Serendipity (Serendipity, #1)

Jan 15, 2012 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childhood-sweethearts-or-friends, class-difference, contemporary, fiction-vixen-reviews, first-reads-arcs-won-a-copy, read-2011, romance, series

3.5 Stars

Faith and Ethan knew each other in high school. She was the rich princess and he was the bad boy. One night he gave her a ride home and stole a kiss—and tried to steal more, although he was denied. ;) Fast forward to the present and their positions are almost completely reversed. Faith’s father was caught running an investment scam and sent to jail. Her family is now broke and a social pariah in town. Ethan left town under a dark cloud but made it big after getting out of the military a...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Lady Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1st-in-a-series, adult, adventure, chick-lit, contemporary, contemporary-romance, fiction, humor, romance, carly-phillips

Wonderful story, characters, and writing!

10 years ago...
Ethan Barron's was always known as the 'bad-boy' in town, and when he was 18 he was arrested. On the way to the jail to get Ethan out, Ethan's parents were hit and killed by a drunk driver. Ethan blamed himself, running away, leaving his two younger brothers to fend for themselves and be put into the foster care system.

Faith Carrington was always known as a 'well off girl' who lived in the big mansion on the hill.
She finishes high school...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-amazon

DiDi's Review posted on Guilty Pleasures

AHHHHH!!!! SERENDIPITY reminds me why I fell in love with Carly Phillps' books and have EVERY SINGLE BOOK she's published in paperback, including her books published as Karen Drogin (except SERENDIPITY it's on my nifty Kindle)

Serendipity is a story about going home to a small town and trying to build a life despite your reputation. Ten years ago Faith was the "rich girl" and Ethan was the "bad boy". They've both returned to Serendipity to build lives but t...more DiDi's Review posted on Guilty Pleasures

AHHHHH!!!! SERENDIPITY reminds me why I fell in love with Carly Phillps' books and have EVERY SINGLE BOOK she's published in paperback, including her books published as Karen Drogin (except SERENDIPITY it's on my nifty Kindle)

Serendipity is a story about going home to a small town and trying to build a life despite your reputation. Ten years ago Faith was the "rich girl" and Ethan was the "bad boy". They've both returned to Serendipity to build lives but the roles are reversed, Faith is no longer the rich girl and because of her father's schemes is now shunned by the residents of Serendipity. Ethan has returned rich and wants to build a relationship with his, estranged, two younger brothers Nash and Dare.

Serendipty has a lot going on. Not only are Faith and Ethan falling in love, Ethan has to deal with severe emotional pain and heartbreak from his two younger brothers, who want nothing to do with him and blame him for a devastating accident that ripped apart their family ten years ago. On top of that is an unexpected surprise, the men have an emo teenage sister, they never knew about, dropped on Ethan's door to handle. Which forces them to deal with each other.

Ethan is sexy, sweet and very dominant in the relationship with Faith. Faith is strong, many people would give up and try to find a place to live where they weren't treated like a criminal because of the sins of their father.

While Ethan and Faith get their HEA in Serendipity, there is A LOT of emotional healing, forgiveness and hurt to work through between Ethan and his brothers and sister, Faith and her mom and Faith and Ethan's brother Nash. I am glad all the strife wasn't tied up with a pretty bow at the end of Serendipity, it makes the series/relationships more realistic. Because, IMO, there is no way that the amount of hurt and resentment between all of the characters could be resolved in one book.

As soon as I post this review I am going to start the novella KISMET (Serendipity #1.5) and I have already pre-ordered DESTINY (Serendipity #2) (releases 1/3/12).

I am so glad Ms. Phillips has created this new series with the incredible family dynamics and incredible secondary cast, the type that I fell in love with in her HOT ZONE series (one of my all time favorite series).
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Jan 02, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read, kindlepurchase2011

Originally Requested on NetGalley
Bought a copy for myself
Overall Rating 4.25
Story Rating 4.00
Character Rating 4.50

Note: This is the first book in awhile that I read in just one sitting. The family dynamics, down-to-earth romance, and wonderful story was just what I needed to get out of my reading funk!

