The latest in SEP’s Chicago Stars series is an example of the best of the best in romance!
This is an outstanding contemporary romance where the hero and heroine communicate like the intelligent, thoughtful, mature adults they are, yet still struggle with how to make it work between them. If you’re new to this author, sex scenes are closed door, but you won’t miss it because the storytelling is so excellent!
Olivia is ambitious, smart, sexy and may be my favorite SEP heroine to date. Thad is also ambitious, smart and sexy but most importantly, a worthy mate for such a formidable and troubled heroine. These two start off as enemies forced to work together, become friends and eventually (spoiler alert!)...lovers. There are detailed glimpses into the world of opera that shows respect for the craft and for the reader’s potential interest.
I started reading it, couldn’t put it down and then I didn’t want it to end.
SEP delivers all the things fans of her work can count on: flawless writing, endearing secondary characters and glimpses of past Chicago Stars couples, witty, laugh out loud banter, the masterful balance of internal and external conflicts, sexual tension and comic relief. SEP is in a class by herself and When Stars Collide is romance perfection!

When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a very enjoyable book. It has the right amount of romance and suspense to make it a fun read.

When Stars Collide was another great addition to the Chicago Stars series by SEP. I thoroughly enjoyed this enemies to friends to lovers story. Both Thad and Liv were strong leads and their chemistry was amazing. I loved the fun banter and the way their relationship developed. The mystery element of the story was a bit predictable but I still enjoyed it. I did miss the small town vibe of the other books in the series but enjoyed this one more than the last book in the series. Would definitely recommend for fan of SEP.

When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is another fun read. Phillips writes diverting stories with laugh-out-loud scenes and this book does not disappoint. If you’ve read the other Chicago Stars novels, you will enjoy this one, too. If you haven’t and enjoy light hearted romance, you should pick this one up as well as other SEP books. Enjoy!

Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens, the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars, is a team player, talented sideline coach, occasional male underwear model, and a man with a low tolerance for Divas.

Olivia Shore, international opera superstar, is a driven diva with a passion for perfection, a craving for justice, too many secrets—and a monumental grudge against the egotistical, lowbrow jock she’s been stuck with.

It’s Mozart meets Monday Night Football as the temperamental soprano and stubborn jock embark on a nationwide tour promoting a luxury watch brand. Along the way, the combatants will engage in soul-searching and trash talk, backstage drama and, for sure, a quarterback pass. But they’ll also face trouble as threatening letters, haunting photographs, and a series of dangerous encounters complicate their lives. Is it the work of an overzealous fan or something more sinister?




Susan Elizabeth Phillips has a new book out featuring older leads--she's a world famous opera singer and he's a backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars. Dabney and Rachel read it and are here to share their views.

Dabney: Those who love Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars series but haven't been wild about her more recent works will be happy to hear that, while not perfect, When Stars Collide is vintage SEP.

Rachel: The book definitely did feel like a lot of SEP's previous work. The protagonists have an initially antagonistic dynamic that grows over time into something more, an old standby in Phillips' books.

Dabney: I enjoyed it--it has a lightness that I think I needed not to mention main characters that are older. Did you?

Rachel: I really loved the reading experience, the book had a lot of what I love in a romance. I liked the older characters too. The only issue I really had with it was how over the top it got- and that's usually fine for SEP's books. This time, though, some of the twists fell flat for me. It started to go downhill at about the 2/3 mark in my opinion.

Dabney: I kinda agree although I was fine until the 85% mark. As the book careened toward the end, the suspense plot swamped the romance and the, up until that point, lovely character development of our two leads.

Rachel: I think it definitely distracted from the characters when the plot got more convoluted. Both leads had great moments, especially when they started to understand each other better and began to communicate. I also thought the supporting characters lived up to SEP's previous work, she has such great attention to detail in that way.

Dabney: Totes agree about the supporting characters. It's such a strong point in her work. I loved Clint, the young foot player who keeps dogging Thad, the main lead, as well as Paisley, the hilarious social media whiz. SEP writes young and old people in ways that seem real--and she does a great job showing the generational differences with humor. I also really loved the whole opera plot. I had so much empathy for Liv's fear that she'd never truly sing again.

What did you love?

Rachel: I loved the opera plot as well, it's always so interesting to read about characters devoted to their art and passionate about their work. I also love when characters are from different worlds but have a lot of common ground. I would say my favorite part of the whole book is Thad's development. He goes through so much growth in the book.

Dabney: What didn't work for you?

Rachel: The suspense of it all didn't really hold water for me. I usually like SEP's damsels in distress, and appreciate how they overcome their adversaries, but the conflict in this book was so byzantine. It seemed needlessly complicated for shock value, to surprise the reader. I don't like when plot twists are engineered specifically so you didn't see it coming, and feel inorganic to the story. What about you?

Dabney: I agree. I loved the relationship between the leads and I really thought the book would have been just fine--stronger even--if they'd just focused on Olivia's quest to regain her voice. The whole someone is out to get her thing which morphed into a crazy villainous plot propelled by somewhat obscure motives distracted from the love story.

