Lissa Gardelli’s journalism career is about to take a big leap forward, thanks to scoring an interview with Wall Street wonder, Trevor Dane. There’s just one hurdle: keeping her identity a secret until she gets in the door.
Trevor Dane has arrived—corner office, seven-figure income, and women at the snap of his fingers. A profile piece in the News Journal is just icing on the cake. Until he lays eyes on his interviewer, the high school sweetheart who’s haunted his dreams for ten long years.
The sparks between them still burn, and business quickly ignites into pleasure. But Lissa is keeping one last secret…one that could either solidify their reunion, or drive them apart—for good.
Note: Contains a woman who’s clawing her way up from the bottom, a high-powered broker at the top of his game—and one little secret he never saw coming.
| Title: | Kismet |
| Author: | Carly Phillips |
| Series: | Serendipity (Book 2) |
| Pages: | 101 |
| Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Second Chance Romance Small Town Romance |
| Point of View: | Third Person, Past Tense, Dual Viewpoints (H&h) |
| Location: | Serendipity and New York, New York, US |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 24th February, 2023 |
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A satisfying and sweet pick-me-up
This is the second book in the Serendipity series. Lissa first appeared in the previous book, also called Serendipity but just briefly and, well, she was wasn’t that nice in that book. So this is a fresh start for her as she gets her own story – and it completely stands alone. This story was previously published as Suddenly Love.
Sometimes I’m just in the mood for a short and sweet story – which at 101 pages is exactly what this is. And better is that Lissa and Trevor have a history together so we don’t need to spend pages of the pair getting to know each other. We jump right into our story and the re-acquaintance of our childhood sweethearts.
Lissa was introduced to me in the last book and, as I mentioned, she wasn’t very nice. But I was happy for her to redeem herself and it took no time at all for me to like, respect and root for her. She’s a single mother but much of the story takes place away from home so we get to know her well as an individual rather than just as a mum. I liked that Lissa was equally reserved and feisty and while she might have been the one more in the wrong back in high school – it was never about continually berating her for her mistake.
“Those statements of yearning just made my heart sigh and made me even more convinced that Trevor and Lissa were meant to be together.”
As a hero, Trevor really runs the gamut of emotions on the way to his happily ever after. He starts off with a visceral reaction to Lissa, before deciding to “get her out of his system”, then it’s onto forever, then back to “this was just a fling” before finally coming to his senses. It was amusing to watch him panic under his feelings for Lissa. But he was also very honest and a really likeable guy.
There was a definite chemistry between Lissa and Trevor, even when they’re just reunited. And when they get closer, it’s electric. There’s enough sex to keep things exciting but, for me, it’s the sweetness of our pair as they discuss their past and their potential future together. Those statements of yearning just made my heart sigh and made me even more convinced that Trevor and Lissa were meant to be together.
I admit that I did want this to end with the fairytale of this being a secret baby story. Completely unrealistic (and not actually necessary) but I do love my fanciful notions. But as it was, this was a completely satisfying romance – even more so since it’s a nice, short story. Trevor and Lissa were the perfect pairing and it was nice to see some more residents of Serendipity that I hope will be getting their own stories in the future. This is the perfect pick-me-up and another winner from the always wonderful Carly Phillips.
*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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