Customer Reviews

Serendipity

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 to notorious bad boy Ethan Barron. What's a woman to do? Well, when Ethan hires her to redecorate his home, a woman like Faith takes the chance. But will she also take a chance on the scoundrel who's always sent her heart racing?

Author Carly Phillips starts off her SERENDIPITY series with a bang! SERENDIPITY is passion and fun, past mistakes and new beginnings all rolled into one.

Faith is a woman who is determined to claim her life as her own, and she'll work her butt off to make a success of herself. Faith is beautiful, intelligent and wealthy, but what makes her a fantastic heroine is her hard work and likeability. Ethan, in turn, is a former bad boy who has returned to Serendipity to make amends and reconnect with his family. Sadly, his past makes it hard for people - especially his brothers - to see the man he has become. I flat-out adored Ethan and not only did I want him to find love with Faith, I wanted him to get the acceptance he craves. To her credit, Ms. Phillips doesn't make it easy for Ethan. I was every bit as invested in Ethan and Faith's individual journeys as I was in their romance.

Ms. Phillips could have easily fallen into one of the well-known contemporary romance patterns with SERENDIPITY - ex-bad boy falls for good girl/princess. But Ms. Phillips takes the best parts of that romance archetype and then spins her own unique story from here. There are twists and turns in SERENDIPITY that I didn't see coming, and I LOVED them. I finished SERENDIPITY with a smile on my face, delighted by Ethan and Faith's utterly charming romance. Bring on the next SERENDIPITY novel, DESTINY!


Lily
Reviewed for Romance Junkies

In Serendipity, New York, former wealthy Faith Harrington disowned her father Martin when he accepted a plea bargain after a Bernie Madoff level financial fraud; she also divorced her womanizing husband Carter Moreland who knew all before dumping her. She and her family are broke having to sell everything including the mansion on the hill through an SEC auction to pay back investors.

After a decade away Ethan Barron returns home too. He owes his younger brothers Nash and Dare having deserted them to foster care when their parents died and he couldn't cope; he knows he will need to be patient to win them over as they no longer need him like they did when he ran. Although the victim of her father's crime the townsfolk refuse to hire interior designer Faith; that is until Ethan hires the Princess on the hill to renovate his new purchase, her family's former mansion. Back in high school, they had a heated moment, but that seems tundra compared to how the former princess and the entrepreneur feel today.

The first of the Barron brothers' contemporary romances is an entertaining tale starring two strong obstinate protagonists and a powerful mostly extended families' support cast. The lead couple and their siblings have realistic issues including family dynamics that may keep them apart. With a nod to the headlines and some late suspense, Carly Phillips opens her upstate New York tale with a strong entry.

Harriet Klausner

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.

Blog Rating: 4/5 stars

Faith Harrington lived a life of privilege until it was revealed that her father was bilking friends and investors in a Ponzi scheme. After a bitter divorce from a philandering husband, she returns to her hometown to open an interior design business, which is really slow given her family's reputation. When former bad boy Ethan Barron returns to town wealthy and the new owner of Faith's childhood home, she suddenly finds herself reluctantly taking the assignment to redecorate the house she grew up in. Romantic tensions abound as Faith and Ethan grow closer together and he fights to regain his brother's trust while caring for a sister they recently discovered.

After reading a couple disappointing novels by Phillips, I treaded lightly and did not expect much. To my surprise, this is a well rounded and thought out novel that keeps Ethan on his toes until the end. Phillips does a great job reeling the reader in and having them care about her characters. I cannot wait to check out the rest of the series and get better acquainted with the other Barron Brothers.

3.5 Feathers
Serendipity
by Carly Phillips
(Serendipity # 1)

'If you like small town contemporaries, this one is a good start to a new series. I felt like comparing it to the Tumble Creek series by Victoria Dahl (even though I liked that series better than this one book).

Ethan was the bad boy in high school, who came from the wrong side of the tracks. After the death of both his parents he left town. Left behind his two brothers as well. He went on to the military and is now a very successful military weapons designer with his own company and lots of money. So it's now time for him to go back to Serendipity to make ammends with his brothers for leaving them the way he did.

He happens to buy the house that he always wanted. Faith Harrington's childhood home. Faith was the beautiful cheerleader that he always had a crush on. Now her father is in a big mess because of bad business decisions and the house is for sale.

Faith had also left town, gotten married, and later on went through a bad divorce. She is back in Serendipity to start over. Not as the rich girl but a normal person. She wants to be seen as herself not her father's daughter.

Fate puts them back together and both their youth crushes come rushing back, now with their positions reversed.

But there's a curve ball. A long lost half sister comes out of nowhere and is dropped on Ethan's doorstep. None of the brothers knew of her existence and I thought the whole situation was a bit unrealistic how she was just dropped off and then how their relationship was handled at the beginning.

It will be interesting to see how his relationship with his brothers develops. What Ethan did abandoning them was not right and I think he should make up a bit more to them for that. But I can't wait to read the other brothers stories!

*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 and starting his own business. They both come back to town with a need to prove something. Ethan needs to prove that he's not that punk kid anymore and to try to reconnect with his brothers. Faith is trying to stand on her own two feet and make something out of herself. She also wants to discover herself after a lifetime spent being who the men in her life wanted her to be.

