When Stars Collide
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- Create Date：2021-06-30 08:31:09
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Susan Elizabeth Phillips
- ISBN：B08K91XGSQ
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens， the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars， is a team player， talented sideline coach， occasional male underwear model， and a man with a low tolerance for Divas。
Olivia Shore， international opera superstar， is a driven diva with a passion for perfection， a craving for justice， too many secrets—and a monumental grudge against the egotistical， lowbrow jock she’s been stuck with。
It’s Mozart meets Monday Night Football as the temperamental soprano and stubborn jock embark on a nationwide tour promoting a luxury watch brand。 Along the way， the combatants will engage in soul-searching and trash talk， backstage drama and， for sure， a quarterback pass。 But there’ll also face trouble as threatening letters， haunting photographs， and a series of dangerous encounters complicate their lives。 Is it the work of an overzealous fan or something more sinister？
This is the emotional journey of a brilliant woman whose career is everything and a talented man who’ll never be happy with second place。 Tender and funny， passionate and insightful， this irresistible romantic adventure proves that anything can happen…when two superstars collide。
Olivia Shore， international opera superstar， is a driven diva with a passion for perfection， a craving for justice， too many secrets—and a monumental grudge against the egotistical， lowbrow jock she’s been stuck with。
It’s Mozart meets Monday Night Football as the temperamental soprano and stubborn jock embark on a nationwide tour promoting a luxury watch brand。 Along the way， the combatants will engage in soul-searching and trash talk， backstage drama and， for sure， a quarterback pass。 But there’ll also face trouble as threatening letters， haunting photographs， and a series of dangerous encounters complicate their lives。 Is it the work of an overzealous fan or something more sinister？
This is the emotional journey of a brilliant woman whose career is everything and a talented man who’ll never be happy with second place。 Tender and funny， passionate and insightful， this irresistible romantic adventure proves that anything can happen…when two superstars collide。
Reviews
Lindzanne1_bookworm
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Imagine this。 You get to travel the county， all expenses paid with a famous， super attractive football player。 Yes please！ This book will take you on an unexpected adventure！ I would describe it as a rom com with some suspense/thriller vibes mixed in。 The intense and heart racing scenes made this even more fun to read！ Synopsis:Meet Olivia Shore。 She’s an incredibly famous opera singer。 Meet Thad Owens。 He’s a backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars。 They are both invited to go on a tour to pro Imagine this。 You get to travel the county， all expenses paid with a famous， super attractive football player。 Yes please！ This book will take you on an unexpected adventure！ I would describe it as a rom com with some suspense/thriller vibes mixed in。 The intense and heart racing scenes made this even more fun to read！ Synopsis:Meet Olivia Shore。 She’s an incredibly famous opera singer。 Meet Thad Owens。 He’s a backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars。 They are both invited to go on a tour to promote a luxury watch brand。 They don’t know each other and their preconceived notions cause some instant friction。 Things get really complicated when Olivia starts getting threatening letters bringing up things from her past。 They’re catching lots of flights， will they also catch feelings？ 。。。more
Diane Saul
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Olivia， an opera singer and Thad a football player are on a marketing tour to promote expensive watches。 They are very different people with nothing in common。 They slowly learn to trust each other and become friends then more。 Olivia has been receiving threats and Thad goes into protection mode。 This book has a mystery along with a romance。 I enjoyed the banter between Olivia and Thad。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy。
Melanie
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Only part way through the book so rating and review may change， but so far really enjoying this book， the chemistry between the characters， and having a hero who is absolutely not a jerk。 The music references are fun too， means I can look up the songs they're referring to and have them play in the background as I read :） Only part way through the book so rating and review may change， but so far really enjoying this book， the chemistry between the characters， and having a hero who is absolutely not a jerk。 The music references are fun too， means I can look up the songs they're referring to and have them play in the background as I read :） 。。。more
Madison Warner Fairbanks
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When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth PhilipsBook 9 of the Chicago Stars series。 Can be read as a stand-alone。 Contemporary romance。 Beautiful story。 Wonderfully written。 Actually lyrical in places。It took me a bit to warm up to the heroine。 It was probably more than 20% when I learned enough about her to appreciate her standoffish behavior and attitude that she projected to the hero and the world。 By that point， I was routing for them both。Interesting twists and complexity。I fully agree with hi When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth PhilipsBook 9 of the Chicago Stars series。 Can be read as a stand-alone。 Contemporary romance。 Beautiful story。 Wonderfully written。 Actually lyrical in places。It took me a bit to warm up to the heroine。 It was probably more than 20% when I learned enough about her to appreciate her standoffish behavior and attitude that she projected to the hero and the world。 By that point， I was routing for them both。Interesting twists and complexity。I fully agree with him that he went too far but admired her tenacity in her efforts。 Effectively a PG romance。 The sex scenes were a seductive dance which was a bit amusing。 Loved so much， the epilogue for the glimpse into the future and their lives which was complicated and loving。 A+ and all the stars。 I received a copy of this from NetGalley。 I also purchased a copy to share。 。。。more
