I love this author. If you enjoy this book, do yourself a favor and read her other books. They all have a quirky twist to standard romance novel storylines .This author has strong female characters that are relatable and real.
I enjoyed learning about opera and the behind the scenes reality of it. The suspense in this novel kept me guessing till the end. And My guess wasn’t even close to what was really going on.
The romance was fun to watch develop with both main characters having strong personalities.
Happy reading!

I love the Chicago Stars books, and this one did not disappoint. The characters were quirky, which made a very enjoyable read ! The storyline was quite unique and a page turner !

Staci has read this whole series multiple times and LOVES SEP so was super excited to share reading this newest installment of the Chicago Stars series with her co-host Angie who had never read any SEP! Have no fear Angie is a converted SEP lover now!

In short, we have Olivia, an opera singer, and Thad a football player. They are on a marketing tour for fancy watches and slowly become friends and then love interests in the course of a month. Olivia has lost her voice due to psychologic trauma of her ex-fiancé committing suicide. During the tour, Olivia gets many threatening messages and photographs and gets attached 3 times! Thad vows to keep her safe and slowly realizes he loves her as he helps Olivia find her voice and her attackers.

We love the peak into opera and that the mains were very similar but attracted to each other (something not seen often). The way their romance progresses was wonderful: starting to like each other, being friends, being more. The romance in this book is super cute and sweet. The best part might have been the mystery we get. We are both very good at sniffing out the culprit early in most books but were wrong and caught off guard! We did not guess who it was at all! Bravo SEP for keeping us on our toes!!!

A big thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Staci McIntyre and Angie Millar

Another great Chicago Stars books! This one has both some mystery as well as the usual rom-com; a real opposites attract story. Olivia is a star mezzo-soprano, and Thad an aging quarterback for the Stars. They've been hired for a promotional tour for luxury watches. From the start there doesn't seem to be any way they could work together, but then Olivia starts receiving hate mail , prompting all sorts of protective instincts from Thad. The repartee between the two of them is fantastic, very realistic, and eventually they realize they are the same type of people: driven, successful, and professional. Both were afraid of being tied down by the other, but eventually realized they could work together very well by just supporting one another. Their slow-burning romance is lots of fun to watch!

I received an advance copy for an honest review.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips does it again! I loved the opposites attract relationship! Such an enjoyable read!

I think I must have read my first Susan Elizabeth Phillips book 20 years ago. IT HAD TO BE YOU, was one of my very first sports romances. And ever since her light hearted and funny rom-coms have been part of my tbr.

Her latest book, WHEN STARS COLLIDE is a bit more mystery and romantic supsense than rom-com. But the writing, humor and characters all have SEP’s signature style. The book is a great summer/beach novel. Fun, engaging and entertaining. I especially loved the opposites attract trope, although the further I got into the book the more I AND the characters realised how similar they actually were. It was ridiculous how much Olivia and Thad had in common. Both were successful, driven, and professionals athletes. One a football player, the other an opera singer.

I absolutely adored the novel’s focus on opera. It’s such an interesting topic and world, that I have no experience in which made that side of the story so much more fascinating to me. There was this one scene when I found myself googling Brunnhilde’s battle cry, just to get a feel of the Ho-jo-to-ho! Getting a glimpse into the world of opera was refreshingly different.

Olivia and Thad had fantastic rapport. Banter, dialogues, and chemistry, it all worked. Honestly, they had such a great connection that they became fast friends and in the end they matched perfectly. The couple really understood each other. Supported each other’s ambition and drive. They just had to realise themselves that they were perfect for each other.

As I mentioned above, WHEN STARS COLLIDE was more a mystery romantic suspense novel than a rom-com. And I thought the author did a great job keeping the suspense high. Also I had no idea who the villain was until the last minute.

Overall, the novel was a nice addition to a beloved series.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is brilliant, she writes dialogue and banter like no one else, and her characters are smart, witty, and strong. Thad and Olivia are all those things and more. What could a quarterback and an opera singer possibly have in common? They think they have it all under control, but this slow-burning relationship soon becomes bigger than the both of them.

I have loved Susan Elizabeth Phillips since I first read Fancy Pants. This book continues that love.

When Stars Collide is a love story between two characters that couldn't be more different on the outside. Watching them grow to understand, like and love each other was a joy. The mystery woven into the storyline was well thought out and added to the overall story.

It is always fun to get a peek into the "where are they now" of characters from her past book and this was no different. There is one character in this story that was left with a story line that I certainly hope Mrs. Phillips follows . But regardless of what she writes next, I will read it. Thank you for another enjoyable story!

Phillips is just getting better and better with each book she's written recently. She was always a good read, but now her books seem to have even more meat than previously. A great discussion book. I'm looking forward to recommending this wholeheartedly.

When backup quarterback Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens “T-Bo” meets opera diva Olivia Shore during a tour to promote luxury watches, he figures he can put up with anything for a few weeks. But when he learns that she is being stalked and receiving threats, his protective instincts kick in much to Olivia’s consternation.

