REVIEW: PERFECT TOGETHER by CARLY PHILLIPS

Series: Serendipity's Finest #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: 2/4/14
Format: eARC
Pages: 320
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars

In the picturesque town of Serendipity, New York, three siblings have grown up in the shadow of their proud and respected police chief father. But what do love, fate, and fortune have in store for the next generation of Serendipity’s finest?

Tired of being the easygoing daughter, always ignored in favor of her high-maintenance sister, and no longer interested in being her fiancé’s trophy wife, Nicole Farnsworth calls off her wedding. All she wants is to be herself. And where better to find her destiny than Serendipity? The place where she met the one man who made her heart beat faster, and gave her the courage to reinvent her life—even if he doesn’t know it.

Officer Sam Marsden calls Serendipity home and he loves it there—even though his childhood sweetheart was stolen by his best friend. After such heartbreak, Sam fears he can’t trust his instincts when it comes to love. Yet he’s so tempted by Nicole, a woman he met only briefly but who has starred in his dreams ever since. For Nicole and Sam, opening their hearts one more time could change their lives forever. But who’ll be the first to take that chance?

First Impression... It's Carly Phillips, guys! I'm currently in the midst of a serious reading slump, and hope one of my long-time go-to authors can help me out.

The Story... Perfect Together is the third in the Serendipity's Finest series; a series I haven't started. But all is well because though I don't know the series history, Phillips casually intersperses the characters' background into the current plot.

Nicole makes the choice to break her engagement and move to Serendipity, a town that shouldn't feel like home, but does. There, she quickly becomes friends with Macy, a waitress and total fun sweetheart. She also reconnects with Sam, the cop who arrested, them befriended her when she was last in Serendipity. (It's a long story).

So now we're getting a love connection, and that's great! Except, Sam's been badly burned, and isn't keen to set himself up for heartbreak. Given her recent breakup, Nicole is reluctant too. Then we have her ex Tyler, coming to town to win her back, or is he? Because apparently Tyler's dad isn't exactly an ethical dude, and he's afraid Nicole knows the truth about his shady business dealings.

So here we are with a hopeful love match between Sam and Nicole, a "maybe" love match between Macy and Tyler (another long story and not awkward at all!), and Nicole possibly in danger from Tyler's dad's business associates.

The Characters... Nicole is a woman trying to find her way. Her life has been defined by her cold parents, a relationship she was pushed into, and a twin with serious mental health issues. I like that with Sam, she pushed for total honesty. She didn't want to force him into a relationship, but she wouldn't be strung along. Good girl.

Sam was a hot detective and obviously, a good guy. He has issues with letting the past go, but when push comes to shove, he totally gets on board. I love when book guys are all "No relationships. No commitments. Sex only." But when the right woman comes along, he sings a completely different tune. It's so funny to see a man reluctantly, yet effortlessly fall in love.

The secondary characters helped round out the story, with Macy and Tyler getting a fair amount of page time. We also have Sam's family to add to the fun. I particularly liked his siblings Mike and Erin.

The Writing... C'mon, this is Carly Phillips. I love the comfort of an author that consistently delivers charming, romantic and well-written stories that make me happy.


In the End... Romantic, Sexy, and Fun. Perfect Together was another enjoyable read from Carly Phillips.


Favorite Quote:

  As he took her hard, she was lost, and knew the last of her walls had crumbled. She'd always known she could fall hard for him even as she'd agreed to nothing serious between them. And as he played her body so well, bringing her over the edge once more, she took that final tumble into love.

The Serendipity Series

 

     

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About the author

New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips tossed away her legal briefs and a career as an attorney to become a stay at home mom. Within the year, she turned her love of reading into an obsession with writing. Over 30 published novels later, Carly writes sexy contemporary small town romances, striking a balance between entertainment, humor and the emotion her readers have come to expect and enjoy.

Carly is a New York Times bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Publisher’s Weekly bestseller and as of 2012, a Romance Writer’s of America RITA Nominee. In 2002, Carly’s novel, The Bachelor, became Kelly Ripa’s “Reading with Ripa” pick on Live with Regis and Kelly, making it the first romance ever chosen on a nationally televised book club.

Carly received her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and is a graduate of Boston University School of Law (J.D.). To date, Carly has over thirty novels to her credit, all available wherever books are sold.

When not writing or playing online, Carly loves to read, occasionally to knit, and to spend time with her family. She lives in Purchase, New York with her husband, two daughters and her dogs, a soft coated wheaten terrier and a Havanese. Her dogs are prominently featured on her website and Facebook page.

 

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