Rachel: Yes, I think the suspense subplot made a good initial hook and might have been just fine if it had been resolved midway through the story. Olivia's emotional journey is a lot more interesting, and if that had been more of the focus of the book I would have liked it a lot more.

Dabney: So what grade would you give it?

Rachel: I would say it's a C from me. What about you?

Dabney: Even with all the unnecessary shenanigans, I'd give it a B+. I enjoyed the characters enough to overlook the nutso goings-on.

Rachel: I definitely liked reading about the characters, but it just didn't give me enough. I can definitely read a book that is totally bananas and if it's written well enough and the characters are compelling, it gets an A from me, like Match Me If You Can. This one just didn't get there for me, unfortunately.

Dabney: So, we'll call it a B-. Readers, what do you think? SEP gold or brass?

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was very disappointed with this novel. This author is known for quirky heroines that bring the sass and spirit into their careers but the author missed the mark on this one. From the beginning there was zero chemistry between the heroine and hero. He called her Diva and she hated him on sight for crime he didn't commit. Superficial characters and a boring storyline. A disappointment.

A fun read typical of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Another Chicago Star finds a mate. Conflict between the two main characters was humorous and enjoyable.

It's been a few years, so how happy was I when I saw a new Chicago Stars romance was coming out?!?!? Sports romances are one of my favorite tropes, and nobody does them quite like Susan Elizabeth Phillips! Each and every one not only has one of those dreamy alpha football players that we love, but also a no-nonsense empowered female who we desperately want to end up at his side. This book did not disappoint.

In When Stars Collide, we learn more about Thad. He is the back up quarterback for the Stars, and financial planner for most of the guys on the team. Thad has an issue with his peripheral vision, as as such tends to use his off season making money off of endorsements, like the contract he is on now for a high end watch company. On the press tour with him is Opera Diva, Olivia, who has a lot of issues in her past. Issues she would rather nobody know, especially not the jock superstar she is paired with for the next month.

As per usual, the banter between characters is amazingly funny and quick witted, the cast of characters is well rounded with folks you want to get to know better, and some smatterings of mentions of some of the past book characters, we've loved (although there is not so much that you need to read the other books to know what is going on - this book works great as a stand alone).

As a past choral geek, I enjoyed all the talk about various operas, and vocal training that goes along with the operatic world. A great joining of my love of classical music and my love for sports romance!

I was pleasantly surpirsed to see another Chicago Stars book in the lineup, and really hope to see more of them in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC sent to me in exchange for an honest review!

Harlequin Junkie Recommends!

When Stars Collide brought us back to Susan Elizabeth Phillips' beloved Chicago Stars series--and gave us one very fun couple. With wonderfully dry-witted banter, sizzling attraction, and an exciting thread of suspense, this was a page-turner of a novel.

It was such a blast to revisit the Chicago Stars universe. And who better to have his own story than backup quarterback, Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens (aka: Thad). He's Cooper Graham's best friend (see First Star I See Tonight for Cooper & Piper's romance) and is known to be a bit of a male fashionista with his decadent wardrobe and exquisite good taste. But most of all, Thad was a terrific guy. Fiercely loyal to his teammates and loved ones, a helpful coach to the newer players, and always willing to go above and beyond, he had the southern charm and manners one would expect for a man from Kentucky. Who would have guessed it would take an opera diva to shake up Thad's world?

Olivia Shore kind of threw me at first, to be honest. She seemed standoffish and entitled when she and Thad first met, which didn't necessarily endear her to him (or me). But of course once SEP rolled out Olivia's backstory--particularly the current issues she was fighting--it became clear why her defenses were up. I truly came to like her a lot. She was incredibly talented and was a warm hearted, generous person overall. My heart broke for what Olivia had been through recently in her personal life. That was also where the suspense came into it all, with someone targeting her with cryptic letters and photos. I figured out part of what was going on/who was behind it, but SEP threw some extra twists in that will keep readers guessing.

The best part for me, though, was watching the verbal battles between Thad and Olivia as The Quarterback and The Diva tried to best one another with their intellect and flirty teasing. It's admittedly very dry humor--so you have to pay close attention--but SEP outdid herself with their lively dialogue, making me giggle (and giggle-snort) more than once.

If you're a fan of opposites attract couples, forced proximity setups, and road tripping across the US, When Stars Collide will be a highly entertaining read for you. A not-to-miss new release from the one and only Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

I could not put this book down from the moment I started reading it to the end! I love to read all of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books but her Chicago Stars series is my absolute favorite. The characters in her books are so full of personality and the books are always an intriguing and pleasurable read. When Stars Collide is a great book and a wonderful continuation of the Chicago Star series. The connection between Thad and Olivia is electric and I found their interactions very humorous, especially since Thad was so used to having everything so easy and predictable with women, and Olivia was the complete opposite. Some of the situations they find themselves in are hilarious and the story was never predictable as some romance stories can be at times. I like the element of mystery and danger that was in this story and it kept you on your toes trying to guess the culprit. I highly recommend this book to any romance fiction readers and I was lucky to be able to read an advanced copy.

