Rowena’s review of Perfect Together (Serendipity’s Finest #3) by Carly Phillips.
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?
Sam Marsden finally gets his happily ever after here in Perfect Together. You’ll remember Sam from being both Mike and Erin’s brother from the previous books in this series. The last time we saw him was in Erin’s book and he was making googly eyes at Nicole Farnsworth. The same Nicole who just happens to be sister to the girl who stalked his sister’s life. You’ll also remember that Nicole was actually the one that came to Serendipity to warn Erin about Victoria (Nicole’s twin). Then Nicole’s good deed was done and she went back home, never to be seen again.
Until she comes back to town a few months later, to stay.
Nicole’s looking for a new start and she liked the small town of Serendipity and hopes that the people there would be forgiving of her and what her sister did. It doesn’t take long for Nicole to realize that she made the right decision in breaking up with her fiance and make that move. She’s slowly building a life for herself in this new town and she’s going after what she wants in life instead of living up to the expectations her parents have put on her, her whole life.
Sam has wanted Nicole since she came rushing into his life trying to warn his sister of her crazy sister. It’s one of those things where the body wants what it wants and his wanted Nicole. In a bad way. When she booked it out of town as soon as she came in, Sam chalked it up to not meant to be but now that she’s back? Sam’s itch for her is back and this time? She’s going to scratch it.
What started as something temporary, quickly becomes more than either of them were expecting and when Nicole’s ex comes back into town and danger quickly behind him, Sam’s protective instincts kick in.
I enjoyed this book. I haven’t been reading a lot to start the new year out but what I am reading, I’m really liking and this book is part of that. I liked getting to know both Sam and Nicole. Separately and together, I liked them. I liked that Nicole was a city girl who wanted a place that was all hers and I really liked that she was a baker. I’ve got a soft spot for bakers and Nicole was a good one. Sam was everything that I like in a hero. Strong and sexy.
I really enjoyed the secondary romance between Tyler and Macy. I would have liked a bit more for them in terms of page time but in the end, I was glad that they found each other and that they found a happiness that they both deserved. Too cute.
I’m kind of sad to see that this series is all wrapped up nicely, I’m going to miss these characters. I’ve come to love the heck out of the folks of Serendipity and I thank Carly Phillips for bringing those people alive for me through these books. It was a fun trip. A definite recommend.
Grade: 4 out of 5
This book is available from Berkley. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I read the early Serendipity books but fell off the series along the way. Should get back to it.