First Star I See Tonight

Starred review from July 4, 2016
Phillips continues her popular contemporary Chicago Stars series (after Natural Born Charmer) with an utterly delightful standalone gambol that pairs up recently retired Stars quarterback Cooper Graham and private detective Piper Dove. Coop knows what he wants to do with his post-football life—start a trendy nightclub called Spiral—or at least he thinks he does. But he can’t seem to make the venture’s financial numbers add up. Piper is also having money trouble: she’s being paid to tail Coop, but when he spots her, the client drops her, leaving her at poverty’s doorstep. When she reveals to Coop that he’s being robbed by his nightclub staff, they launch into a relationship with all the head-butting explosiveness of an NFL game, plus frequent diversions into steamier contact sports. As usual, Phillips’s Chicago landscape is dotted with plenty of interesting local scenery, plus juicy details of high-end clothing, accessories, and decor. She has a knack for nuance and stage-setting that grounds her characters and makes them feel perfectly real. Fans and newcomers alike are certain to fall in love with this delightful pair as they scrimmage and score. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency.

October 3, 2016
The latest book in romance writer Phillips’s Chicago Stars series displays her knack for creating likable leads with an abundance of chemistry. In this case, the reluctant romantics are retired Stars quarterback Cooper Graham, who’s hoping to parlay his popular nightclub, Spiral, into a national chain, and Piper Dove, an ambitious private detective hired to tail Cooper, but when he spots her, the client drops Piper, leaving her at poverty’s doorstep. Piper uses her observation of a Spiral bartender’s thievery to convince Cooper to hire her to keep an eye on the club’s employees. Criminal elements build up, including an intriguing whodunit, but the main delights come not from mystery but from the sly ways Phillips pulls her convincingly human lovers apart and draws them together again. Reader Poole doesn’t settle for superficial performances. Her Piper speaks with a snarky attitude that doesn’t quite mask an underlying quaver of uncertainty. Cooper, for all his throaty bravado, can’t resist a softer voice when he’s one-on-one with Piper. Her sprightly rendition of the novel neatly matches the highs and lows of the duo’s on-again/off-again affair. A Morrow hardcover.

Narrator Nicole Poole captures Piper Dove's determination to prove herself as a private detective, When she's hired to spy on newly retired Chicago Stars quarterback Cooper Graham, he quickly catches on to her snooping. Their personalities clash, and, naturally, romance follows. The story is entertaining, and Poole does a nice job of depicting the characters' voices and emotions. She deftly portrays Piper's feistiness as well as her vulnerability. Occasionally, her narration sounds perfunctory and rushed, but overall it fits well with the fun, diverting story. Fans of Phillips's Chicago Stars stories will likely enjoy this one, as well as those who enjoy listening to stories about the glamorous lives of the rich and famous. M.M.G. � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

March 15, 2016
Having landed her dream job as a Chicago detective, Piper Dove is assigned to trail former Chicago Stars quarterback Cooper Graham--and explains that she's stalking him when he accosts her. He would never countenance the idea of a bodyguard, but he happily hires her to cast a discerning eye over the employees at his exclusive new nightclub. Meanwhile, as she covertly keeps up the task of protecting him, he's casting his eye in her direction. "New York Times" and "USA Today" best-selling author Phillips returns to a football series she tossed years ago; with a 200,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2016

Newly retired football star and neophyte nightclub owner Cooper Graham is used to attracting fans' attention. Then he spots the same woman (in different disguises) several days in a row. When she shows up at his club, he decides she's more than a fan and decides to take action. Piper Dove is determined to make her detective agency a success, and since getting the scoop on Cooper is her first job, she's not about to let him intimidate her. A smart, resourceful heroine who needs to prove herself (to herself) and a strong, caring hero who needs to figure out what he really wants star in this riveting, danger-laced story that won't disappoint. VERDICT Laugh-out-loud funny, insightful, and touching, this latest gem from one of the genre's best is a must-buy for all library collections. Phillips (Heroes Are My Weakness) lives in the Chicago area. [See Prepub Alert, 2/21/16.]

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2016

Having landed her dream job as a Chicago detective, Piper Dove is assigned to trail former Chicago Stars quarterback Cooper Graham--and explains that she's stalking him when he accosts her. He would never countenance the idea of a bodyguard, but he happily hires her to cast a discerning eye over the employees at his exclusive new nightclub. Meanwhile, as she covertly keeps up the task of protecting him, he's casting his eye in her direction. New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Phillips returns to a football series she tossed years ago; with a 200,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2016
A female private detective tackles a retired NFA player in this standout romance, the eighth in the bestselling author's Chicago Stars series. A champion quarterback with a Super Bowl ring to prove it, entrepreneur Cooper Graham is just as competitive in business as he used to be on the field. Piper Dove, the daughter of a private detective, is determined to follow in her father's footsteps as the new owner of her family's detective agency. The two meet at Coop's Chicago nightclub, Spiral, where Piper is investigating Coop on behalf of a potential business partner when she's mistaken for a stalker. To keep from blowing her cover, she plays along. But when Coop finds out the truth, he discovers that his alleged stalker might be exactly the person he needs to investigate suspicious activity at his club. Their instant chemistry ignites an already explosive situation at Spiral, where any number of disgruntled employees and fans might be the saboteurs behind attacks ranging from bad online reviews to drone surveillance. But each one is written with enough levity to make it feel like a challenge rather than a nightmare come true. Whether she's fending off football groupies or disarming a neighbor who threatens her with a Nerf gun, Piper is endearingly nutty and complicated. She thinks Coop would be better off dating a beauty with a trust fund; all he really wants is a woman he can trust. As she tries to take the moral high road by protecting him, she ends up lowering her standards by lying and sneaking around. And although Coop is gifted with both charm and brute strength, his constant need to win his arguments with Piper thankfully makes him seem more human rather than too perfect or, worse, overbearing. This thoroughly enjoyable novel delivers a swift kick to the heart--an essential summer read.

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