What I Loved: Tess! Normally I am not a fan of teenagers in my romance books but in this case, it really worked. The way she interacted with Ethan and Faith was just fantastic. Was Texx angsty? Sur...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Hope Frost rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Serendipity. I thought the teen brought a huge element to the book and made Ethan seem more....human. There were several relationships to the story. One the friendships that people make throughout their lives, the friendship between Kate and Lissa which are very different, but very dear to Faith. The relationship between mother and daughter. It was interesting to see their interaction and watch Faith stand up for herself. The relationships between brothers. As Ethan tries to put...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Romancing the Book rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, romance

Reviewed By: Desire
Review Copy Provided By: Net Gallery
Faith is your normal spoiled rich girl with all the trimmings and never does anything bad, she has everything she wants including a near perfect marriage. That is until her world is shattered by a family scandal and her cheating husband!

Now Faith has to pick up the pieces and try to move forward but how and where, she picks her home town where everyone knows her and her family and the scandal so publicly flashed everywhere. Why you might ask...more Reviewed By: Desire
Review Copy Provided By: Net Gallery
Faith is your normal spoiled rich girl with all the trimmings and never does anything bad, she has everything she wants including a near perfect marriage. That is until her world is shattered by a family scandal and her cheating husband!

Now Faith has to pick up the pieces and try to move forward but how and where, she picks her home town where everyone knows her and her family and the scandal so publicly flashed everywhere. Why you might ask? Well she figures if she can overcome facing everyone she knows in the town she grew up in, then she will at least be moving in the right direction.

So back she goes , with the help of a old high-school boyfriend and his sister she starts up a business and gets a decent place to live, she has her old school friends sticking by her and she does OK ,there is however one small very hot and delicious hiccup in the road ahead, ETHAN BARRON !!!

He gave her a lift home from school one afternoon but instead of going straight home he took her behind a secluded building and kissed her senseless! He wanted so much more but Faith was a good girl and only 16 so he backed off and wrote her off as the one that got away, especially after the look Faith's mother gave him when he did eventually drop her off at home.After all he was the town bad boy and no good at all!

Now years later Ethan still remembers the kiss that nearly brought him to his knees only now the wheel has turned, Faith is no longer 16 and innocent and she also is no longer rich nor does she still live in her parents Colosseum of a house ETHAN does! That's right the bad boy did well, very well for himself .

But the attraction from before is still there and hotter than ever before and it is not long before Ethan and Faith start up a fiery romance so full of explosive passion that the writer keeps you hanging onto the edge of the pages with every sentence.

But Ethan has a dark cloud hanging over his head , he is responsible for the death of his parents and his brothers will never let him forget it. Throw in a secret step sister he never knew about and all is focus and attention is required in trying to put his own life back together and deal with a rebellious teenager leaving him very little time for Faith.

Faith realizes the situation for what it is and tries her best to keep her distance but Ethan will have none of it he wants Faith and he will stop at nothing to make sure he gets her married to him asap ! He utilises every chance he can get to prove to Faith they belong together no matter what or who tries to keep them apart.

As time goes on we see Faith and Ethan both overcome their family scandals ,and the writer shows us the journey of how true love and even the most mind blowing of scandals can overcome and bring together even the most highly,most unexpected kind of people in a small little town called Serendipity.

Overall the book is very well written and a very delicious story there is however the profanity that did bug me a little as I think the book still would have delivered the right message and the incredibly explosive packed romance it was meant to without the use of profanity. But yes overall a excellent book(less)

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Oct 29, 2011 FicTalk Blog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-in-2011

Reviewed by Lisa - 3.5 stars on Fic-talk.com

Faith Harrington has returned to the town of Serendipity after her divorce in order to start over. However, starting over with hopes of finding herself and who she really is without the being told what to do by her ex isn’t all she has to deal with. Faith also has to handle the backlash of what her father did to the people of the town.

Her father was in the business of investments and had swindled a lot of people out of money, a lot of good, decent, and...more Reviewed by Lisa - 3.5 stars on Fic-talk.com

Faith Harrington has returned to the town of Serendipity after her divorce in order to start over. However, starting over with hopes of finding herself and who she really is without the being told what to do by her ex isn’t all she has to deal with. Faith also has to handle the backlash of what her father did to the people of the town.

