Read it in one sitting and it was as satisfying as the amazing chocolates described in the books. Love the character growth, the relationships with the side characters as well as the mains, and the underlying murder mystery. As usual, the characters are fun, unique, and bigger than life but also realistically flawed. Nice touch with a secondary romance and ultra satisfying HEA and epilogue. Phillips always delivers a winner. ( )

Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Chicago Stars series #10. Contemporary romance with references to sports and athletics but no games or matches in the story. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Rory Garrett has told her half brother and famous football player Clint, that she believes his current girlfriend Ashley, is only after his money. Clint’s business manager, Brett Rivers has told Clint the same thing. When Ashley turns up dead by Clint’s pool and he’s missing, Rory and Brett work together to find Clint though their relationship is contentious at best.

Entertaining and fun to continue the Stars series. It’s been a long time running and while this book has very little actual sporting interaction, it’s still a wonderful romance. The author writes a compelling story. ( )

Chocolatier, Rory Garrett has spent all of her life in the shadow of her highly successful quarterback half brother, Clint, until he is arrested for murdering his girlfriend. Rory knows he couldn't have done it and tries to prove it, but she finds it tougher than she thought, especially when her brother's agent, Brett Rivers, begins to interfere in her investigation. Brett is equally convinced that Clint is innocent and knows that his standing at the Champion Sports Agency depends on clearing his client. Rory and Clint try to deal with their growing attraction and the interruptions caused by the problems of their businesses, but they just aren't sure if they are going to find the real killer before it is too late.

Simply The Best is filled with quirky characters and descriptions of yummy chocolate. The protagonists are well developed, leaving them a bit unlikable at times throughout the story, but the banter is fun and provides some laugh out loud moments. The plot splits time between the romance and the mystery and remains fairly balanced, however a weakness of the story is the amount of time spend on the investigation, which ends up being solved by accident rather than intent. Suspenseful moments add to the narrative as well as a satisfying conclusion. Overall, Simply the Best is a fun addition to the Chicago Stars series and well worth the read ( )

3.5 ✮✮✮✮

I have been reading this series since the very first book It Had to Be You and all of the rest of her books. I can see where Ms. Phillips has grown as an author. Her books have usually been wonderful reads for me. They are both funny with serious (sometimes very serious) elements. I always come away wanting to turn right around and do a re-read.

This book seems to take off in a different direction. We don't seem to deal much with the team anymore. Rory (our female lead) is a strong and very opinionated woman who makes one mistake that I was not very happy with. (view spoiler) Things finally do get cleared up in Ms. Phillips's usual zany manner. And then tragedy strikes—a murder.

Things seem to go downhill from here; the book starts centering on sex more than any of the other essential plot lines (and there are several), like Rory starting her own artisanal chocolate business and getting her brother cleared of murder charges.

Although I'm a bit unhappy with this edition of the series, I'm not disliking it either. I think other fans will like, and perhaps even love, this book. So I think this book will be well worth the read.

It's best not to start the series with "Simply the Best"!

* This ARC was supplied by the publisher Avon Books/HarperCollins Publishers, the author, and NetGalley. ( )

FROM AMAZON: Take one hard-driving sports agent…

Throw in a failed chocolatier…

And her superstar football player brother…

Add a quirky pink and purple food truck…

Then, to really screw things up, mix in a very unfortunate murder.

Brett Rivers is the hottest sports agent in the business—fast and furious, swift and deadly. Failure? Not an option.

Rory Garrett is—let’s be honest—a disaster. She has a big heart, an empty bank account, a passion for making exquisite chocolate, and a huge inferiority complex from living in the shadow of Brett’s most important client, her football legend brother.

Brett and Rory should never have met, and they absolutely, positively should never have had to deal with the consequences of one stupid, drunken night…one disastrous lie…one career in jeopardy…one missing football player…and a very dead body.

It’s going to get messy…and dangerous…and heartbreaking…and sexy. To Rory, Brett represents skewed values and a devious mind. To Brett, Rory is forbidden fruit, off limits, do not disturb, and no entry—definitely no entry.

A woman who has succeeded at nothing and a man who’s succeeded at everything confront the challenge of their lives as they struggle with themselves and each other. When it comes to love—what price are any of us willing to pay to be simply the best?