Perfect Partners

Perfect Partners by Carly Phillips is Book 2 in her Unexpected Love series and an updated version of one of her earliest books. In this story we meet Chelsie Russell and Griff Stuart. They are both lawyers who lost their siblings in a car crash and fight over custody of their orphaned niece. We follow these two as they work together to help with the adjustment of the little girl they both love. As they find ways to make this successful transition, these two become friends and then lovers. This was a sweet, fun and entertaining story with very likeable and authentic characters that you want to cheer on, hoping for that happy ending. The characters were well written with complex characteristics. The story line was riveting and kept my attention to the very end. I really loved reading this book and had trouble putting this book down. Although part of a series, this book is a standalone story. I highly recommend this book to other readers. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Chelsie Russell has never gotten along with her parents who seem to think that money and status were more important than being a family. Chelsie is a lawyer and is representing her parents in a custody hearing for their 2 year old granddaughter, Alix. Since Chelsie's sister, Shannon, died in a car accident along with her husband Jared, Griffin Stuart, Jared's brother, was given custody of Alix. Chelsie's parents guilted her into pursuing the case against her own beliefs. Chelsie thought Griffin would be a much better provider for her niece than her own parents. Griffin may be thankful he won his custody case but he rebuffs Chelsie's attempt at an apology and an offer of help with Alix. Griffin is used to working long hours being an attorney, but now his life is totally changed having a two year old and it is not going well. When Chelsie stops over to visit Alix, the little girl is drawn to her because she looks like her mommy. At first Chelsie doesn't want to get to too close to Alix because of ghosts from her past but eventually Griffin convinces her that Alix needs Chelsie in her life too. Over the course of time Griffin and Chelsie start to realize that things they believed about each other were actually wrong and they started up a friendship in helping out with Alix. That friendship continue to grow until other feelings started to arise. Could these two attorneys work out their differences to give Alix the type of life she really needs? It was fun watching these two go from foes to friends to lovers. It was a great, sexy read that was full of a lot of emotions. I was so glad that Chelsie finally got the happy ending she was looking for her entire life.

This is a wonderful read of two enemies who have to deal with each other for the best interest of their niece. Then they realize that they both have reasons from their pasts for how they have closed them selves off. Can the work together or will there pasts be too much even with the chemistry they share. Carly Phillips proves that she has always had a great gift.