobre todo, me ha encantado el personaje de Theo
Reseña completa:
December 4, 2017
This book was a little slow getting started but by the end of the book I was enjoying the story. I will say this about the book and this won't be a spoiler. The puppets were too much for me. I could have done without them in the story although they were part of it. Good romance type story for anyone who enjoys that and also this author is one of my favorites for this type of book.
July 4, 2024
2024
Походът Сеф-24 приключи.Ще оставя тези книги да си почиват , да ги позабравя пак и живот и здраве , ще се забавлявам с тях отново някой ден.Определено няма да ми омръзнат напълно.
2017
Уау, какво въображение !
Имам чувството , че в тази книга има по-малко от всичко , което харесва СЕФ .
Нещо като реверанс към любимите й автори и книги .
И всичко онова , което са нейните книги , разбира се - невероятно чувство за хумор, любов, драма , секс ....., а в тази и мистерия, даже хорър.
Какъв разказвач !
Какво огромно удоволствие ми доставя всеки следващ неин роман.
Ако можех да избирам, сигурно щях да поверя в нейните ръце съдбата на света и да я оставя да го нарисува, за да има по-повече от всичко.
Походът Сеф-24 приключи.Ще оставя тези книги да си почиват , да ги позабравя пак и живот и здраве , ще се забавлявам с тях отново някой ден.Определено няма да ми омръзнат напълно.
2017
Уау, какво въображение !
Имам чувството , че в тази книга има по-малко от всичко , което харесва СЕФ .
Нещо като реверанс към любимите й автори и книги .
И всичко онова , което са нейните книги , разбира се - невероятно чувство за хумор, любов, драма , секс ....., а в тази и мистерия, даже хорър.
Какъв разказвач !
Какво огромно удоволствие ми доставя всеки следващ неин роман.
Ако можех да избирам, сигурно щях да поверя в нейните ръце съдбата на света и да я оставя да го нарисува, за да има по-повече от всичко.
October 4, 2017
Okay, I always like the saucy banter between SEP's H and h. It's fun, sounds normal, and demonstrates the connection between them. There is the typical banter, sexual tension, sexual role-playing as well as angsty pasts for both H and h. In this case, they were step-siblings, in love, when things went serious downhill.
My biggest issue is with the &*$@#@! secondary, secondary as in SUCKING, characters.
My biggest issue is with the &*$@#@! secondary, secondary as in SUCKING, characters.
September 2, 2014
Down on her luck, but with the promise of a legacy from her now deceased mother, Annie travels to a remote Island off the coast of Maine. There she must stay in a rustic cabin that sits in the shadow of an ominous gothic mansion. With some serious debts she needs to find the thing her mother left her but it seems someone on the island has it in for her...and the criminal is escalating.
Theo tried to kill Annie when they were kids and now that they are grown he doesn't seem any less cruel. What has changed is that Annie is now willing to stand up to the man who has haunted her nightmares. But with someone on the island out to get her, she may need to turn to the man she fears the most.
Heroes are my Weakness is a fairly clunky title, and the first few chapters of this book are a little shaky. It really seemed like SEP was trying just a little too hard with the puppets and Theo dressing up in period costume and riding his horse around the place.
Thankfully the book settled down and became one of the better SEP books I've read. I actually liked the main characters in this book and the transitions (from enemies to friends to lovers) were much more natural than I generally expect.
And finally an epilogue that does what an epilogue is supposed to do. An extra star for that.
Theo tried to kill Annie when they were kids and now that they are grown he doesn't seem any less cruel. What has changed is that Annie is now willing to stand up to the man who has haunted her nightmares. But with someone on the island out to get her, she may need to turn to the man she fears the most.
Heroes are my Weakness is a fairly clunky title, and the first few chapters of this book are a little shaky. It really seemed like SEP was trying just a little too hard with the puppets and Theo dressing up in period costume and riding his horse around the place.
Thankfully the book settled down and became one of the better SEP books I've read. I actually liked the main characters in this book and the transitions (from enemies to friends to lovers) were much more natural than I generally expect.
