2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Destiny is a Joyfully Recommended Read, January 22, 2012
This review is from: Destiny (Serendipity) (Mass Market Paperback)
Both Nash Barron and Kelly Moss are cynical when it comes to love. Experience has taught each of them to guard their heart. Kelly's mother had a long ago affair with Nash's father, an affair that resulted in Kelly's now 13 year old sister Tess. With Tess running with the wrong crowd and getting into trouble, Kelly had no choice but to come to Nash and his brothers for help with her. A situation which puts Nash and Kelly in constant contact with each other and before long they act on the attraction between them. Neither wants to fall in love but that doesn't stop it from happening. With Nash's stubborn refusal to give into the emotion between them and the secret that Kelly is keeping, can they find a happily ever after together?
Destiny Rocks!! I have to admit, I so loved the first book in this series, Serendipity, that I was almost afraid to read this story. Would it be as good? Would I be disappointed? I am happy to say that from the first book to the second story, Carly Phillips knocks it out of the park. She doesn't forget the beloved characters from the first story, making them wonderful secondary characters, while still giving Nash and Kelly plenty of attention and cleverly setting up the next book in the series, leaving me marking days on the calendar for more. Readers can't go wrong picking up this story and will quickly find themselves enthralled!
Melissa
For Joyfully Reviewed
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
engaging contemporary romance, January 3, 2012
This review is from: Destiny (Serendipity) (Mass Market Paperback)
In Serendipity, New York, Nash Barron attends the wedding of his older brother Ethan to Faith (see Serendipity). He knows he remains angry with his sibling for dumping him and their younger brother Dare into the foster care system ten years ago. Dare the cop forgave Ethan but Nash has not. He is also upset with Kelly Moss who brought her teenage half-sister Tess to Serendipity to live with the youngster's older half-brothers. Part of his ire with Kelly is his attraction to her, which she ignores and he must ignore for Tess' sake. Finally Nash cannot comprehend why his wife left him as he muses why loved ones leave him.
Kelly wants Nash, frown and all, but refuses to act on her feelings as Tess's needs come first. Still she would not mind some fun with the perpetual frowner though she also fears her scandal will see the light of day leading to his loathing her.
The second Serendipity contemporary romance is an engaging tale starring a fully developed lead pair and a strong support cast mostly the extended family. The straight-lined plot follows the expected course, but the hot-blooded relationship between the two degrees of separation is a fun tale as Nash and Kelly feel like Destiny's darlings (not).
Harriet Klausner
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Destiny - Nash's turn!, January 3, 2012
This review is from: Destiny (Serendipity) (Mass Market Paperback)
Nash came across in SERENDIPITY as maybe the harshest brother, very angry and unforgiving of Ethan and decisions he made as an 18 year old kid. He's also a bit non-accepting of Tess and as a result she shies away from him, not caring about getting to know him. She's bonded with Ethan, and as Nash isn't interested in getting along with Ethan, Tess's mind is pretty much made up about having a relationship with Nash - not happening. Nash sees everything in black and white and he struggles to be what he thinks people need him to be. His first marriage didn't work out, but he still calls and wants to help his ex, Annie, thinking she always needs help now after her MS diagnosis, instead of listening to her and want she really needs from him, as a friend.
Nash's growth in this book is one of him becoming more self-aware. His eyes are opened up to how people perceive him and he doesn't like the reality of it. He makes a real effort to change, realizing that the issues he thought were other people's problems, are really his own and he takes steps to repair relationships within his family. Lies that people told him hit Nash hard. He has to deal with his youngest and closest brother Dare in a way he never thought he'd have to. His relationship with Dare has always been the one solid thing in his life and to have that turned upside down, because of Dare, is something that triggers Nash to start looking at why people aren't comfortable coming to him with problems, and it's a turning point for Nash personally.
One new, strong presence in Nash's personal life is Kelly, Tess's half-sister. Kelly is still struggling with her decision of leaving Tess on Ethan's doorstep just a few short months ago. She knows it really was the best decision but still worries that Tess may have seen it as just another person abandoning her, like their mother did. But she sees Tess thriving in Ethan's care and home and her decision has given Tess the stability that she's never had before. Kelly's moved to town to be closer to Tess and she's trying to fit in, and makes a fast friend in Annie, Nash's ex.
Nash and Kelly become closer as the story goes and even though Tess objects at first, because, well...it's Nash, they are comfortable with each other and find a happiness together that neither one was expecting. Kelly has some personal baggage she's also dealing with and it ultimately drives a wedge between her and Nash when she doesn't come clean to him. He sees it as just one more person keeping the truth from him. Both Nash and Kelly have issues to work through on their own, but once they're able to repair relationships, in Nash's case, and put the past completely to rest, for Kelly, they can finally move forward together.
**********
"I can't have this conversation now."
Not while her fingers were hovering around the hard edge threatening to burst through his pants.
She met his gaze and grinned. "We're not going to do much talking," she promised, her eyes glittering with desire. "I just wanted you to know that I get you. And when you're with me, you can just feel what you're feeling and I won't judge..."
He nodded, his throat full, touched beyond reason that she'd thought so long and hard about him. What he wanted and needed. He wanted to express his gratitude, his feelings and once again he reached for her.
Once again she eased out of his grasp. "And now you're going to lean back and just enjoy. No thinking, Nash. Just feel," she said, and knelt down in front of him.
**********
Their relationship was sweet and very easy going. They had issues to move past and do, but they came across on page as a fun couple, and a couple that was well matched for each other. While I enjoyed their scenes together, I felt a bit more invested in Nash and his relationship with his brothers, Ethan and Dare. He had a lot of ground to cover with Ethan, and was able to finally let himself "get" where Ethan was coming from and start to move past the hurt he's carried for so long.
The most drama came from an unlikely source in the fun loving, (seemingly) happy Dare. That turned out to be a great cover for the hurt and pain Dare has been hiding for many years, all going back to one horrible night when he was 15. When the truth comes out, Nash questions everything he was led to believe about why he and Dare were split up and sent to different foster homes after their parents died. And for Dare, we get a small glimpse at what kind of inner demons he's been dealing with, all from that one night that still haunts him and it'll be interesting to see how he deals with it and if he can find some kind of peace and move forward in his book.
Nash went from being the brother I wanted to smack the most in SERENDIPITY, to the brother I wanted to see reconcile with his family, have a solid relationship with his sister, and find some happiness and love with Kelly. Carly Phillips delivers with a light, fun read, a sweet romance and gives us a family that I can't wait to read more about in small town Serendipity.
Blog Rating: 4/5
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
