PERFECT FIT – Carly Phillips
A Perfect 10
Serendipity's Finest , Book 1
Berkley Heat
ISBN: 978-0-425-25971-9
January 2013
Contemporary Romance

Serendipity, New York – Present Day

Cop Michael Marsden left town years ago feeling like the odd man out in his own family. But with his adopted father's cancer scare and ongoing recovery, Mike's back as the temporary chief of police in Serendipity. Cara Hartley is one of the police officers at the station, and the two recently had a one night stand, but both are careful not to even bring it up because it was a momentary lapse that neither expects to happen again. Yet the more they're around each other, the harder it is to not think about the other. When an investigation into the source of marked money from years ago found in the police storage room brings more questions than answers, it is Mike and Cara who work together to resolve the case.

Cara understands Mike's reluctance to get involved with a woman, especially considering her own personal family drama. She's thrown herself into helping a safe house for abused women and considers that more important than anything except her job. As one of Serendipity's finest, she's proud of her status and is willing to work alongside Mike on a case despite the fact that her desire for him still lingers. But the closeness invites not only shared confidences, but a shared bed…

In Carly Phillips's PERFECT FIT, once again readers are brought back to the fictional small town of Serendipity where just about everyone knows everybody. Mike left town as soon as he reached adulthood, a man seemingly afraid to look back for fear he'd see the father who didn't want him. This despite the fact that he was raised in a loving home by his mother and his adoptive father. But family duty ended up coming first and he's returned, at least for now. The one night he had with Cara only barely satisfies the lust he has for her, yet to get involved with her could lead to a potential relationship and one he's spent most of his adult life avoiding. The case of the mysterious money that Mike and Cara are working on has serious ramifications—for the town, and personally for Mike. If the truth comes out, will it bring back into Mike's life the man who abandoned him…and hurt the only family he's ever known?

Sometimes Cara's doggedness in her job gets her in trouble, but she only wants to help the ones who need it and doesn't care that her life might be in danger. Cara rarely pays a visit to the wild side, but all that went out the door the night she spent with Mike. The chemistry between them sizzles and can't be contained. Against each other's better judgment, Mike and Cara are soon drifting into an affair—with the agreement that it's only temporary. But she is soon learning about Mike's inner secrets, even as he gets more insight into hers. Everyone in town knows that Cara is estranged from her parents and why, yet the depth of hurt isn't readily apparent.

Readers might remember Cara from KARMA, and now she gets her own story in PERFECT FIT. We also get caught up on the folks in Serendipity and a hint of who will star in their own books in the new Serendipity's Finest series. I can't wait! While PERFECT FIT can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend all the prior books in Ms. Phillips's Serendipity series. Go to www.carlyphillips.com to find the complete list.

What a fantastic read to start out 2013 and one that deserves RRT's Perfect 10 award. PERFECT FIT is a perfect mix of tension and romance that will have readers eagerly turning the page to see what happens next. With their rich history, Mike and Cara are admirable separately, but together they are irresistible. Before PERFECT FIT opens, the one night stand was in their past, yet Mike and Cara can't get the perfection of that night out of their heads. Mike makes it clear to Cara he isn't sticking around, but by the end of this tale, she's hoping he changes his mind. Will he?

For a perfect read that I highly recommend, grab a copy of PERFECT FIT to see why it rates as one of the best contemporary reads for January.

Patti Fischer