Lex
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Fun fact: Susan Elizabeth Philips is one of THE authors that got me into romance。 10 years ago， I read Simply Irresistible and I think I ran straight to the library to stock up on every single book in her catalog （this was pre-kindle）。 I was beyond excited to see she had a new book coming out。When Stars Collide returns us to the world of the Chicago Stars。 Part rom-com， part thriller， the 9th book in the series （holy cow， 9！）， throws together Opera Diva， Olivia Stone， and Stars backup QB， Thad B Fun fact: Susan Elizabeth Philips is one of THE authors that got me into romance。 10 years ago， I read Simply Irresistible and I think I ran straight to the library to stock up on every single book in her catalog （this was pre-kindle）。 I was beyond excited to see she had a new book coming out。When Stars Collide returns us to the world of the Chicago Stars。 Part rom-com， part thriller， the 9th book in the series （holy cow， 9！）， throws together Opera Diva， Olivia Stone， and Stars backup QB， Thad Bowman on a tour promoting luxury watches。 Olivia is dealing with a lot - her ex-fiance seems to be stalking her from the grave， and she's lost her voice。 As she and Thad are thrown together as they travel across the country， Olivia is determined not to cave to their chemistry and fall into her old relationship trap of minimizing her career for the sake of her partner。 And Thad is determined to keep her safe and to help her find her voice。 This book was a really slow start。 Firstly， I did take some issue with the premise of a promotional tour for watches。 It was a little far-fetched to me that these （fairly minor） celebrities would be traveling to places like Pheonix to do press for timepieces， no matter how luxurious。 The relationship between Olivia and Thad was initially set up as an enemies to lovers - Olivia under the mistaken impression he had once assaulted her friend。 But this was quickly resolved， and felt fairly unnecessary as it really did nothing to set up the tension between them。 On the other hand， I did think Philips did a great job with the Opera details。 A modern Opera star is unique！ It was super fun to revisit with some of the old Chicago Stars characters。 This book was filled with classic SEP details， complete with the overprotective hero and quirky， hot mess heroine。 It wasn't her best work， but it's a great comfort read if you're feeling nostalgic Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Norah Gibbons
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I received an ARC of this book to read through Edelweiss+。 All opinions are my own。 When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the ninth book in her Chicago Stars series。 When I found out that SEP had written a new Chicago Stars book， I was so excited that I re-visited all of the previous books in preparation for this one。 While I enjoyed reading and listening to the books， I have to say that while this book is quite comparable to those previous books， I was expecting more， and this one d I received an ARC of this book to read through Edelweiss+。 All opinions are my own。 When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the ninth book in her Chicago Stars series。 When I found out that SEP had written a new Chicago Stars book， I was so excited that I re-visited all of the previous books in preparation for this one。 While I enjoyed reading and listening to the books， I have to say that while this book is quite comparable to those previous books， I was expecting more， and this one didn’t deliver。 The heroine Olivia Shore， Opera Superstar， is a hot mess。 In the first 30 pages， she gets under the table drunk， tries to walk on the railing of her hotel room terrace and viciously attacks the hero， quarterback Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens， when he attempts to rescue her because she believes he’s a sexual predator， a plot throwaway that contributes nothing to the story but is used in an attempt to make this an enemies to lovers story but honestly it just doesn’t work。 Hello it’s 2021 … the hero saying he couldn’t be a sexual predator because his mama didn’t raise him that way just doesn’t cut it， nor do false accusations of rape as throwaway plot points。 So yes， if you enjoy everything but the kitchen sink plots， a little dubious consent and a hero so bland he doesn’t even rate being named in the blurb， then this is your book。 Steam Level: Medium。 Publishing Date: June 29， 2021。 #WhenStardCollide #SusanElizabethPhillps #HarperCollinsCanada #WilliamMorrowPublishing #ContemporaryRomance #SportsRomance #MyBookPledge #ContemporaryRomanceSeries #ChicagoStarsRomanceSeries #bookstagram #bookstagrammer 。。。more
Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth
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TITLE: WHEN STARS COLLIDEAUTHOR: Susan Elizabeth PhillipsSERIES: Chicago Stars #9RELEASE DATE: June 29， 2021GENRE: Contemporary RomanceTHEMES & TROPES: Enemies to Lovers; Stalking， Suicide （off-page）， Forced ProximityRATING: 4 STARSCLIFFHANGER: NoOCD people， cover your eyes:*takes a deep breath*THISISMYFIRSTCHICAGOSTARSBOOKANDTHESECONDIREADBYSEP#sorrynotsorryI have no idea how the others in this series compare but this one was a winner for several reasons。 Did I have issues with it？ Sure。 Whe TITLE: WHEN STARS COLLIDEAUTHOR: Susan Elizabeth PhillipsSERIES: Chicago Stars #9RELEASE DATE: June 29， 2021GENRE: Contemporary RomanceTHEMES & TROPES: Enemies to Lovers; Stalking， Suicide （off-page）， Forced ProximityRATING: 4 STARSCLIFFHANGER: NoOCD people， cover your eyes:*takes a deep breath*THISISMYFIRSTCHICAGOSTARSBOOKANDTHESECONDIREADBYSEP#sorrynotsorryI have no idea how the others in this series compare but this one was a winner for several reasons。 Did I have issues with it？ Sure。 When I started reading this one I was completely taken aback because the heroine hated the hero from the get-go。 I was very worried that I'd have two unlikable characters on my hands and would have to drag myself through the story。 So for those who are tempted to quit early - don't。 After resolving this first issue I really started to like Thad and Olivia。Both of them have a totally wrong perception of one another although they are so alike on so many levels。 Both of them professionals， a football player and a celebrated opera singer。 