Review: Unexpected by Felice Stevens


Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author.

Felice Stevens is one of my go-to authors who knows the way to my angst-addicted heart, and that very same heart was giddy with excitement--ironic, I know--when I read the blurb for her newest standalone novel. Unexpected introduces readers to Colin Brightman and Walker Scanlon, the main protagonists of Stevens's romance who seemed to antagonize each other, whether unintentionally or otherwise, whenever an opportunity presented itself. Colin is forty-four and one of three owners of Pinnacle, a successful event planning business; and Walker is thirty-eight and a retired baseball player with a popular bar called Bases Loaded. These two may seem like opposites, and Colin thinks he's pretty much figured out that Walker is a guy more interested in hook-ups and flings than commitment. But maybe if they give each other a chance and truly get to know each other, they may realize something unexpected--that maybe they are just the right match.

Angst AND slow burn?! Yes, please, and thank you very much, Felice Stevens! I loved the push and pull between Colin and Walker. I understood why Colin was so resistant to Walker, so it took a good, long while for the latter to earn the former's trust. Then there's Walker and how there was a great deal more to him than the persona he allowed the public to see. Allowing Colin to see the parts of him that were reserved for a rarefied few--and I'm talking less-than-the-fingers-on-one-hand kind of few--was key, an exchange of sorts, assuring the other that they were willing to lay themselves bare as well. The story was paced really well, allowing the readers to get to know the main characters and see their relationship develop and flourish. Felice Stevens has outdone herself with this book, surpassing my lofty expectations, adding humor with the angst. I enjoyed this romance, so giving this lovely and moving standalone five stars should not be all that unexpected.

Release Date: 23 June 2022

Date Read: 20 June 2022

Learn more about Felice Stevens.

Pre-order Unexpected on Amazon.

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