Her father was in the business of investments and had swindled a lot of people out of money, a lot of good, decent, and hard working people. He was basically a small town version of Bernie Madoff. Tensions are running high in her hometown after her father’s guilty verdict and subsequent jail time. The basic ‘fall from grace’ that her family suffered, which included her and her mother.

Some people either blame her and judge her for her father’s wrong doings and some people treat as they did before all the chaos; as a good friend who was not to be blamed for what her father did.

Also back in town is bad boy Ethan Barron who has his own problems to deal with. He’s back in Serendipity after he left ten years ago after the death of his parents, which he blames himself for. But he’s not the only one who blames him, his brothers do as well. His hope is to show them that he’s grown up and he’s not that reckless kid who did bad things and basically deserted them after their parents accident, which happened on the night they were driving to bail him out of jail after a stunt that got him arrested.

The result of him leaving left his brothers with no other choice but to go into foster care, which ended in them being split up, and with them learning to hate their brother for abandoning them and only thinking of himself.

We also get to see Faith and Ethan resolved unfinished business that started over ten years ago after a very brief interlude that ended with bad boy Ethan and good girl Faith not sealing the deal.

This story is a definite page-turner with tension and heat between the two main characters that I enjoyed. Along with some smoldering dark looks from the main male character, Ethan, which I thought was very well done and appealing! I also liked the fact that these characters were trying desperately to do the right thing and make amends for their past behaviors.

And finally, at the ending of this book we got an awesome sneak peek into Nash’s story, Ethan’s middle brother. And it was good. Very good.(less)

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Oct 28, 2011 Phyllis Laatsch rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's a nice, lightweight read with interesting characters.

The story would have flowed a lot better if the backstory had come out more gradually rather than be repeated multiple times (two or three times inside the character's head, to every single person they came across one by one, etc.) I felt like an editor or critique partner or someone should have taken a red pen to it and crossed out most of the instances of how the heroine and hero got where they are at the start.

I still felt like Ethan...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Excellent book. I liked Faith and the way she was putting her life back together after her father's and ex-husband's betrayals. She was determined to get her new business off the ground and start her new life. When she ran into Ethan again, she wasn't sure she wanted anything to do with him. She had had enough of losing herself to someone else's desires. But she did agree to decorate the house for him. Just as things were starting to get interesting, Ethan had his previously unknown, troubled 14...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Kiwi Lloyd rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. “Serendipity."
"Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you've found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for.” Lawrence Block

She used to be a good girl.......
Faith Harrington, like any other rich girl, was born with the proverbial silver spoon between her lips. Unlike any other rich girl, her world was torn apart when her father was caught running a Ponzi scheme and she lost it all. This included her husband, whom she found out only wante...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Book Reading Gals rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed all of Carly’s previous books but I have never been able to choose a favorite book and while I have liked them all I haven’t found that one book. That is until this book. From the moment that I picked this book up I knew that this book would be my favorite book. There is just something about this story that I loved.
Ethan is a man that has made mistakes, some of them small and some of them so big that they effected not only his life but that of his siblings as well. When his parent...more I have enjoyed all of Carly’s previous books but I have never been able to choose a favorite book and while I have liked them all I haven’t found that one book. That is until this book. From the moment that I picked this book up I knew that this book would be my favorite book. There is just something about this story that I loved.
Ethan is a man that has made mistakes, some of them small and some of them so big that they effected not only his life but that of his siblings as well. When his parents are killed by a drunk diver on their way to bail him out of jail he can’t face his brothers and so he disappears. Now he is back to fix what he broke, his family.
I have to say that from the moment that I started reading Ethan I was in love with him. He is the tortured hero that wants to fix his mistakes with his family. He will take the punches and insults that are flung at him. So long as they eventually let him back in to make amends and to become a family again.
Faith is back in town to start her life over after what her father did to ruin not only her life but countless other lives. What she never expected was to find Ethan her teenage fantasy back in town.
When Ethan and Faith meet again the chemistry that they had as teenagers is still there, and them some. Because they are no longer teenagers, he the bad boy and she the good girl. Now they are adults and can act on the feelings that they have for each other.
These two come together when they have no one that they can turn to and need each other. Their slide into love is so sweet and natural. It felt like you were in the book watching it happen. There was no major angst just two people that wanted the best for each other.
Watching Ethan and Faith discover who they are as a couple and as a family is a pure joy to watch. I really liked watching Faith take back her life and live it the way that she wanted to.
The issue with Ethan and his brothers is a continuing arc of the series so I won’t give anything away about that, especially as I think that it is one of the best parts of the story.
If you like Carly and have read her other books this is nothing like them and yet exactly like them if that makes any sense. I for one can’t wait for the next book to come out.
Grade A