I didnt really enjoy this at all. I was not the biggest fan of the writing style - it just didn't feel smooth to me. And I didn't really like either character (so there didn't seem to be much hope to like them as a couple either). An unfortunate miss, but I'm sure this would be a perfect beach read for some people.

Bravo!!! My first introduction to Susan Elizabeth Phillips was a Chicago Stars Book. This has now become my favorite of that series. Loved Thad and Liv’s relationship as well as their personal style.
5 ⭐️!!

5 long years! Wow, I never thought we would be seeing another SEP/STARS book, but here we go! And the wait was worth it. Then again, the series was supposed to have ended with This Heart of Mine, and I am so glad it did not.

This book was a tad darker than in the past. There were fewer giggles for sure. At least that was what I thought until I started re-reading the books this weekend! All of the books have a bit of a dark, angsty side to them. For some odd reason, a relationship between an opera singer and a football player just seemed to be more 'out there' than the past pairings. But it worked. For me, it worked quite well.

On an interesting side note, I had, as I had said, thought that an opera singer as the female protagonist was unusual until I re-read First Star I See Tonight I am sure as I keep re-reading the series find more things that delight me as much as this book did.

There were so many mysteries to be solved, and I had to admit that I thought I had the mystery solved, but I didn't, and I love that!
This book was dark but captivating, romantic, and sexy. The characters, Thad and Olivia, were the perfect foils for each other.

For long-time fans of SEP, this is a beautiful read. If you are new to the series, this can be read as a stand-alone, but I think you will read the earlier works to see how SEP has grown as an author and read each character's books.

I certainly hope that there will be some more books in the Stars collection, but I can understand why there may not be.
This book is defiantly going into my re-read/comfort read book folder

*ARC supplied by the publisher, author Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and NetGalley. Thank you.

This novel is like part women's fiction, part romance, and part mystery/thriller, and odd combination in theory, yet it works here. Here, Thad Owens is the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars team who has a low tolerance for divas, and especially Divas with a capital letter D. Olivia is an international opera star and a hugely driven Diva. The two are paired for a national tour to promote a luxury watch brand, but obviously, they aren't fans of one another. Along the journey, the trash talk, soul search, and deal with all sorts of dramatic, behind-the-scenes drama and threatening fans. Told in dual perspectives, it's set up to be a fun, light forced-proximity and enemies-to-lovers romance with a twist. There's a major mystery element that takes this book out of just a romance novel category and into something else. However, there's actually like three mystery going on, which seems like a lot. Then, of course, you get that sweeping, grandiose, romantic ending to make this a read I could hardly put down.

I really enjoyed this, even if it only felt peripherally connected to the series as a whole (lots of very brief cameos from past characters, but otherwise it’s a new generation of Stars players). I liked the dynamic of having two “divas” — really just two extremely accomplished people at the top of their respective fields. The power dynamic was equal here, which is a refreshing change of pace. I’m a big opera fan so it was nice getting to see a bit of the behind the scenes details of productions, though I could see the opera trivia being a bit over the top for a reader who isn’t interested.

Thad and Olivia have a rough start to their romance, with her mistakenly believing that he had assaulted her former roommate and him thinking she’s a snob. Once they start getting to know each other and respecting each other’s personal and professional qualities, the story really starts to take off. The ending may have had a few too many villains and diabolical plots (though I will say that I didn’t suspect any of the actual culprits) but it made for an entertaining read.

Thank you to William Morrow/Avon and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

It's a decent addition to the Chicago Stars series. Often it felt disorganized, and there were just too many things happening on the page and to the protagonist- and a lot of it didn't have anything to do with the actual plot except for the sake of unnecessary stress. But I appreciate that she tried to tackle mental health in a way that reminds us that it can effect anyone. It's definitely not my favorite, but not my LEAST favorite either.

Being a longtime fan of her Chicago Stars series, I was SO excited to learn that she was putting out another in the series. I enjoyed the story though I found it took some time to get into it. For me, I think I enjoyed her earlier work just a bit more but this was a good solid read with likable characters.

I did not know I needed a new Chicago Stars book in 2021 but SEP (and God, I guess) knew what I needed. I loved this book. I loved that this couple were totally their own people, with their own self-assurance, goals, careers, and that they fell in love with their equal. I loved learning more about the opera world and the mystery was wacky and page-turning and suspenseful. A great summer read.

Olivia, an opera singer and Thad a football player are on a marketing tour to promote expensive watches. They are very different people with nothing in common. They slowly learn to trust each other and become friends. Olivia has been receiving threats and Thad goes into protection mode. This book has a mystery along with a romance. I enjoyed the banter between Olivia and Thad. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

These books are so fun and I love them. The chemistry is sizzling and I was feeling this relationship. I love her storytelling and once again she delivers a fantastic romcom!