Review Destiny by Carly Phillips
DESTINY is the second in my contemporary romance series that I began in SERENDIPITY. In Destiny, you will learn more about the town of Serendipity, the Barron brothers, and the past they’ve tried so hard to run from … and in some cases, to hide.. Like any other town, Serendipity has its secrets, scandals, pain, heartache and love, but there is also an implied promise of fortune and good luck, along with people at changes and crossroads in their lives.
Nash Barron may be cynical about love, yet even he likes a good wedding. But the only good thing about his brother’s wedding is Kelly Moss. Nash can’t help but admire her confidence and beauty, but he’s forced to keep his distance because getting involved with Kelly could destroy his relationship with his newly discovered half sister, Tess…
Kelly came to Serendipity to give Tess–her half sibling as well, thanks to an illicit affair–a second chance at life. She learned long ago not to rely on anyone but herself. Besides, she doesn’t want to upset Tess’s life by pushing for a fling with Nash. Except the more she gets to know him, the more vulnerable she becomes to the kindness beneath his gruff exterior, and the less she’s able to stay away. But she has other reasons for keeping her distance. Like the secret from her past she knows Nash will never forgive…
There is something so compelling about a Carly Phillips novel. I don’t quite know how to express it other than to say that she strings words together in such a way that makes one so emotionally invested in the characters and the story that you actively root for them from page one, even when you don’t like them, don’t understand them or think they are otherwise ridiculous.
I’m going to be honest, because if I can’t do that here then, well, whatever. So I didn’t like Kelley at all in Serendipity. I thought she was the worst sort of person, the type that willingly abandons family because she’s having a bad time, having issues or whatever and just couldn’t deal. That opinion didn’t change too much through Destiny. I still through she had way too much invested in what other people thought and other people had to deal with her. And that attitude rubbed off on her sister Tess. And yet Destiny was Kelly coming to grips with that, and letting that attitude go, as Nash’s journey through Destiny was him coming to grips with his past, letting go of his ex wife, and letting go of the unnecessary and beleaguering guilt he felt as a result of Dare not being in the same household as him.
So you have the story or two very disillusioned individuals that think their secrets and their lives lies are more massive and important than anyone else’s. What they learn is that the lies that were told to them and the lies that they told are not nearly as big or important or life changing as the lies they told themselves, and as they begin to become honest with themselves, they begin to realize how good they are together and how amazing their lives can be if they could just let go of themselves enough to let the others love enter their lives.
Damnit, I’ve done what I said i wouldn’t do in this review which is wax poteically on about what the book meant and not review the freaking work.
Okay
So, The relationships between Nash and both of his brothers changes so dramatically you can see the shift from this old brotherly bond in whatever form it was to this new adult realization, and love with eyes wide open. I loved it.
The letting go of the past relationships with both Nash and Kelly was super important and was downplayed. The way it should be. If you’re entering a new relationship in a romance novel, I don’t want to see you all hung up on the old guy. Nope.
I also loved how careful they were with each other, Dancing around the topics they really needed to face until the other forced their hands.
Overall, Loved.
Overall Rating: A-
