A fun romance by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Rory and Brett have chemistry and animosity but they also have a common goal, to find Rory’s half brother Clint. There was humor, romance and a mystery. This is part of the Chicago Stars series, so we get glimpses of couples from previous books, but you don’t have to read any of the others to enjoy this novel.

I have been waiting not-so-patiently for a new SEP book! Her books, particularly her Chicago Stars series never fails and this one hit the mark just like the others. She does romance so very well!

The beginning encounter with Rory and Brett was probably one of my favorites in a romance book ever. It set up the "enemy" trope perfectly. She's a little bit flighty, artsy down on her luck wanna be chocolatier and he is a high-powered sports agent in the Chicago Stars Family. The two have great chemistry right from the beginning. SEP does a great job showing off Brett's softer side despite his no-nonsense all business approach to life. The reader ends up rooting for him pretty early on.

I also loved the relationship development between Rory and her stepmother. I really thought I would dislike her based on the initial description, but that relationship change was a surprisingly heart-warming twist. Their relationship goes from hostile to close and humorous. I loved seeing Kristin's character develop. She found her "second act" and created a life she never even envisioned.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and thank you Susan Elizabeth Phillips for this new Stars book! I've missed your writing!!

This was such a fun book. I really enjoyed the level of grumpy that Brett and Rory demonstrated. Loved the murder mystery twist. The intro was fun. Well paced.

I've been reading Susan Elizabeth Phillips since my college days, and she's a lifelong must-read for me—like a comfy sweatshirt or a warm beverage, providing comfort and sweetness. Despite being surprised by the mystery element in this book, it was just what the doctor ordered to lift me from a dark and twisty reading slump. Highly recommended if you enjoy a good sports romance or, for that matter, a baking/ cooking romance.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley, thank you to them. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“Simply the Best” is Susan Elizabeth Phillips tenth book in her Chicago Stars series. Each book is a standalone book, but all have some guest appearances from other characters in the series. In this book, Phillips once again combines an enemies to lovers trope, a mystery to solve, and a lot of decadent chocolate to craft a quick easy romance that was perfect for a post holiday decompression read.

Rory, an aspiring chocolatier who is still learning to adult and Brett, a one night stand Rory hoped to forget, have found themselves in unfortunate circumstances. As they try to mend relationships and clear Clint Garret’s name, who happens to the Rory’s step-brother and Brett’s major client, things get messy. If you are looking for a fun slightly spicy, heat filled romance with enough mystery and suspects to keep you guessing, check out this book

Much thanks to Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Possible Spoilers

This book has a rough start. I was so scared it was going to be a disaster and I'd have to give one of my favorite authors a bad review. But I feel it finished strong, so it's not all bad.

First off, the prologue is worthless. It's too short and vague to paint a full picture, and the incident has little to do with the narrative; it's just a funny anecdote in Rory and Clint's childhood.

Second, Rory and Brett's initial hookup was also unnecessary. It sets up great tension between the two, and introduces a wonderful conflict for Brett, but both of those things could have been accomplished by them merely being attracted to each other when they meet. I feel they should have met at Clint's house when they were both looking for him. The chapter at the party does not endear to us any of the characters we're supposed to sympathize with. Rory's miserable and drunk and ready to fall into bed with the first man who shows interest; Brett's looking for a release and distraction and is ready to pay the first woman who warms his blood; and Clint comes off like a petulant teenager who's convinced they're in love with their first crush. Sorry, I have little respect for any of those attitudes. Furthermore, it stole any credence from my mind that Brett was such a good agent, because I have a hard time believing he wouldn't recognize his most important client's sister much less have no idea she was invited to said client's birthday party.

I really hated that first chapter.

