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Three Wise Men #2
An Ideal Present
Q. What could be better than getting a billionaire for Christmas?
A. Getting THREE billionaires for Christmas!
Three Wise Men is a series of three books set in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand following the stories of three billionaire brothers and the single mums they fall in love with.
This year, Ophelia Clark isn’t looking forward to Christmas. Her ex-husband, Dillon, doesn’t want to be her ex anymore, and their daughter, Summer, wants him there on Christmas Day, so Ophelia’s finding it difficult to convince him their marriage is over. The last thing she needs is to start dating someone else and cloud the issue. And then the cute doctor she’s had her eye on finally asks her out.
Research scientist Charlie King has given up on relationships. Going without sex is a major drawback to that plan, but even though he has an IQ one point off Einstein’s, he considers himself hopeless with women. When he discovers the gorgeous Ophelia is now single, though, he decides to give himself one last chance to find love.
Logic tells Ophelia to wait until her divorce is through before getting involved with a new man, but her body hungers for the sexy scientist, and it doesn’t help that Charlie can’t keep his hands off her. Christmas looms full of the magic of their new love affair, and then Summer falls ill and ends up in hospital.
Ophelia’s torn between duty and desire. Should she follow her head and close this chapter of her life before she opens the next? Or should she follow her heart and give herself the ideal present—the prospect of forever with the man of her dreams?
Warning: Includes sexual content – adults only.
Book 1: The Perfect Gift
Book 2: An Ideal Present
Book 3: A Secret Parcel
A. Getting THREE billionaires for Christmas!
Three Wise Men is a series of three books set in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand following the stories of three billionaire brothers and the single mums they fall in love with.
This year, Ophelia Clark isn’t looking forward to Christmas. Her ex-husband, Dillon, doesn’t want to be her ex anymore, and their daughter, Summer, wants him there on Christmas Day, so Ophelia’s finding it difficult to convince him their marriage is over. The last thing she needs is to start dating someone else and cloud the issue. And then the cute doctor she’s had her eye on finally asks her out.
Research scientist Charlie King has given up on relationships. Going without sex is a major drawback to that plan, but even though he has an IQ one point off Einstein’s, he considers himself hopeless with women. When he discovers the gorgeous Ophelia is now single, though, he decides to give himself one last chance to find love.
Logic tells Ophelia to wait until her divorce is through before getting involved with a new man, but her body hungers for the sexy scientist, and it doesn’t help that Charlie can’t keep his hands off her. Christmas looms full of the magic of their new love affair, and then Summer falls ill and ends up in hospital.
Ophelia’s torn between duty and desire. Should she follow her head and close this chapter of her life before she opens the next? Or should she follow her heart and give herself the ideal present—the prospect of forever with the man of her dreams?
Warning: Includes sexual content – adults only.
Book 1: The Perfect Gift
Book 2: An Ideal Present
Book 3: A Secret Parcel
219 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 23, 2015
217 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Serenity Woods
171 books917 followersUSA Today bestselling author Serenity Woods writes feel-good romances full of friends, family, and falling in love. Most of her stories are set in Godzone, aka Aotearoa New Zealand, where she lives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 3, 2016
***4.75 Stars***
I loved this book and I'm anxious to move on to book three. In this series we have three brothers who have dedicated their lives to helping ill children, mainly those that have incurable lung diseases. They are all three billionaires and born into a wealthy family.
This story focuses on research scientist Charlie King who has given up on relationships. He is very symptomatic of Asperger's Syndrome (that has now been reclassified as ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder.) This displays as social awkwardness, the inability to read facial expressions, difficulty with conversing, and the inability to understand social/emotional issues or non-literal phrases. This is Charlie to a tee, bless him. He is gorgeous and geeky. He's had his eye on Ophelia Clark who works at the hospital where they are both employed. He has watched her from afar for a year and he finally gets enough gumption to ask her out. Charlie has only had brief dating experiences and in every one the woman has been the one to end it with damaging words against Charlie. He doesn't understand why and believes he's defective.
