Ain't She Sweet?

The only thing wrong with Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books is that they end. I normally don't even care for romance titles - but SEP writes stories that are so entertaining and so uplifting, there aren't enough of them. Ain't She Sweet is no exception - the characters, their relationships - it's all there. This isn't any "in-depth" fiction - it's just good old fashion entertainment that leaves you feeling great! Of course, Kate Flemming (A/K/A Anna Fields) makes it all come together. I wish she could read every audio book!

This was my first book by S. Philips, and I was worried. But, the writing was skillful, the story captivating, and, Thank heavens, the narration wonderful. Amazing how annoying and distracting some voices can be. This was a delight from beginning to end.

This was the first audiobook that I listened to, and really liked it. I had already read the paperback, but listening to the audiobook made it come alive. Kate Fleming's reading of it was great to listen to and made it seem more real. I have read most of Susan Elizabeth Phillips books, and would love to hear more of them as audiobooks. I would especially love to hear the Bonner Brothers-Chicago Stars books on audio.

The characters in this romanace are a little odd -- most of the men seem like buffoons, most of the women are catty, and the lead heroine is self-centered (albeit softened on the edges by some big-hearted actions -- after all it would be a difficult story if she wasn't somewhat sypathetic!).

You might wonder what could possibly make this a good romance with a character list like that, but after a strange start, it actually worked as a story for me. The romance was sweet and funny (and sometimes steamy) -- it had interesting story and characters that kept me enjoying the story from start to finish. The story paced nicely. I have to admit I preferred the secondary characters romance, as seemed much more compelling, but overall, a nice romantic book.

However, the narration could cause some listeners problems. The narrator had great pacing, but if you are sensitive to how you expect accents to sound, she had some problems. I am not Southern, so I cannot comment on the deep South accents, but I did live in England, and the lead hero's accent was downright laughable. It took me a couple chapters to just "go with it" and not get distracted by the hero's voice -- and you have to hear a lot of him, so if you have strong feelings about the way characters are read, and in particular if you have some idea of what to expect from a British accent, you might want to be a little careful on this title. Unfortunately in the whole 10 minute sample audio there is no example of the hero's voice.

If you are not too concerned about the accents, then this is a good romance. If you are distracted by such things, you might want to pass on this one and try another title.

When I read the review, I thought this book would be just a fun piece of fluff -- entertaining romance fiction to fill the void between some heavier pieces of historical non-fiction I had planned. It was fun and entertaining and VERY romantic, and far, far better than I had anticipated, so much that I bought the book and read it again to catch all the language.

I was most impressed with SEP's characters -- despite all the hype of Sugar Beth's history, she was a human, likeable character from the beginning, and Colin also became quickly a character you cared about. The cast of characters are all well-developed and the story line is beautifully woven together. High praises to the author -- this is a story I will remember for a long time and still be smiling.

I enjoyed this book except for the voices The narrator, bless her little heart, made Colin a little too smarmy and gay sounding. Most southern men don't sound like lowbrows and most southern women don't sound like harpies. I just never could get past his voice and why she would fall for someone like that. If I had read the book I probably would have enjoyed it more without the distracton of the "off" voices.

This is a book that you'll find really hard to put down. The characters are well thought out, the plot is full of life, and the dramatic ending leaves you wanting to know more about the main character, Sugar Beth! The reader does an excellent job of voicing all the characters. I love a book that stays with you for hours or days after you've finished reading it, this is definitely one of those books!

LOved this first book by Elizabeth Phillips. Very quick listening and enjoyable. Look forward to her next book.

Another fantastic SEP novel, its a pity Colin was read with possibly the worst English accent I have ever heard.

I loved this book and the narrator was great! The author is new to me and her sarcasm had me in stitches! I too have found a new favorite author!