Due to impaired vision Thad couldn't be the starter quarterback for the stars， he always had to play second fiddle。 Olivia's ex-boyfriend had always begrudged her her success and when she broke up with him he committed suicide。 So a relationship in which her partner wouldn't support her 100% and would demand too much of her headspace wasn't going to happen again。 From the onset it seemed that these two didn't have the best cards to work out but over the course of the story Thad and Olivia learned to understand one another on a very deep level。 I enjoyed their banter so much - I have to say that SEP's dialogues are some of the best out there。 I had so much fun with Thad and Olivia going head to head。 Afraid you can’t keep up with me， aren’t you？ Afraid you’ll be a dud。”“I’m not afraid I’ll be a dud。” She stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets。 “Okay， I might be a dud。”He laughed。 “You’re adorable when you’re insane。” The opera setting was quite unique and although I'm not an opera fan I grew up in Vienna where classical music and opera are a big thing。 When Olivia lost her voice Thad helped her to get out of her head and was so incredibly supportive （although his last act of support was stupid and hurtful）。 Olivia is high-strung but the beginning notwithstanding I didn't hate her。 She was a kind， smart and funny woman who simply was scared。 She definitely frustrated me but I loved her anyway， which is weird because I usually can't stand this kind of characters。 “You’re at the top of your game。 In the starting lineup！ A fucking tornado， not some twenty-year-old pretender afraid to open her mouth！”“That’s easy for you to say。 You’re not—”“Stop being such a pussy。” I loved Thad's protective nature， when Olivia received threatening letters he was always there to save the day。 I got a little annoyed when Olivia put herself in harm's way despite knowing that it was dangerous。 I also had an issue with how Thad treated Olivia towards the end。 That last conflict felt more like him throwing a temper tantrum and being intentionally cruel。 I understand that this was supposed to build up to a grand gesture but I didn't feel that the way Thad handled it was fair。 But then again， there wasn't just one diva in this relationship。 She was so fierce and strong—ready to avenge wrongs and slay selfish lovers with her powerful arias—but he’d also seen her vulnerability。 I loved their chemistry though， the way they embraced each other's flaws， their unwanted attraction and I think my favorite part was when they started to respect one another。 They fought their feelings tooth and nail but they were also very open and honest about every aspect of their relationship。 I also enjoyed the suspense aspect of this story which was very well done and just what I needed。Despite everything I loved WHEN STARS COLLIDE。 SEP's writing style is very engaging and riveting and whenever I picked the story back up I didn't want to put it down。 So I get it， I totally get why this author is such a big deal。 I'm glad I have a huge backlist to catch up to。 Yay。 。。。more
Sue Galuska
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Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens is the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars。 Thad won the Heisman trophy in college but he hasn't become the greatest QB in the NFL as he hoped， but he still gives 100% to his team。 When Thad agrees to be a spokesperson for Marchand Timepieces in the off season， he never expected to be spending four weeks touring with Olivia Shore， the diva of the opera world who will also be a spokesperson。When Olivia treats Thad in a negative way because of something from her p Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens is the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars。 Thad won the Heisman trophy in college but he hasn't become the greatest QB in the NFL as he hoped， but he still gives 100% to his team。 When Thad agrees to be a spokesperson for Marchand Timepieces in the off season， he never expected to be spending four weeks touring with Olivia Shore， the diva of the opera world who will also be a spokesperson。When Olivia treats Thad in a negative way because of something from her past that she heard， the fun begins。 As these two divas duke it out， you get the fun， typical banter one is used to from Susan Elizabeth Phillips。 As Olivia and Thad are one upping each other。。。。and really starting to enjoy each other's company。。。。Thad realizes that Olivia's life is in danger。 As the chemistry between these two starts to sizzle， they realize that they can't hold back any longer and decide to just spend the time on the tour together and then it's over。 How could two people who put their job above everything else， ever have anything more than just a fling？As their feelings start getting stronger， and the danger keeps ramping up， Olivia and Thad both find out things the other was hiding。 As these two strong individuals try to figure out what they want， it all comes crashing down。 Just when it looks like everything is over， one of them has an epiphany and is determined to set things right。 It will take some crazy dramatics， a scary kidnapping， but in the end Olivia and Thad will get their happy ending。I just LOVED this sexy story！ I loved how these two people， so the same， yet so different just worked。 They both thought they knew what they wanted in life， but they were both so wrong。 I enjoyed how Olivia was trying to not repeat the past and I understood her reasons。 I really adored Thad。 He sounded like just the perfect man and he now is my favorite new book boyfriend！ I can't wait for the next Chicago Stars book and I am hoping it will be Clint's！ 。。。more
Donna Sutay-Cooke
