Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Great Escape: A Novel
    The Great Escape: A Novel
    The Great Escape: A Novel
    Audiobook14 hours

    The Great Escape: A Novel

    Written by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

    Narrated by Shannon Cochran

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    “Next to Tracy and Hepburn, nobody does romantic comedy better than Susan Elizabeth Phillips.”
    —Minneapolis Star Tribune

    Perennial New York Times bestseller Susan Elizabeth Phillips now provides her fans with The Great Escape from ordinary women’s romantic fiction. One of today’s most beloved writers, the incomparable Phillips follows up her utterly beguiling hit, Call Me Irresistible (“Phillips at her very best. Romantic, funny, sexy, and poignant” —Kristin Hannah) with a sequel that’s equally impossible to resist. Returning in The Great Escape are some of Phillips’s most adored characters, including headstrong, impetuous ex-president’s daughter, Lucy Jorik, who’s just abandoned her fiancé, Ted “Mr. Irresistible” Beaudine, at the altar. Now she’s looking for adventure—and perhaps a little romance—embarking on a wild and hilariously unpredictable road trip that begins on the back of a rather menacing-looking stranger’s motorcycle. The winner of more Favorite Book of the Year Awards than any other romance author, including Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Phillips offers her fans an Escape to remember, and they’ll certainly want to come back for more!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJul 10, 2012
    ISBN9780062191052
    The Great Escape: A Novel
    Author

    Susan Elizabeth Phillips

    Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books have been published in over thirty languages. Guided by the motto, “Life is better with happily-ever-afters,” she loves writing about love in all its forms. Among her accomplishments, Susan created the sports romance with her novel Fancy Pants. She is best known for her Chicago Stars and Wynette, Texas series, as well as multiple stand-alone books. Visit Susan’s website at www.susanelizabethphillips.com.

    More audiobooks from Susan Elizabeth Phillips

    Related to The Great Escape

    Titles in the series (5)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Contemporary Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Bigger Person

      Jan 15, 2023

      The Bigger Person
      4 min read

    • Article

      Bad Dream

      Nov 1, 2019

      Bad Dream
      5 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Aug 20, 2021

      ‘Brood’ is such a multi-layered word: thinking deeply about something, a group of young animals, something to do with longed-for motherhood… and this beautiful, spare book is about all of those, and more. The protagonist (she’s never named) and her h

      4 min read

    • Article

      Little Islands of Faith: The Millions Interviews Tupelo Hassman

      Aug 14, 2019

      To my mind, Catholicism has many of the prettiest and most satisfying ways of evidencing faith. Because we want to touch it, don’t we? The post Little Islands of Faith: The Millions Interviews Tupelo Hassman appeared first on The Millions.

      9 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Aug 19, 2022

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Jul 12, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      Fabulous Fiction

      Mar 13, 2020

      Fabulous Fiction
      3 min read

    • Article

      Summer Reading Guide

      Jan 2, 2022

      Summer Reading Guide
      6 min read

    • Article

      Plus ONE

      Sep 14, 2021

      Plus ONE
      6 min read

    • Article

      Hell Is A City in Texas

      Jun 14, 2021

      Hell Is A City in Texas
      10 min read

    • Article

      Freedom

      Aug 6, 2020

      Freedom
      7 min read

    • Article

      A time FOR US

      Apr 8, 2020

      A time FOR US
      8 min read

    • Article

      Generations Of Mothers Are At The Center Of 'A Grandmother Begins A Story'

      Nov 29, 2023

      Métis writer Michelle Porter has created beauty from the ugliness of colonization, loss, addiction, abandonment, and grief in her debut novel that finds motherhood at its heart.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Jul 12, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      Dolly’s Star Turn

      Aug 9, 2023

      Dolly’s Star Turn
      7 min read

    • Article

      In Search of Lost Words: Novels on Dementia

      Aug 3, 2017

      Grief is not something to be avoided. The post In Search of Lost Words: Novels on Dementia appeared first on The Millions.

