I stumbled across Breathing Room a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it so much I've now read all of Phillips's novels. Although she has written a few stand-alones, her main body of work is the Chicago NFL series, of which MMIYC is the latest installment. Like Suzanne Brockman's Navy SEAL series, the books revolve around a tight-knit group of manly men who find abiding love in the midst of a more-than-usually complex plot (which generally includes a sub-plot, a secondary romance, and the character who will star in the next release).
Annabelle Granger is the disorganised black sheep of an overachieving family, trying hard to keep her dead grandmother's matchmaking business afloat. Her hopes are pinned on snagging a whale of a client, football agent Heath champion, who represents such stars as quarterback Kevin Tucker (who featured in This Heart of Mine). The only problem is that Heath already has a matchmaker - the poised and perfect Portia Powers. Can Annabelle recover from her disastrous broken engagement, earn the respect of her demanding family, keep her business alive, and find love?
Of course she can. But, as with all romances, the point is not the destination so much as the ride; Phillips shows us some unexpected sights, and she knows how to drive. Ugh - I apologise for that disturbing extension on a hoary metaphor.
Moving on, before my post gets eaten. Again.
Readers familiar with Phillips's work will enjoy being reacquainted with characters from former novels (and their children), but those new to the series will have no trouble keeping up. The writing is brisk but descriptive, the characters are likable and real, and have solid motivation (rather than the often implausible reasons for not getting together until the final scene), and the sub-plots are engaging. I devoured this book, and look forward to the sequel, Natural Born Charmer, being released in paperback. - Alex
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