Ophelia Clark is the mother of Summer who has CF and has been using the products invented by the three brothers through their organization named 'Three Wise Men.' Since their last name is King it seemed fitting. She has been separated from her husband for six-months and is awaiting the two year mark so she can divorce him. That is certainly a long wait for New Zealand residents to become unattached from an emotionally, mentally and physically abuse spouse. (He only becomes physically abusive after the separation.) Where I live you only have a sixty-day waiting period. I can't imagine having to wait two years before being legally able to file for divorce and a formal separation agreement is required for the two year period. I would hate to be legally tied to someone all that time and believe me, he fought her every step of the way. I despised him and I believe our heroine came to the same conclusion.
That is all I'm going to say. This is a great story but I marked it down a half star because the H and h became intimately involved and she still had an eighteen-month wait before she was legally able to divorce her husband. I was also troubled that they got so carried away that they didn't use protection once. If that results in a pregnancy (which we don't know yet if it does) how will that look to the courts when they finally divorce. I would have been happier if the divorce had been already finalized. If it does result in a pregnancy I would find it sad if they would be unable to marry before the baby was born. Having a baby by another man while you are still married to someone else...well, not my ideal situation.
Thank you Serenity Woods, master wordsmith, for another great book. I just recently found you and I have a very large backlog of your books to read.
I loved this book and I'm anxious to move on to book three. In this series we have three brothers who have dedicated their lives to helping ill children, mainly those that have incurable lung diseases. They are all three billionaires and born into a wealthy family.
This story focuses on research scientist Charlie King who has given up on relationships. He is very symptomatic of Asperger's Syndrome (that has now been reclassified as ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder.) This displays as social awkwardness, the inability to read facial expressions, difficulty with conversing, and the inability to understand social/emotional issues or non-literal phrases. This is Charlie to a tee, bless him. He is gorgeous and geeky. He's had his eye on Ophelia Clark who works at the hospital where they are both employed. He has watched her from afar for a year and he finally gets enough gumption to ask her out. Charlie has only had brief dating experiences and in every one the woman has been the one to end it with damaging words against Charlie. He doesn't understand why and believes he's defective.
Ophelia Clark is the mother of Summer who has CF and has been using the products invented by the three brothers through their organization named 'Three Wise Men.' Since their last name is King it seemed fitting. She has been separated from her husband for six-months and is awaiting the two year mark so she can divorce him. That is certainly a long wait for New Zealand residents to become unattached from an emotionally, mentally and physically abuse spouse. (He only becomes physically abusive after the separation.) Where I live you only have a sixty-day waiting period. I can't imagine having to wait two years before being legally able to file for divorce and a formal separation agreement is required for the two year period. I would hate to be legally tied to someone all that time and believe me, he fought her every step of the way. I despised him and I believe our heroine came to the same conclusion.
That is all I'm going to say. This is a great story but I marked it down a half star because the H and h became intimately involved and she still had an eighteen-month wait before she was legally able to divorce her husband. I was also troubled that they got so carried away that they didn't use protection once. If that results in a pregnancy (which we don't know yet if it does) how will that look to the courts when they finally divorce. I would have been happier if the divorce had been already finalized. If it does result in a pregnancy I would find it sad if they would be unable to marry before the baby was born. Having a baby by another man while you are still married to someone else...well, not my ideal situation.
Thank you Serenity Woods, master wordsmith, for another great book. I just recently found you and I have a very large backlog of your books to read.
December 27, 2018
Okay this is a very different story line. The heroine is still married but going through a divorce. The almost ex husband still wants to be married to her but she is ready to move on because he was jealous and possessive and controlling. But he's a nice guy really. I kind of felt bad for him but not really bad. They have a little girl that has cystic fibrosis and she is so sweet. The hero, not her pending ex husband, is Charlie King a doctor and very self contained. He reminded me of Ian Mackenzie from The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie which is one of my favorite books. He's a little awkward and shy but boy does he want the heroine. And he is so sweet to the little girl. She gets sick during the book and ends up in the hospital so be aware it's very sad but there is an HEA. I love the scene where Charlie gives the little girl a dress for a party and he had it made with 65 Roses which is the name of the Cystic Fibrosis non profit org. It was so sweet.
I do agree with others that say this is kind of cheating because she is technically still married. They had been apart for a year though but they had to wait for six more months until it was legal. And at the end she is pregnant, or she thinks she is, and she is just then really divorced. So if that is a trigger for you, you may not want to read it. I didn't label it as cheating because they were legally separated, and it didn't feel like it really(except I did feel a tad sorry for the ex-husband but that is just me) but to some people that may. bother them. I did lower it two stars for that reason.
