Review: Destiny by Carly Phillips

Destiny
Book 2 in the Serendipity series
Author: Carly Phillips
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780425245743
Release date: January 3, 2012
Author's website: Link

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...

From the moment Nash and Kelly met in book one of the series, they had an instant attraction to each other and that attraction continues in their book Destiny.  Their lives are now intertwined because of their half sister Tess which gives them the opportunity to see each other more.  I have to admit that when I didn't get the best first impression of Nash since his character was very abrasive to more than one character in Serendipity. He's probably the least liked Barron brother out of the three and was very nasty to his older brother Ethan because of some issues from their past. Nash has never forgiven Ethan for what happened when they were teens and his feelings toward him carry over into this book.  Although Nash is still angry and bitter, it's not until he learns more about what exactly happened in the past is he able to mend their broken relationship. This mending happens with the help of one special female that comes into his life just in the nick of time.  Kelly helps Nash get to the root of his feelings and this helps the healing process begin.  We get to see another side of him when he's around Kelly and it's refreshing to see him more relaxed than what he normally is.  We also get to learn more about Kelly and her past from her raising Tess when she was a teen, to her having to give up on some of her hopes and dreams to do that.  Nash has nothing but total respect for her and their experiences enables them to understand each other on a different level. 

Nash's character is very complex because the past has shaped him to be the man that he is.  He learns so much in this book about his 2 brothers as well as himself.  Secrets and feelings are revealed between the Barron brothers and Nash realizes that he isn't the easiest person to get along with.  This is when Carly Phillips amazing writing comes into play because she takes a character that isn't the easiest to like and strips him emotionally until he is raw.  But instead of placing the blame on someone else, he realizes that he could change as a person, and this is when the other characters get to see the side of Nash that Kelly has seen all along.  This change allows the healing process between the brothers to begin and I'm so looking forward to reading what will happen between them next.

I'm giving Destiny a rating of:

The one thing that I enjoy most about this series is the opportunity for the characters 2nd chances in their lives.  Whether it's something they want to prove to others as well as themselves, Carly Phillips makes it happen and her readers get to see those characters shine.  I truly enjoy her books and equate her writing to the comfort of a cozy throw blanket.  I know when I pick up one of her books to read that I am going to be entertained and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series Karma which features the youngest Barron brother Dare.  I can't wait to revisit these characters again who've I've come to know and love.