Susan Elizabeth Phillips – muddying the plot?

My husband’s 100 pages through his Susan Elizabeth Phillips challenge (the challenge: to read one entire romance novel. Yes, that’s it).

He’s just discovered subplots, and he’s hating life.

“What do you mean, there’s a secondary romance? I just want to make it through the first romance, and now I have to read about another couple I care even less about?”

Yes, dear.

I can understand his frustration. I almost never like secondary romances. I think SEP’s secondary romances are good, as far as they go, but I’d rather read a shorter, tighter book where all the action is about the main characters than to follow others.

Rachel Gibson and Susan Donovan seem to get this. Their books rarely jump to a third character’s point of view. When they do, those characters are usually as focused on the hero and heroine’s story as I am, not on their own story.

So Hubby said to me, “Now I have to read about April falling in love, too?”

“Afraid so.”

He nodded. “It’s the electrician, isn’t it?”

“Yup.” Then I realized it’s not the electrician. I’d been thinking that Jack poses as a working man, but Hubby’s not at that point in the story yet, so there must be an actual electrician who I forgot about.

Oh, well. It looks like I’m taking on romance heroine qualities and we’re back to that whole deception thing.

By Kat

Kat Latham writes sexy contemporary romance, including the London Legends rugby series. With degrees in English lit and human rights, she loves stories that reflect the depth, humor and emotion of real life. She's a California girl living in the Netherlands with her baby girl and British husband.

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    1. Thanks so much, Stina! That was such a fun contest, I started working on my entry as soon as Miss Snark announced the contest!

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