Third, there's a weird scene around 30% that struck me as, again, unnecessary. Rory and Brett are trying to find Clint and come across this group of backwoods hicks who carry guns like additional limbs. My feelings toward such individuals are similar to Rory and Brett's, however I feel Brett and especially Rory could have handled the meeting far better if they'd tried. Instead of being polite and patient, they attacked the hicks with presumptions and prejudice on their own property. I wasn't at all surprised that the hicks were defensive and disinclined to cooperate. I'm not a hick, but I do live in the rural Midwest and know some hicks, and I don't think I'd much care for two obvious city slickers showing up in their fancy car and looking at me and my place like it was smeared with shit. Then for those city slickers to take their political and social frustrations out on me because they judged me as a stereotype as soon as they saw me, I'd probably want to shoot at them too. Rory and Brett were being just as rude and spiteful as they assumed the hicks would be.

I hated that entire scene, and it was ultimately unnecessary, because those hicks had absolutely zero consequence to the plot. Yeah, they loaned them a chainsaw, but Clint could have showed up a few minutes early instead and had one of his own. The whole inclusion of the hicks really comes off like SEP just wanted an excuse to yell at the perps of January 6.

Fourth, SEP tooted her own horn a couple times. No, she's not the first author to do that, but it really annoyed me in this book. It just wasn't tasteful. Perhaps because the book was so bad in the beginning that it seemed super cringy to tout other stories that may or may not be equally bad. Perhaps because at least one of those toots was horribly written and forced in. I quote:

[Brett:] "My boss, Heath Champion. Real name, Harley Davidson Champione--"

[Rory:] "There's a story behind that."

[Brett:] "A good one."

Are you not cringing?

It took me a while to find Rory and Brett likeable as characters. Their introduction didn't endear, as I've described above, but their behavior continued to grate. Rory seemed to be contrary and argumentative for the sheer joy of it, and Brett acted like the boy who pulls the braids of the girl he likes because that was the only way he knew to get her attention--then acts too cool to have anything to do with girls. Their banter early on was more annoying than funny, and it often was a battle of the sexes that soon exasperated me. Their banter was supposed to be cute and funny, but it wasn't clever or original, so it didn't do what SEP wanted it to do.

All of these complaints occurred in the first 40%. The book got better after that. My only notes toward the end were that Brett's stalking of Rory made me uncomfortable and that it made zero sense for Troy not to have his own wire cutters.

I adored Kristin's storyline and her and Rory's relationship evolution. Kristin and Daniel's romance didn't have enough room to breathe and could have used some more development, but it was heartwarming nevertheless. I liked Rory more when she stopped being so damn argumentative and grew a backbone; SEP did an excellent job swapping Rory and Brett's circumstances. Clint continued to be a petulant child but more or less redeemed himself toward the end. I'm afraid I never considered Brett a swoon-worthy hero, but he turned out okay. I kind of agree with Heath, Brett made some really bad choices job-wise, and reaped what he sowed.

I wish Landom had gotten a comeuppance. And it would have been nice to find out Tyler's career crashed and burned. Those could be considered loose ends.

I loved that the story was a murder mystery! Not a great one, but solid. It definitely made me more interested. And the epilogue was inspired--loved it. It's not the first time SEP has had a heroine pull that trump card to get what she wants, but it was done well here.

Overall, it's definitely not SEP's best work, but if you can overlook the bad, there's good to be found.

This is a romance with a murder mystery. Brett and Rory is the unlikely duo who find themselves together at the scene of a murder. The plot has several paths as it follows more than one couple falling in love. It also includes the clues to the murder and how that evolves. It also digs into the familial relationship that drives some of the issues that take place. The characters are stoic and interesting. The villain will come as a surprise to readers.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and SEP as well for giving me a chance to read the advanced copy!! I have been a SEP fan since high school and always pre-order new books as soon as there is an announcement. "Simply the Best" is the latest in the 'Chicago Stars' universe and follows a sports agent who is a soon-to-be senior VP of Heath Champion's company and a chocolatier who happens to be the half-sister of the Stars' latest quarterback. Brett and Rory's love story begins with a one-night stand that devolves into a murder-mystery investigation that involves her half-brother Clint who is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend. Clint appeared in the previous Stars book "When Stars Collide" as an eager, young quarterback but now is an angry and jaded man who is upset with his agent Brett for being responsible for his break-up with his ex-girlfriend before her murder. Rory has a complicated relationship with Clint and may have more to do with this breakup than Brett and feels responsible for clearing his name and proving his innocence. Brett and Rory are a fun duo, although their relationship dynamic is complicated by their respective hangups. Brett is a first-born son and workaholic who enjoys his solitude, and Rory is a quirky and kind woman with low self-esteem and a self-defeatist attitude toward her ability to run a business. Her ideas of success are based on her invisible competition with Clint whose road to accolades and achievements didn't require much effort. Brett challenges that and helps build up her confidence and they build a friendship that of course is charged with sexual tension. I love Brett as the hero and I love that he wants to work with Rory and build her chocolate empire because he believes in her. He roots for Rory to succeed and for her to remain true to herself. There are the tried and true elements that make romance books so addictive, but ultimately I found this love story to be grounded in reality even though the murder mystery was a huge part of the plot and furthered their love story. There is a secondary love story that involves Clint's mother and while not as powerful as the secondary love stories in previous SEP books, it's still very sweet and hopeful. I love the appearance of Heath and Annabelle in the latest books and can't wait for Clint's story. Overall, I give it 4/5 stars!

