Nature or nurture. There is always controversy concerning why we are the way we are. Are we so greatly affected by our circumstances that we are in a manner shaped like a clump of clay into the person we become as we age and mature. Or is our generic material the real center of the person we are. Is it developmental or inherited? Carly Phillips intended to write a lovely love story and along the way she dispensed some interesting insight into this age old question. Brilliant!

Cara comes from a dysfunctional family. There's no way to sugar coat the dynamics of a household where the father is intent on demeaning his wife emotionally and physically. As a child she was the unwitting audience to her mother's lack of self esteem and it hurt. When something in life hurts you find a way to fend off more hurts and for Cara it meant keeping her heart out of relationships which kept her on the outside looking in. Particularly to families that worked, like the Marsdens.

Mike Marsden's been lucky. His biological father Rex walked away from the prospect of becoming a father and never looked back. Lucky because his mother married a wonderful man Simon who became his real father. Mike was part of a loving family with two half siblings and yet when the opportunity arrived Mike high-tailed it out of Serendipity. He was grounded while at home but couldn't shake that inner need to be free. Rex was the biological factor that Mike couldn't avoid copying. He didn't purposely keep himself apart from his family and yet by questioning himself that's exactly what he had done. Although he was able to make commitments, he was unable to forge relationships feeling he walked in Rex's footsteps - nature versus nurture. Maybe this trip back home will provide the wakeup call he needs. The reappearance of Rex in their lives would take some unexpected turns. But in the end unanswered questions needed to be faced and dealt with. It will take strength and more importantly love.

Life has a way of dealing a hand that challenges what is the norm. When Simon becomes too ill to carry on as police chief there was no question or hesitation that Mike step up to the plate and help. So, as temporary chief, Mike returns to Serendipity consciously keeping a distance from this town and its people after all as soon as Simon is well, Mike hits the road.

Working together Cara and Mike develop a friendship forged in trust and respect never considering any bond outside of the office. As a police officer her job keeps her busy. She had to face that she was unable to help her mother who never had the guts to leave her father. But Cara has become involved with a program that helps women who are trying to reclaim their dignity.

Mike is opening up and laying his soul at Cara's feet and in exchange he expects her to follow suit but Cara's an expert in compartmentalizing her feelings. She unwittingly opened her heart but will never admit to loving him. That would lead to a broken heart and prevent her from returning to her comfortable self contained life when Mike leaves town. There is no future for this unexpected relationship. Her home is in Serendipity. Mikes is not. It's really that simple.

There's no such thing as a perfect fit, but life is not perfect. Love has a way of breaching even the most carefully erected fences. Carly Phillips just makes me smile. Of course she has us looking for a way for these two amazing characters to figure out just how perfect they are together. It's obvious to us. Phillips brings us back to a place we love and introduced a new family with connections to the Barron brothers whom we all just adore. Serendipity is a wonderful place to return to and I'm hoping for more stories to come.

Just like all of Carly Phillips books PERFECT FIT will be a perfect fit for all her new and old fans.