It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (with sound clip)

A Month of Romance Audio Favorites Selection  

Narrated by Anna Fields

When I’m asked, “What is your favorite audiobook?”, two titles compete for first place – Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ It Had To Be You (1994 print – 1995 audio) and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (1991 print – 1994 audio). Both represent the highest in audiobook entertainment despite their age, with outstanding narrations and extremely well-written stories. Outlander is an ever-so-serious historical with a large cast of characters whose stories continue throughout the (now) extended series. It Had To Be You is a laugh-out-loud contemporary romance stand-alone filled with a smaller cast of fully developed characters that are all rather unique for a romance novel.

For the past few years, It Had To Be You has reigned as my all time favorite audiobook. The reason? It’s the ability to easily enjoy the same tale over and over again, laughing and tearing up each time, and simply marveling at the wonder of Susan Elizabeth Phillips (SEP) at the top of her game. As I prepared for our Month of Romance Audio Favorites, I relistened to It Had To Be You for the seventh time (I’ve owned the audiobook for twelve years). I was just as drawn in – just as charmed – just plain outright entertained as all my previous listens. It continues to earn its top spot with complete and immediate immersion the minute I hear Anna Fields speak those first words, “Phoebe Somerville outraged everyone by bringing a French poodle and a Hungarian lover to her father’s funeral.”

Anna Fields (Kate Fleming) is largely responsible for this first place spot. Narrating 18 of SEP’s books, she lifts these already thoroughly entrancing tales to an even higher level. Clearly distinguishing each character, she lets us know their personalities with the sound of her voice. She is the character – there’s not a single misinterpretation. It’s pure SEP gold brought to life.

Phoebe Somerville is a thirty-two-year-old pretend bad girl with a drop-dead body who uses flirtatiousness as a protective device to keep men at arm’s length. She doubts she’ll miss her recently deceased father and doesn’t expect him to remember her in his will. Much to Phoebe’s horror, she temporarily inherits the Chicago Stars football franchise. It’s a game she doesn’t understand nor does she have any interest in learning more about the sport. To retain ownership of the team, the Stars must win the next AFC Championship – a highly unlikely event. Feeling her father’s attempt to control her from the grave, Phoebe leaves Chicago, refusing to play his game. After all, she is “more the uptown-gallery-dinner-at-Le Cirque-before-an-evening-of-experimental-theater-type.”

In the meantime, the Stars lose their general manager and are suffering from a lack of authorization. With their owner missing in action, there’s no one to sign players’ contracts and take care of the Stars other business affairs. Stars coach Dan Calebow decides to take matters into his own hands and visit the uncaring, irresponsible bimbo of an owner and set her straight with “a few facts about life in the big bad NFL.”

Although the two met at the former owner’s funeral (and a laugh-out-loud meeting it is), they don’t really talk until Dan hunts her down in New York City. The resultant conflict (which lasts well into the book) is one of the finest in romance writing with the delectable Coach Calebow trying to bring the recalcitrant owner in line and Phoebe playing her bad girl image to the hilt. It’s delightful and made all the more by Anna Fields’ extremely sexy portrayal of Dan with his University of Alabama roots obvious in his Southern drawl and Phoebe’s straight-as-an-arrow cover up.

We wanted to give you just a taste of their confrontation in this sound sample – one you won’t find at Audible.

Dan is looking for a simple, mild-mannered, home-lovin’ mother for the children he wants in his life and he’s found a nursery school teacher who he thinks just may fill that bill. Phoebe realizes she is greatly attracted to Dan but keeps it quiet, imagining him in scenes echoing Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof throughout the story.

Blond, handsome, and bigger than life, he looked like a born troublemaker. Instead of a knit shirt and chinos, he should have been wearing a rumpled white shirt and driving down some Southern dirt road in a big old Cadillac hooking beer cans over the roof. Or standing on the front lawn of an antebellum mansion with his head thrown back to bay at the moon while a young Elizabeth Taylor lay on a curly brass bed upstairs and waited for him to come home.

These visualizations work brilliantly to help the listener gain some insight into Phoebe’s attraction to Dan and also to rev up excitement for Dan as a hero. Yes, Dan rates high for me when it comes to hero material. He’s officially listed as a Favorite Hero in print as well as audio format over on my Meet Reviewer Lea Hensley page at AAR.

Anna Fields simply excels in narrating romance. Her timing, her understanding of how SEP’s words should be performed, her ability to inject just the right amount of humor when called for, her skill at drawing the listener in with each word of her general narrative – I could go on and on but in my book, Ms. Fields simply sets the bar for all other contemporary romance narrators.

Sadly, we are no longer treated to new narrations by Ms. Fields since she died unexpectedly in December of 2006. Recently I realized that many of today’s listeners haven’t experienced the delight of her narrations since her titles are now at least seven years old. I strongly encourage you to give one of her narrations a try if you have yet to do so.

The unique storyline (how often do we see a highly desirable NFL coach rage at the pretend-bimbo owner?) combined with a favorite author and narrator makes It Had To Be You a magical listen. Full of sophisticated humor, it has the added allure of being one sexy audiobook. To the very last line, SEP appropriately blends all aspects of the storyline and I couldn’t help smiling with appreciation during the last moment of this, my seventh and definitely not my last, listen.

Lea Hensley

Narration:  A+

Book Content:  A+

Steam Factor:  Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence:  None to Minimal

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Publisher:  Books on Tape