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For the sake of full transparency， I was sent an ARC of “When Stars Collide” by NetGalley to read and provide my unbiased feedback and thoughts on。 Also， I went into reading this book cold， having never read any of the other Chicago Stars novels。 Having discussed my thoughts with my bookworm friends who also were reviewing this book， I have discovered familiarity with the series and SEP’s rom-com writing style directly links with the level of enjoyment one has with this book。 For me， a newbie， w For the sake of full transparency， I was sent an ARC of “When Stars Collide” by NetGalley to read and provide my unbiased feedback and thoughts on。 Also， I went into reading this book cold， having never read any of the other Chicago Stars novels。 Having discussed my thoughts with my bookworm friends who also were reviewing this book， I have discovered familiarity with the series and SEP’s rom-com writing style directly links with the level of enjoyment one has with this book。 For me， a newbie， with no background， I found the book to be fun， the dialogue witty and amusing， the storyline a little bit crowded （almost like she squeezed in one too many twists）， but overall a pleasant way to spend my Sunday reading。 Basically solidly good， but the story won’t stick in my mind past starting the next book， so 3 stars。 （Which my followers know is what I enjoy having 60-70% of my reads be。 I don’t have the emotional bandwidth to read the majority 4 and 5 star books throughout the year） I shared that tidbit， so people understand I didn’t think this was a bad book by any means， just a quick easy read。 Now my friends who are SEP devotees， likened “When Stars Collide” to a visit with an old friend and point blank told me the fact I was able to easy breeze it was because I was missing the background that would let me savor the breadcrumbs and tiny details she left about previous beloved characters。 So maybe that will help some of you to know。 。。。more
Michelle
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4。5 Another great SEP romance！ This time with Thad， a fading quarterback from the Stars and Olivia， a superstar opera singer getting mysterious threats。 The enemies to friends to lovers romance was a slow burn， and well worth it。 The mystery of who is behind the threats was an added bonus。 The tension between them on how to reconcile their careers and not lose themselves and their ambitions were valid and honest。 Though something in the epilogue rubbed me the wrong way， （view spoiler）[ where he 4。5 Another great SEP romance！ This time with Thad， a fading quarterback from the Stars and Olivia， a superstar opera singer getting mysterious threats。 The enemies to friends to lovers romance was a slow burn， and well worth it。 The mystery of who is behind the threats was an added bonus。 The tension between them on how to reconcile their careers and not lose themselves and their ambitions were valid and honest。 Though something in the epilogue rubbed me the wrong way， （view spoiler）[ where he doubts that she'll be a good mother because of her opera role！ （hide spoiler）] I always end up loving SEP's romances！ 。。。more
Erin
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When Stars Collide by @sepauthor is book 9 in the Chicago Stars series and I was excited to read this one！ I listened to the other 8 books back in 2016-2017 so it's been a few years but this book really does work as a standalone book！What will happen when a football superstar and a world famous opera singer go on a publicity tour for a luxury watch company？ I love sports romances and Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the original queen on them！ It also had forced proximity， enemies to lovers and a lit When Stars Collide by @sepauthor is book 9 in the Chicago Stars series and I was excited to read this one！ I listened to the other 8 books back in 2016-2017 so it's been a few years but this book really does work as a standalone book！What will happen when a football superstar and a world famous opera singer go on a publicity tour for a luxury watch company？ I love sports romances and Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the original queen on them！ It also had forced proximity， enemies to lovers and a little bit of suspense！ A fun romance with witty banter and I just love Susan Elizabeth Phillips！ 。。。more
Nicole
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I quite enjoyed this tale。 The opera diva vs the backup quarterback。 There was a lot of technical info incorporated that showed the author did some research or had very good advisors on the opera。 Taking two people from quite different worlds and showing how they were similar in personality made a good case for relationships based on values and personality more than what they seemingly had in common。 The misunderstandings were handled in a mixture of humorous and mature ways。。。 mostly。 The "I'm I quite enjoyed this tale。 The opera diva vs the backup quarterback。 There was a lot of technical info incorporated that showed the author did some research or had very good advisors on the opera。 Taking two people from quite different worlds and showing how they were similar in personality made a good case for relationships based on values and personality more than what they seemingly had in common。 The misunderstandings were handled in a mixture of humorous and mature ways。。。 mostly。 The "I'm going to kiss someone to make you jealous" was a little off-putting。 I wish the explanations at the end didn't feel so rushed。 I've not read all of the previous books， but several， and it was nice to see old characters pop up。 SEP is always on my TBR and one-click list when I have extra funds！ I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review but my opinions are all my own。 。。。more
Julie
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I have read every book Susan Elizabeth Phillips （SEP） has published。 I know that if I pick up a book by SEP， I am guaranteed scenes that make me laugh out loud， witty banter， and a romance between two larger has life characters that I would love to meet。Olivia is an opera singer at the top of her game （she's a diva）。 Thad is a backup quarterback who is know for his ability to develop first string quarterbacks （even though he's not the top QB on his team， he's a superstar- he won a Heisman）。 They I have read every book Susan Elizabeth Phillips （SEP） has published。 I know that if I pick up a book by SEP， I am guaranteed scenes that make me laugh out loud， witty banter， and a romance between two larger has life characters that I would love to meet。Olivia is an opera singer at the top of her game （she's a diva）。 Thad is a backup quarterback who is know for his ability to develop first string quarterbacks （even though he's not the top QB on his team， he's a superstar- he won a Heisman）。 They are both hired to promote a fancy watch line and they have to travel together，， and they're not happy about it。 Thad has no patience for a diva， and Olivia has a reason that makes her immediately dislike him。 So， we've got forced proximity， two strong characters who are used to getting their way， an enemies to lovers vibe， and a little bit of danger and mystery （threatening letters， oh my！）。 It was the perfect mix！ I had so much fun reading this and thoroughly enjoyed it！ 4。5 stars rounded up to 5。This book made me want to go back and read the other books set in the Chicago Stars world。 If you haven't read any other books in this world， no worries， this will read just fine as a standalone and then you can dive into the others。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Allie B I Literally Booked Solid