      6 min read

    • Article

      Great Read

      Jul 12, 2023

      Great Read
      3 min read

    • Article

      Winning Letter

      Sep 23, 2022

      I was having brunch recently with a friend. She was observing a young, in-love couple behind me. She commented that he was rubbing her back and showing such tender affection. As they left and walked past her, she said to them, “What an amazing couple

      5 min read

    • Article

      Valentine Angels

      Dec 27, 2018

      Valentine Angels
      5 min read

    • Article

      Tikkun Olam

      Jun 10, 2022

      The lawyer’s phone call was one she’d been expecting—dreading really—for the past two years. What surprised her was that Deshaun wanted to see her again. Why? “I have no idea,” the public defender said. “You’re the only one he asked for.” Roz debated

      25 min read

    • Article

      Summer Reading Special

      Dec 28, 2023

      The distinctive depth of characterisation shines in this tightly knitted story of therapist Nick and retired solicitor wife Zoe, as they decide to view a deconsecrated Victorian church which is for sale. It’s “even more picturesque than it looked onl

      11 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Oct 3, 2022

      Books
      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Great Escape

    4/5

    206 ratings27 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      The book was typical SEP- funny and cute but very entertaining.

      Unfortunately what ruined it for me was the narration. The voices for the main characters were a bit grating.
    • 5/5
      funny book I really enjoyed this book
    • 2/5
      Lucy Jorik is the adopted daughter of the former President of the United States. She has always been the perfect daughter, the responsible daughter - never straying from what is expected of her. It's her wedding day and she's marrying the perfect man; a man who treats her with love and kindness, loves her family and is beloved by everyone, everywhere.She panics and leaves him at the altar and runs away with a rather shady man on a motorcycle.Not a very responsible, perfect thing to do.She just doesn't feel ready to marry the perfect man and settle down to the perfect life. She's not completely happy and isn't sure "who she is" so she wants to find herself.So she runs off with this motorcycle man whom she sort of recognizes as a friend of her now ex-fiance and she tries to disguise herself as she is one of the best known women in the country. After two weeks she still isn't sure what she wants so she continues to run but she runs right towards motorcycle man despite claiming to hate him.Is Lucy 19? No, Lucy is 31!Now I like my escapist novels as much as the next reader but they need to not be so jarring that I come out of the story to think about what 31 year old woman would act this way? I simply could not understand a woman of her age and background acting the way she did nor her parents condoning the behavior.There is also a secondary plot about another woman, her young African American ward the man who loves her and her friendship with Lucy. And a tertiary plot about a famous woman also trying to figure out who she is. Yes, too many plots for one book.The characters are developed but I can't say I liked any of them; Lucy was too old for this behavior. Panda (seriously?) was just ridiculous; he is educated, wealthy and has access to anything he could want and yet he acts as if he is not good enough for Lucy who is acting like a spoiled brat? Lucy's parents are over protective and treat her more like she is a teenager rather than a productive woman entering her 30s.The ending, which consists of (SPOILER ALERT) Lucy and Panda getting together is absurd. Her methodology of "catching" him, her parent's behavior during their reunion and his acceptance of said behavior just doesn't ring anywhere near true. Granted this is escapist, romantic fiction but I didn't read anywhere that it was absurdist fiction.I have not read anything else by Ms. Phillips and I do understand that this is a companion book to another novel. I obviously don't know if having read the other novel would have enhanced my appreciation of this book. I just didn't enjoy this one as a stand alone book.
    • 4/5
      Great addition to the Wynette series. I liked the characters. The reader was okay, wish it had been someone else but very entertaining.
    • 5/5
      Lucy Jorik is the daughter of a former President and, as the book begins, runs away from her wedding on the back of a stranger's motorcycle. Turns out his name is Panda. The Great Escape is the sequel to Call Me Irresistible with Ted (Lucy's fiance) and Meg (Lucy's best friend) story taking place in the same time frame. I really didn't like this book at first. Panda is a bit of a dick in the beginning and Lucy came off as a spoiled brat. But I loved their bickering. I eventually came to like both of them but it took a while. The secondary characters were so well done. SEP can really write dialogue. Both Lucy and Panda have issues and I ended up being sympathetic to their problems. I had a hard time putting this book down. SEP is one of my favorite authors and this one did not disappoint. A very good story, great dialogue, and quirky characters topped of with her trademark humor. Really enjoyed it.
    • 5/5
      A really enjoyable comprehensive story including good secondary romances. I liked the variety of stages the relationship went through with many of the characters evaluating their lives. Lucy runs out on her wedding and hitches a ride on the back of a motorcycle with a guy named Panda.
    • 3/5