And finally an epilogue that does what an epilogue is supposed to do. An extra star for that.
March 18, 2018
Non avevo mai letto nulla della Phillips, non sapevo cosa aspettarmi, ma sicuramente nulla di così banale e inverosimile... A parte le ultime pagine, mi sono annoiata per la maggior parte del tempo: ho odiato i personaggi, l'ambientazione, i misteri. Sono andata avanti solo perché speravo che alla fine migliorasse, e fortunatamente è stato così, ma questo non è bastato a salvarlo. Per me è un grosso NO.
November 29, 2017
4,5 - Sono rimasta letteralmente spiazzata da questo romanzo, perchè mi aspettavo una storia avventurosa-zuccherosa: invece la SEP è riuscita comunque a conquistarmi con una trama davvero non facile, che punta a elementi che non catturano subito la simpatia del lettore, ma che riescono comunque a tenerti avvinta grazie al fatto che, frase dopo frase, i personaggi prendono vita e ti raccontano storie nascoste.
Gli stessi protagonisti non sono i soliti: Annie all'inizio è debole, sia nel fisico che nella psiche, sente le "voci" in testa (Ok, voci speciali, e leggendo capirete di chi...), e Theo... beh, Theo è semplicemente un riccastro viziato con passato da psicopatico che ha tentato di ucciderla.
Non proprio un'atmosfera rosa e fiori, oltre al fatto che le vicende si svolgono tra cottage semiabbandonati e villoni gotici con tanto di torri piene di spifferi e (forse) fantasmi.
Però comprendo che di Theo una finisca per innamorarsi, e la SEP è stata fantastica a farcelo piacere a poco a poco, in un crescendo di intrighi, minacce e sospetti, e tanti segreti che vengono a galla.
Un romanzo cupo, a tratti malinconico, ma davvero bello.
Brava SEP, brava e ancora brava. Ho scoperto che anche per me "gli eroi sono il mio punto debole", e questo resta uno dei libri migliori di quest'autrice.
Gli stessi protagonisti non sono i soliti: Annie all'inizio è debole, sia nel fisico che nella psiche, sente le "voci" in testa (Ok, voci speciali, e leggendo capirete di chi...), e Theo... beh, Theo è semplicemente un riccastro viziato con passato da psicopatico che ha tentato di ucciderla.
Non proprio un'atmosfera rosa e fiori, oltre al fatto che le vicende si svolgono tra cottage semiabbandonati e villoni gotici con tanto di torri piene di spifferi e (forse) fantasmi.
Però comprendo che di Theo una finisca per innamorarsi, e la SEP è stata fantastica a farcelo piacere a poco a poco, in un crescendo di intrighi, minacce e sospetti, e tanti segreti che vengono a galla.
Un romanzo cupo, a tratti malinconico, ma davvero bello.
Brava SEP, brava e ancora brava. Ho scoperto che anche per me "gli eroi sono il mio punto debole", e questo resta uno dei libri migliori di quest'autrice.
September 14, 2014
This book started out with me questioning who wrote this book? Because it sure didn't have SEP's signature humor that I was used to. To me it was like Suzanne Forester and Sandra Brown got together and cowrote the book. I had a hard time connecting with the heroine and hero and my stars were going to reflect that. But as I stayed with the book SEP's magic started to happen and the book became more and more her book and less anybody else's. In the end it was as wonderful as always and I loved, loved that epi. It was a perfect end to the book. I thought I had it figured out by page 111, I was on the right track, but the wrong train. In the end I loved the h/h as individuals and as a couple. If you haven't ever read SEP her earlier works are still some of my favorite reads, but this one was a keeper as well.
February 19, 2018
Casi casi 4 estrellas. ..es de los más normales de SEP...pero claro siendo de las mejores lo normal casi llega a las 4 estrellitas. ...dosifico las historias de esta mujer y solo me quedan unos pocos por leer de todo lo traducido al castellano.
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