"Phillips Will Leave You Breathless"

Dr. Isabel Favor and Lorenzo "Ren" Gage are both going through their own versions of a midlife crisis (only they're both in their thirties, which I hope is well before midlife or why take all those vitamins?). She has lost her reputation, as well as her fiancé. He has reached a place in his career that promises to skyrocket him to the top, an opportunity that will cement him firmly within Hollywood's elite. She is running away from the rumors and bad publicity, wanting only to lick her wounds and decide where she wants to go next because there is certainly nothing salvageable from her old career. He is hiding out from the media and his fans, taking a moment to relax and reflect, and trying to decide if he has it in him to take that crucial step.

Obviously . . . they meet. They flirt. They fall in love. They have mind-boggling sex. And great conversations filled with zinging insults, clever taunting, and, above all else, intelligence. Yes, you heard it right. They have intelligent conversations, which, to my mother, simply cannot exist between an attractive man and woman. After all, they never occur in soap operas, which are living examples of reality, are they not? Can you smell the sarcasm?

Did I like this book? Yes. The characters were extremely well- developed. As I read, I genuinely felt as if I were getting to know two people, not two figments of my imagination. They felt very real to me. Phillips always manages to convince you this person could exist somewhere in the world around you, perhaps even down the street or standing in line ahead of you at the grocery store. She doesn't leave out important components of humans, like personality flaws and emotional cracks, although she also gives them stunning looks and quick brains, the latter combination something that is sadly lacking in most of the populations of college campuses (believe me, I know because that's where I work!).

Phillips also always includes strong secondary characters and sub-plots that pull you deeper into her stories. BREATHING ROOM not only tells the tale of Ren and Isabel, but also local villagers and Ren's ex-wife, Tracy, who is having her own marital problems.

Were there flaws to the story? Yes, of course. The book hasn't been written that is so perfect that no one can find anything to complain about. But the overall strength of the story and characters distracted me from finding too many flaws. I'll only expound on one: Phillips has a tendency to take her strong, intelligent females, who are rational and normal throughout the entire book, and make them do something so stupid, so ridiculous, so embarrassing, so completely irrational at the end that it leaves you doubting the sanity of that previously admirable character. But as I said earlier, that moment only lasts for a couple of pages and I quickly shoved it to the back of my mind, content to convince myself that it had never happened. I'm good at that.

Her leading men are among my favorite in romances. They're always stunning examples of manhood: tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, gorgeous, well groomed with an exceptional understanding of personal hygiene, and quite talented in the sack. But they also like normal women, not skinny women with improbably large breasts and tiny brains. They are attracted to women with pudgy thighs, rounded tummies, ordinary breasts, and decidedly un-steely buns. Her stories make me feel good about myself.

If you've never read a book by this author,BREATHING ROOM would be a good place to start. Sure, she's written better. But she's an accomplished author who is already light-years ahead of her contemporaries, making this book top-notch and very worthy of your time.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartshorn
Courtesy Epinions
Posted October 10, 2002

Summary

She's Dr. Isabel Favor, America's Diva of Self Help...
He's Lorenzo Gage, Hollywood's Favorite Villain...
One unforgettable night, the two of them will meet.

Life is going well for Dr. Isabel Favor until?within a matter of weeks?the empire she's build comes crashing down. Before long, America's Diva of Self Help discovers the one person she can't help is herself. Broke, heartsick, and soul-weary, she heads for Italy in search of a little breathing room.

Lorenzo Gage makes his living killing people...on the screen that is. Now, this villain with a face to die for has big troubles of his own, and no easy way to fix any of them.

A charming, careless man who's walked too long on the dark side...
A vulnerable, determined woman who only wants good for the world...

When your life falls apart, sometimes you need a little breathing room.