Review and Giveaway: Perfect Together

Perfect Together (Serendipity's Finest - Book 3) by Carly Phillips

Publication Date: 02/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 320
ISBN-10: 0425259730
ISBN-13: 978-0425259733

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Books)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Carly Phillips on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Perfect Fit (2012), Perfect Fling (2013), Perfect Together (2014)

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Perfect Together, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

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?

Thoughts:

Author Carly Phillips once again delivers with her latest book in the Serendipity's Finest series, Perfect Together. Perfect Together is the final book in the series, set in a the small town of Serendipity, New York.  It focuses on the last sibling in the Marsden family, Sam. Phillips consistently gives readers stories that make them smile, with characters who are real and engaging. Readers are treated to a bit of mystery and suspense to go with their romance in this one. Phillips trademark wit and humor make this book a must read for Carly Phillips fans and new readers a like.

What I liked:

Carly Phillips is an author that I can always count on to give me a great romantic read. She has a knack for knowing just what makes a romance pull the heartstrings of the reader, without going too deep. Her books are light-hearted comfort reads that are perfect for a cozy fire on a winter night or the sun and sand of the beach. The Serendipity's Finest series has been one of my favorites by Phillips and I was somewhat sad to see it end with Perfect Together, but I think another spin-off may be in the offing. 

Nicole was such a great heroine. She had a lot of spunk and tenacity. She comes from a very emotionless family who have pushed her to her limits, and into a possible marriage with a man she doesn't love. What I really loved about this character was the way she decided to take control of her own destiny. She not only calls off the marriage but picks up and moves to a new town for a fresh start. It wasn't her first adventure with Serendipity, but it quickly becomes her best. I thought Phillips gave the reader a real person to root for in Nicole. She was sweet and caring and deserved to find her happiness.

Sam is the youngest Marsden sibling. His brother Mike and sister Erin have already found love, but Sam is resistant because he was left at the altar by a woman who left him for his former best friend. He got burnt and he wasn't looking forward to it ever happening again. I enjoyed the fact that Sam was so realistic. He was okay with a strictly sexual relationship with Nicole but when it came to more serious matters he balked. It was great to see him slowly loose his resistance to both Nicole and to the idea of love. Phillips writes Sam with a sense of realism that is often missing in this type of romance and I thin readers will appreciate her understanding of this.

There was definitely an element of mystery in this book. When Nicole decides to call off her engagement to Tyler, she overhears a conversation that alludes to Tyler's father's shady business dealings. So when Tyler shows up in Serendipity to try to win Nicole back readers have to wonder about his motives. Sam is driven to jealousy, but also sees that perhaps Tyler is after something completely different than what he says he is. I liked the side story between Tyler and Nicole's new friend Macy as well. That is the possible lead in to another spin off series that I believe fans really hope that Phillips pursues. 

The chemistry between Sam and Nicole started in the previous book in the series, when Nicole helps Sam find her twin sister who was the villain of that novel. It certainly doesn't diminish in intensity in Perfect Together. The love scenes are hot and Phillips knows a little bit about what makes each scene sizzle. Readers may need a cold drink in hand for parts of this one. 

What I didn't like:

There were a few scenes here and there that did not seem to have a lot of significance to the story. I wouldn't necessarily call them filler, because I believe it was the author's way of educating readers who may not have read the other books. But it was a bit distracting to those of us who know the background already. Certainly not a major issue. I loved this one!

Bottom Line:

Carly Phillips fans will love this one. It wraps up the Serendipity's Finest series in fine form. All of the Marsden siblings are happy in love at the end of Perfect Together and Phillips always seems to know when it's time to move on to something different. I am hoping for another spin-off and a HEA for Tyler and Macy. One can dream!

Perfect Together is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

After a successful fifteen year career with various New York publishing houses, and over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels published, N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips is now an Indie author who writes to her own expectations and that of her readers. She continues the tradition of hot men and strong women and plans to publish many more sizzling stories. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She's a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she's a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at www.carlyphillips.com.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Perfect Together by Carly Phillips.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, March 5th.

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