Serendipity - Carly Phillips

Book Blurb:
Faith Harrington was the classic girl of privilege–until her father was convicted of running a Ponzi scheme and then her marriage crashed and burned.

Now Faith is back in her hometown, hoping for a fresh start. But her father’s betrayal has rocked Serendipity – and not everyone is ready to welcome her with open arms. Then she runs into her teenage crush — the dark, brooding Ethan Barron. Ethan, no stranger to scandal himself, never imagined he’d own the mansion on the hill, much less ever again come face to face with Faith–the princess he once kissed senseless. The chance meeting reignites the electric charge between them.

Still, when Ethan hires her to redecorate what was once her childhood home, Faith is sure that getting involved with the town’s notorious bad boy will only lead to trouble. But her heart has other ideas. And so do the townspeople of Serendipity …

In My Own Words:
Classic story of good little rich girl, falls for bad boy on a motorcycle.  But, Serendipity gives us a twist.  In the years since Faith and Ethan's spark charged kiss on the back of his motorcycle, many lives have changed, and not necessarily for the better.  Ethan's parents were killed by a drunk driver on the way to bail Ethan out of jail, thus starting a tailspin affect where Ethan leaves his two younger brothers to try and make it on his own.  While he has amassed lots of fortune and has come back to make things right, neither Nash or Dare are ready to buy what he is selling.  Old wounds cut very deep with these three.

Coming back to her hometown licking her own wounds, Faith stops by the one place that she will always remember as home.  Her mansion on the hill.  After her father is arrested for bilking people out of millions of dollars, to basically keep him in the style he has been accustomed.  When the arrest is made, her husband of convenience (on his part) decided to make it known he himself had a side attraction, to other females.  Coming home seemed the right thing to do, until her visit to her childhood home brought her face to face with Ethan Barron.

Faith and Ethan come to an understanding and start a working relationship while Faith helps him decorate his new mansion and he helps build her new design company.  All seems to be going well, and headed towards great things, until one night he is delivered a gift, by way of a teen with a chip on her shoulder.  Can this teen-goth-hellion be the glue this family so desperately needs?

Notable Quote:
"It's interesting how the mighty have fallen" (Ethan and Faith's first conversation since coming home)

Review:
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 his family back together after tragedy.  It was almost heartbreaking to read, to know so much pain existed.  The relationship between brothers and sister.  That was an interesting dynamic.  Watching Tess bounce off each and every one of them, and then bonding to tightly with the one everyone swore had no heart.  Finally the relationship with the town.  As much as both Ethan and Faith hated what home represented, they both wound up there to heal.  I am VERY interested in Nash and Kelly's story.  The spark almost made my Nook burn up when she appeared.