Glitter Baby (Wynette, Texas, 1)

I knew this book wasn't what i thought it was going to be as soon as I opened it. I almost didn't read it right away because it was fairly obvious from the beginning that the main focus wasn't romance, but something kept me from putting the book down and I went back to it. I barely put it down since I started it. I thought that since this was Susan Elizabeth Phillip's first book that it would be somewhat less exciting then the others. What I didn't expect was that it would be one of the strongest stories I've ever read by her. The stories she comes out with now mainly focus around romance. They're all really good and I've never not loved anything she wrote, but this is far beyond your normal romance. It's about growing up, dealing with the hard stuff and healing. The romance comes in later in the book and although it's not the main focus it is just as amazing as everything else in the book. The characters have flaws. They're extremely well rounded and you find yourself loving the characters more because they're human and real and they have feeling that you can relate to. This book is so much more then a romance. It's just an amazing book all around. If you're looking for an amazing read you should pick this book up. I finally understand why people were willing to pay all that money before the re-release came out.

You know you are in the hands of a good writer when time suspends, the story is so real you find yourself lost in it, and the characters are three dimensional enough that you truly CARE what happens to them. Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a goddess of romance for these very reasons! Glitter Baby, although it is an earlier work of hers, still has all the elements that make SEP so unique and addicting! Glitter Baby has elements of BOTH romance and fiction. It is unlike lots of her newer work that focuses mainly on romance. Glitter Baby is definitely more in the vein of her books Honey Moon and Hot Shot vrs. the Chicago Stars series. This is a "coming of age" story. This is the story of Fleur Savagar. If I had a vote for "the most unfortunate child of derelict parents"..Fleur would get my vote hands down! Fleur's mother is, to put it kindly, a flake! She is obsessed with Hollywood, and lives in an almost fairytale world of make believe with actors being the kings and queens. She will do anything to be in the company of stars. Fleur's "dad" is also a really big problem...he is manipulative, vindictive, and totally self motivated. Combine these two people and Fleur's only saving grace is that she was forced out of her home and raised in a convent! Fleur is a pawn in her parent's twisted lives, obsessions, and desires. She is incredibly beautiful so her mother capitalizes on this by making her into an actress/model. Fleur is not interested in these occupations, but both allow her mother to be in the "limelight" with beautiful, and more importantly, FAMOUS people. Fleur, still dealing with her abandonment issues, wants to make her mom happy and agrees to a life she does not want. Jake Koranda is one of the "yummiest" hero's I've read in a long time. He is funny and yet deep. He's tortured, but not too much so...just tortured enough to make your heart bleed for him. He and Fleur are destined and meant for each other....you realize it very early in the book and are cheering for them throughout all their ups and downs. The best part of this book is watching Fleur's coming of age and her learning how to become her own person. It's painful to watch, but isn't life like that sometimes. What is MOST painful TEACHES us and we GROW! This book is very hard to put down...it's separated into sections going from past to present, and has a great many characters to keep track of. It is funny, heartwrenching, and by far the best book I've read in a long time. You'll laugh through your tears...another vintage SEP experience!

This is an excellent book. In fact, I am rereading it for the 2nd time. (Yes, that means this is my 3rd time.) The characters are wonderfully developed, and I can't wait to read more books by her. It's one of those books I will never let go of. It will stay in my collection for a long time to come.

This is now my favorite Susan Elizabeth Phillips book, right up there with Hot Shot, Fancy Pants, and the ultimate novel: Honey Moon. I loved it for the same reasons I loved those other titles. She writes a moving story with romance that does not come quick and easy for the characters involved. I think her characters are very complex and well-drafted. And I am consistently amused by her dialogue. From where do these ideas spring? I completely agree with the former review that Susan Phillips is a natural at this writing thing. I have never read a story by her that did not touch me. While it can be cute to see two people fall in love and have the biggest problem they face be that of who tells who they love each other first and will he/she marry me ('cause I like those two types also), Susan Phillips takes her characters on a journey of self-discovery transforming them into characters with the same strength in which they're written. Fleur Savagar, Honey Moon, and Francesca all fit the bill. I like it when characters (in film or books), who are already intelligent and special, discover that they are stronger than they think or know they are. Glitter Baby is a gem with everything that I like to read in any book. I'd buy it again!