This was in KU also.
I do agree with others that say this is kind of cheating because she is technically still married. They had been apart for a year though but they had to wait for six more months until it was legal. And at the end she is pregnant, or she thinks she is, and she is just then really divorced. So if that is a trigger for you, you may not want to read it. I didn't label it as cheating because they were legally separated, and it didn't feel like it really(except I did feel a tad sorry for the ex-husband but that is just me) but to some people that may. bother them. I did lower it two stars for that reason.
This was in KU also.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2021
Jumping into series out of order either helps or hurts me. Mostly hurts.
An Ideal Present introduces you to Charlie and Ophelia. He's the shy quiet type and she's the complete opposite. Throughout the book, it seems like they challenge one another in ways they weren't expecting. She sort of gets him outside of his shell and he helps her see things a bit differently.
I honestly thought the McDonald's date with her daughter was adorable. He really seemed to care about her and the diagnosis. However, once things start going great between them the drama hounds come into their lives. Whether it's her ex-husband, who is a douche canoe, her daughter's illness or whatever. It's a lot being thrown at them, and one can only help that they can handle it.
Eventually we see the light and the happy ending coming our way. These two really deserved it with everything they went through. I'm happy that they are happy.
An Ideal Present introduces you to Charlie and Ophelia. He's the shy quiet type and she's the complete opposite. Throughout the book, it seems like they challenge one another in ways they weren't expecting. She sort of gets him outside of his shell and he helps her see things a bit differently.
I honestly thought the McDonald's date with her daughter was adorable. He really seemed to care about her and the diagnosis. However, once things start going great between them the drama hounds come into their lives. Whether it's her ex-husband, who is a douche canoe, her daughter's illness or whatever. It's a lot being thrown at them, and one can only help that they can handle it.
Eventually we see the light and the happy ending coming our way. These two really deserved it with everything they went through. I'm happy that they are happy.
February 8, 2016
After reading the Perfect Gift, I was thrilled to be able to read An Ideal Present. This picks up where the Perfect Gift left off. The series is about the three King brothers. They are Brock, Charlie and Matt, and they have a research and development company that invents and improves medical equipment.
This is the book about Charlie. And he is not just intelligent, but he is scientifically minded and to be honest he is just amazing. Unfortunately he is a little bit socially awkward. He has been drawn to one of the employees and he silently meets her at the snack cart every morning, for almost a year.
Ophelia doesn't know who he is, but she is drawn to him and aware of him every morning. One morning he follows her into her office and lets her know he is interested in getting to know her. He has just found out that she is leaving the company and separated from her husband. The timing his brothers assure him is perfect.
The story is great. I really loved Charlie and was glad to see Brock again. These King boys were raised wonderfully by their mother and father. They are so decent and kind and they have great respect for women. It is lovely to see that kind of character traits.
Ophelia is still trying to convince her husband that they are over. So she is not sure how to proceed with this new opportunity. She is not wanting to cause trouble for her daughter or Charlie. This story takes place over the Christmas holiday and it is wonderfully told. It is set in New Zealand and I loved seeing Christmas from that perspective.
I love Serenity Woods' writing. I am ready to read Matt's story. I have a feeling he is going to be as loved as Charlie and Brock are. Ophelia is a warm giving woman and I wanted her finally find the happiness she deserves. This was another great book in this series. It is a lovely Christmas series!
This is the book about Charlie. And he is not just intelligent, but he is scientifically minded and to be honest he is just amazing. Unfortunately he is a little bit socially awkward. He has been drawn to one of the employees and he silently meets her at the snack cart every morning, for almost a year.
Ophelia doesn't know who he is, but she is drawn to him and aware of him every morning. One morning he follows her into her office and lets her know he is interested in getting to know her. He has just found out that she is leaving the company and separated from her husband. The timing his brothers assure him is perfect.
The story is great. I really loved Charlie and was glad to see Brock again. These King boys were raised wonderfully by their mother and father. They are so decent and kind and they have great respect for women. It is lovely to see that kind of character traits.
