Match Me If You Can (Mass Market Paperback)

by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Author) "If Annabelle hadn't found a body lying under "Sherman," she wouldn't have been late for her appointment with the Python..." (more)
Key Phrases: Heath Champion, Annabelle Granger, Portia Powers (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Phillips's latest captivating romance (Ain't She Sweet; Breathing Room) follows a pair of reluctant lovers from their combative first acquaintance to a happily ever after. Perpetually discombobulated but adorable Annabelle Granger inherits her grandmother's matchmaking business, renames it Perfect for You and targets Chicago's super-rich, super-aggressive sports agent Heath Champion, better known as the Python, as her first client. Intrigued by this spunky, determined upstart, Heath—who is dead set on finding the ultimate trophy wife by age 35—agrees to give Annabelle a chance despite his contract with Portia Powers of Power Match. Soon Annabelle is introducing him to the Windy City's most extraordinary women, none of whom seem to meet Heath's discriminating standards. Could it be because chemistry has sparked between the matchmaker and her client? From trading barbs the two progress to exchanging kisses—and more. But when Heath finally meets his should-be dream girl and Annabelle's business threatens to go bellyup, they each must face their deepest feelings and make some difficult decisions in the name of love. Phillips has once again created a delightful page-turner.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Annabelle Granger has no idea why rich, gorgeous, and successful sports agent Heath Champion needs a matchmaker, but she is more than happy to take the job. Annabelle, who recently inherited her beloved Nana's matchmaking business, sees Heath as the key to her economic future, so she uses a connection with a friend to set up a meeting. It only takes a few minutes with bold, brash, and work-obsessed Heath for Annabelle to understand exactly why her new client might have had trouble finding the woman of his dreams. With a wicked wit and saucy charm, RITA Award-winning and best-selling Phillips fashions a deliciously fun romance between a testosterone-rich, irresistibly sexy hero and a sweetly endearing, yet feisty-to-the-core heroine who proves to be more than his match. A secondary romance between rival matchmaker Portia Powers and Heath's business associate, Bodie Gray, adds another measure of sexy humor, and readers familiar with the Chicago Stars series will especially enjoy the appearances of characters from those books in Phillips' latest dazzling contemporary romance. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Avon; First Avon Books Paperback printing edition (August 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060734566
• ISBN-13: 978-0060734565
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (126 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,326 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Smart and sassy but takes awhile to find its heart!, August 12, 2005

By	ellejir "ellejir" (Virginia, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Match Me If You Can: A Novel (Hardcover)

"Match Me If You Can" is a delightful book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, full of memorable characters and bright, witty dialogue. It is the latest entry in her "Chicago Stars" football team series of books and features characters from the other books in the series (such as the Somerville sisters and their husbands) as secondary characters.

The heroine of the story, Annabelle Granger, is a charming but rather hapless redhead--a chronic underachiever born into a family of super-achievers. When Annabelle inherits her grandmother's matchmatching business ("Matches by Myrna") she changes the name to "Perfect for You" and sets out to make her new business a success. The key its success, she believes, is to land gorgeous Heath Champion, bachelor extraordinaire and wealthy sports agent, as a client. Heath is looking for a wife and has engaged a rival matchmaking service ("Power Matches" run by the ruthlessly perfect Portia Powers) to introduce him to likely candidates since he is just *too busy* with his work to look for a wife on his own. Annabelle goes after Heath's business with a vengeance, but cannot help taking a few jabs at his over-inflated ego. Heath is looking to the "perfect" woman to complement his "perfect" life. (Annabelle sums up his requirements for a wife: "Athletic, domestic, gorgeous, brilliant, socially connected, and pathologically submissive.") Heath is only willing to meet the "candidates" initially for a 20 minute interview and insists that Annabelle be present for all the first meetings. Of course none of the candidates is ever as perfect for Heath as Annabelle herself, but it takes him absolutely *forever* to figure this out.

