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

 

     

(covers lead to GoodReads)

 

 

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

 

 

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.

 

 Webite  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter   |  Pinterest

TEASER TUESDAY: PERFECT TOGETHER by CARLY PHILLIPS

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

·Grab your current read
·Open to a random page
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.
    Series: Serendipity's Finest #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: 2/4/14

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?

   

My Teaser ~

 

  She exhaled and his gaze was drawn to her pink, parted lips. He already knew what she tasted like. He knew how soft her mouth was beneath his, what kind of little sounds she made in the back of her throat when that kiss got out of control. No way was she about to walk away.

 

 

So what do you think? I really enjoyed Perfect Together; my review posts later this week.

   

DARE TO LOVE BLOG TOUR, WITH CARLY PHILLIPS: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the Dare to Love Blog Tour!

My stop includes a review, a special question to Carly, and the HUGE blog tour giveaway!

 

 

Series: Dare to Love #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Carly Phillips

Publication Date: 11/18/13

Format: eARC

Pages: 270

Source: Publicist

Rating: 4 stars
 

 

Since finding out his father had another family on the side, Ian Dare swore to be the upstanding, responsible man his cheating parent had never been. But after one glimpse of sensual Riley Taylor, with her feminine curves and beguiling eyes and Ian is entranced. He will do anything to possess her ... but does that include extending an olive branch to the half-brother who is a constant reminder of pain he’d rather forget?

Independent and always in control, Riley Taylor makes no apologies for choosing men carefully. Relationships have never been a priority, and she believes herself hardened to domineering men - until she meets charismatic Ian Dare. He manages to turn a simple kiss into an all out assault on her senses and when he takes control in the bedroom, she’s stunned to discover she likes it. As their affair heats up, they soon realize they complete each other in ways neither imagined. But Riley’s past is closer than she cares to remember, and her struggles with Ian’s dominance might just cost her everything.

 

 

Passionate and Angsty. At first glance, those are the perfect words to describe Dare to Love. But not only is Dare to Love passionate and deliciously angsty, it is also a really powerful story about two people who are bound by the past, and find the strength -together- to move forward. To be free of everything that has held them back.

Dare to Love is the story of Riley Taylor and Ian Dare. Riley's best friend is Ian's estranged half-brother, Alex, and when the two meet, it is an instant connection they share. I'm not talking insta-love, I'm saying insta-passion, the very kind that strikes you from across the room, and will not let go. Their initial obstacle is Alex, who's only known Ian to be a womanizer, and does not want that for his best friend. In order to win Riley over, Ian and Alex must make nice. Due to some very heavy issues, this will not be easy. These are the very issues that drive Ian's need for control, another obstacle for the couple. Due to her own past, Riley is not having a man who wants to dominate her every move, though in the bedroom is a whole other ballgame. So here we have two passionate and headstrong people who want to be together, but must work through their issues, let down their boundaries, and see if they can make a go of being a couple. Together. Strong.

It has been quite a while since I've read a Carly Phillips book, and I have to say, it has been way too long. Phillips is maybe the first contemporary romance author I read as an adult (Chandler Brothers!) , and I was immediately reminded of why I loved them so much. Dare to Love had such a nice, fast pace and I found myself breezing through the story in a matter of a couple hours. Not only did I get a steamy and fun story, but a thoughtful one as well. Ian and Riley were not only inherently likable characters, but they equally experienced tremendous character growth, the kind of epiphanies and revelations that made me want to cheer Phillips.

Dare to Love is the first in the Dare to Love series. With the amount of Dare siblings and the dynamic personalities they all seem to have, this should be only the beginning in a great series. It seems that next up will be Alex Dare, and guys, I cannot wait to read his book. Carly Phillips has hooked me again.




Favorite Quotes:

  "I've dreamed about the way you might taste. Are you sweet, Riley?" he asked, his voice gruff and sexy.   ~eARC, 25%


  Please let me make you feel good. Her words had shredded his emotions, stripping him bare. She'd gotten into his head in a way no woman ever had. Because she cared. Not because he was wealthy and could give her gifts in return, not because she desired something from him, but because she wanted just him.    ~eARC, 46%


  Learning to accept things from others, from small items and gifts to larger, more significant offers, like a new job and a place to live, she was slowly bending. Giving up her hard-won and fought-for independence. And the scariest of all, coming to count on having Ian in her life.
  But she was also realizing that relying on others didn't make her weak...it made her human.   ~eARC, 74%

Purchase Dare to Love

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

 

My Question to Carly Phillips...

Have you recently read a book you can recommend?
Oh wow. I read so many books … I can’t think of one in particular! That’s something you should know about me. I can read, love, and not remember later, LOL. That said, every Saturday on my Facebook Fan Page I list the books I’ve read during the week and readers share in return, so you can always find out. Of course I have to go back to my iPad/Kindle app to remember.J

 

 

Giveaway

First Place:
iPad Mini 16g - $299
Customized CP iPad Mini Case
Signed copies of: Dare to Love, Serendipity, Destiny, Karma, Perfect Fit, Perfect Fling, Perfect Together (no I don't have it yet), Cross My Heart, Sealed with a Kiss, Seduce Me
Carly Phillips Canvas Tote Bag
Dare to Love Mug
Carly Phillips T-shirt

　
2nd place:
Carly Phillips Canvas Tote Bag
Dare to Love Mug
Signed Copies: Dare to Love, Perfect Partners, Solitary Man, The Right Choice, Midnight Angel

　
3rd place:
Carly Phillips Canvas Tote Bag
Signed copies: Dare to Love, Lucky Charm, Lucky Streak, Lucky Break, Brazen

4th place:
Signed copies: Dare to Love, The Bachelor , The Playboy , The Heartbreaker

　
5th place:
Signed copies: Dare to Love, Kiss Me If You Can, Love Me If You Dare 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

 

 Webite  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter   |  Pinterest