Ophelia is still trying to convince her husband that they are over. So she is not sure how to proceed with this new opportunity. She is not wanting to cause trouble for her daughter or Charlie. This story takes place over the Christmas holiday and it is wonderfully told. It is set in New Zealand and I loved seeing Christmas from that perspective.
I love Serenity Woods' writing. I am ready to read Matt's story. I have a feeling he is going to be as loved as Charlie and Brock are. Ophelia is a warm giving woman and I wanted her finally find the happiness she deserves. This was another great book in this series. It is a lovely Christmas series!
August 23, 2020
Can Ophelia finally move on without feeling guilty after telling her husband to move out six months ago?
Ophelia told her husband six months ago to move out, that the marriage was over. He is a master manipulator and uses her guilt about breaking up the family against her all the time. She has been meeting t the same guy at the muffin cart every day at work for almost a year. She doesn't even know his name but when he asks her out and makes the date to McDonald's so she won't have to worry about finding babysitting for her daughter she say yes. Then realizes she doesn't know his name and asks she finds out he is one of the King brothers. She find the before she can file for divorce, they have to be separated for two years. With all the trouble her ex is causing will she start a relationship with Charlie? When Charlie shows her how a woman should be treated and tells her he doesn't care how long it talks her to be ready, that he will always be there for her will she believe him or does she wait for him to start acting like her ex. Charlie can't believe she can see through to who he really is and sees his differences as what they really are. Will they be able to make this work and include Summer or will her ex get between them and manipulate her into taking him back again?
Ophelia told her husband six months ago to move out, that the marriage was over. He is a master manipulator and uses her guilt about breaking up the family against her all the time. She has been meeting t the same guy at the muffin cart every day at work for almost a year. She doesn't even know his name but when he asks her out and makes the date to McDonald's so she won't have to worry about finding babysitting for her daughter she say yes. Then realizes she doesn't know his name and asks she finds out he is one of the King brothers. She find the before she can file for divorce, they have to be separated for two years. With all the trouble her ex is causing will she start a relationship with Charlie? When Charlie shows her how a woman should be treated and tells her he doesn't care how long it talks her to be ready, that he will always be there for her will she believe him or does she wait for him to start acting like her ex. Charlie can't believe she can see through to who he really is and sees his differences as what they really are. Will they be able to make this work and include Summer or will her ex get between them and manipulate her into taking him back again?
November 8, 2019
This is the second book in the Three Wise Men series and follows Charlie King, a scientist with slightly autistic tendancies. He has admired Ophelia, a single mother to a daughter with cystic fibrosis who works at the same hospital as him, from afar for a while, and after learning that she will be leaving her job, he asks her out on a date.
I have to be honest and say that at first I didn't really feel the chemistry between Charlie and Ophelia and wasn't quite as invested in their story as Brock and Erin's. However once I got further into the story, I felt the connection between them more, especially during their intimate scenes, which were super intense and steamy.
It was refreshing to have a hero that isn't an aggressive/over protective Alpha asshole all the time. Charlie was quiet and intelligent and I liked the inclusion of an autistic hero, and although he did have moments where he was protective of Ophelia and Summer, it was sweet and not OTT. Although Ophelia didn't have any defining characteristics that made her stand out, she was a perfectly likeable female lead.
Overall I really enjoyed this one, and I'm looking forward to Matt's story next!
I have to be honest and say that at first I didn't really feel the chemistry between Charlie and Ophelia and wasn't quite as invested in their story as Brock and Erin's. However once I got further into the story, I felt the connection between them more, especially during their intimate scenes, which were super intense and steamy.
It was refreshing to have a hero that isn't an aggressive/over protective Alpha asshole all the time. Charlie was quiet and intelligent and I liked the inclusion of an autistic hero, and although he did have moments where he was protective of Ophelia and Summer, it was sweet and not OTT. Although Ophelia didn't have any defining characteristics that made her stand out, she was a perfectly likeable female lead.
Overall I really enjoyed this one, and I'm looking forward to Matt's story next!
July 20, 2019
She gets him. They get each other.