      Mostly enjoyable book although with troubled youth, runaway brides, broken families, PTSD, etc., I started looking for the kitchen sink to get thrown in too. Slow to get going and rushed at the end. Still, there is something appealing about SEP that keeps you reading.
    • 4/5
      Sometimes even when you know where the story is going, you are willing to settle back and enjoy the ride. That's the case with The Great Escape. Lucy, First Daughter, runs away from the alter and into seclusion, accompanied by a tough cyclist. Fun beach read, entertaining and enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      When Lucy, the former President's daughter, decides at the last moment that she can't marry her perfect fiancé, instead of walking down the aisle she runs in the opposite direction. She ends up riding away on a motorcycle with a biker named Panda - a complete stranger. Thus starts a road trip adventure that ends up on a Great Lakes island where Lucy and Panda (aka Patrick) start to figure out what they really want in life. Helping them (as well as on their own search for what they want) are several support characters that add a lot of color to the story. I enjoyed them all and I liked Phillips' storytelling. She kept me turning the pages and sad to turn the final page - always my sign of a good book. This is a good Contemporary Romance novel so if you're a fan of the genre and/or the author you'll want to read The Great Escape.
    • 3/5
      Not a lot of suspense or drama but a good story line that kept me interested. The story flowed well and the characters were likable. I had never read any other books by Susan Elizabeth Phillips but I would definately read another.
    • 4/5
      Phillips reintroduces Lucy Jorik, the U.S. president's adopted daughter from her previous novel, Call Me Irresistible. Lucy has always felt the pressure to be perfect, but when she runs out on the perfect man, Ted Beaudine, on the day of her wedding, she knows that she wants something else. Throwing caution to the wind, she accepts a ride on the back of a motorcycle from a menacing-looking stranger nicknamed "Panda." Lucy isn't quite ready to face her family, and the rest of the world, again, and her growing attraction to the grizzled biker just makes it easier to keep her real life on hold. After a secret about Panda comes out, however, Lucy realizes that escaping her too-perfect life will be harder than it seemed.This is trademark SEP: Familiar, quirky characters, humor, romance and hot sex. The beginning is a little slow, but once it gets going, it's hard to put down. I hate for SEP books to end because I don't want to let go of the characters! I hope she writes fast...I can't wait for her next novel.
    • 4/5
      I am a long-time fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. For some reason, this book took me a while to warm up to. I must have started and stopped it 3 times before acutally reading it. I have to say that Lucy was a boarderline unlikable character for me. She seemed spoiled and immature. Her transition to "Viper" was almost enough to make me quit reading. Patch, on the other hand, I loved instantly. He was honest, funny and down-to-earth. His actions trying to avoid Lucy made me actually laugh aloud. He's a hero that I'd love to meet! While this book was not one of her best, I'd reccomend giving it a shot - just stick with it for a while.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed The Great Escape. I have not read many of Phillips books and this one made me think I should read more of them. Although some parts of the story seemed a little unbelievable, they were entertaining enough to keep me reading. I understand that this book contains characters from a previous book. I was able to read the book without having read the other with no problem. I will recommend this book to friends who enjoy romance.
    • 5/5
      Running out on her perfect fiancée is the last thing Lucy Jorik ever thought she would do. To make matters worse, she climbs on the back of a motorcycle with a not so perfect stranger. Panda is a secretive man who likes his life the way it is and doesn’t need anyone disturbing it. He does everything he can to keep Lucy from getting too close. When she ends up at his beach house uninvited, sparks start to fly. All Lucy is looking for is a place to rejuvenate and reassess what she wants out of life. What she doesn’t expect is to find herself incredibly attracted to a man that is the opposite of what she thought she wanted. As they struggle to maintain their distance, they find that what they truly want is each other.As this was my first experience reading a book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, I was unsure of what to expect. After reading the first few chapters, I found it an easy and enjoyable read. The characters were fun, the storyline was interesting, and it managed to keep me reading without a lot of drama or suspense. In addition to the main characters and plot, it also had a side story that was very heart warming. I did have a few moments in the book where I thought that I might be missing part of a back story, but overall it worked well as a stand-alone read. This book was good for a lazy afternoon or anytime you just want to escape into a book.Rating: 4Heat Rating: MildReviewed by: AprilPReview Courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
    • 5/5
      I received this book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewers copy, however I have requested this story because I had also read a few of Susan Elizabeth Phillips other stories in the past. While the books are all stand alone stories, I have noticed how some of her characters pop into other novels from time to time. So when Lucy Jorik's story was written I was excited to hear how this character would be developed. Fortunately you don't have to read any of her other books at all to appreciate Lucy's story. Most of her characters, while mentioned in other stories do not have a long back story that will have you looking backwards through her novels to figure out who's who.I was very hesitant to like this book because out of the two other books from this author that I had read, I had really loved one story and really hated the other. So I did my best to come into this book with an open mind and tried to give the author a blank slate. And without a doubt, I LOVED this book!!! Lucy runs away from a wedding to a Mr. Perfect type guy to hop on the back of a motorcycle and run