There's a reason SEP is one of my all time favorite romance authors, and it's because she simply doesn't miss. I know exactly what I'm going to get with her stories, but even so many books into her career, she finds a way to keep things fresh and inventive with characters I'm absolutely obsessed with.

I loved Rory's chaotic desire to be entirely self-sufficient, and how by the end of the book, she learned to rely on the people around her and let those people love her. She starts the book with tenuous relationships with her stepmom, brother, and Brett, and ends it on beautifully solid ground with all three of them, and doing what she loves to boot.

And Brett...Brett Rivers 🥵 such a workaholic who comes to realize that Rory's mess and chaos is something he needs in life. That the big hole in his heart he spent years trying to fill with professional successes could really only be closed by the love of an imperfect chocolatier.

On the surface, this is a romance novel, but as always, I loved the mystery aspect as well. It was hilarious, heartwarming, hot, and for a brief time, harrowing.

All that to say SEP can do no wrong in my eyes, and I REALLY REALLY hope we get Clint's book next!

This was a fun, fast-paced read with humor, snarky romance, and a murder mystery to be solved within the pages.

Rory is struggling trying to figure her life out. She has a challenging relationship with her stepmother and half-brother, NFL star Clint. She’s been abandoned by her business partner who left behind thousands of dollars of debt in unpaid fines and feels further away from her dream of being a master chocolatier than ever. Enter Brett, her brother’s agent and a man who mistook her for an escort the night they met. Through a whole host of mishaps — including discovering a murder — the two of them find themselves is each other’s company far more than they ever bargained for.

Rory and Brett’s relationship was highly entertaining. I was immediately brought in by the horrible misunderstanding of their first night together and enjoyed their dynamic navigating that situation after the fact. It was endearing to watch Brett live in denial over his developing feelings for Rory and his desire to look out for her well-being. The poor guy was clueless. The two of them had good banter and eventually gained a mutual respect. I’m not sure I was fully sold on the depth of their relationship, but it was fun to read them together.

Rory was admirable in her determination to figure her life out. I also loved that, despite a contentious relationship with her brother, she was loyal and had faith in him when he needed it most. There was also an unexpected storyline focused on her relationship with her stepmother, Kristin, that I thought the growth there was lovely.

This is part of the Chicago Stars series but can absolutely be read as a standalone. I have only read one other book in the series and was not missing a thing here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an entertaining, fast-paced novel with a delightful combination of romance, suspense, and humor. Readers rave about Susan Elizabeth Phillips's work, and the praise is well-deserved. She has a gift for crafting a compelling story that keeps you coming back for more. I have not read the other books in the Chicago Stars series. Simply the Best can be enjoyed as a standalone. I don't know that the author typically combines romance and suspense, but I'm here for it. I also liked the banter, the chemistry, and the additional romance that develops between two secondary characters. I adored all of it. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the chocolatier and the food truck! Also two of my favorite things about this one.
Highly recommend! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

Simply the best. Rory is a broke chocolatier. Brett is a successful sports agent. One of his biggest clients is Rory’s brother. They can not have a relationship. Remember they can not have a relationships

This was my first Susan Elizabeth Phillips book but if they are all this good it definitely won't be my last! The banter in the book was EVERYTHING! I was questioning my choice to read this after the first chapter when the couple already hooks up but it actually made everything more interesting and a source of comedy between them.