If you've read Book 1 and loved Brock and Erin's story you'll definitely love Charlie and Ophelia's story. It's sweet and touches you in all the right places. Charlie is a genius but struggles to be understood when he converses with women. He's attracted to Ophelia whose recently separated and invites her out along with her daughter Summer. Ophelia is all sorts of broken and believes Charlie shouldn't waste time on her. But Charlie has waited a while and has no intention of giving up on her. She gets him. They get each other. Now will her ex husband finally get her and let go or will he manage to tear them apart? Awesome book
If you've read Book 1 and loved Brock and Erin's story you'll definitely love Charlie and Ophelia's story. It's sweet and touches you in all the right places. Charlie is a genius but struggles to be understood when he converses with women. He's attracted to Ophelia whose recently separated and invites her out along with her daughter Summer. Ophelia is all sorts of broken and believes Charlie shouldn't waste time on her. But Charlie has waited a while and has no intention of giving up on her. She gets him. They get each other. Now will her ex husband finally get her and let go or will he manage to tear them apart? Awesome book
December 21, 2020
Like all of the books in this series, we have a single mom, this time separated from her husband.
He resists the separation through and is the source of most of the conflict. She is conflicted, torn between supporting her daughter's relationship with him, and cleanly separating from him and his emotional manipulation. Meanwhile his replacement is socially awkward and both provides and needs direct / blunt communication, i.e. the opposite of passive-aggressive subtext laden manipulative gas lighting.
He resists the separation through and is the source of most of the conflict. She is conflicted, torn between supporting her daughter's relationship with him, and cleanly separating from him and his emotional manipulation. Meanwhile his replacement is socially awkward and both provides and needs direct / blunt communication, i.e. the opposite of passive-aggressive subtext laden manipulative gas lighting.
January 17, 2025
A hospital employee, Ophelia has a six-year-old daughter with Cystic Fibrosis and a separated husband who won’t let go. Charlie King is the inventor with Einstein level IQ. He is challenging but not for Ophelia who understands the quiet man. He takes her for a trip to the Bay of Islands and they have an exceptional time getting to know each other, not just sexually. This one was every bit as good as The Perfect Gift. There was a lot more sex in this one, but the author writes very sexy without being trashy. A simply wonderful heartwarming story that had my heartbreaking over and over.
May 12, 2017
An Ideal Present, the second of the Three Wise Men series was absolutely, without a doubt, my favorite of the three books.
Socially inept Charlie King has a hard time expressing his thoughts, feelings, and emotions...unless he's in bed, or on the deck, or in the shower!
"he slowed his movements and lost himself in the blissful task of bringing her to orgasm"
Damn, who doesn't want a Charlie King in their life?
Socially inept Charlie King has a hard time expressing his thoughts, feelings, and emotions...unless he's in bed, or on the deck, or in the shower!
"he slowed his movements and lost himself in the blissful task of bringing her to orgasm"
Damn, who doesn't want a Charlie King in their life?
January 10, 2019
This book gives nerdy, sexy men their turn to shine! Charlie is a doctor that is very literal and doesn’t understand nuance, while Ophelia can see the beauty of his mind and gets the benefits of his focus when it comes to passion. The first time they get together and Charlie soon after meets Ophelia’s ex husband is one of the best scenes I read. I don’t want to spoil it for you, and luckily it comes early in the book!
November 28, 2016
Charlie and Ophelia were made for each other and it was lovely getting to read about how they managed to overcome their own set of obstacles to find their own happiness. I can't wait to read book three to find out what happens next and to get to know Matt. I also thought it was interesting how books one and two were intertwined.
November 23, 2019
Charlie is the quiet King, the one who is shy and silent around women. Ophelia challenges him, though and he takes the leap, just as she is about to leave the Three Wise Men Foundation and move to another position. They have to deal with a lot, including Ophelia's manipulating husband, her daughter's illness and Charlie's fear of relationships. There is a happy ending, though.
January 22, 2025
Another hit out of the park!
Serenity Woods has made another home run out of the park with Book 2 of the “Three Wise Men” series. This second installment is as good as the first, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Ophelia and Charlie must face their challenges as any couple does, but can they do it without compromising their relationship? Read Book #2 and find your answer!!
Serenity Woods has made another home run out of the park with Book 2 of the “Three Wise Men” series. This second installment is as good as the first, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Ophelia and Charlie must face their challenges as any couple does, but can they do it without compromising their relationship? Read Book #2 and find your answer!!
