SEP Read-Along Special Guest Loretta Chase | BREATHING ROOM in Ten Easy Lessons
July 29, 2014
We're kicking off our Susan Elizabeth Phillips Read-Along this week with BREATHING ROOM, and Loretta
Chase is here to discuss why she loves this particular SEP title. Welcome,
Loretta! 1. The pristine beauty and simplicity of the first line, and the
anticipation it
awakens: Isabel Favor prized neatness. I could not possibly say another word about this. It's perfect. 2. Enter the hero: Lorenzo Gage was viciously handsome. You know, killer gorgeous. Which is what he is, in the movies. Sometimes a
serial killer, sometimes not, but but always bad, bad, bad. "And sadism has made me famous." 3. Also, he's Italian. Be still my heart. 4. Fifi. 5. The Four Cornerstones and the various Rules, like "the Healthy
Relationship
Rules of Fair Combat, not one of which advocated yelling ‘shut up.'" 6. Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. The gift of the screwball comedy snappy
comeback muse: Sparks of happiness rushed through her. "Watching me eat this is turning you
on." He looked irritated. "I’ve been a little sex-deprived lately, so it doesn't
take much." "Sure. It's been, what? Five days?"
7. Tuscany. You can see it and smell it and hear it. And taste it.
Especially
the gelato. 8. The subplot--no, not the locals and their mysterious doings, but the
family
that descends upon the villa, in all their distressed messiness and hilarity,
like invading Mongol hordes. One of the elements I look forward to in a SEP
story: Family comes into it, sooner or later—disruptive, infuriating,
aggravating, and ultimately, healing. 9. Which brings us to one of the great scenes of romance literature: the
Potty
Training. Heroism at its finest and most unexpected. 10. The number of passages I want to quote. But I won't. If by any
chance you
haven't yet read BREATHING
ROOM, I want you to have the fun of learning all the lessons by yourself. Join the conversation! Comment below on why you love BREATHING ROOM, and learn
more about our SEP read-along here! Everything leads up to
the release of HEROES ARE MY
WEAKNESS on August 26!
HEROES ARE MY
WEAKNESS
Deepest winter. An isolated island off the coast of Maine. A man. A woman. Puppets. (Yes, puppets…) And… A mysterious house looming over the sea . . . He's a reclusive writer whose imagination creates chilling horror novels. She's
a down-on-her-luck actress reduced to staging kids' puppet shows. He knows a
dozen ways to kill his characters with his bare hands. She knows a dozen ways to
kill an audience with laughs. But she's not laughing now. Annie Hewitt has arrived on Peregrine Island in the middle of a snowstorm and at
the end of her resources. She's broke, dispirited, but not quite ready to give
up. Her red suitcases hold the puppets she uses to make her living: sensible
Dilly, spunky Scamp, and Leo, the baddest of bad guys. Her puppets, the romantic
novels she loves, and a little bit of courage are all she has left. Annie couldn't be more ill prepared for what she finds when she reaches
Moonraker Cottage or for the man who dwells in Harp House, the mysterious
mansion that hovers above the cottage from a windblown cliff. When she was a
teenager, he betrayed her in a way she can never forget or forgive. Now they're
trapped together on a frozen island along with a lonely widow, a mute little
girl, and townspeople who don't know how to mind their own business. Is he the villain she remembers or has he changed? Her head says no. Her heart
says yes. It's going to be a long, hot winter.
Comments
15 comments posted.
Re: SEP Read-Along Special Guest Loretta Chase | BREATHING ROOM in Ten Easy Lessons
I'm a little behind on my reading, and haven't had the pleasure of reading either book, but they are on my TBR list!! My list is quite long at this point, but after the death of my Father in April, teaching a knitting and crochet class once a week as a volunteer, and my duties at home as a Manager with my Husband where we live at our apartment complex, time has been hard to come by as of late. I can't wait to get to your latest book especially, because your synopsis sounds like something that will be right up my alley!! Congratulations on your latest book, which I know will fly right off the shelves!! (Peggy Roberson 10:20am July 30, 2014)
I loved the authenticity of this book. I felt as if I were there, wandering among the vines, sipping wine outside the cottage, flirting with Lorenzo, :) (Jacquie Biggar 11:19am July 31, 2014)
Have not read it yet...lol...but the above excerpts are making me want to put it on my to be read soon list!!! (Ronda Garnett 3:04pm July 31, 2014)
Bought it and its sitting on my Kindle as the next TBR. Excited after reading input and comments. (Patricia Booth 3:11pm July 31, 2014)
Sounds interesting. I haven't read any of these. (Michelle Fidler 3:56pm July 31, 2014)
I love and have read all of SEP's books. I need to find time to do a reread of Breathing Room. Can't wait until Heroes is released. (Kelly McCullough 4:20pm July 31, 2014)
I have not read these books, but being a long time fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips, I know I will not be disappointed. (Deborah Nagy 5:11pm July 31, 2014)
Girl, you had me at the isolated island. Looks like a riveting read. (Alyson Widen 5:40pm July 31, 2014)
Loretta, thanks for all the great comments. I'm a HUGE fan of your work, and I love knowing you're reading my books, too. BREATHING ROOM is a special book to me because I loved both the hero and heroine so much. Ren Gage just melts me! (Susan Elizabeth Phillips 7:33pm July 31, 2014)
I read this book awhile ago. I'm going to go find it and read it again. I know I have it somewhere. I have every book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. 😃 (Bev Oconnor 9:23pm July 31, 2014)
Really liked Breathing Room, but my true favorite was Natural Born Charmer. of course, sEP has never written any book that I did not like!! (Alice Winter 9:26pm July 31, 2014)
Isabel Favor exudes goodness. She is so wise. Although Ren isn't my favorite SEP hero, I admired the way he took on the challenges : with his ex-wife, with Isabel's goodness, with playing the Good Guy in the movie. I love the Chicago Stars series, but this book made me feel better about life in general. (Doreen Sanzone 11:56pm July 31, 2014)
This is my all time favorite. I love the imagery . I can close my eyes and see the tree outside with it's chandelier and candles. I can smell the figs and taste the porcini . (Roberta Kipper 10:27am August 1, 2014)
One of my fav books is Fancy Pants... just loved that book.. I have Breathing Room on my kindle.. (Kathleen O'Donnell 1:36pm August 2, 2014)
Everyone seems to have their own favorite. I like several of SEP's books. (Kim C 3:21pm August 11, 2014)
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