An enjoyable HEA romance with a good dose of mystery thrown in. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Stars Collide is such an enjoyable read. I found myself struggling to put it down when life and duty called. The beginning was a little rough for me, but the awkwardness I felt between Thad and Liv cleared up quickly. They had such great chemistry when they finally got comfortable around each other. I love how they challenged each other. Thad is protective and gallant, and absolutely clueless about what he needs from a partner. Liv is wound really tight and also clueless when it comes to what she needs. The two couldn't be more perfect and each other's worst nightmare either.

I love SEP, a moniker for the fabulous Susan Elizabeth Phillips, gave us more Chicago Stars. I also love how this story had passion, comedy, emotional intensity, and intrigue. I really admire the issues and topics raised in this story, I wish some things had been handled a little differently, but there isn't much to complain over.

All in all, it's a great story and I really hope to see more of the Chicago Stars in the future.

I love this Chicago Stars series. Such a fun, light-hearted contemporary romp. Phillips always creates such interesting characters with enough flaws and redemptive qualities to keep me turning the page. I love that Thad didn't bow down to Olivia, though had he figured out sooner that there can only be one queen the story would've been a lot shorter. LOL. This is the perfect breezy, summer read.

Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me.... I thought the idea was clever - a renowned opera singer and professional football player are forced to work together promoting a luxury watch brand. There was SO much potential here... forced proximity, enemies to lovers, two different worlds colliding, etc etc, but I was disappointed that Phillips didn't seem to capitalized on any of it. There were so many different things going on in the book that it disrupted the fluidity of the story. The MC dealt with too many issues.... assault, stalker, kidnapping, suicide, failed romance, mental health and on and on. It felt like a different problem arose with every turn of the page. There was a lot of build up with the relationship only to come to a sudden and disappointing head. I had to reread the page just to make sure I had read correctly. I know many read and love this author's books and this particular series, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I was excited to get another Chicago Stars as the first book in this series was excellent. This book fell kind of flat for me, things happened very quickly and then way too slowly. I found that it was a bit too drawn out in the end. Not a favorite of mine, but will purchase a copy for her diehard readers.

I can count on Susan Elizabeth Phillips to write an engaging rom-com, and this latest (pub June 29, 2021) proves a dependable success, while implementing a refresh with an opera Diva and a back-up quarterback who is still the star. I learned a lot that was interesting, and I enjoyed the new perspective of celebrity sopranos and how they do business.

This wasn't my favorite SEP read, but when one has read them all multiple times, one appreciates a new release! When Stars Collide is fresh and satisfying: just what I was looking for. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance read. You'll want to put this on your TBR for the perfect summer read.

A luxury watch brand has launched a nationwide tour to promote its brand with two new spokespeople. Olivia Shore, is an international opera star, a diva who has spent years perfecting her art. Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens, has spent his career in the NFL as the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars, and contributed his time and talents to mentoring incoming team members, even when they are slated to replace him.

Two driven people with high octane careers, spending weeks together as they cross the country giving interviews and hosting events. Plenty of time for drama, trash talk, and super fans... or maybe someone too obsessed with more than adoration on their mind.

Why I started this book: Phillips is one of my first favorite romance authors and I was thrilled that her latest book returns to the Chicago Stars world. What a treat to spend time with new friends and have old ones drop by.

Why I finished it: Charming, and everything that I wanted it to be. It is refreshing to have new conversations about compromise in relationships, careers and I love the trope of correcting bad first impressions. Now if you will excuse me, this book inspired me to reread the whole series.

I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips's books and this one did not disappoint. The characters had great chemistry. Overall, a wonderful book.

A wonderful look inside the world of opera containing quite a bit of drama, suspense and sexual tension.
It also had an inside look at the football world that was quite enjoyable and different than the usual view.
I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down. Olivia is one of the strongest heroines I've ever read and I loved her. Thad was the smartest football player ever and also very powerful in his own way.

When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the 9th book in the Chicago Stars series. Opera superstar Olivia Shore and Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens, backup quarterback and coach for the Chicago Stars football team, have been hired to be the spokesperson for a luxury watch company. First impressions are not very good when they meet each other on their first publicity tour promoting these watches. An opera diva superstar and jock initially have a toxic relationship which then evolves into a friendship and love affair. Throw in a mystery that isn’t resolved until the end and you have an enjoyable summer read.

What do you get when you hire an opera diva and a football jock to promote your watches for a month? If you’re Susan Elizabeth Phillips you get a fun story! This return to the world of the Chicago Stars (First Star I See Tonight) is full of witty dialogue, a mystery and opposites who are attracted in spite of themselves. Olivia may look down her nose at him, but Thad is both attracted to her and concerned by the stalker sending her nasty gifts. Olivia has a secret and no second-string QB can help or understand. Right?
Stars Collide can easily be read as a stand alone, but series fans will like checking in with favorite characters. I enjoyed the banter and the glimpses behind the scenes of the opera world. Recommended for fans of the series, those who like rom-com and anyone who enjoyed the tv show Moonlighting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, I received a free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.