Customer Reviews

Just Imagine

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

first things first: if this is your very first book you've read by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and you didn't like it - PLEASE don't give up on her books. She's an amazing author, full of wit and humor, has a super imagination and creates extremely exciting storylines. JUST IMAGINE was a satisfying read, SEP's only historical, and her very first novel. So you can imagine, that's probably why it doesn't fit up to her contemporary standards, or even up to your standards! Give it a try, if you like... i did, and i enjoyed the light read.

Read the book synopsis for the plot outline! Kit Weston is your everyday typical historical heroine... and she sure does remind me of Scarlet O'Hara. She's temper mental, stubborn at times, but definitely not one of those frilly-wily girls, and infact is very intelligent, witty and at the same time gorgeous. I can't agree more with the author, that Baron Cain was the perfect hero for Kit. He was the only one that was able to put a solid hand to her behavior and put up with her spoiled ways, (kinda reminds you of Rhett Bulter eh?) Set in the south, where the time period was a treat to read about, where the ladies were real feminine and the clothes and outfits were wonderful and fun to experience. Many interesting scenes, tons of arguments and sweet make-ups, and the ending was excellent! My favorite parts were when Kit was at boarding school, and SEP writes the transition of Kit from tomboy to a beautiful young lady. Very realistic, and another great part was when Baron sees Kit for the first time in 3 years, imagine his surprise! Well written by SEP.

so why 4-stars? maybe more in-depth characterization was required...more scenes between the hero and heroine that displayed true love, not lust then love, it could have been more convincing...and maybe after reading all of SEP's contemps, my standards were too high. I expected more of SEP's famous humour touch, but didn't find that many funny scenes in JUST IMAGINE. but all in all, it was a good read, and looks great in my SEP collection!
*must reads* her whole chicago football stars series - do not miss!!! ;)

Even faithful readers of Susan Elizabeth Phillips cannot imagine this book is a revised edition of her earlier effort in historical romances. An abrupt historical release from the primed contemporary romance queen firstly makes it a departure difficult for them to accept, let alone being embarrassed by the association with a literary classic GONE With the Wind.

Indeed Susan Elizabeth Phillips' latest has its fair share of glory. Using the Civil War and the struggle of the South and North as backdrop, she tells of a Southern lass, Kit Weston plotting murder on her Yankee guardian Baron Cain to reclaim her precious Risen Glory estate that is everything to her including Sophronia, her loyal maid. She is mistaken for a stable boy and is hired to serve Cain, which later when her identity is exposed, he threatens to sell away her estate if she refuses to enter an Academy for ladies. Years passed, Kit's vendetta with Cain is unsettled. As she matures into a woman, Cain is unexpectedly drawn to her and yields her into marriage. However, their pride will leave them at loggerheads. There is no fundamental love in their marriage institution - only desire. Cain, who is scared that he will end up like his father being taken advantage of by his mother sees Kit clinging onto him because of responsibilities - and not love. Though painful, their separation is imminent and inevitable for their stubborn hearts.

JUST IMAGINE attempts to stage a grand historical romance with slavery, clashes and racism. Yet the romance element is never quite fulfiling - Kit's wilfulness has made it difficult for any communication. Their departure in the middle of the book left them undeveloped and dry. Furthermore their love being contrived seemed pretentious and severed of emotions. Philips creates Kit to be strong and independent, yet simultaneously childish for her myopic view to be Cain's mistress in order to get back her estate. By the time she matures towards the epilogue, it seemed their love too late for redemption. The get-together far too hasty and unbelievable. In fact her secondary characters like Magnus and Sophronia shines luminously. Theirs is a love triumphed against discrimination - and how Sophronia convinces herself that Magnus is able to protect her with his love.

It is remarkable that historical accuracies are there but it unfortunately languishes into a dry read with undeveloped main characters and the passion is never quite on par with the throes of war. It leaves us only to imagine how ever could this book lack the sweeping passion that GONE WITH THE WIND has enchanted us with when the two are said to be in comparison.

This book left me with a slightly unsettled feeling -- not exactly what I'm used to feeling once I finish reading a romance novel! Although I felt it was well written and empathized with the characters, the many pages of hateful relations between Kit and Cain were miserable, and the reunion at the end felt forced and insincere. Lastly, any allusions to "Gone With The Wind" are self-congratulatory on the publisher's part and completely unwarranted! GWTW is in a class all its own.