August 16, 2025
Love, love, loved this story. Charlie and Ophelia are complete opposites that merge in perfection. From his medical scientific mind and strange tendencies, to her high strung life, living a separation from her husband while taking in her daughter’s CF prognosis this pair makes a beautiful story I desperately wanted more of!
November 24, 2017
Second book of series
Great story about the second brother who is a research scientist and a newly separated mom. Love the story but the f word and descriptive sex scenes detract in my opinion
Great story about the second brother who is a research scientist and a newly separated mom. Love the story but the f word and descriptive sex scenes detract in my opinion
December 20, 2018
A beautiful story. I loved the uniqueness of the characters. How they think and feel is different I throughly enjoyed it. My heart breaks for summer and her diagnosis. I’ve been touched by CF in my personal life and it’s heartbreaking. Loved this.
April 1, 2019
WHAT A LOVELY STORY
Very heartmoving story . It is very topical about domestic violence but then also a moving LOVE story.
I thoroughly enjoyed it & can't wait to read the next one in the series.
Very heartmoving story . It is very topical about domestic violence but then also a moving LOVE story.
I thoroughly enjoyed it & can't wait to read the next one in the series.
December 26, 2017
2 Wise
I love the Three Wise Men series.
Very light hearted, typically Kiwi flavored.
Serenity has a wonderful talent that she shares freely in her stories.
I love the Three Wise Men series.
Very light hearted, typically Kiwi flavored.
Serenity has a wonderful talent that she shares freely in her stories.
October 6, 2018
Charlie and Ophelia and Summer
Loved loved loved their story, second chance romances are amazing. Another must-read for sure. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Loved loved loved their story, second chance romances are amazing. Another must-read for sure. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
November 26, 2018
There are some actual facts included in this romp.
December 8, 2018
Loved this book! I love Charlie!
December 4, 2021
Cute story....
Cute story about finding love again. Also about ending one relationship before starting another. It was a good story well written.
Cute story about finding love again. Also about ending one relationship before starting another. It was a good story well written.
December 11, 2021
Fascinating love story… but a little too erotic for my tastes
Want to read
September 10, 2022🎁 Part of Three Wise Men Box Set (Three Wise Men #1-3) which is FREE on Amazon today (9/10/2022)! 🎁
November 21, 2022
Charlie & Ophelia: This was a cute story. I enjoy how the author writes.
December 14, 2022
Charlie and Ophelia
Such a sweet story. I definitely needed another chapter or two. What about the Italian sentence? Love reading about the brothers.
Such a sweet story. I definitely needed another chapter or two. What about the Italian sentence? Love reading about the brothers.
July 26, 2025
All three of these are beautiful stories!
November 18, 2015
This is the second book in Serenity Woods’ Three Kings series about a group of three brothers who are super rich. In a switch from some of the more typical billionaire/poor woman romances, these brothers have earned their money because they developed medical devices to help sick children and decorated the devices with characters from a series of popular children’s books that one of them has written. Two of the brothers are doctors and one is the author. These are not your average alpha billionaires featured in so many romance novels since Fifty Shades of Grey. I appreciate that. I am tired of all the young, gorgeous, alpha billionaires who just want the woman for sex until they have some sort of realization that they actually love her. I’m afraid that too many billionaires today are more likely to look like Donald Trump than Jamie Doman.
The hero of this story is Charlie King and he is just a wonderful guy. And he’s a different sort of hero. He as an Asberger’s-like personality which manifests itself in uncertainty in how people are reacting to him and what they want of him. He’s brilliant; he’s the brother who invented the medical devices that have made the brothers so rich. He had a relationship end badly because his old girlfriend wanted him to be more aggressive in bed and he just couldn’t fathom why any woman would want that sort of abuse. He’s a good guy who wants a relationship but doesn’t trust his own instincts.
The heroine is Ophelia, but she’s no weak woman as Hamlet’s Ophelia was. She has just left her husband of seven years because she has had it with his manipulative personality. She has a daughter who suffers from cystic fibrosis. I think this must be an aspect of this series - to have the heroines have sick children.
While Charlie is hunky in looks and rich, what attracts Ophelia is his kind personality and his brains. She understands what he goes through in his difficulties in relationships but doesn’t mind. She’s willing to tell him quite openly what she wants and what she thinks so there isn’t any of the contrived misunderstandings that some romances have. Instead, they just talk things out like mature adults. Imagine that in a romance novel.