Annabelle is a charming heroine--smart, warm-hearted, vulnerable and fun-loving. Heath is much harder to warm up to as a hero. His nickname is "The Python" since he squeezes money out of the team owners and sponsors for his clients, and he is suitably cold-blooded for that name to be appropriate. He is gorgeous, intelligent, driven and rich, but also a double cell-phoned workaholic full of smarmy charm and shallow emotions. I found it surprising that more of the "candidates" did not reject *him* after the first 20 minute meeting. Heath realizes that he is attracted to Annabelle but dismisses her as potential wife material since she does not fit his preconceived ideal of the beautiful, polished, perfect spouse. He has absolutely *tons* of emotional baggage to come to terms with before he is able to recognize his true feelings for Annabelle.

The dialogue is sharp and witty and it is a delight to revisit characters like Phoebe Somerville Calebow (heroine of "It Had to Be You"), the owner of the Chicago Stars and Heath's arch-enemy since she was forced to cave in to his hardball negotiating tactics early in his career as a sports agent. (Heath says at one point: "It's been seven years, Phoebe. Don't you think it's time we bury the hatchet?" To which Phoebe replies: "As long as the blade ends up in the back of your neck, I'm game.") The plot moves along fairly well, but it takes a long time (I mean, a *long* time!) for Heath to realize that Annabelle is the right woman for him and his epiphany when it does occur seems startlingly abrupt.

In summary, "Match Me If You Can" is a fun and fast read with the type of memorable characters and sparkling dialogue typical of Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
Highly recommended.

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sassy heroine + sexy hero = a great romantic comedy, August 22, 2005

By	Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Match Me If You Can: A Novel (Hardcover)

Annabelle Granger inherited a matchmaking business from her grandmother and sets out to land Chicago's most eligible bachelor, Heath Champion. Heath has already signed with powerhouse matchmaker, Portia Powers, but meets with Annabelle as a courtesy to his client, Chicago Stars quarterback, Kevin Turner. He gives Annabelle one chance to knock him off his feet - set him up with one date, and if he likes the woman, he'll sign with her. She talks a friend into posing as his date, and he's instantly attracted to Gwen, only to be informed that Gwen just wants to be friends. As she searches for the perfect woman for him, and sits in on all the dates (as well as those set up by Portia at Heath's request), she realizes that she's falling for him, despite his brash personality. But her trump card is the relationship she has with Phoebe Calebow, owner of the Stars, and nemesis of Heath. If he can get into Phoebe's good graces, one of his biggest obstacles can be overcome. When Annabelle and Heath give in to their growing feelings for each other while on a weekend retreat, Annabelle realizes that the rules have changed, and finding his perfect match will cause her heartbreak.

Loaded with SEP's signature crisp and witty dialogue, "Match Me if You Can" is a charming entry into the Stars/Bonner Brothers series. A bonus is the funny secondary romance between Portia and Bodie, who fashions himself as Heath's "bodyguard." He's a former football player and she's a former socialite. When their worlds collide, it makes for a raucous romance. This one is highly recommended!

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Match Me If You Can, August 1, 2005

By	Amanda Killgore (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Match Me If You Can: A Novel (Hardcover)

Heath Champion wants a wife- not for love, but because one would be useful. Rather than go the standard route of looking on his own, he hires a matchmaker. However, when Portia Powers' agency does not deliver satisfactory results, he hires a second one, owned by Annabelle Granger, the total antithesis of Portia. Where the Portia is professional and controlled, Annabelle simply is not. She does agree to accompany him on his dates, twenty minute affairs in which he assesses and accepts or rejects a potential candidate. However, not even between them can Portia and Annabelle seem to find the right woman for Heath. However, Portia's own lovelife begins to look up, and Annabelle does begin to make headway as far as getting Heath back in the good graces of Phoebe Calebow, owner of the Stars football team, as long time fans know. She also begins to work her way into his closed down heart, but both of them fight falling in love with each other tooth and nail. Annabelle is not cut out to be a society wife, at least not to first glance. Heath does not really believe in love. Yet, perhaps the matchmaker has met her match.

**** Susan E Phillips always scores a touchdown, and this is no exception. With warmth and wit, she tells a fun story. At the same time, she brings back favorite friends. I admit, I was hoping to see Bobby Tom again, but still, seeing Kevin, Phoebe, Molly, and Dan was a treat, making the book worthwhile, even without the main story, which was worth it as well. ****