First Star I See Tonight by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

First Star I See Tonight by Susan Elizabeth Phillips was a whirlwind from start to finish.  I’ll admit that I don’t usually venture in Mrs. Phillip’s direction when I’m choosing a romance novel to read.  This is mostly because when I love an author I like to buy all their books and I just can’t afford to buy all Susan’s books… there are simply too many!  However, since the bookstore I work at is in the Chicago suburbs, where Mrs. Phillips lives, she comes into our store often.  I felt it was important to start reading her novels.

First Star I See Tonight is the eighth book in Phillip’s Chicago Stars series.  I haven’t read any of the other seven Chicago Star novels and I definitely don’t think you need to in order to enjoy First Star.  Mrs. Phillips refers to previous characters enough to peak your curiosity of the other books, but she always has an accompanying explanation of the people and their roles.  I did not feel as though I were missing anything by not reading the previous novels, but I sure do want to read them now!

Cooper Graham, former quarterback of the Chicago Stars and current owner of a popular nightclub, is being followed.  At first he thinks Piper Dove is an overenthusiastic fan, but he soon discovers that she’s been hired to tail him.  Rather than sue her, his first instinct, he offers her a job hoping to use her loyalties to his advantage.  Piper soon discovers that protecting Coop is more than a full-time job.  His staff are stealing from him, someone’s trying to take down his business, and now it looks as though someone is trying to take his life.  Piper will risk her life to protect Cooper’s, but she won’t risk her heart, and that’s all Cooper really wants.

One of my favorite things about Susan Elizabeth Phillips is that her books are funny! I absolutely love when I’m reading a romance novel and the characters and their dialogue are actually humorous.  It’s such a disappointment when I find myself laughing at the dialogue rather than with the characters.  Piper and Cooper have some wonderful chemistry.  Every moment with them had me on the edge of my seat.  They had witty banter, moments of sexual tension, and some believable arguments.  I could have kept reading about their relationship forever.

I thought Piper and Cooper were fantastically realistic characters, despite the somewhat unrealistic aspects of the plot line.  Still, what romance novel doesn't have those moments?  I loved every part of First Star except (and this doesn’t count as a spoiler since it’s mentioned in the blurb) the Middle Eastern princesses.  I thought the novel would have been better off without that subplot, honestly, but you can draw your own conclusions there.

Overall, this book was a phenomenal read.  It had mystery, romance, humor, danger, and more.  There were definitely some sexually heated situations and a good dose of drama (my favorite).  This is such a great summer read, just don’t expect it to last long.  I was flipping through those pages so fast that it only took me four hours to make my way through it.  I could not put it down and you won’t be able to, either.