We are Flashing Way Back this Flashback Friday to October 2012, when I wrote this review for a now-vintage Romance by Susan Elizabeth Phillips from 1999! I hope you enjoy!
Narrated by Anna Fields
To be honest, I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. My first listen was almost 5 years ago, and I’m pretty sure the recommendation came from Diana Gabaldon’s website since I was so thoroughly engrossed in all things Outlander at the time. I can say it’s been several – as in more than 5 times.
SEP is the absolute master at finding quirky character traits that make you, the reader, believe not only to be possible but real. A thirty-something virgin orphan raised in the girls’ school in England she now runs, looking to besmirch her good character to avoid marrying a duke? A former bully turned pro golfer who can’t see the world beyond the green, passing himself off as a gigolo? An arranged marriage by secondary characters so that a corporate merger can take place? Sure, happens every day in Wynette, Texas, SEP’s fictional small town where hot pro golfers run wild and bar fights are a form of entertainment.
I found myself smiling, grinning, chuckling and flat-out laughing out loud once again as I immersed myself in the saga of Kenny Traveler and Emma Wells-Finch. It’s possible that someone else might not get the peculiar sense of humor that SEP imbues her stories with – surely no one thinks it’s funny that women try to get pregnant by men they don’t know (Nobody’s Baby But Mine), or that PGA Acting Commissioners kick golfers off professional tours because their money managers were crooks (Lady Be Good), or that a woman would be desperate enough to keep her job that she’d pretend to be a stripper at a football pro’s house party (Heaven, Texas). I’m here to tell you that in the hands of professional author Susan Elizabeth Phillips, these are but 3 of the dozens and dozens of hysterical scenarios in her books. And not only does she make them funny, she also surrounds her characters with family and friends and emotional, true-life feelings and love, with a very happy ending for everyone.
But this isn’t just about how wonderful SEP’s books are – this is also about an incredible narrator, Kate Fleming, who used the stage name Anna Fields in honor of her great grandmother. Fleming was the voice of all SEP audios except one (Just Imagine) before her untimely death in 2006. In all, she had narrated over 250 works and received 5 Audie nominations, winning one in 2004. Her production company, Cedar House Audio Productions, maintains a tribute to her with more information about this incredible woman.
When I listen to Kate Fleming narrate, I get drawn into the world the author has created and become a bystander while the story happens around me. Characters become friends, and sometimes enemies, in Fleming’s many, many levels of voice acting. Her own voice is pitched slightly lower than most women, but her character voices are all placed exactly where they should be. She has some of the most convincing, and dare I say sexy men’s voices I’ve ever heard a woman speak in audiobooks (One Summer, Karen Robards). She’s a master at accents – although I’ve never quite forgiven her for giving Kevin Tucker, a Michigan-born hero in This Heart of Mine a Texas accent in the next book in the series, Match Me If You Can! But hey – it was a great Texas accent! Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, not romance but a real keeper for me in print, became a whole new enchanting experience with Fleming’s voice.
If you’ve read this far, I figure I’m probably preaching to the choir. Needless to say, Kenny and Emma meet – have several SEP-inspired mishaps and conflicts and love scenes – and stumble their way to love and happy-ever-after, as it should be. And Anna Fields takes you on a journey that will stay with you long after she’s finished reading Chapter 22 – The Last Chapter.
As an aside, Lady Be Good was published in 1999 and is a sort of sequel to Fancy Pants, published in 1989. I don’t find that either of the stories is particularly “dated” by some of the things that can stick out in contemporary romance; the storylines are just as relevant and interesting as those written today, just fewer (or no) mentions of things like cell phones and Facebook. SEP tied these 2 stories to another, earlier book, Glitter Baby, and to First Lady by featuring the children as the hero and heroines of her two most recent books [in 2012], The Great Escape and Call Me Irresistible – sort of Wynette the Next Generation. If you like contemporary romantic comedy, clear some time in your audiobook schedule for SEP’s full backlist. You’re welcome.
Melinda
Buy Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips on Amazon
What a wonderful review! It captures the spirit of SEP’s writing and Anna Fields’ narration perfectly. And it definitely makes me want to pick up something, ANYTHING, these two collaborated on, and listen to it one more time. I think SEP’s books narrated by Anna Fields are the definition of “books worth relistening to.”
Am a huge SEP fan. An impulse library selection introduced me to her books. I then bought a membership in Audible to enjoy all of them. The loss of Kate Fleming was huge. She was so talented and brought the characters to life.
I started listening to SEP back in the cassette tape days. They were hard to find and I found all of my copies on eBay. Kate Fleming’s narrations are unique and she set the bar high for those who followed. What a loss for the audio industry in general but I think romance listeners feel it most keenly.