away with a "bad boy" type. While this plot has been done in romance novels before, I've never read a story where I've actually rooted so hard for the sexy bad boy to get the girl! Most stories involving this type of guy make the "bad boy" seem sleazy, perverted and gross or so fake that they just fall into one cliché after another. However the leading man in this book, Panda, was the perfect blend of sexy cliché's and total character development. Lucy and Panda's amazing adventure together was so believable I felt like I was living the excitement right there with them! Lucy's struggle with being true to herself and being true to what everyone else wants for her is something that I think we all can relate too. And I have to say that the dialogue and sub plots all supported the story flawlessly.I don't want to give away too much of the plot, just highlight some features I enjoyed. This was a page-turner all the way and I highly recommend it as the best Susan Elizabeth Phillips novel I have read so far!
    • 4/5
      Free Review Copy: Enjoyed this book. Good characters that you wanted to stick with and I even found myself rooting for good things for some of the less likeable ones. A good mix of chic lit and romance with some funny moments thrown in to the mix. Will look for more of Phillips books.
    • 3/5
      I received this through the Early Reviewers program. I have quite a few of SEP's books on my favorites shelf. I adored Natural Born Charmer, but unfortunately, that was the last book I really loved. The Great Escape has its moments of charm and humor, but there was a lot that I found lacking. I never really warmed up to Lucy, I guess, as a heroine. She's too chicken to tell Ted that she doesn't want to marry him, but she's willing to go off with a total stranger and all that it entails with barely a hitch in her stride. The idiotic references to Viper in her own head got tiresome after a while. I never once saw her as how she wanted to be seen, only as someone that was running from her problems. The focus on the Temple, Bree West, Mike, and Toby made it seem like the book was longer than it actually was.I'm probably one of the few readers that didn't dig "Panda" as a nickname. *shrug* The last couple of books from SEP have come more across as "chick lit" rather than a straight up romance. And I really don't like chick lit in the slightest. The humor and dialog did truly redeem the book for me in many ways.
    • 3/5
      What's the best aspect of a formula book? If you liked an earlier book, you may well like this one too.Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been a best-selling author on the basis of a few highly successful formulas. This is the one about the rich run-away girl and the threatening hunk. This time the 'girl' is the thirty-two year old daughter of the former president who runs from her wedding to the nicest guy in the world on the back of the glowering guy's bike.Been there and done that once too often.All the usual SEP threads are present - the secondary couple working through their own issues, the cute kid, the hot sex.So if this is the ride you're looking for, hop on. Otherwise, find a book by a author willing to make a bit more of an effort.
    • 3/5
      I have not had the pleasure of reading the other books in this series but “The Great Escape” was a fine book on its own. The characters were developed well and stayed true to their unique personalities. Lucy the main character was full of emotion. She was bubbly at times, sad, lost and on the fence of life. There was a lot going on in this book, maybe a bit too much at times but it did not really take away from the story. Lucy is running and hiding from life, what she is expected to do, want and feel and yet she is determined as a person. The second character in the book Bree is actually my favorite and I have high hopes she will evolve more into a book of her as the main plot. Bree also with problems because of life and what was handed her, example: Toby a strong-minded boy left to her to raise .. and although she doesn’t run and hide, she struggles to deal with any of it face front; until Lucy and her meet and absorb knowledge and ability from their strange friendship. Another character Panda, (didn’t like the name personally, rather awkward in the reading), was a great character and not exactly what you think he is. A motorcycle, rough guy or is he? He helped Lucy flee from or was it flees to?This book did seem hurried at some points and as if too much was stuffed in between the pages but it was an enjoyable read. Bree was the more realistic character and provided that magic which kept me reading.I received this book via goodreads first readers and enjoyed the ability to read it and meet an author I had not read yet.
    • 3/5
      When my mom stood at the back of the church ready to marry my dad, my grandfather turned to her and told her it wasn't too late to get out of it and that he knew where the back door was. My dad, in turn, told me the same thing as we stood in the same spot my mom and grandfather had stood twenty-six years earlier. Now, neither of us cried off and it's become a part of family lore for daddy to say to daughter but what if we had? And what if we not only had called off the wedding at the very last moment but had been a high profile person trying to evade the press as she escaped her "not going to be a wedding?" This is the opening premise of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' newest novel, The Great Escape, the companion novel to Call Me Irresistible. Lucy Jorik is the beloved, adopted, oldest daughter of the former President of the United States. She has spent her life being a good, steady, and responsible daughter, one worthy of the amazing life she got to lead after being adopted. She never rebelled or caused her family embarrassment. Instead she presented the expected picture, buttoned up, wearing pearls, and giving up her social work job to work as a lobbyist on behalf of more disadvantaged children than case work would effect. And now she's all set to marry the perfect man. Only he's not perfect for her and she realizes that she can't marry him no matter what embarrassment it brings to Ted and his family or to hers. So she runs away, acting out of character by jumping on the back of a perfect stranger's motorcycle and zooming off. Panda is seemingly a bad boy who initially inexplicably allows Lucy to travel around with him for two weeks after she flees. She is trying on a new