In case you don't have ($) to buy a rare, tattered copy of Phillips' first book from 1984, RISEN GLORY, you're in luck--Kit and Baron are back in this excellent rewrite, and they're better than ever!

The Civil War is over for the rest of the country, but not for Kit Weston. She's come to New York City disguised as a boy to get revenge. Baron Cain stands between her and Risen Glory, the South Carolina home she loves. Unfortunately for Kit, Baron isn't just her bitter enemy, he's been appointed her guardian.

Kit is an extremely strong heroine, but Baron is more than a match for her. If you love historicals where the heroine is disguised as a boy (I do!), and the hero and heroine are each other's natural antagonists, where the action never stops, the story is fast-paced, and the sexual tension burns, you will really enjoy this book--it has it all!

I was really excited that Susan Elizabeth Phillips had come out with another book. Her contemporary novels are amazing. Just Imagine reminded me a lot of a Karen Robards historical. I was a little disappointed in this book because it seemed to follow a typical format. Young girl, dead parents, unlikeable guardian but handsome. Guardian and girl fall in love. Something just seemed to be lacking. I would definitely recommend this author, but maybe just not this book.

I got only a few chapters into the book and had to put it down. I skipped through some of it to pick up something of interest and found myself immediately tired of Kit being small in stature, anger, mouthiness and immaturity. I couldn't feel comfortable with Baron falling in love with a person he thought was a fourteen year old. It was really a boring piece of work that has been played out in so many novels. I read other reviews and may try the author again but I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. Save your bucks since books are so expensive these days.

I was completely dumbstruck by this book, "Just Imagine". This was definitely not one of Phillips' better books. So if you are a first time reader of her, please try her other books. Where this one lacked laugher and imagination, her other books will inspire and promote you to reread it just to make sure the good parts were not missed the first time through them.

Take Scarlet out of her curtains and put her in some boys' clothes and make Rhett a Yankee. That pretty much sums up the story between Kit Weston and Baron Cain.

Like Scarlet, the land is the only thing that Kit truly loves. Her father's plantation Risen Glory is Kit's legacy. Unfortunately, that legacy has been stolen from her by her step mother.

In shades of Cinderella, Kit's step mother has inherited Risen Glory and upon her death bed wills it to her son from a previous relationship.

Kit knows what she must do in order to inherit Risen Glory. She must kill her never before seen step brother, Baron Cain.

I have mixed feelings about this book - I neither loved it or hated it. On the one side, it is filled with cliches. Gone with the Wind is obvious. So is Cinderella. My Fair Lady is in there, too.

On the other hand, I enjoyed watching Kit grow up. She's so filled with hate and pride that it takes a long time for her to grow up. And she does a lot of mean spirited things in the process. But eventually, she does grow up.

Cain is very much the alpha male. Compared to him, all other male characters seem flat and unfinished.

Read it if you can - it's certainly a good book, but save your money and buy it used.

and that's saying alot, because I've really enjoyed all of her books. Maybe I'm a sucker for a hero and heroine who try so hard not to fall for each other, but this story grabbed me from the beginning and refused to let me go until I finished it at 2 AM! Kit's transformation from stubborn tomboy to independent belle is surprisingly believable. I agonized with her as she struggled between her long-held dream to regain her land and her growing feelings for the man keeping that dream from her. Baron's fight to resist caring for a woman who could tie him down to a life he didn't know he wanted is equally compelling. I also enjoyed the sub-plot of the secondary characters, and found myself just as intrigued about their future as Kit and Baron's. Emotions here are too raw and edgy to be called "romantic", but the story is magnetic - the sexual tension runs high, the love scenes are steamy with just the right hint of tenderness. The satifying ending is not achieved easily, which is refreshingly realistic. This one will be kept and re-read often.

The characters and plot weren't that good. Maybe it was due to being one of her early works. This story was first printed in 1984 and titled "Risen Glory." It was reprinted in 2001 with the current title. This book lacks her witty dialogue which I love in her later books.

CAUTION SPOILER: I didn't understand the characters during their marriage as to why they were so cold to each other. I didn't care for her actions in the end to prove her love to him. It seemed that they got back together too easily without resolving the prior coldness.

DATA:
Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: about four. Just after the Civil War on a southern plantation. Copyright: 1984. Genre: historical romance.

OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Susan Elizabeth Phillips books, see my 5 star review of "Glitter Baby" posted 1/15/09.