Hot Shot

Do you ever read a book that you know is well written, but you still didn't enjoy it? Such was the case for me with Hot Shot by Susan Elizabeth Phillips: 2 out of 5.

Susannah Faulconer experienced significant hardships as she grew up. Her grandmother regularly locked her in a closet. Then, when she was living safely with her mother and stepfather, she was kidnapped for a few days. These experiences led her to retreat within herself; she coped by becoming the perfect daughter.

All that changes when she meets Sam Gamble, whose passion is computers. Sam wants Susannah to convince her business-minded father to invest in his computers. Sam represents many things to Susannah--freedom and passion in particular--and she eventually runs away with him, leaving her father-approved fiance at the altar.

I wouldn't particularly describe Hot Shot as a romance, though there are romantic aspects. In fact, the story would have received a 3 if the romance in the second half had been stronger. The book covers several years and describes the background for several of the characters. In spite of these descriptions, however, I didn't connect with the characters. I understood that their backgrounds had some effect on them, but I didn't think this was portrayed as vividly as it could have been.

This is the first book I've read by Phillips, and I have to admit that I don't feel inclined to read any of her other books. There is a lot of story here, it's well researched and written, but I wasn't moved emotionally. I am interested in hearing if Hot Shot is fairly representative of her style, so feel free to comment.

Alyssa