persona, one a little more selfish than she has ever allowed herself to be, and he is fighting to keep her at arm's length both because he is attracted to her and because he is in fact not a bad boy but instead a bodyguard hired by her family to ensure her safety during the wedding and now beyond. The last night before he admits to her who he is and takes her to the airport to send her home to her family, they both give in to their mutual attraction and have sex, which makes Lucy's feeling of betrayal at his real identity that much bigger. And when she contemplates flying home to her parents, she just can't make herself yet. So she rents a car and heads north to an island in Lake Michigan where Panda has a home, a fact she discovered surreptitiously. She dons a Goth disguise and moves into his cottage where she meets and befriends several islanders. But of course, Panda shows up at the cottage and their antagonism sparks again. The burgeoning relationship between Lucy and Panda, complete with the heavy freight of both of their pasts, is not the only plot line though. There's a thread about the young African American boy living next door with his white guardian, Bree, who seems completely frozen emotionally for reasons that are revealed eventually. There's a tension and antagonism between Bree and another islander, Mike, who knew her many summers ago as they each struggle to figure out their futures. And there's a television star who has gained an appalling amount of weight thanks to a relationship she ended. She must lose it before she loses her job as the hard-nosed, shaming fitness expert on a show called Fat Island but she has to stay incognito while she follows her deprivation diet and over the top exercise regimen. None of these characters' stories are as secondary as they perhaps should be, coming across as just too much going on and too scattered as a result. Lucy and Panda as characters are rather bland and their attraction to each other is pretty flat, the reader only knowing about it because we're told it exists. The fact that Lucy is trying to find herself means that the romance is diluted as well. And as for the finding herself thing, well, she's awfully immature for a thirty-one year old woman; her character would be much more believable ten years younger. Further adding to the number of things going on in the novel are the myriad of social issues that Philips introduces. There are issues of poverty, race, sexuality, fidelity, and women's positioning after divorce to name a few. As is the case with the multiple competing plot lines, there is just too much going on to give the needed depth to all of the issues. And the pre-epilogue ending was not only out of the blue, it wasn't very satisfactory either. Normally I like epilogues to romances because I do want to see the happily ever after in action but in this case it has a completely different tone than the rest of the story and seemed as if it belonged to another tale altogether. This was overall an okay escapist romance but ultimately it missed the mark for me in several ways.
    • 2/5
      Lucy Jorik is the adopted daughter of the former President of the United States. She has always been the perfect daughter, the responsible daughter - never straying from what is expected of her. It's her wedding day and she's marrying the perfect man; a man who treats her with love and kindness, loves her family and is beloved by everyone, everywhere.She panics and leaves him at the altar and runs away with a rather shady man on a motorcycle.Not a very responsible, perfect thing to do.She just doesn't feel ready to marry the perfect man and settle down to the perfect life. She's not completely happy and isn't sure "who she is" so she wants to find herself.So she runs off with this motorcycle man whom she sort of recognizes as a friend of her now ex-fiance and she tries to disguise herself as she is one of the best known women in the country. After two weeks she still isn't sure what she wants so she continues to run but she runs right towards motorcycle man despite claiming to hate him.Is Lucy 19? No, Lucy is 31!Now I like my escapist novels as much as the next reader but they need to not be so jarring that I come out of the story to think about what 31 year old woman would act this way? I simply could not understand a woman of her age and background acting the way she did nor her parents condoning the behavior.There is also a secondary plot about another woman, her young African American ward the man who loves her and her friendship with Lucy. And a tertiary plot about a famous woman also trying to figure out who she is. Yes, too many plots for one book.The characters are developed but I can't say I liked any of them; Lucy was too old for this behavior. Panda (seriously?) was just ridiculous; he is educated, wealthy and has access to anything he could want and yet he acts as if he is not good enough for Lucy who is acting like a spoiled brat? Lucy's parents are over protective and treat her more like she is a teenager rather than a productive woman entering her 30s.The ending, which consists of (SPOILER ALERT) Lucy and Panda getting together is absurd. Her methodology of "catching" him, her parent's behavior during their reunion and his acceptance of said behavior just doesn't ring anywhere near true. Granted this is escapist, romantic fiction but I didn't read anywhere that it was absurdist fiction.I have not read anything else by Ms. Phillips and I do understand that this is a companion book to another novel. I obviously don't know if having read the other novel would have enhanced my appreciation of this book. I just didn't enjoy this one as a stand alone book.
    • 2/5
      Overall this one was a disappointment, especially since we waited so long for it to come out. It seemed to go on much too long, and Lucy acted far less mature as an adult in this book than she did as a teenager in First Lady! I thought her "great idea" for getting Patrick (I just can't call him Panda. I would have really liked to have known where the heck he got that nickname, but it was never shared) back in the end was just horrible. I can't believe he wasn't more ticked off by it--sure, they should end up together, but not like that. She behaved like a petulant child. The secondary storylines took up far too much time, yet for all that weren't really sufficiently developed--Bree's story especially was just far too rushed in the end. I usually love SEP's books, but this one really missed the mark.