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Opera singer Olivia Shore is an ice princess， according to professional football player， Thad Owens。 The pair are spending four weeks traveling the country to promote a luxury watch brand。 The two cannot stand each other， but must make nice in front of the cameras。 But after Thad discovers that Olivia is being blackmailed after her ex-fiance commits suicide， he jumps to her rescue and the close proximity forces the pair together。 When Stars Collide is part romance， part mystery。 The book was not Opera singer Olivia Shore is an ice princess， according to professional football player， Thad Owens。 The pair are spending four weeks traveling the country to promote a luxury watch brand。 The two cannot stand each other， but must make nice in front of the cameras。 But after Thad discovers that Olivia is being blackmailed after her ex-fiance commits suicide， he jumps to her rescue and the close proximity forces the pair together。 When Stars Collide is part romance， part mystery。 The book was not what I expected when picking it up， which was a fun surprise。 The book is a part of a large series， but I read it as a standalone。 I did not feel that I was missing anything by not reading the other books in the series first。I really enjoyed Thad's character。 He was overprotective， said what he wanted and didn't play games。 I also thought it was a fun twist that he was the perpetual back-up quarterback， instead of being the team star。 Olivia denies her attraction to Thad at every turn， but once she gives in， the chemistry is well-balanced and believable。 The way the pair low key cares about each other， yet denies it at every turn was super adorable。I liked the book， but didn't love it。 I had a hard time with the POV switching mid-chapter continually。 There was an air of mystery throughout the book， but it did feel as though it drug on and the plot was tedious at times。 The book could have been shorter， in my opinion。Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced copy。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Rosie （readingrosiee）
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Solid 3。5 rounded up。 Review to come
Trigger Warning Database
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Trigger & Content WarningsFalse sexual assault allegationSuicide recounted， off-pageAttempted murderAttempted kidnappingStalking
Isabella | ilashreads
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When Stars Collide is the 9th book in the Chicago Stars series， something I didn't realize going in to this。 I think that this book worked well as a stand alone。 CW: suicide （past and off-page of a side character）， stalking， attempted kidnapping， attempted murder， anxiety， false sexual assault allegationWhen opera star Olivia ends up on a tour promoting a luxury watch with football player， Thad， sparks fly。 The two decide to hook-up after putting an expiration date on it。 This book was different When Stars Collide is the 9th book in the Chicago Stars series， something I didn't realize going in to this。 I think that this book worked well as a stand alone。 CW: suicide （past and off-page of a side character）， stalking， attempted kidnapping， attempted murder， anxiety， false sexual assault allegationWhen opera star Olivia ends up on a tour promoting a luxury watch with football player， Thad， sparks fly。 The two decide to hook-up after putting an expiration date on it。 This book was different from what I expected。 It was heavy and full of suspense and mystery， more so than romance for me。 I enjoyed the discussions around what it would be like to have competing careers。 However， the ending fell a little flat for me。 I just never felt like I was invested in Thad and Olivia or that I wanted to root for Thad。 Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Becky
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4。5 - This book is #9 in the Chicago Stars series but my first and I can't wait to go back and read the others in this series！ This one follows Olivia who is a world renowned Opera Singer and Thad who is the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars。 The two are paired together for a month long ad campaign for luxury watches。 This started out as a classic enemies to friends to lovers and I loved every minute of their story。 My favorite parts were the insight into the opera world and I kept googli 4。5 - This book is #9 in the Chicago Stars series but my first and I can't wait to go back and read the others in this series！ This one follows Olivia who is a world renowned Opera Singer and Thad who is the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars。 The two are paired together for a month long ad campaign for luxury watches。 This started out as a classic enemies to friends to lovers and I loved every minute of their story。 My favorite parts were the insight into the opera world and I kept googling performances that were mentioned in the book。 I also really enjoyed Thad and his dedication to his team。 He knows he is second string and even though he wants to be a starter he never doesn't give his all in training the young quarterback who is the starter。 I loved how Thad referred to him as the idiot and I really hope he gets his own book because I loved his character so much！！ This was such a fun romance with a dash of mystery and I highly recommend checking this one out！ Thank you William Marrow and Netgalley for my gifted copy for review， this book is out 6/29/21。 。。。more
Cat G | _basicbookworm
