The Bachelor

An enjoyable, vibrant read
4 stars

I’m a big fan of Carly Phillips but I was a bit late to the party and this is the first time I’ve read any of The Chandler Brothers books. They’ve been updated and modernised for their 20th birthday and now have hot and sexy new covers, too. They still stand alone with this book featuring one couple who get their own HEA.

Charlotte was a likeable character who was equal parts smart and savvy, and cautious and unsure. She was definitely a strong, modern woman who I enjoyed, even when I didn’t agree with some of her decisions/actions.

Roman - all three Chandler brothers, really - were the perfect kind of heroes. Masculine, alpha, hot, sexy and aware of exactly how to treat a woman. I 100% believed show more his dilemma and his quick descent into feelings with Charlotte.

The chemistry between our couple was palpable and I loved their interactions. The push and pull was frustratingly excellent and I really enjoyed and rooted for them as a pair.

The difference between this and many other Carly Phillips novels I’ve read of late is that this one covers more than just our main couple. We also get a little bit of Raina Chandler - Roman’s mum - and her own feelings and blossoming romance. As well as Annie and Russell - Charlotte’s parents. It was nice to see and hear a different perspective but I was definitely most interested in Roman and Charlotte.

I guess my main reason for giving the book 4 stars rather than 5 was probably down to the excellent writing! I really *believed* Roman was a wanderer at heart and I’m never really happy when a couple being together means some sort of compromise. That’s more than fine in real life but I want fantasy! I was happy in the end - especially since we get an epilogue - yay! - but I was too scared for too long that perhaps things couldn’t work out. But it’s Carly Phillips so of course we get a happy happily ever after.

I didn’t read this book back in the day, so I can’t speak to whether there a lot of differences between this modernised version and the original. But I can say that the story felt very contemporary - not a fax machine, pager or cassette tape in sight!

I’m looking forward to the rest of the revamped Chandler Brothers Books - The Playboy and The Heartbreaker. And strangely, I’m also considering crocheting myself some sexy lingerie! 4 stars for this one and an enjoyable, vibrant and absorbing read. show less

3.5 stars

The Bachelor is the first book in the Chandler Brothers series by Carly Phillips. The book was released 20 years ago originally and the author decided to release the books in the series again as an updated version. If I wasn't told that the books were released 20 years ago, I wouldn't have guessed it.

Mama Chandler aka Raina wanted to see her sons married and happy so when she was rushed to the hospital she decided to lie to her sons about the cause of it and let's be honest force them to marry. The brothers toss a coin and Roman is the one who got the short end of the stick. On his quest to find a woman who is willing to marry him, get pregnant, and then be left alone Roman was unable to find a woman that captured his interest show more until Charlotte came back into the picture.

My biggest peeve about this book came from the fact that while everyone included the blurb made Roman and Charlotte's history be something big, it turned out to be nothing more than a date. Charlotte knew that Roman wasn't willing to stay in their little town so she never got further with him and he went on a rebound with Charlotte's friend. Roman never really got on my good side after that and he is still my least favorite brother. That's a thing that hasn't really changed in CP's writing and I wish that it did.

Roman's bothers were interesting and the book overall wasn't bad which made my need to read their books too natural and let me tell you, they got better, so even if this book doesn't sound like the one for you, you should check the others out. show less

Very cute and amusing. Roman is a good man, as are his brothers. I'm loving seeing their mother give them a run for their bachelorhood.

I found this start of a series to be entertaining. Several times I found myself laughing out loud. However, the secondary characters did seem to be unresolved at the end.

Roman Chandler is a foreign correspondent who is called home due to his mother's illness. He is one of three brothers who decide to flip a coin to determine who will wed and produce a grandchild for their "ailing" mother. Roman runs into Charlotte Bronson whom he has had a crush on since she dumped him in HS.?Both Charlotte and Roman are commitment phobic for different reasons. She based on the frequently disappearing father who makes her feel unwanted and unloveable. He because his widowed mother has not moved on with her life after the death of his father and he fears the pain of loss in relationships.

I found nothing endearing in this relationship and in fact these two characters were not too interesting, and the secondary characters show more were not developed enough to add interest to the story.
This is the first in a 3 book series I can only hope the other two are better reads than this one. show less

Enjoyable story with the mother of 3 eligible bachelors plotting to get them happily married. Book 1 of 3 in the series.

A dying mother insists her three "most eligible" bachelor sons get married and give her grandchildren.