      I sooooo miss Anna Fields. No one can narrate SEP books like she did--and it's entirely possible that if I'd read it myself or if there had been a better narrator (the voices on this one were horrible, especially Lucy's and Matt's) I'd have given this one another half star. I probably would not have upped the rating a full star, though--too many other issues with the story.
    • 5/5
      The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsAfter running away from going down the aisle, Lucy is the adopted daughter of the president, to Ted Bodine she gets on the back of a motorcycle with Panda. He is one of Ted's friends and looks scruffy.He's agreed to take money and go with him, she can't go back home. She arrives in Wisconsin at Panda's house. He's yet to arrive. She does know that after that one night of lovemaking she wants more of him and it never felt like that with Ted.Love all the detailed descriptions of the places she traveled through to get to Wisconsin and the island.She needs to toughen up when she finds herself meeting others at his waterfront home. There is so much to learn about their jobs, very interesting.She finds out the truth-her parents had hired him to protect her.They have a houseguest that is paying for Panda to help her lose weight before she has to go on a TV shoot. She can't be seen at all on the island so Viper/Lucy will have to help.They all have to learn to get along, together, with good healthy diet food and the house reorganized...He opens up to her about his past and she has a plan ...Enjoyed this book for the action, it didn't put me to sleep and there was a lot going on, easy to follow along.
    • 4/5
      Note: The 3-1/2 stars are regarding Ms. Phillips story. My rating of Ms. Cochran's performance rendition is noted below (only).
      Story Review: The story had all the trademark quirks that I so enjoy in SEP's books, except... something was different. Different enough that I rated this story only a little higher than average. Sometimes the normal stretch asked of the reader in story-line plausibility, was overextended, with a couple of times, to the snapping point. The secondary romances were enjoyable to follow, but one wrapped up too smoothly, and both lacked in character development. Overall, a good story that forks off from the same starting point as "Call Me Irresistible," but perhaps was rushed a bit in bringing to the reader.?. The story needed a stronger overall editing, to allow its flow and action to dovetail together seamlessly.