I really liked the mature relationship between these two. Charlie doesn’t feel he has to be an alpha guy when Ophelia is hurt by her former husband because, as he tells her, while he’d like to go medieval on the guy, he knows that she can fight her own battles. Although he does have a creative threat for the ex-husband.
And another thing - too many times the ex-husband is an evil, threatening guy. Ophelia’s ex might not be the guy she wants now, but he loves her deeply and is a good and loving father to their sick daughter. I appreciated that.
I also liked that the little girl is treated as more than a plot prop of a sick child. She is a person and more than a victim of her disease. Charlie says that he is working on a research possibility to use gene therapy for CF patients. That made me curious and it seems that that is indeed where the research is focusing today for CF.
There is one little mistake in the book. At one point her phone is broken and a few pages later she gets a text on it. But that didn’t detract from the book.
If I had a complaint, it would be that the books is too short. I think this was supposed to be a novella and then the author decided to write it as a novel. It seems to get wrapped up and present the happy ending quite quickly. But maybe the fact that I thought it ended too quickly is a function of my having enjoyed spending time with these characters. I’ll definitely be looking for third book that tells Matt King’s story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The hero of this story is Charlie King and he is just a wonderful guy. And he’s a different sort of hero. He as an Asberger’s-like personality which manifests itself in uncertainty in how people are reacting to him and what they want of him. He’s brilliant; he’s the brother who invented the medical devices that have made the brothers so rich. He had a relationship end badly because his old girlfriend wanted him to be more aggressive in bed and he just couldn’t fathom why any woman would want that sort of abuse. He’s a good guy who wants a relationship but doesn’t trust his own instincts.
The heroine is Ophelia, but she’s no weak woman as Hamlet’s Ophelia was. She has just left her husband of seven years because she has had it with his manipulative personality. She has a daughter who suffers from cystic fibrosis. I think this must be an aspect of this series - to have the heroines have sick children.
While Charlie is hunky in looks and rich, what attracts Ophelia is his kind personality and his brains. She understands what he goes through in his difficulties in relationships but doesn’t mind. She’s willing to tell him quite openly what she wants and what she thinks so there isn’t any of the contrived misunderstandings that some romances have. Instead, they just talk things out like mature adults. Imagine that in a romance novel.
I really liked the mature relationship between these two. Charlie doesn’t feel he has to be an alpha guy when Ophelia is hurt by her former husband because, as he tells her, while he’d like to go medieval on the guy, he knows that she can fight her own battles. Although he does have a creative threat for the ex-husband.
And another thing - too many times the ex-husband is an evil, threatening guy. Ophelia’s ex might not be the guy she wants now, but he loves her deeply and is a good and loving father to their sick daughter. I appreciated that.
I also liked that the little girl is treated as more than a plot prop of a sick child. She is a person and more than a victim of her disease. Charlie says that he is working on a research possibility to use gene therapy for CF patients. That made me curious and it seems that that is indeed where the research is focusing today for CF.
There is one little mistake in the book. At one point her phone is broken and a few pages later she gets a text on it. But that didn’t detract from the book.
If I had a complaint, it would be that the books is too short. I think this was supposed to be a novella and then the author decided to write it as a novel. It seems to get wrapped up and present the happy ending quite quickly. But maybe the fact that I thought it ended too quickly is a function of my having enjoyed spending time with these characters. I’ll definitely be looking for third book that tells Matt King’s story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2015
An Ideal Present is the story of Charlie King and Ophelia. If you have read The Perfect Gift (Brock and Erin), this story is completely different, despite the theme of these books being the same of how three billionaire brothers fall for single mom’s. Personally, it had worried me before I started reading it might feel like a repeat but I guarantee it is nothing like the previous book, storyline wise (the writing is just as good and paced steadily though!).
