What happens when the woman everyone underestimates ends up owning an NFL team?
That's the question at the heart of It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
Published in 1994, this contemporary sports romance fits right into the '80s to early 2000s timeline I usually focus on for Books Your Mom Never Told You About.
Oh my god, how I love this book. I already want to reread it. I loved absolutely everything about it. It's funny, smart, sexy, and packs a punch.
Quick Info
📖 Book: It Had to Be You
✍️ Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
⭐️ Rating: 5/5
🌶️ Spice: 2.5/5
📅 Published: 1994
🏛️ Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance
🎧 Format: Audio and e-reader
Why is It Had to Be You a great nostalgic pick?
If you love a smart, funny romance with a heroine who knows exactly what she's doing, this one is a great place to start.
It's funny, smart, and sexy. Susan does such a great job with the humor throughout.
It was progressive for 1994. I truly can't believe this was written in 1994. Phoebe ends up being a great businesswoman, and the book never treats that as a joke.
It has something for everyone. It will make you feel every emotion.
What are the tropes?
🏈 Sports Romance
😤 Grumpy Hero
🛡️ Protective Hero
💋 Obsessed Hero
🎭 Smart Heroine Who Plays Dumb
🕵️ Suspense Subplot
⏳ Slow Burn
📼 Nostalgic Romance
What is it about?
Phoebe is the new owner of an NFL team, and she knows nothing about football. She also isn't who she seems. She positions herself as an easy bimbo, partly to keep men away from her and partly to manipulate them into giving her what she wants, and she knows exactly how to play up her femininity and the way people see her.
Then there's Dan. He's grumpy, stubborn, protective, macho, and alpha, and he is obsessed with Phoebe. It just takes him forever to admit it.
Add a suspense subplot, and you have a book that keeps you laughing, swooning, and turning pages.
What did I love?
Phoebe. She is one of my favorite heroines I've ever read, maybe my favorite. She's shrewd and capable, and she gave me major Dolly Parton vibes. She was brilliantly developed, and I felt like I not only knew and understood her, I legitimately felt like she was part of my life.
That same shrewdness is what makes her such a badass as a new NFL owner who knows nothing about football. She ends up being a great businesswoman, which we all knew would happen early on.
Dan. He was a phenomenal hero. Grumpy, stubborn, protective, macho, alpha. I just fell in love.
The relationship. The trajectory of Phoebe and Dan's relationship was so well orchestrated, given their character backgrounds and from a pacing perspective.
Molly. I loved Phoebe's relationship with Molly, and Molly's own backstory and character arc.
The humor. Susan does such a great job with the humor. This is truly a book with something for everyone, and it will make you feel every emotion.
What didn't I love?
Honestly? Nothing. I loved absolutely everything about it.
Spoiler section: a few more thoughts
Skip this section if you haven't read the book yet.
Phoebe plays the easy bimbo to keep men away because of past trauma that's revealed later in the book. Knowing that made me love her even more.
I also loved the third-act near-death experience. Watching Dan fall apart and realize how much he loved her was so fulfilling.
And seeing Molly finally accept Phoebe and open her heart was beautiful.
Does it hold up in 2026?
Absolutely. The humor still lands, Phoebe still feels ahead of her time, and the romance is just as satisfying.
Alli's Scorecard
Here's how It Had to Be You stacked up for me:
💘 Romance ██████████ 5/5
🔥 Chemistry ██████████ 5/5
🫶 Characters ██████████ 5/5
📖 Story ██████████ 5/5
😂 Humor ██████████ 5/5
💔 Emotional Impact ██████████ 5/5
🌶️ Spice █████░░░░░ 2.5/5
Final Thoughts
Oh my god, how I love this book. It's funny, smart, sexy, and packs a punch, and I already want to reread it.
If you want a heroine you'll root for, a grumpy hero who falls hard, and a story that will make you feel every emotion, pick up It Had to Be You.
Ready to read?
Get your copy of It Had to Be You from your favorite bookseller.
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