Book Review: Chances for Serendipity by Natalie Chung

About the Book:

Title: Chances for Serendipity

Author: Natalie Chung

Publication Date: Aug. 16, 2021

Synopsis: One chance meeting can change everything.

Serendipity Tsang never suspected the kind, sweet guy she once met would become famous. Aiden Andale—Australia’s newest hotshot tennis player. And to think she accidentally hit him on the head with a tennis ball!

As years pass by, she’s busy juggling her family’s beloved Chinese bakery, her future career, and navigating relationships.

Then she starts seeing Aiden again—in magazines, on TV, in tennis tournaments. He’s everywhere she turns. Looking happy with his life. Unlike her.

But reality isn’t always straightforward. What happens when serendipity finds them both again in the most unlikely of ways?

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My Review:

Chances for Serendipity is a contemporary romance that follows Serendipity Tsang and Aiden Andale who first met when they were teenagers and never forgot about each other. Years later, they meet again, and they reignite their friendship. After a nasty breakup with her ex, Sere is not looking for love, but she’s always had feelings for the boy she met years ago. Will Sere take a risk with Aiden? Does Aiden want more than friendship?

Serendipity grows and changes so much over the course of the story, which begins when she is in her teens and ends when she is in her mid-twenties. Sere spends a lot of her life trying to please others, especially her parents. Her goals and future are so tied up in what she thinks her parents expect of her, and she often doesn’t think of her own needs and happiness. Promises made on her father’s death bed guide Sere. However, as she grows, matures, and changes, Sere begins to slowly take charge of her own life. You can really see how Sere has grown from the start of the story to the end. She has become more aware, introspective, and confident.

Aiden’s character is really interesting too. Like Sere, Aiden often feels like his life is out of his control. He questions his happiness and what he wants in life, especially in regard to his tennis career and his difficult relationship with his father. After rumors of Aiden’s early retirement from tennis surface, Sere, who has fond memories of tennis with her father, is determined to convince Aiden that tennis is in his future. I’m a big tennis fan and really enjoyed that aspect of the story. I actually had the US Open on in the background while I read. I like that Sere challenges Aiden to find the positive of being a famous tennis player. In fact, they both encourage each other to see the good in life and live their dreams.

From their first chance encounter when they are teens, Sere and Aiden have a connection. (Both physical and emotional – the first time they meet, she accidentally hits him in the head with a tennis ball. lol) Though their lives are very different, they have a lot in common and seem to understand each other on a deeper level than most. Their romance is slow-building and sweet, and their chemistry is fantastic. I also think their support of and love for each other gives them both the courage to take control of their lives and do what makes them happy.

The story has great messages about forgiveness, generosity, taking risks, following your heart, and finding happiness. There are some lovely and touching scenes, and I may have teared up on more than one occasion. Sere’s relationship with her father, her grief over his loss, and her memories of their time together are wonderful and heart-breaking and a testament to their wonderful relationship. The story shows the pain of losing someone you love and how that loss defines you for the rest of your life. I found this aspect of the story really well done.

Chances for Serendipity is a charming standalone romance that makes you think about how one chance encounter can change the trajectory of your life forever. It’s a story of love, life, and family, and taking chances. There are also some really delicious-sounding foods mentioned throughout the story, as Sere’s family owns a bakery, and Sere loves to make tasty treats. Her desserts sound mouth-watering and yummy, and I so want to visit her bakery and try the delectable pastries mentioned! Thanks so much to Natalie Chung for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romance!

• The tennis. It’s my favorite sport.

Favorite Lines:

How do you know if you actually like something if you’ve been doing it for so long? It just becomes part of your life.

Nothing is ever too late, so long as you’re living.

Good things happen by chance, but sometimes those chances don’t happen unless you’re willing to take risks.

Embrace the unknown.

Recommendations:

This is a great book for readers who like contemporary or NA romance or sports romance.