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When an opera star and a football player are both put on a nationwide tour promoting a luxury watch brand， there is so much backstage drama and conflict。 Despite their differences， they agree to a no-strings attached hook-up situation for the duration of their tour。I didn’t realize that this was book 9 in a series but I definitely think this one works well as a stand alone。 I didn’t feel lost at all when reading it。 There was a heavy element of suspense/mystery in this one which was fun and unex When an opera star and a football player are both put on a nationwide tour promoting a luxury watch brand， there is so much backstage drama and conflict。 Despite their differences， they agree to a no-strings attached hook-up situation for the duration of their tour。I didn’t realize that this was book 9 in a series but I definitely think this one works well as a stand alone。 I didn’t feel lost at all when reading it。 There was a heavy element of suspense/mystery in this one which was fun and unexpected。 I was hoping for a bit more comedy， but this ended up being a bit more dramatic than I anticipated。 I think had I been aware of the suspense plot line going in， I would have loved this more。 I did a mix of audio and ebook for this one， and found that I preferred the audio in this case！ The production was done well and I loved the narrators。Thank you to NetGalley， William Morrow and Harper Audio for the advanced copies！ 。。。more
kgagnon
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What a fun and emotional return to Phillips Chicago Stars series！ This has been one of my all time favorite series and I was excited to revisit this world。 Chicago Stars second string quarterback， Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens and one of the world’s greatest opera singers， and major diva， Olivia Shore， are thrown together on a tour to promote a line of high end watches。 They did not like each other at first， despite being attracted to each other。 After a few awkward and hilarious encounters， they What a fun and emotional return to Phillips Chicago Stars series！ This has been one of my all time favorite series and I was excited to revisit this world。 Chicago Stars second string quarterback， Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens and one of the world’s greatest opera singers， and major diva， Olivia Shore， are thrown together on a tour to promote a line of high end watches。 They did not like each other at first， despite being attracted to each other。 After a few awkward and hilarious encounters， they soon learn to respect each other。 Their attraction grows and so does their chemistry， but because of previous heartbreak， they try to keep their distance。 As they spend more time together， it becomes impossible to ignore their feelings， and agree to a no strings affair towards the end of the tour。 When strange， and dangerous events start happening， Thad's protective instincts kick in， and he will do whatever it takes to protect Olivia。 As the walls come down， they begin to want more， but can two passionate people， who want to be the best in their demanding careers， be happy being second place to the other？ I really liked both Olivia， and Thad， the way they challenged each other， making each other stronger， and their slow burn chemistry was palpable。 I had fun revisiting this world that I have always loved so much， as well as learning a bit about opera。 This fun， heartfelt， suspenseful， and steamy story is a great addition to this series。 。。。more
Stacy
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This book surprised me！ Centered around backup quarterback Thad Owens and opera superstar Olivia Shore， the two must travel together to promote a luxury watch as brand ambassadors and they don't get off to the greatest start！There's romance and a bit of mystery as Olivia faces threatening letters and gets in some potential trouble！ I thought the storyline progressed really well over the course of their PR trip--Thad & Olivia's chemistry was a joy to read。 I do not know much about opera， but I re This book surprised me！ Centered around backup quarterback Thad Owens and opera superstar Olivia Shore， the two must travel together to promote a luxury watch as brand ambassadors and they don't get off to the greatest start！There's romance and a bit of mystery as Olivia faces threatening letters and gets in some potential trouble！ I thought the storyline progressed really well over the course of their PR trip--Thad & Olivia's chemistry was a joy to read。 I do not know much about opera， but I really enjoyed the musical elements weaved throughout。 I listened to some of this on audio， narrated by Nicole Poole， who did a fantastic job！ She brought a lot to each character as the narration perspective switches a bit throughout。 I've never read anything else in the Chicago Stars series， so this can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone。 After this one， I will be checking out more from author Susan Elizabeth Phillips！ Thank you to NetGalley， Harper Audio and William Morrow & Custom House for an advanced copy of this and the opportunity to share my honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Caroline David
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This just didn't do it for me。 I found both the main characters to be unlikeable and rude。 The writing was fine but the book， over all， just wasn't for me。 This just didn't do it for me。 I found both the main characters to be unlikeable and rude。 The writing was fine but the book， over all， just wasn't for me。 。。。more
lauras。always。reading
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I have been a long-time fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and loved her Chicago Stars series so was really excited for this one。 When Stars Collide features Thad who is a backup quarterback nearing full retirement and Olivia a renowned opera singer。 The two are paired up for a monthlong tour to promote a high-end brand of watches。 There is a lot going on with this book。 It starts out as an enemies-to-lovers with some forced proximity。 But then there is also some mystery and suspense to it as Olivi I have been a long-time fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and loved her Chicago Stars series so was really excited for this one。 When Stars Collide features Thad who is a backup quarterback nearing full retirement and Olivia a renowned opera singer。 The two are paired up for a monthlong tour to promote a high-end brand of watches。 There is a lot going on with this book。 It starts out as an enemies-to-lovers with some forced proximity。 