      Audio Review: I had a very hard time listening to Ms. Cochran's read of this story. Her performance lacked the ultimate consistency in character voice rendition, required by a multi character-driven story. She did differentiate character voice, but only within the particular scene. This inconsistency was most notable among the women characters. Scene-to-scene, Lucy's voice varied so much, it was cringe-worthy; if you could track that it was Lucy's character talking. In addition, many of the voice renditions were not listen-able. At times, they were equally harsh as listening to fingernails scraping across blackboards. Towards the book's end, exists the best example of inconsistent, grating voices used by Ms. Cochran. "Listen" intently to the Bostonian girl interacting with Lucy; I heard Boston, New York, and street voices, plus it was so heavily masculine, that I thought the character was a boy. My advice: READ the book, don't listen. Performance Rating: 1 star. 'Nuff said.
    • 2/5
      The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsNormally I really enjoy Ms Phillips novels. Usually they are fairly light and fluffy, with something that will eventually pull on your emotional strings, perhaps make you weep a tiny bit just before the feel good "happily ever after" ending.This book takes a totally different approach that the first books in this series-yes we still have the heroine who meets the hero under usually humiliating circumstances, so that at least is the norm in this book. We also have the hero doing something extremely stupid just as he realizes that he loves the heroine, so that too is working into the formula. However, I don't believe I've ever read a book by Ms Phillips where the hero was so depressing or cruel. Nor can I remember a book Ms Phillips has done that actually concentrated on 4 characters so much, instead of just the two main ones. The last book I remember that had a slightly extended secondary character story was Match Me If You Can : A NovelI am going to refrain from writing a synopsis since I don't believe I could do it without using too many spoilers.After you read the entire book you understand why he was that cruel, but it may be difficult for long time fans to try to get through most of this book. It is a slow and at times a very depressing read. I don't like the `broody hero' aspect. There is so much going on about what I assume is Ms Phillips favorite `cause' that I caught myself rolling my eyes. I understand that this cause was started with the book "First Lady" and it was interesting then, but I think it was taken a bit too far in this book.I read books to be entertained, to escape my real life that at times is depressing (like everyone in the world!) and this book did not have the moments of humor that I've come to expect with the author
    • 5/5
      Love this book!Runaway bride mets bad boy with a secret. Lots of laughs and not as predictable as it would seem. If you are a SEP, you will not be disappointed!
    • 5/5
      Lucy Jorik has done the unthinkable! The adopted daughter of the POTUS has jilted Mr. Perfect, literally at the altar, and made a run for it. She finds herself on the back of a motorcycle driven by a man named Panda who she remembers seeing at the rehearsal dinner. Panda is lean, mean, sexy and crude but he is all she has at the moment and she bribes him into taking her along on his travels.Lucy is looking to find the girl she once was- a young girl with gumption- not the cashmere twinset pale version of herself that she has become. The Lucy we met from “The First Lady” was a real firecracker who didn’t take any guff from anyone and has somehow turned into a pleaser with no backbone. With Panda she starts to find a little bit of that old spunky Lucy. After a short time together, sparks fly and they end up in bed together. Then he dumps her and sends her back to her family.Panda is a man in a difficult position. He is attracted to Lucy but he has to keep his distance and get her to back to her family for her own protection. After Lucy figures out the truth about him, she sets out to find him again and ends up squatting in his Michigan lakeside home. When he returns, things become pretty interesting. Lucy has adopted a new personality and starts to make friends with the locals including Toby, her pre-teen neighbor and his guardian, Bree.Although the book is primarily about Panda and Lucy, there are many other interesting characters in the book, Mike, the flashy real estate salesman with hidden depths, Temple, a mostly crazy fitness guru who has let herself go to pudgy, and assorted other folks who add color to the story. There is an interesting backstory about the history of some of the island residents and it relates to Panda as well.Lucy and Panda are so good together even when they are fighting and insulting each other. Lucy needs to get her mojo back and Panda needs to settle some old issues that are keeping him from engaging in having a happy life and they need each other to do it. When I read the last page, it felt like everything had just turned out so right both for this couple and for Meg and Ted, who make a brief appearance. Loved, loved, loved this book!