Rory is the flailing 34 year old sister of the hottest NFL quarterback. Having to live in her little brother's shadow her whole life has taken a toll on her and she is really self deprecating through out this book but tries to use jokes to cover up just how lonely she's been. She's quirky and has a unique sense of style and is an aspiring chocolatier (my mouth was salivating any time she describes her confections!). Brett is her brother's agent and is the put work before anything else type. When Rory's brother is accused of murder and can't be found anywhere, Brett and Rory team up to find him and to prove his innocence.

As I said in the beginning the banter between Rory and Brett was dynamite. They were so funny and sarcastic with each other. The forbidden aspect of their relationship was hot as well (agents are forbidden from getting with their players family members). I also really enjoyed the murder mystery as well, I didn't have a clue who the murderer was at all, it was very surprising!

Overall this was a stellar romance and I'll be checking out more of Susan Elizabeth Phillips's books because of it! Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Susan Elizabeth Philips does it again with this exquisite love story sent in the cut throat world of professional sports. The connection between the two main characters is literally spellbinding!

This book has it all, a great mystery, a romance, humor all throughout the story, and great characters. It is part of the Chicago Stars series but can be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I couldn’t stop reading from the first page. This was my first book by SEP. It will definitely not be the last. The mystery of whodunnit was enough to draw me in. Add a quirky, stubborn, struggling chocolatier and the laughs never stops. The best part is I couldn’t figure out the killer. I had several suspects too. The love/hate relationship between Rory and Brett definitely added to the fun.

Phillips and her Chicago Stars series are the best possible comfort reads. In a crazy life, reading this was like coming home and sitting by the fire.

It's not different that the main characters were so well written and engaging: But somehow Rory (not totally the disaster as described in the blurb) and Bret are easy to be interested in and to follow throughout the book. Phillip's signature romance was spot on, while remaining something fresh and unique.

I'm writing this review a week after reading, and I'm trying to remember what I didn't like (always important to include for a fair review). But I honestly can't remember anything off or unpleasant ... except the "bad guys" in the story. And they're meant to be off-putting.

I'll summarize by recommending this to those who already know and enjoy Phillips' writing. And I'll recommend this to those not familiar with Phillips (it's been too long since the last Chicago Stars novel; thought I DID love that stand-alone) because it's just an enjoyable read. Light-hearted mystery, honest emotions and a solid romance - so much to love here. Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a master story-teller whom I'm always going to allow to tell me a story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the chance to read a favorite author. Pub date is Feb 13, 2024.

SEP returns to the Chicago Stars with Simply the Best. And, it is a joy!
The team of Rory and Brett is fantastic. Rory, struggling with life and her career while Brett is at the top of his game as a sports agent makes for classic SEP banter. The something different from the others books in this series, a murder. Rory is determined to solve the crime, while Brett is determined to keep her safe.
If you have not read the other books in this series, I highly in courage it. They are wonderful! Side note, my personal favorite is Nobody’s Baby But Mine. But, you could read only this book and not be lost.
I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

This book is absolutely amazing! I love anything by SEP. She has knocked this one out the ballpark as usual. Murder, Mystery, and Drama it’s all here. This is an enemies to lovers romance with a lot of mystery and drama thrown in. Rory and Clint from the beginning have a miscommunication. Brett mistakes her for a call girl and leaves $500 on the night table. Rory is his client’s Clint step sister. They have both had an input in having her brother break up with Ashley(the gold digger). Ashley ends up found dead in Clint’s pool. Rory and Brett end up prime suspects and no one can find Clint. Ashley is trying to find Clint and clear his name at same time. Brett is trying to find his client so the situation can be handled. This was an amazing read!

There’s something about Susan’s writings that feels like an old friend inviting you to a cozy house for a cup of coffee. I love her writing and her characters are always so well drawn. I read this perfect book in one sitting. Highly recommend.