This review was also posted on our site www.thebookreadinggals.com (less)

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Aug 03, 2011 Cocktails and Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, netgalley

Ten years ago, an eighteen year of Ethan Barron dared sixteen year old Faith Harrington to take him up on his offer for a ride home. For Faith, it was a chance to step outside the expected and be with the bad boy she was drawn to. For Ethan, it was to prove something. That he was good enough.

Fast forward ten years and we find Faith and Ethan in very different places.

Faith's world have fallen apart with the conviction of her father in a Madoff style ponzi scheme and the end of her marriage to a...more

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May 12, 2012 Visionary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fourty-five pages in and already I am engaged into the story-line and characters. What I intended to read for an hour I really do not want to stop reading. Which really speaks well for Phillips.

So far Faith and Ethan, along with side characters all grew up in Serendipity, and it's several years later, and all are reconnecting. Neat twist to reunion stories... And the fact that Ethan and Faith knew one another but not in the physical sense.

Phillips lays out each characters' background. We lear...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Lady Lioness rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tbr-journal, genre-contemporary-romance, read-august-2011

I find Carly Phillips books are usually hit or miss for me, but if there's one thing my years as a Romance Expert have taught me, it's to keep an open mind. I found the blurb a little off-putting because I thought this was going to be a tale of a spoiled brat who is redeemed through hard knocks and heads back to her childhood home where she faces the boy she done wrong. It's not, at all.

Faith is immediately presented as an innocent bystander who was just as much as victim as those who were conn...more I find Carly Phillips books are usually hit or miss for me, but if there's one thing my years as a Romance Expert have taught me, it's to keep an open mind. I found the blurb a little off-putting because I thought this was going to be a tale of a spoiled brat who is redeemed through hard knocks and heads back to her childhood home where she faces the boy she done wrong. It's not, at all.

Faith is immediately presented as an innocent bystander who was just as much as victim as those who were conned by her father. Ethan is the stereotypical bad boy who made good, but he didn't escape without his share of consequences. I enjoyed watching the two of them find their way back to each other. Their relationship gets a bit derailed when Ethan's half-sister is dropped on his doorstep, but they handle it like adults. I also liked the brief glimpses we get of Kate and Nick, and I hope we see their story down the line as well. Phillips does an excellent job of setting up Ethan's brothers for their own stories. Serendipity ends with a scene from Nate's point of view and it's quite clear who his heroine is going to be. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Destiny when it comes out next winter.

However, there were two things that bothered me about Serendipity. First off, the backstory was given in drips and drabs. Ethan's brothers HATE him and the reader doesn't find out why until page 165. We also never find out how Faith's father was caught. It's a minor thing, really, but given how things shook down with Bernie Madoff, his son's suicide, the scandal surrounding his wife, I wanted to know what set the house of cards tumbling.

Secondly, I didn't like how Tess's appearance was disparaged when she first shows up. I think Phillips' intention was to have her outer appearance reflect her mental walls, but it came off like having streaked hair and an eyebrow ring meant Tess was a Teen in Trouble. To me, being a teenager means figuring out who you are or, at least, who you don't want to be. That state of flux is why adult influence is so important at that age. It is entirely possible for a happy, well-adjusted, kid to try a different hair color every week and not also be a casual drug user. I would have preferred a greater emphasis on Tess's defensive attitude and body language, rather than her appearance.

