She’s a small-town girl.
He’s got a restless spirit.
Can their hearts bridge the gap?
Michael Marsden’s adoptive parents gave him a family, but Serendipity never felt like home so he fled to Manhattan, where he’s an undercover cop with a reputation for skirting the rules. But when his police chief father steps down to fight a serious illness, Mike returns home to fill his dad’s by-the-book shoes.
Serendipity hasn’t changed much but there’s one familiar face from the past that he never expected to see—Officer Cara Hartley. She’s the only woman that ever made him consider giving up his lone-wolf ways.
Cara is determined to keep a professional distance from her new boss, the one night stand she never forgot. But hearing Mike’s deep, sexy voice ignites memories of how he set her body on fire. It isn’t long before their red-hot chemistry tempts them to cross a dangerous line both personally and professionally, leaving Cara hoping for a future where she can have it all.
But when Mike’s long-absent biological father returns, the fragile bonds that could have kept him in Serendipity threaten to snap. And Mike must face his past if he and Cara are to have any kind of future.
Will Mike realize he fits perfectly in Serendipity with Cara, or will he choose to walk away?
| Title: | Perfect Fit |
| Author: | Carly Phillips |
| Series: | Serendipity’s Finest (Book 1) |
| Pages: | 309 |
| Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Temporary Relationship Small Town Romance |
| Point of View: | Third Person, Past Tense, Dual Viewpoints (H&h) |
| Location: | Serendipity, New York, US |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 4th August, 2023 |
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A steamy start to a new series
I’m always game for a new series – or any new offering – from Carly Phillips, so I was excited to delve into this new Serendipity’s Finest series. This is an off-shoot from the Serendipity series which focussed mainly on the Barron brothers from Serendipity. Dare Barron, the third brother (from Karma) was a cop so we got to meet some of his fellow officers. Now they get their own stories. And while said officers may have popped up in that previous book, and the Barron brothers make cameos in this one, you really don’t have to have read any other book to enjoy and understand this one. And obviously this one comes with its very own HEA.
Mike Marsden is back in his home town of Serendipity to temporarily stand in for his father as police chief. And temporary is the key word here as Mike likes to think of himself as a nomadic, lone wolf kinda guy. He feels out of place in a small town and in his own family so he holds himself back. He even did that with us readers as it took me a wee while to warm up to him. Once he interacted with Cara, that’s when I started to fall for, like and root for Mike. It might take him a while to catch up with his own feelings but he makes up for it in the end.
Cara is a strong, independent woman and a cop to boot, but I liked her from the very first. Not that I don’t like strong, successful, kick-ass women but I always worry that my weak, cowardly ass self wouldn’t have much in common with them! But Cara’s a really likeable character and definitely has and shows all her layers. It didn’t take a split second before I was rooting for her and willing her to fall in love with Mike despite her determination not to do so!
“…interesting, scorching chemistry and a satisfying ending after a few bumps on the road.”
Mike and Cara had a steamy one-night stand the last time he was in town and although we only hear about that encounter, this book more than makes up for that fact later on. And we don’t even have to wait for them to get together again as you get that delicious jump in your tummy even just with the looks, touches and thoughts each of our main characters has about the other. It whets the appetite and as I said, when it gets good, it gets very good. Very steamy and just what I’ve come to expect from Ms Phillips.
Alongside the romance, our pair are involved in solving the cold case of some missing marked bills from the police evidence locker that involves Mike’s biological father as well as his dad. It was an interesting side point, helped us to know more about Mike, meant that our couple could spend some time together but never detracted from the love story. There was also the young woman that Cara was trying to help escape an abusive relationship which did the same as above but for Cara. Both were nicely woven into the story but never overwhelmed what we’re all really here for.
Much like the Serendipity series from which this series spins off, these books are a re-release from around 2012. Having never read them in their original form, I can’t speak to whether they’ve changed much – apart from the smouldering cover – yum! Either way, you’re getting a classic Carly Phillips with this story. It’s got everything you expect – a likeable couple that have just enough barriers in their way to make it interesting, scorching chemistry and a satisfying ending after a few bumps on the road. Oh and the well-crafted, engaging writing that Ms Phillips is known for. I really enjoyed this story and would happily recommend.
*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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Serendipity’s Finest Series:
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