But then there is also some mystery and suspense to it as Olivia is getting threats and is even attacked multiple times。 Before too long， it shifts to friends to lovers and the mystery part gets more complex and complicated。 It was a lot to keep track of and really took focus off any feel for a budding relationship。I had a hard time connecting with these two and never really felt the chemistry。 It may partially be that I'm just not interested in two mega-wealthy superstars and how tough their lives are right now。 The writing felt over the top at times and the operatic parts were tough to follow。 Plus， there were too many cliches for me。 That being said， I could see if you are looking for a Hollywood drama style romance then this book may work for you。 There are some old favorites from previous Stars books that pop up here and there which was fun。 Phillips will always be a must-read for me。 This one just wasn't my favorite of hers。Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book。 The opinions here are my own。 。。。more
Jessi
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I'm having a hard time figure out what I think of this book。 I was uncertain about the two characters in the beginning， didn't really like that the reveal of why Olivia doesn't like Thaddeus at first （and it's ridiculously quick resolution）， and REALLY thought there was too much drama at the end and Thad was a jerk。 This book could have been saved with the elimination of any of the 16 reasons the HEA doesn't happen or the streamlining any of the 212 storylines。 If this had just been a forced pro I'm having a hard time figure out what I think of this book。 I was uncertain about the two characters in the beginning， didn't really like that the reveal of why Olivia doesn't like Thaddeus at first （and it's ridiculously quick resolution）， and REALLY thought there was too much drama at the end and Thad was a jerk。 This book could have been saved with the elimination of any of the 16 reasons the HEA doesn't happen or the streamlining any of the 212 storylines。 If this had just been a forced proximity between an opera singer and a football player， this could have been an amazing book， especially by this author。 However， all that being said， SEP is an amazing author and I eventually grew to like Olivia and liked Thad other than his （out of character） ridiculousness at the end。 Olivia Shore is a world-famous opera singer。 She is the perfect choice for a luxury watch brand。 Too bad the man they've chose to be her counterpart is such an amazing jerk。 This tour is definitely just adding to the problems heaping on her life that are coming out as physical ailments。Thaddeus Walker Bowman Owens is thirty-six。 Not particularly old unless you're a football player。 And not particularly galling unless a much younger， much more egotistical player is now the starting quarterback for the Chicago Stars while he is still second string。 And now he has to travel with a woman who not only looks down on him， she seems terrified of him。 What else is he to do except try to figure out why that is and whether he can't help her figure out her life。 。。。more
Lauren
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This book is part of a long running series， but it absolutely stands alone。 Thad is the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars， and Olivia is a superstar opera singer。 They are paired together for an advertising campaign in which they travel to multiple cities over four weeks。 From the beginning， their relationship includes many obstacles。 As one gets sorted， another arises。 The book incorporates a mystery and suspense。 It's anice balance of romance and mystery。 I enjoyed the way in which the This book is part of a long running series， but it absolutely stands alone。 Thad is the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars， and Olivia is a superstar opera singer。 They are paired together for an advertising campaign in which they travel to multiple cities over four weeks。 From the beginning， their relationship includes many obstacles。 As one gets sorted， another arises。 The book incorporates a mystery and suspense。 It's anice balance of romance and mystery。 I enjoyed the way in which the characters questioned whether Thad could comfortably adapt to being the lesser known star in a relationship。 It was a storyline unique to them but with broader implications about career-driven women。 Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy。 These opinions are my own。 。。。more
Mikaela （Booklover1974）
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3，5 starsI love the Chicago Stars series！ I'm so happy she wrote a new one but I have to be honest and say that this new addition is not the best one in the series。 Enjoyable and entertaining but not pulling at your heartstrings :） 3，5 starsI love the Chicago Stars series！ I'm so happy she wrote a new one but I have to be honest and say that this new addition is not the best one in the series。 Enjoyable and entertaining but not pulling at your heartstrings :） 。。。more
Suzanne
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Not your average romance。 WHEN STARS COLLIDE， manages to create a mystery amidst the romance between two very different stars promoting expensive watches。 The opera star and the football star cannot help but fall in love while on a promotional tour for exclusive watches but someone is trying to harm one of them， why or for what reason is not entirely clear。 The spin on the classic formula is just enough to make the book extra entertaining and perfect for summer。 I received my copy from the publi Not your average romance。 WHEN STARS COLLIDE， manages to create a mystery amidst the romance between two very different stars promoting expensive watches。 The opera star and the football star cannot help but fall in love while on a promotional tour for exclusive watches but someone is trying to harm one of them， why or for what reason is not entirely clear。 The spin on the classic formula is just enough to make the book extra entertaining and perfect for summer。 I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Leslie at SheReadsRomanceBooks。com
