Serendipity by Lisa Clark O'Neill

Serendipity

It’s a dog eat dog world for Ava Martinez. On the surface her life seems charmed--beauty, brains, a successful veterinary practice--but Ava harbors a secret. And one rash act on a foggy night threatens to destroy it all. The niece of one of the most ruthless drug lords in the country, Ava has lived her life as an unwilling pawn in her uncle’s illegal game. When Ava accidentally stumbles upon an unknown man lying unconscious in the trunk of a car--a man destined for death at the hands of her uncle’s men--she risks her life to get him to safety and to thwart her uncle's nefarious scheme. Little does she know that lifting the lid of that trunk will be like opening Pandora’s box. When Assistant District Attorney Jordan Wellington--the man she rescued--brings his dog to the door of her veterinary clinic, she does her best to thwart his amorous intentions, but fate has a different idea. When a walk in the park, a friend’s blind date, seemingly everything throws them together, the normally strong-willed Ava finds herself irrevocably drawn into a seductive and deadly game. Because if Jordan ever regains his memory of that night, both of their lives could be in danger.

REVIEW

The cover of the car trunk being opened peeked my interest, but Serendipity was one of those books that when I read the overview I KNEW I was going to love it.

Serendipity is the first book of a new series by newcomer Lisa Clark O’Neill. I’m not sure what there is to not love about this book. You have humor, mistaken identity, romance, kidnapping, murder, hot guys, and a serial killer killing women who seem to have no connection to each other.

The story takes place in Savannah, Georgia. It starts out with Ava attempting to get an unconscious man who’s six and a half feet tall out of a trunk of a car by herself. Ava is only five feet three inches tall. Just imagine that scene. As it happens, Ava’s Uncle Carlos is attempting to help out Ava’s father who is currently sitting in jail for murder and racketeering charges. Uncle Carlos’ thought is that he will just kill the prosecutor and make things easier for his brother. Unfortunately, the bad guys get the wrong guy. It just so happens Ava is at the club where she overhears Carlos’ men discussing what has transpired. Not wanting someone to get killed, Ava attempts and succeeds in rescuing Jordan Wellington, who happens to be an Assistant District Attorney.

After a successful rescue and roll-by drop off at a hospital, Ava just wants to forget about what has happened. But just because you want something doesn’t always mean that you’re going to get it. It turns out her Uncle knows she helped the guy escape and he sends his men to follow her around, as a reminder that she needs to keep her mouth shout. Just when things are attempting to return to normal, the man Ava is trying to forget walks into her veterinary clinic. The kicker is Jordan has no memory of Ava or the events that transpired.

Jordan is a kind-hearted, intelligent, sexy, funny guy who wants to go out with Ava immediately. She figures out a way to get him to back off, so she thinks. Through a course of events, she ends up on a blind date with the guy. Finally, she ends up seeing him, knowing that at some point she’s going to have to tell him about herself and what she knows about what happened to him.

While attempting to make a love connection with Ava, Jordan is assigned to prosecute in the serial murder case. Wanting to make sure they have the right guy, Jordan enlists the help of longtime family friend and FBI profiler Clay Copeland (Clay’s story is told in Book 2, Forbidden). Suddenly what appears to be a slam dunk case is anything but. More questions arise than are answered.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “Seems to me that if something isn’t touching you in this life-good, bad, what have you-you must not be living right.”

Serendipity is a wonderful book which is full of passion. It will have you laughing and longing for a great family like the Wellington’s. There is enough suspense to keep you guessing. I love that I’ve found a new author and a new series to read.

Rating: 5 (I loved it!)

Release Date: Available Now
Book Length: 396 pages
Source: Author
Reading Format: Available in eBook or paperback
Author’s Website: Lisa Clark O’Neill

Purchase through: Amazon