What I Did for Love

By: Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Narrated by: Julia Gibson

Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

How did this happen?

Georgie York, once the costar of America's favorite television sitcom, has been publicly abandoned by her famous husband, her film career has tanked, her father is driving her crazy, and her public image as a spunky heroine is taking a serious beating.

What should a down-on-her-luck actress do? Not go to Vegas . . . not run into her detestable former costar, dreamboat-from-hell Bramwell Shepard . . . and not get caught up in an ugly incident that leads to a calamitous elopement. Before she knows it, Georgie has a fake marriage, a fake husband, and maybe (or not) a fake sex life.

It's a paparazzi free-for-all, and Georgie's nonsupporting cast doesn't help. There's Bram's punk-nightmare housekeeper, Georgie's own pushy parent, a suck-up agent, an icy studio head with a private agenda, and her ex-husband's new wife, who can't get enough of doing good deeds and saving the world. As for Georgie's leading man, Bram's giving the performance of his life, but he's never cared about anyone except himself, and it's not exactly clear why.

Two enemies find themselves working without a script in a town where the spotlight shines bright . . . and where the strongest emotions can wear startling disguises.

©2009 Susan Elizabeth Phillips (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Please stop with that awful music ! Just Horrible !!

I love all Susan Elizabeth Phillips books ! I truly miss Anna Fields she made you feel like you were in the book ! The only thing I truly HATE is that God Awful music that have been in last couple of books while narration is going on ! Please remove it and for God Sakes Don’t Put In Any More Readings !

Not the Best SEP Novel

Nice story, but predictable. Characters don't have much depth. Entertaining, but not my favorite Susan Elizabeth Phillips novel.

I liked the anticipation and emotions I felt.

STORY BRIEF:
Georgie and Bram starred in a TV sitcom for eight years. Bram was unreliable due to drugs, alcohol and sex. Georgie initially liked Bram but he hurt her during his bad boy days. Now they dislike/hate each other. Georgie is a good girl. Everyone loves her. She married Lance an A list movie star. Lance had an affair, divorced Georgie and married Jade (think Angelina Jolie). Georgie is tired of everyone feeling sorry for her and believes that if she gets married, the tabloids will leave her alone. Bram and Georgie accidentally show up at the same party in Las Vegas. Someone drugs their drinks, and they wake up the next morning shocked to find they are married. They decide to stay married for awhile; each has their own reasons.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I love this author’s talent. She doesn’t churn out books as fast as I would like, because she writes quality which takes time. Georgie and Bram insult and lie to each other. The conversations are clever and entertaining. I loved the character development. There are several characters who change, grow, become better, or become different by the end of the story. Whenever I put the book down to do something else, I couldn’t wait to get back to it. It’s a little longer than most romance novels, and I enjoyed every minute.

REVIEWER’S COMMENT TO OTHER REVIEWERS:
I noticed some reviewers complained that it was too much like the Jen/Brad/Angie saga, but I say who cares what it was like. It was entertaining. There are only a limited number of story lines out there for romance novels. Every story I’ve read has already been told by someone else. The key is the author’s voice, and this author’s voice is one of the best. Some reviewers said they didn’t like Georgie and Bram. I didn’t think about that as I was reading the book, but I agree that some of their early actions were not likeable. However, by the end of the book they both had gone through changes from who they were eight years earlier. I liked the people they became and many of the things they did for others. The best part of the book was all the changes that various characters went through, not just Georgie and Bram, but others as well. In addition, the period of dislike created some interesting conflict and entertaining dialogue.

AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR: Julia Gibson did an excellent job. But for some undefinable reason I think I preferred reading this instead of listening to it.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 401 pages. Swearing language: strong but not often used. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 7. Setting: Los Angeles area, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Mexico. Copyright: 2009. Genre: contemporary romance.

The cleanest my house has ever been

I loved this book and couldn't stop listening to it. I used the time to clean parts of my house that haven't been clean in years! I was saddened when I heard the dedication to Anna Fields and following some research learned that she had passed away. Ms. Fields brought so much life to SEP's books, but Julia Gibson is a worthy succesor.

Good but not the best

I liked the story but it is not as good as Natural Born Charmer or Match Me If You Can. The ending seemed rushed to me. Georgie and Bram were at odds for a lot of the time and then "poof" they realized they were in love. It just didn't unfold in a believable sequence for me. The narrator was not bad but no one can hold a candle to Kate Flemming/Anna Fields...I really miss her. I'm a BIG fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips so I can't rate this lower than 4 stars.

Entertaining

This was entertaining, and I liked the narrator. It wasn't her best book, but I didn't regret using a credit on it!

Not my favorite SEP

This was just ok for me, but if you are a big fan celebrity gossip and entertainment drama, you'll probably get a kick out of this book. I thought the reader did a very good job.

Ok, not great

The book was ok, the story was ok. My favorite SEP book is Ain't She Sweet, followed by Kiss and Angel
I am a big fan of SEP but Julia Gibson is one of my least favorite narrators anyway. I don't think she does not do men well, as her voice is just too high and she does not have enough variation in her female voices to handle the number of people in the book. she also lacks the nuances of delivering the humor and personality of the characters I have grown to love in the SEP books. I have listened to over 300 books and often a narrator will help me choose my next book

I hope the SEP crew read these reviews, I would recommend Joyce Bean for her next book. If Julia narrates the next one, I will not be getting it on audible.

Could not stop listening

Literally could not stop listening to this fabulous and entertaining story. Once again, Susan Elizabeth Phillips has created characters who can make you laugh and then cry within minutes. Her romantic comedy is unmatched because the heroine is someone you love and understand. When she hurts, the reader hurts. One of the best things about Ms. Phillips' books is there is always a happy ending and you feel so good when the end comes, although, I always want more when it is over!

No more Julia Gibson!

I actually liked this book. Sure, it's not socially meaningful literature, but so what? I just want a fun, brainless book to listen to when I walk the dog and SEP always comes through. When I want Pulitzer material, I re-listen to "The Help." As for the Brangelina rip-off, so what? No biggie.

But, PLEASE ditch Julia Gibson. The minute I started listening to it I thought to myself that this sounds like the awful narrator from "Belong to Me." Checked and sure enough, same narrator. You think she was bad on this one, try listening to "Belong to Me." The only voice she did well in this book was Aaron. Please find a new narrator.

And for those waiting for a SEP book as good as Natural Born Charmers, give it up. There always has to be a best and a worst. I don't see the point in hating a SEP book just because it's not as good as Natural Born Charmers. SEP books are lots of fun.