This Heart of Mine

By: Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck

New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips magic is vibrantly alive, and it's on display in This Heart of Mine, the fifth book in her wildly popular Chicago Stars series!

Molly Somerville loves her career as the creator of the Daphne the Bunny children's book series, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. She has a reputation for trouble that started even before she gave away her fifteen-million-dollar inheritance. Then there's her long-term crush on the quarterback for the Chicago Stars football team her sister owns—that awful, gorgeous Kevin Tucker, a man who can't even remember Molly's name!

One night Kevin barges into Molly's not-quite-perfect life and turns it upside down. Unfortunately, the Ferrari-driving riving, poodle-hating jock isn't as shallow as she wishes he were, and she soon finds herself at a place called Wind Lake. Surrounded by paintbox cottages, including a charming old bed-and-breakfast, Molly and Kevin battle their attraction and each other as they face one of life's most important lessons. Sometimes love hurts, sometimes it makes you mad as hell, and sometimes—if you're lucky—it can heal in a most unexpected way.

The story survives abridged cuts

I bought this abridged version because I remembered and enjoyed the original version narrated by Anna Fields. Sometimes a truly skilled abridged version of a story can even tighten the original, and I enjoy Jennifer Van Dyke so I thought I would like to listen to an old favorite.

The cuts in this abridgment were not surgical. It was accomplished by cutting out a subplot, and therefore removing one of the main characters of the amputated secondary story. This leaves Molly and Kevin, the main characters, reacting to the ghosts of the missing parts. It still works. Susan Elizabeth Philips writes great stories, and even the surface parts of this story are engrossing, Still, it takes more than a suspension of disbelief to help the reader understand why Molly is so loved by her family, without letting the reader see her complete interactions with Kevin's mom and her nieces and nephews. Getting to know the remarkable woman Kevin's mom is that makes it worth the effort Kevin puts forth to get over reasonable childhood resentments. I listened to this with friends on a drive that took four hours and kept trying to explain that these people were not really a train wreck. We didn't turn it back on for the trip back. Still even watered down Susan Elizabeth Phillips is worth some time.

Another Hit in Chicago Stars Series !!

This is another hit in SEP's Chicago Stars series. Loved both main characters as always. SEP comes up with a twist or two that makes them so different from your run of the mill hero and heroin.
My only complaint was this one was far too short. I was disappointed to see it end so quickly. I wanted more more more.

Good read!

Great lighthearted book that keeps you guessing.

First couple chapters are slow but after it picks up it’s a great read!

Nothing like SEP!!!

Sweet, romantic and funny this book has it all! Every book in the series is great!

original

I liked the first edition better. The original book contacted more details about the love story. Story was good. The first was excellent.