Rec'd for fans of Susan Andersen's Bending the Rules, Burning Up, and Playing Dirty trilogy. (less)

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Feb 09, 2013 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'll give this three and a half stars. This is the first by this author I've read and this was an entertaining and quick read. I liked the characters and the story. I'll be reading book two in the series.

Faith was the classic girl of privilege until it was discovered that her father ran a ponzi scheme and it all came crashing down... her family, her marriage, her finances. She moved back home to Serendipity to start over.
Ethan was the bad boy from the other side of town. He has faced scandal him...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ethan Barron's life has lived up to his reputation as a "bad boy". Leaving town at a young age and abandoning his two younger brothers wasn't easy, but after the death of his parent's, of which he personally felt responsible, he had no choice but to flee. After a stent in the army and becoming a successful weapons software designer for the government, Ethan decides it's time to come home and start making up for lost time. He's fearful of the reaction of his younger brothers, Nash and Dare, but h...more Ethan Barron's life has lived up to his reputation as a "bad boy". Leaving town at a young age and abandoning his two younger brothers wasn't easy, but after the death of his parent's, of which he personally felt responsible, he had no choice but to flee. After a stent in the army and becoming a successful weapons software designer for the government, Ethan decides it's time to come home and start making up for lost time. He's fearful of the reaction of his younger brothers, Nash and Dare, but he's ready to prove to them that he's tired of running away. Being a successful software specialist now, it affords him the opportunity to purchase the old Harrington mansion, the home of the one girl he'd never been able to forget about, Faith Harrington.
Faith Harrington has gone from being the town princess to being the town outcast. Branded by the reputation of her father who'd cost the town millions, Faith is desperate to make her own mark. She does this by opening her own interior design business. She never expects to run into Ethan Barron and she certainly doesn't expect him to ask her design his new house, her old one! Soon, it's impossible to deny the intense chemistry between them, and just as they're ready to make good on that chemistry, Ethan's estranged half sister, Tess shows up on the doorstep; literally!! Tess is the epitome of Emo-punk, and has the bad attitude to go with it. Suddenly Ethan finds himself responsible for someone, and this time, he's not going to abandon them.
This book started out pretty boring for me, it's very typical small town romance. All that changed when Tess showed up. Suddenly I couldn't put the book down and I found myself truly vested in what happened between Tess and Ethan, more so than between he and Faith.
Ethan's got some tough brothers who are not willing to forgive and forget as quickly as he'd hoped. I am particularly interested in reading about Nash, the one with the biggest chip on his shoulder.
The romance in this is okay, nothing too steamy, but not tepid either. I didn't feel the connection between Faith and Ethan so much. And, for town people who weren't interested in relaitonships, the ILY's came pretty quick.
Overall, enjoyable, my favorite parts involving Tess and Ethan. Looking forward to Nash's story !
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Sep 10, 2011 Christi Snow rated it 4 of 5 stars

Full review reposted from my blog, Smitten with Reading...

My Review:
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of fun, contemporary romance and this one was right up my alley. In this book, Carly introduces us to her new series set in Serendipity. The three books in the series are going to feature three brothers. This first featured Ethan, the oldest, and most hated in the family. When he was 18 years old, he was arrested. His parents were on the way to pick him up from jail, and they were hit and kill...more Full review reposted from my blog, Smitten with Reading...

My Review:
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of fun, contemporary romance and this one was right up my alley. In this book, Carly introduces us to her new series set in Serendipity. The three books in the series are going to feature three brothers. This first featured Ethan, the oldest, and most hated in the family. When he was 18 years old, he was arrested. His parents were on the way to pick him up from jail, and they were hit and killed by a drunk driver. Filled with guilt, a life going downhill fast, and two younger brothers needing his support, Ethan ran and joined the army. This left his two younger brothers to the foster system and they have never forgiven him for that. He hasn't forgiven himself either. Now he's home and is hoping to make amends and find some common ground so that he and his brothers can be a family again.

Faith is the heroine in this novel and she is dealing with her own trials. Her father has just been convicted for creating a Ponzi scheme which has left half the town in dire straits. Neither Faith nor her mother were aware of what he was doing, but in the eyes of the town, they are guilty by association. She is trying to get an interior design business going in the town that now loves to hate her.

