Review: Unexpected Ever After
Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the authors via Give Me Books Promotions.
Unexpected Ever After is a multi-author anthology featuring seventeen new contributions from nineteen authors, including two writing duos. For the purposes of this review, I read two stories: Sweater Weather by Mandi Beck and Hate the One You Lust by Willow Aster and Laura Pavlov. I decided to start with the aforementioned stories because the former is part of Beck's Fulton University Hockey series, with book one releasing back in 2018 and I've been waiting for book two since then; and the latter, which was actually the first one I read, because I adored Aster and Pavlov's G.D. Taylors series, and this story is a spin-off. I will be adding to this review as I read more of the other stories in this all-new anthology.
Mandi Beck's Sweater Weather features the first fifteen chapters in the full-length version of the actual book. So yes, this doesn't have an actual happily-ever-after, nor does it have a happy-for-now. What it does have is a pretty good beginning with as far as the story of Saffron Briggs and Levi Sexton are concerned. She's a transfer student and the newest recruit of the Fulton University's women's softball team; he's the team captain of the school's men's hockey team and a star player--both on and off the ice. I'm a wee bit on the fence when it comes to Levi, but I'm hoping he'll win me--and Saffron--over when the full-length book is published in January of next year. For now, consider me curious. 3.5 stars.
Hate the One You Lust was a hoot! I quite enjoyed revisiting Willow Aster and Laura Pavlov's G.D. Taylors book universe. Mazie McCarthy and Aidan Willoughby (remember him?!) made me smile and had me laughing (without any help from laughing gas!) in all the right places. Their meet-cute made a splash...literally! From that moment, I became invested in these two. I loved Mazie's independence, and I adored Aidan's sweet and romantic nature. Naturally, there's a wee bit of a complication, thanks to them working in the same law office, but they get their HEA nonetheless. And yes, the G.D. Taylors and their significant others make an appearance! Bonus! This easily snags 4.5 stars from me.
Release Date: 20 September 2022
Date Read: 19 September 2022
Learn more about Rachel Lyn Adams, Willow Aster & Laura Pavlov, Mandi Beck, Lynn Burke, Ashley Cade, Georgia Coffman, Heather Dahlgren, Evan Grace, A.M. Guilliams, Gail Haris, Leaona Luxx, Gwyn McNamee, Silla Webb & Kaden Layne, Jennifer Rebecca, Rene Webb, Claire Wilder, and Hollis Wynn.
Comments
Post a Comment