Glitter Baby

By: Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Narrated by: Julia Gibson

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Fleur Savagar is the most beautiful woman in the world . . . to everyone but herself. With her oversized hands and paddle-boat feet, her streaky blond hair and funny green eyes, she lives a life filled with secrets that began before she was born. That was when her bewitching mother left home to find James Dean and met Errol Flynn instead. Now Fleur has to grow up quickly, and life won't make that easy.

Jake Koranda is both New York's most brilliant playwright and Hollywood's hottest actor. Difficult, talented, and tormented, he has no patience for international glamour girls, not even ones with beautiful bodies and smart-aleck mouths. But there's more to the Glitter Baby than shine, and Fleur's tougher than Jake expects. Even with the odds stacked against her, she's fiercely determined to discover the woman she's destined to be. An ugly duckling who can't believe she's turned into a swan . . . A tough-guy movie star with a haunted past . . . In a land of broken dreams, can two unlikely lovers trust their hearts?

©2009 Susan Elizabeth Phillips (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Really enjoyed it!

I’ve listened to this book twice now. Im a big SEP fan and this is such a nice feel-good book!

this has always been a favorite of mine

I really love this story. I don't know why. it is not my typical book.

What’s with the music?

I enjoyed the story and narrator. But the random weird music was off putting and unnecessary.

Book doesn’t belong in the series. Different setting & the light-hearted tone is missing.

The first two books in this series (Fancy Pants & Lady Be Good) are set in Wynette, Texas and tell the stories of two quirky but likable women, the challenges they face, and their witty interactions with the men that they fall in love with. This book does not follow in this style or appear to link to that narrative at all. Instead the plot brings the listener through a relentless series of crises resulting from the poor decisions of emotionally dysfunctional women and the evil machinations of some truly despicable men. It is almost a survey of personality disorders and extreme emotional trauma rather than a story of likable, relatable people. The narration is well done, but unfortunately it can’t save the overall tone of the book from being heavy. Bottom line: This book might appeal to many listeners, but I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone wanting a witty and enjoyable romance, or who wants to know more about Wynette, Texas. [Note to Audible: for 7+ years reviewers have pointed out the strange & abrupt muzak sections that interrupt this narration at random points. It seems like this is something you could easily edit out. Would you please consider doing this? It really detracts from the listening experience.]

Not her best!! I forced myself to finish it!

I had to keep checking to make sure that I had downloaded the right book. I have read about 1/2 of SEP's books, and I loved each of them. Not so much with this one. Her characters were relativily well developed, but the book lacked the energy and flow of the ones I have read. If anything, I like to think of it as a "before" snapshot of her incredible progression as an author.

Terrible and Outdated

This story is nothing like her other books and is very disappointing. I have loved all of Susan Elizabeth Phillips books in the past but this book was a drain. I had to force myself to keep listening and was angry that I did. The end was pleasant like other Susan Elizabeth Phillips book but unless you like statutory rape the rest is not worth it. I was concerned that she made statutory rape seem like the norm for the rich and famous.

Not her best work

If you like Jackie Collins, you will like this (I dont).
I you like Susan Phillips when she is funny and light, this book will be a sad dissapointment.
Unless you skip at least the first seven chapters you will find yourself in a quagmire of misery listening to this story. I would save your money for other Phillips books.

Not the usual...

I started listening to SEP a little over a year ago and was so looking forward to more sassy, witty chracters which this selection did not offer. I appreciate the need to depart for the same types of characters but the ones in this book were totally unlikeable. This book dragged on forever. I won't give up on SEP as I typically enjoy her writing.

Not up to par

If you are expecting another Natural Born Charmer, Heaven Texas or It Had To Be You et al, this book will be a disappointment. This one has no humor, no quirky situations and no memorable one-liners. These characters are full of angst, guilt and Victorian values. Where is the beaver suit? Where is the "premature climax"? Where are the "think naked" lines? Such a shame to wait so long to be so let down.

This seems to have nothing to do with other books

The narrator is not one of my favorites. The way she did the main characters mother is kind of creepy, and on top of that, I read books to relax. It’s difficult to relax, when you’re reading a book, and all of a sudden, there are bits of corny music! I don’t think there’s a place for music in the middle of books. Besides that, my husband can sleep through when I’m reading books out loud, but that music woke him up.