Charlie King is definitely one unique guy but one that will still steal your heart and make you wish for your very own Charlie. Despite being very different and a little self conscious, I liked how Charlie was comfortable with who he is and neither he nor Ophelia felt like he had to change who he was. The odd glimpses you get of passionate Charlie, especially towards the end of the book with Dillion, really let you know he isn’t just some weak, geeky, typical genius who will step back when out of his comfort zone. Plus, the contrast with Ophelia’s ex-husband versus Charlie adds another complexity to this story and it’s characters. Also, the promise he made to Summer earlier on in the book is nice to see referred to and actually taken to heart as it’s so easy to see someone promise one thing but then just go back on his word.
Ophelia is a strong character in her own rights and it’s good to have seen she already had that strength to improve her life before she and Charlie get together. The relationship Ophelia has with Summer was so sweet and I adored how she treated Summer with respect in regards to being honest with her about things. Serenity is also doing a fabulous job in showing the impact of a child’s illness on not only the child but her immediate family because it’s so easy to throw an illness into a story but for it to be almost like a fleeting comment.
Throughout this book, one thing that really struck me was the mature way Serenity has all characters deal with the difficult situation of Ophelia moving on with her life after separating with her husband, Dillion, and how Charlie handles the situation throughout. There is no pettiness with characters getting jealous because an ex is still on the scene and involved in their daughter Summer’s life, even if Dillion does through an odd spanner here and there.
For those who have read The Perfect Gift, it is interesting to see that this is supposed to be running along at the same time as that story, rather than a follow on. However, as a result, if you haven’t read The Perfect Gift, you definitely don’t need to have read book 1 to read and follow this story as it doesn’t really impact at all on Charlie and Ophelia’s story.
One thing I would say is that although it’s Christmas themed, if you are a bit apprehensive about that, be assured Christmas isn’t the focus point of these stories, more just the general time of year setting. Personally, I preferred the first book as I seemed to feel Brock and Erin’s chemistry more but this is still just as good and it was interesting to see a very different dynamic with unique characters in contrast to what was seen in book 1.
Overall, this was an intriguing read with a HEA and can definitely be read as a standalone or as part of the series for greater understanding. I look forward to reading the final book in this series, A Secret Parcel, now to see what the final King brother Matt’s story is.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
Charlie King is definitely one unique guy but one that will still steal your heart and make you wish for your very own Charlie. Despite being very different and a little self conscious, I liked how Charlie was comfortable with who he is and neither he nor Ophelia felt like he had to change who he was. The odd glimpses you get of passionate Charlie, especially towards the end of the book with Dillion, really let you know he isn’t just some weak, geeky, typical genius who will step back when out of his comfort zone. Plus, the contrast with Ophelia’s ex-husband versus Charlie adds another complexity to this story and it’s characters. Also, the promise he made to Summer earlier on in the book is nice to see referred to and actually taken to heart as it’s so easy to see someone promise one thing but then just go back on his word.
Ophelia is a strong character in her own rights and it’s good to have seen she already had that strength to improve her life before she and Charlie get together. The relationship Ophelia has with Summer was so sweet and I adored how she treated Summer with respect in regards to being honest with her about things. Serenity is also doing a fabulous job in showing the impact of a child’s illness on not only the child but her immediate family because it’s so easy to throw an illness into a story but for it to be almost like a fleeting comment.
Throughout this book, one thing that really struck me was the mature way Serenity has all characters deal with the difficult situation of Ophelia moving on with her life after separating with her husband, Dillion, and how Charlie handles the situation throughout. There is no pettiness with characters getting jealous because an ex is still on the scene and involved in their daughter Summer’s life, even if Dillion does through an odd spanner here and there.
For those who have read The Perfect Gift, it is interesting to see that this is supposed to be running along at the same time as that story, rather than a follow on. However, as a result, if you haven’t read The Perfect Gift, you definitely don’t need to have read book 1 to read and follow this story as it doesn’t really impact at all on Charlie and Ophelia’s story.
One thing I would say is that although it’s Christmas themed, if you are a bit apprehensive about that, be assured Christmas isn’t the focus point of these stories, more just the general time of year setting. Personally, I preferred the first book as I seemed to feel Brock and Erin’s chemistry more but this is still just as good and it was interesting to see a very different dynamic with unique characters in contrast to what was seen in book 1.
Overall, this was an intriguing read with a HEA and can definitely be read as a standalone or as part of the series for greater understanding. I look forward to reading the final book in this series, A Secret Parcel, now to see what the final King brother Matt’s story is.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
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