There were a lot of little details about this book that I really loved:

*Dane & Nash, the brothers- although they were complete jerks in this book, you could see that they were simply really hurt when they were abandoned after the shocking loss of their parents. I cannot wait for their stories...they are sure to be fabulous.

*Tess, the surprise 14 yo sister- I loved the addition of Tess to the story. She is just as troubled as Ethan was when he was 18, so he can relate to her issues and I loved that. I love how she bonds to him and has issues with the other brothers because they give him a hard time. Just a FABULOUS story line!!

*Faith- I loved that Faith has always stood up for Ethan and been able to see the good in him since high school. He may only remember their high school interaction as a rebuff, but she truly liked him then and now.

*Faith's mix of girlfriends- women can be truly cruel. I loved how Faith handled and earned the respect of the women around her in this book. There is lots of female interaction in this book at the bar, at the stores, at the mall...I love it all.

*Ethan- Loved how Ethan made his money and then how he and Tess bond over video games. Such a classic guy thing, but he was smart enough to make it a serious career.

Overall, this was simply a fun, entertaining book to read. I enjoyed it a lot and am really looking forward to the next 2 installments in the series, Destiny coming January, 2012 and Karma coming summer, 2012.(less)

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Sep 16, 2011 Isis FG rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Isis FG by: previously read author

Shelves: 2011, bought-walmart, condition-new, format-mmp, published-2011, author-carly-phillips, info-full, reviewed, genre-romance-contemporary, stars-4-5, series-serendipity

Rating 4.5 / 5

I hadn't planned on reading this book after being so disappointed with Phillips's last series. So I thought I'd pass on this one. But I picked it up at Wal-Mart, read the back and thought it sounded interesting so I decided to give it a chance. It was a good decision. I liked this book quite a bit.

Series Note:
First book in Phillips's new series “Serendipity” about a small New York town of the same name.

Summary:
Faith Harrington is returning to her hometown with her tail between her...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Katherine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contempory-romance

This review also posted at A Bookish Compulsion

I thought that Serendipity was a cute book with real feeling characters, even if most of them were plagued with soap-opera pasts and many of the plot catalysts were either absurd or at the very least long-shots. I enjoyed reading this book even while feeling displaced by the chosen “reality.” Like meeting someone so far out of your own world they feel a bit unreal, this book was far afield from my normal reading and as such felt a bit foreign; but e...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Saadia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very pleasant surprise! For a contemporary romantic story, this exceeded my expectations!

Setting is a small town somewhere - upstate New York?, former summer resort for wealthy New Yorkers.

Author skillfully weaves the story of Faith Harrington, former heiress and society matron, now divorced and forced to start her own business, with that of Ethan Barron, former troubled young man from town and now business tycoon. Their socio-economic status have been upended but the two characters are returnin...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Lizz Wodrich rated it 3 of 5 stars

Yay! Another series and y'all know how much I love a series! Ethan and Faith end up back in the small town of Serendipity and neither are welcomed home with open arms. Add in the unexpected addition of Ethan's up-till-now unknown 14 year old half sister and you have a great read. Of course the ending on this one is never, ever in doubt, but when is it in a romance novel?

Here's my rant for the day, and in no way is Ms. Phillips the only author guilty of this, but WHY OH WHY must authors always re...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaway-wins

I got this book as an advanced read copy in a Goodreads giveaway.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's more than just a bad-boy-returns-and-makes-good-and-gets-the-good-girl story. I enjoyed watching the growth of the characters throughout the story, enough that I was glad to see the setup of some additional story lines for more books set in the town of Serendipity. If Serendipity hadn't been good, I wouldn't be interested in reading more about the people and the town, but I eagerly read the...more I got this book as an advanced read copy in a Goodreads giveaway.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's more than just a bad-boy-returns-and-makes-good-and-gets-the-good-girl story. I enjoyed watching the growth of the characters throughout the story, enough that I was glad to see the setup of some additional story lines for more books set in the town of Serendipity. If Serendipity hadn't been good, I wouldn't be interested in reading more about the people and the town, but I eagerly read the preview of the next book that's included at the end of Serendipity and I'm looking forward to its publication.