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Hmmmm…。it’s hard to write a review for this one。 I guess that means it didn’t meet my expectations。 There was just too much going on…。the misunderstanding at their beginning， the mystery of her stalker， their issues with relationships， all the opera characters， the jewelry company employees/owners， etc。 Plus I don’t think they had enough opportunities to really fall in love for me to buy their connection。 Sure they had chemistry and lust in spades but love？ After 4 weeks？ Not so sure。I really lo Hmmmm…。it’s hard to write a review for this one。 I guess that means it didn’t meet my expectations。 There was just too much going on…。the misunderstanding at their beginning， the mystery of her stalker， their issues with relationships， all the opera characters， the jewelry company employees/owners， etc。 Plus I don’t think they had enough opportunities to really fall in love for me to buy their connection。 Sure they had chemistry and lust in spades but love？ After 4 weeks？ Not so sure。I really love this series but other than Tad being a back up quarterback it really doesn’t fit。 His storyline got lost for me too。 I do like Olivia and Tad but their relationship just got messy for me when it could have been a great opposites attract， forced proximity story。 The writing is great but the last few chapter started to really veer off course。 The mystery took a life of its own that was a bit much and I think that’s what detracted from Tad and Olivia。 I honestly loved her last release， Dance Away With Me， and say read that one instead。*I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kaye
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Cute romantic mystery。 Olivia Shore is an international renown opera singer。 Thaddeus Walker Bowman is an aging （36） back up quarterback for the Chicago stars。 Both are hired by high end Marchard Timepieces for a month-long cross country promotional tour。 It is quick， easy money for both promoting qualities products。 Of course there is stero-typical clashes。 But the MC's actually enjoy each others company。 Thad's protective instincts are aroused when he learns the threats are being made against Cute romantic mystery。 Olivia Shore is an international renown opera singer。 Thaddeus Walker Bowman is an aging （36） back up quarterback for the Chicago stars。 Both are hired by high end Marchard Timepieces for a month-long cross country promotional tour。 It is quick， easy money for both promoting qualities products。 Of course there is stero-typical clashes。 But the MC's actually enjoy each others company。 Thad's protective instincts are aroused when he learns the threats are being made against Olivia。 More alarmingly the stress is causing interference with her ability to sing。Both the main characters are fun， driven professionals。 They logically know their attraction can't be something long-term as their careers come first。 But logic doesn't always stop love。 I easily guessed part of the mystery but not all。 I liked small things like Thad indulging Olivia's sweet tooth。 I enjoyed some of the highlighted locations such as; The Met in NYC， hiking in AZ， a mountain cabin in the Rockies。Surprisingly this is my first read from this author who has been successful for over 30 years。 This book is the 9th in a series but obviously can be read alone。 I love finding new to me authors who have lots of other books for me to binge through and I will add Susan Elizabeth Phillips to my list。 This is a good contemporary romance especially if you enjoy a little mystery too。 Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Twice Upon A Book
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Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest reviewCW: suicide （off-page side character）， grief， stalking， attempted kidnapping， attempted murder， discussions of mental health， anxiety， false sexual assault allegationI would recommend if you're looking for （SPOILERS）-m/f rivals to lovers-opposites attract-close proximity-sex pact/this is only a hookup-sports romance-celebrity romance-sizzling chemistry with a side of adventureI really enjoyed this one。 Thad and Olivia mi Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest reviewCW: suicide （off-page side character）， grief， stalking， attempted kidnapping， attempted murder， discussions of mental health， anxiety， false sexual assault allegationI would recommend if you're looking for （SPOILERS）-m/f rivals to lovers-opposites attract-close proximity-sex pact/this is only a hookup-sports romance-celebrity romance-sizzling chemistry with a side of adventureI really enjoyed this one。 Thad and Olivia misjudge each other from the beginning。 He believes her to be a diva。 She sees him as a dunderheaded athlete。 Forced together on a promotional tour， hating how attracted to the other they are， they start to peel away the layers。 Both are career-driven and burned by relationships in the past not understanding that。 I really enjoyed what this book had to say about the conflict between careers and relationships。 This book was very immersed in Olivia's journey post-breakup and returning to the opera stage。 In some ways it was more her story than Thad， but I so enjoyed how supportive he was of her。 Pushing her rather than letting her fall down。 He was just gone on her quickly and it was so wonderful to see。 The sexual chemistry and banter between these two were amazing。 How he wanted to protect her but still gave her agency， was so respectful。 My personal preference is when books emphasize the sex between the characters， especially making a sex pact part of the plot to have it be open door， so I was really disappointed to find out this book was closed door。 But where this really frustrates me was the last 20%。 The ending honestly lost its grounding in a romance and went to the nth degree with the mystery/suspense aspect。 The dark moment between Olivia and Thad went on for too long IMO and I kept flipping back feeling like I missed something。 That Olivia had to grovel when she had so much going on， was in so much danger， dealing with grief， psychosomatic symptoms， honestly， it felt like I was reading another book and Thad was a different character。 It truly made their HEA a bit disappointing because I wasn't sure I liked Thad anymore， or even Olivia with one of the choices she made。 Overall an enjoyable read， but it's hard to get over how disappointing the ending was。Rating: 3Steam: 2 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=When Stars Collide
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=When Stars Collide&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,When Stars Collide&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0