I know this sounds like a pretty typical setup, but the author really impressed me with her take on it. Faith and Ethan were not perfect characters who were able to magically conquer their problems at just the right moment. Neither were they necessarily the ones in the right. They made mistakes, Ethan especially, and they had to struggle to earn back the respect of those around them. They were willing to take their lumps, no matter how much it occasionally grated, and I had to respect them for that. Ethan's past behavior really made me uncertain about his character--because he was wrong, no ifs, ands, or buts--but he was such a good character that I actually became impatient with his brothers for acting like jerks (more on that later) toward him.

I liked Faith and appreciated her desire to make something of herself and her drive to pull herself out of the mess her father left behind. I know that the people her father defrauded were angry at her for benefitting from her father's income while they lost everything, but I got really tired of her willingness to take their criticism when she had done nothing wrong. She tried to be the bigger person and not spread around her defense, or even an explanation. I can't fault her for what she was trying to do, but I honestly don't understand why she would be determined to come back to her hometown when she knew the people there would constantly treat her like crap. One, who thinks they can start a new business in such a hostile environment and have it be successful? Two, maybe it sounds cold, but other than her friends, why did she care so much about winning back the good opinion of the town? It's not like she was trying to make amends for her father's actions, she was just trying to get them to see that she was not the princess she used to be and that she was hurt by him too. I was honestly perplexed.

I liked the inclusion of Tess. Usually kids are iffy for me, but I thought she mirrored young Ethan nicely. I enjoyed watching Tess and Ethan circle around each other to try to find a way to connect and was pleased that Ethan finally had someone in his family on his side (eventually). Her transformation from a trouble-child into a girl who wants regular hair and clothes happened so quickly that it felt inauthentic, but I suppose the author had to compress the timeline to make it work. I just don't think she would have gone from such an angry kid to Miss Dyes-her-hair-back-and-wears-regular-clothes so easily.

Ethan was my favorite character in the book. He was such a good guy. He had made a lot of mistakes in the past, but he was willing to try again and again to make it right in the present. He took a lot of abuse without flinching and it made me so sad to know that there was a very real possibility that he might never be able to apologize enough to make a difference. I loved that he owned the kind of guy he used to be. He even looks back on his teenage experience with Faith and reflects on how he didn't take the rejection well at all back then. I loved that the author made a point of saying that, because that felt more authentic to a teenage boy.

The fact that I loved Ethan so much made it really hard for me to like his brothers. I knew that they were completely justified in being so angry with him, but it doesn't change the fact that I found it extremely hard to like them. I had no sympathy for Ethan's previous actions, but it was hard to get over the fact that they were such complete and utter douches to him. By the end, I liked one brother more than the other, but I'm still not remembering either of them with many fond feelings.

Although I enjoyed the book for the most part, I never quite felt the spark that would help suck me into the story. I didn't feel wowed by the characters and plot, although I did like how the author approached the setup. I found the book pleasant and enjoyed my time reading it, but I doubt I'll be continuing the series. I just didn't like Ethan's brothers enough to care about reading a Romance where I'm stuck in their head. I know I should sympathize more, but they really bugged me.

Favorite Quote:

"The bad boy he used to be would take what she offered and not look back. But Ethan had worked too hard to get past that kid, his cockiness, arrogance, and the devastation he'd caused. He was still working on it. And he wasn't stupid. He knew he could never be this particular princess's Prince Charming."

*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen*

Loved this book and am enjoying the series. I love the brothers relationships.
This is my first book by Carly I will definetly be looking for more .

Surprised at the full characters and intricate stories within a romance. Loved getting to know all the characters and their back stories. Kept me interested and hopeful that they will individually work it out. Kept me interested and turning the page, surprised with how the story developed loved it.

Carly Phillips' romance trilogies and series are always great for a quick, easy, fun, romantic read. And Serendipty is no different.
Ethan and Faith, almost high school lovers, meet up again years later in their old home town of Serendipity. Faith was the pretty rich girl and Ethan was the bad boy on a motorcycle. But the roles are reversed now. Ethan is the dashing, man of money while Faith has been dethroned by a father and ex-husband who got caught running a Ponzi scheme.

The romantic reconnection between Faith and Ethan is slightly disturbed by the sudden arrival of Ethan's long lost, previously unknown sister. Overnight he goes from millionaire bad boy to responsible father figure.
Seredipity is a quick read and once you start meeting all of the supporting cast you'll see how Ms. Phillips will develop the rest of the series.

I give this 4 stars because the dramatic climax was almost non-existent. And the story of the long lost sister takes a lot away from the romance of Ethan and Faith.

This book was nearly ruined by the fact that I couldn't stop comparing it to one of my favorite Sandra Brown classics, 22 Indigo Place. I'm not sure if I'm the only one to notice the similarities, but there are quite a few of them!

Regardless, I enjoyed reading about Ethan's redemption and Faith's unwavering strength. Both have struggled, and both are looking to right wrongs and start fresh. There are some intense moments where Faith, a member of the town's once prominent family, is belittle by its citizens because of her father's crimes. And equally upsetting were the scenes where Ethan is verbally thrashed by his brothers.

As with any good contemporary romance, love conquers. It will be interesting to see how Ethan's brothers evolve in their upcoming books.