Ethan returns to Serendipity to repair his past with his younger brothers, whom he abandoned when he fled town after his parents were killed in a car accident. He's turned his life around and now he's seeking redemption. He knows it's going to be tough but he's grown up and he's willing to do whatever it takes. When he returns to Serendipity, he buys the biggest, most historic house in town, which just happened to have been owned by Faith's family. When Faith's father is convicted of running a Ponzi scheme, she and her mother lost their life of privilege, their home, their position and the community and the respect of the community. This is what makes this story more than a "bad boy returns" story - the tables have turned on both the main characters, and in a huge way. Ethan is looking to earn the respect he never cared about before and Faith is trying to live without the respect she always had, and it isn't just about money. The decisions Ethan made affected his family deeply. The decisions Faith's father made impacted her and the entire community. Faith returns to Serendipity for a new start after her marriage goes up in smoke along with her father's fortune and position. She's struggling to find out who she is and what she wants. She's going to have to work for in Serendipity, because there's a lot of animosity towards the Harringtons.

My favorite monkey wrench in this story is Tess. She's a great character and a perfect foil for what's going on in town, between Faith and Ethan, and between Ethan and his brothers. Her introduction into the story was a surprise, and brilliant.

I'm a sucker for a heartfelt story. There's a lot of deep feelings in this book and the author writes it well; it's believable and you want to know more and get to know these people more.

My only criticism of the book - and it's not much of a criticism, in my opinion - is I feel the town of Serendipity could have been characterized better. This is a character-driven story and I'm all about the characters, but when I read a book about a small town with a quirky name like Serendipity, I expect the town to be one of the characters. I really didn't get much of a sense of Serendipity and its flavor.

Definitely a good read, so thumbs up for this one!(less)

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Aug 10, 2012 Kk rated it 4 of 5 stars

Faith Harrington grew up in the lap of luxury and never left it...until her father being sent to prison for running a Ponzi scheme was followed up by finding out that her husband was a cheating jerk. Faith needs a fresh start, and she's determined to get it in her home town of Serendipity where she wants to start her interior design business. Unfortunately, some people in Serendipity are putting the blame for the sins of the father on Faith. What's more, the mansion Faith grew up in is now home...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

I grade this story a strong B+.

I recommend this book for readers that like contemporary, small town, first in a new series, light, fun romance.

It is very sweet and the romance is touching. Carly Phillips’ writing style flows smoothly and creates a clear picture.

Faith and Ethan are excellent main characters. I even like all of the side characters. I want to know more about why Nash and Dare (Ethan’s brothers) are so nasty to Ethan when he returned to town. There were only glimpses but I assume t...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Marilyn Rondeau rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ms. Phillips has continued to entertain me with her lively and dynamic characters dealing with everyday live and love. With her two protagonists Ethan and Faith, Phillips shows first of all that they had a history from ten years prior. Faith was the girl that got away; Ethan was the boy she could have, and would have if she had not been brought up as a nice, respectful girl. So right from the get go, you knew these two were going to have to settle up those long ago forgotten years, and feelings...more

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May 18, 2012 Leona Olson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Faith Harrington was a girl of privilege in the town of Serendipity until her father ended up in prison for a Ponzi scheme. Ethan Barron was the bad boy who left town after his parent's death in an accident. Both have come back home to restart their lives. A teenaged sister Ethan never knew he had has entered the picture and he is now the big brother who has to take care of her along with his two estranged brothers. Faith has some close friends and a somewhat connection with her mother.
I liked t...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Sherie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this story. Ethan was the bad boy turned good. He abandon his family in a time of need but turned his life around. He really showed promise in becoming a better man from the start. Especially how he related to his sister, you can see how far he had come in the ten years since the fateful kiss. A kiss he shared with Faith, the princess. The princess who lost everything in those ten years. Now trying to live and do things on her own, you could see the independence she craved and achieved a...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Eileen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 21, 2012 Kezermezer rated it 3 of 5 stars

When her father is convicted of running a ponzi scheme and her marriage implodes, Faith Harrington heads back to her hometown of Serendipity to regroup and find herself. Along the way, she also finds Ethan Barron, the sexy bad boy from her past who has a few skeletons of his own in his closet.

