He used to crush on her best friend.
How can he convince her falling for him won’t crush her heart?
Though Nick Mancini flirts with her like it’s his second job, Kate Andrews tries to ignore the sexy construction worker. How could he be interested in her? Not that long ago, he was in love with Kate’s best friend, Faith. His muscled body and sexy dimples are hard to resist, but Kate refuses to be anyone’s rebound girl. Been there, done that, burned the road map.
Trouble is, Kate does believe love at first sight. But it has to be a two-way street, and she’s convinced she and Nick are destined to crash and burn.
Nick can pinpoint the exact moment he gave up on Faith, and really saw Kate for the first time. He’d ticked her off and she’d been seriously angry. He’d looked right into those flashing green eyes, and he was a goner. He’s pretty sure Kate feels the same way, but despite their off-the-charts chemistry, she rejects him at every turn.
But Nick is nothing if not persistent and the longing looks she sneaks his way don’t lie. She wants him, too. For Nick to break through Kate’s barriers, he’ll have to throw out the original blueprint and come up with a whole new plan. One that takes him off guard and cements their future.
| Title: | Fated |
| Author: | Carly Phillips |
| Series: | Serendipity (Book 4) |
| Pages: | 70 |
| Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Small Town Romance |
| Point of View: | Third Person, Past Tense, Dual Viewpoints (H&h) |
| Location: | Serendipity, New York, US |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 2nd June, 2023 |
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A sweet and sexy pick-me-up
I have been reading through the re-releases of the Serendipity series of which this is the 4th book. Kate and Nick have both appeared briefly in at least the first book in the series, Serendipity, but you don’t have to have read any other book to enjoy this short tale.
Kate is the best friend of Faith from the first book while Nick is Faith’s ex-boyfriend from when they were all in high school. When Faith first returned to town, Nick had tried to rekindle their romance, which, understandably, makes Kate a little distrustful of Nick’s motives when he sets his sights on her.
When we start the story, Nick has been pursuing Kate for a while, only to be rebuffed each time he asks her out. That helps us feel the chemistry between the pair from the beginning as they are already established with some sort of relationship. It definitely makes a short story such as this – at 70 pages long – more believable as we spend the time on the relationship rather than the couple getting to know each other.
“…a likeable couple, a sweet and sexy romance and a satisfying ending – it’s like a classic Carly Phillips in a miniature format.”
I was pleased when, right off the bat, Nick explains himself and his behaviour with regards to Faith. It put my mind at ease and I was now ready for him to get Kate to give him a chance. Nick came across as a sweet, loyal, good ol’ home town boy – who was also delicious, sexy and determined. He was persistent but respectful and I loved the way that he had been hit by cupid’s arrow and realised what he wanted had been right in front of him the whole time.
Kate was hurt back in college and it’s coloured her relationship and dating life ever since. I did wonder at someone allowing something from 10 years ago to still affect her life – but then I thought about myself and yes, yes it’s realistic! Kate’s cautious and unsure about Nick, and doesn’t want to be hurt despite them having incredible chemistry. She could be a little sarcastic and a little grumpy, but I couldn’t help but like her. I wanted her to get her happy!
Because our couple knew each other before the start of the book, we expect – and receive – some sexy scenes. But also some sweet scenes that helped me believe their happily ever after. They’d been dancing around each other for so long that it felt satisfying when everything worked out.
I really enjoyed this book. It felt a lot shorter than its 70 pages as I raced through it. We get everything that we expect from a Carly Philips story – a likeable couple, a sweet and sexy romance and a satisfying ending – it’s like a classic Carly Phillips in a miniature format. If you want a quick shot of romance or a sweet and sexy pick-me-up, this is the perfect book to choose. 5 stars.
*I received this book in exchange for my honest review*
Carly Phillips gives her readers Alphalicious heroes to swoon for and romance to set your heart on fire, and she loves everything about writing romance. She married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her three crazy dogs: two wheaten terriers and a mutant Havanese, who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram. She has raised two incredible daughters who put up with having a mom as a romance author. Carly is the author of over fifty romances, and is a NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller. She loves social media and interacting with her readers. Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her newsletter and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.
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The Serendipity Series:
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