REVIEW: First Lady by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

First Lady by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Did you ever reread a book and go “Wow! This was so much better than I remembered?”



That has been happening to me lately; especially with Susan Elizabeth Phillips books. I think when your perspective changes, your opinions do as well. ;)



First Lady was not really a memorable novel for me the first time around. I probably read it in my fury to get my hands on all things SEP. Rereading it years later, I did quite enjoy it.



Overall, I really liked the main cast. Mat was wonderful. I loved Nealy. Lucy was probably my favorite character. Button was so funny.



The book was filled with both clever humor and clichés. I was pretty chocked up near the end of the book when Nealy went back to the Washington. I loved the light political commentary that Nealy gave throughout the book. Also, the interesting facts about the former first ladies were pretty cool, too. I thought it was interesting that the book talked about Hillary Clinton running for senator; First Lady was originally published in 2000 – the year Clinton made her decision. I am not sure what month.



I want to say that Mat was my favorite SEP hero, but honestly, as far as he wasn’t that memorable (though, frankly, when it comes to SEP heroes that is probably a good thing). I did not mind that Mat lied about his career, but I did not understand the steelworker idea. Did he just come up with it off the top of his head?



SEP writes children incredibly unrealistically and humorously. Lucy and Button were adorable. I have not read SEP’s newest novel, but I hear Lucy reappears. Is there any chance she will get a novel of her own? (also, I was wondering how old she was in that novel – and if Neal was still president? Because the last few pages of First Lady – if you do the math – took place in 2009, (so, if her inauguration was in 2009, then she would be president to the first month of 2013, assuming she did not run and win again.). That being said, little Luce deserve a happy ending!



Overall: 4 stars



View all my reviews

Cast Off: Julie James

I am excited to share that on late Monday night / early Tuesday morning, I got my copy of Julie James’ A Lot Like Love. To say I was looking forward to this book would be an understatement. I was thrilled when I heard that James had a new novel coming out. I was thrilled with the final results and I am trying to figure out why.

For the record, prior to read the awesome A Lot Like Love, I went back and reread Just the Sexiest Man Alive, Practice Makes Perfect, and Someone Like You.

The fact of the matter is that James does not write complicated plot. In fact, she writes rather simple ones actual (so simple, in fact, that sometimes I can’t help but think how this is a whole novel). Where James excels (farther than a lot of writers) is in her characters and dialogue. She writes relatively smart characters. Sure, they have their hands in some misunderstanding, but overall they are not dumb people. Also, pretty much all of her characters are witty. It’s exciting to read. They also all have an edge. You know how I was complaining about how Susan Elizabeth Phillips writes the same character over and over again in all her books? Well, I was trying to figure out if this was the case with James. I can’t really get the feeling that it is (though, in James’ case I want to be the female lead, not throttle her!), but I am worried that she is writing very similar characters in each book.

One really cool thing that James does, that not many authors are currently doing, is that she dates her books. In A Lot Like Love, Jordan’s brother Kyle is in prison for shutting down a very influntual website. You immediately think, oh shot! He hacked into the CIA (or, you know, something of that magnitude). Nope. He shut down Twitter. Frankly, it was hilarious. I really hate when people give more away than the back of the book already told, so I am not going to go further. Just go out! Get yourself a copy. It will be well worth it!

Also, I read James’ February 13th blog entry. She had a really cool fan make a movie poster for her first novel, Just the Sexiest Man Alive (which was original written to be a movie). At her suggestion I was trying to figure out who I would cast in the roles.

Here is who I am actually imagining, though I am not always 100% on with the character descriptions.

Just the Sexiest Man Alive
Taylor: Ginnifer Goodwin
Jason: Bradley Cooper
Jeremy: Jeremy Piven
Scott: Chad Michael Murray (Goodness, that man gives me a headache)

Practice Makes Perfect
Payton: Stephanie Gatschet
J.D.: Ryan Reynolds


Someone Like You
Cameron: Tara Reid
Jack: Jordi Vilasuso

A Lot Like Love
Jordan: Kaley Cuoco
Nick: Wentworth Miller
Kyle: Josh Duhamel

I would love to see who you all pick!

Love, Adrienne

What I Did For a Love Story

Okay, so I originally planned to write about the cute Three Kisses series by Christie Ridgway (it’s great – check it out), but I went to the library yesterday and actually thumbed through the hardcover section. I admit it, I am a paperback snob. I don’t like big, bulky books. They remind me of textbooks. You can’t convince me that there is anyone who wants to read a text book! Though speaking of textbooks, I read a paperback version of The Lexus and the Olive Tree while in college, and it was so thought provoking. I would recommend that book.

Anyway, I am strolling through the hardcover fiction section and what catches my eye? Susan Elizabeth Phillip’s Natural Born Charmer. I actually read this book when it first came out. In fact I sought after it. I think I went to four libraries looking for it. To say I was sourly disappointed would be an understatement. I could not for the life of me get into the characters. And the fact that her name was Blue was terribly distracting. Anyway, I look over it and decide to take it out again. I mean, it’s been two years! I can’t be as terrible as I remember it, can it?

Well, it’s pretty bad; not as awful, though, as I recalled it. Anyway, so I decide to take out all the SEP books that I don’t own (I am ashamed to admit I own at least nine). I have never really liked SEP books. I never saw the glamour or reality in them. I was pretty sure that every single one of her books was based on the same two characters changing their names. Anyway, I end up taking out the book What I Did for Love. I read it. I can’t put it down. It’s actually really captivating. I need to know what happens next.

Over all, I would definitely say that What I Did for Love is my favorite SEP book to date. I was trying to think of why this was, and I actually can’t think of much, which is quite shameful. I liked the hero a lot. I think it mostly had to do with the fact that he was a liar, and as the reader I knew he was a liar the whole time. I did not like the whole insinuation that Bram followed Georgie to Vegas and planned to make her miserable . . . or whatever SEP was actually insinuating. I imagined the worst, so when it was not really that bad, everything was rosy for me. I did not really care for the fact that the main character was based on a real person (please! Jen Aniston – come on!), but I took pleasure in the fact that Jade was super cold (just as I imagine Angelina Jolie would be). And poor, poor Lance (aka Brad Pitt). The heroine’s father pointed out his fatal flaw – he changes himself to fit the person whom he is with. So true!

I liked Georgie and Bram together. They had a lot of history together and that added to the story. Their animosity to one another made sense. Though, for a thirty-one year old woman, Georgie was so naive. What was up with that? Chaz, whom many reviews claim stole the novel, was flat for me. I did not connect with her on any level; same with Laura. I liked Paul and Aaron. They were good and had gentle, but important transformations. With the exception of its briefness I was thrilled with how the novel ended, though that epilogue I could have lived without.

While What I Did for Love was not the best novel ever, I would recommend it to readers. It was charming, sexy and cute. For the first time in one of SEP’s novels, I felt like the dialogue and tension were validated. Other reviewers claim that Ain’t She Sweet is SEP’s best work. Well, I am reading that on tonight. That was the first SEP novel I read, prior to realizing she was SEP. You know, I just thought she was a crazy writer who got off on humiliating and punishing woman. (Seriously, though. Does anyone else get that vibe from her novels? It super bugs me.)

Love, Adrienne