Serendipity has a decent enough plot (even if things with a certain teenager are resolved a little too easily). It has pretty likable characters. It has some nice sex scenes (aside from the use of the word...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: family_sibling_series

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

Ethan’s back in Serendipity, after leaving years ago following his parents fatal car crash. He was young and not able to deal so he took off, leaving his 2 younger brothers and didn’t look back. Well, he’s back now and his brothers want nothing to do with him. Each brother was raised separately in foster homes, Nash on the right side of the tracks, Dare on the wrong, and now Ethan’s back to try and make amends and bring his family back together again. He’...more Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

Ethan’s back in Serendipity, after leaving years ago following his parents fatal car crash. He was young and not able to deal so he took off, leaving his 2 younger brothers and didn’t look back. Well, he’s back now and his brothers want nothing to do with him. Each brother was raised separately in foster homes, Nash on the right side of the tracks, Dare on the wrong, and now Ethan’s back to try and make amends and bring his family back together again. He’s made a good career for himself and as way to reestablish himself in the community, he buys the “mansion on the hill” and needs a lot of help trying to turn it into a home.

Faith is also back in Serendipity, her life doing a complete 180 from where she was the last time she lived here. Her father’s in prison for running an investment scam that ruined many residents and businesses in Serendipity and his guilt is put upon Faith and her mother by many in the town. Faith’s not sitting around moping though, she’s determined to make a life for herself and puts out her shingle for her new interior design business. After being caught at her old family home by the new owner, Ethan, sparks still fly between them, proving that their attraction from high school is still there and Ethan convinces her to take him on as her first client and redecorate his new house.

This was such a fun, easy read about two people trying to make lives for themselves surrounded by a town, in Faith’s case, and brothers in Ethan’s, that are hesitant to give them a second chance. They find friendship first, rekindling what they once felt for each other as teens, only it means so much more now and the feelings are just that much stronger. There’s no denying they have chemistry and while Faith may be the more skittish of the two, wanting desperately to be independent, something she lost when she was married to her controlling ex-husband, Ethan’s determined not to let her get away again, or ignore what’s building between them.

Ethan grinned. He hadn’t realized his little tigress had teeth and he found himself wishing she’d use them on him, not to reprimand him the way she had her judgmental mother, but in bed.

I loved this couple – it was a nice slow build up, with a lot of fun banter between them and incredibly sweet and sexy scenes all throughout their relationship. When Ethan gets the shock of a lifetime dumped on his front doorstep, Faith is there for him and helps him deal with this new development in his life. He also has problems relating to his brothers who are none too quick to offer him any forgiveness. I see their side, absolutely. Ethan ran away, he had no other way to deal with the tragedy that happened in their family and at 18 he was as lost as his brothers were, only they didn’t have the choice to run. While I felt for Ethan as he tried to mend their relationships, I couldn’t fault the brothers for being stand-offish and hostile, and it takes a young teenage girl to be the common factor in all their lives that starts to bring them back together.

Teenage Tess was really a nice addition when she came on the scene. She’s a smartass, sassy and incredibly vulnerable. She hasn’t had a stable life to this point and when she’s dropped off at Ethan’s, she’s angry, confrontational and wants nothing to do with anybody. She shuts herself off from opening up to anyone until she overhears the brothers fighting about their past and brings it up to Ethan:

“Man, you really were a screw up, weren’t you? Guess we have something in common after all,” Tess said, sounding pleased with herself and him.

He bit the inside of his cheek. “Does that mean you’ll give me a break and behave from now on?”

“Hell, no.” She burst out laughing, taking him off guard.

When she realizes that Ethan had issues himself growing up, they find some common ground to build on and she slowly starts coming around. She bonds with Faith and it was charming to see her go from that insecure, covered head to toe in black clothes, hostile girl to acting like a teenager who’s comfortable with her life and not so worried anymore about things outside her control.

This was a great start to what’s sure to be a fun series centered around siblings in a small town. I enjoyed the sexy, easy (with a few bumps along the way) romance between Ethan and Faith, and look forward to Nash’s story next, which we get a little taste of at the end of this book. (less)

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