Unexpectedly Yours
By: Coleen Kwan Releasing March 14, 2016 Entangled Bliss
He wasn’t what she was expecting...
Derek Carmichael has harbored a secret crush on his best friend’s older sister for years, but she’s always been out of his reach. Now that Hannah is back in their hometown and newly single, suddenly the five-year age gap doesn’t seem so huge. But convincing her to see him as more than just the kid she used to know is another story. Hannah Willmett can’t believe how grown-up Derek Carmichael has become. The troubled kid from her youth has turned into a sexy, successful TV celebrity, but Hannah’s wary of his player past and the rampant rumors connecting him to beautiful socialites. Still, she can’t help but give in when their attraction reaches a boiling point. Trying to keep their fling a secret from her overprotective brother is one thing, but when Hannah finds herself unexpectedly expecting, her life is thrown upside down. She and Derek may be becoming parents together, but that’s no basis for a happily-ever-after.
A sweet, sexy, and endearing tale, that has to deal with some realities of life, when the fun and games gets consequences.
Hannah has moved back home, after her marriage ended up in divorce. She is dreaming about going back to school, while working part time, and living with her dad and his wife. Not an ideal situation, but has to do right now, as she is trying to get her life back in order. Derek has made a successful life in Los Angeles, now back trying to take care of his grandfather, after an accident. His teenage crush for Hannah gets all kinds of adult ratings, when the attraction they feel for each other, ends up with a supposed one night stand. The dynamics between Derek and Hannah seems a little awkward. They have a connection, and it is as solid as the attraction. But neither of them expected the feelings to get deeper than that. And then there's the pregnancy. And so life gets messy, and tension is high, fear towards the future, and responsibility, and the parenthood, it all gets tangled up, and in the heat of the moment acted upon, and things are said, people's feelings are really hurt, and the feelings of rejection just hits hard, deep, and gutting you out. So, the fun, light, and sensual tale, takes a turn into the deep muddled waters, and I was as much of a mess as the characters were. I connected with them, I felt the pain, the fear, and devastation. The characters are developed, Derek has to accept that he deserves to be loved, and Hannah has to learn to trust again after the divorce, to be able to build something together. But they work on things, they face the hard things, they are there for each other when the world seems dark and unforgiving. I love it when a story gives you a positive surprise, and digs deeper into the emotions and problems than you expected, when you find that emotional common ground with the characters, and you and up reading the ending several times over, with a big goofy smile on your face. Life gets hard and messy, but Hannah and Derek find something extraordinary with each other, when they face their biggest fears, and open up their hearts and lives for each other. ~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side
“Hey, pecan pie.” Derek beamed as he lifted the pie dish from the cooler. “You made it for me?”
“Just my way of saying thanks.” “There are other ways of saying thanks.” His gaze drifted to her lips, leaving her in no doubt what he had in mind. “Ways just as sweet and tasty as pecan pie.” Her trigger-happy desire surged again as she imagined his lips on hers. “God, Derek, I thought we were keeping things platonic.” “I thought so too, but you brought pecan pie.” “Pecan pie? That’s a turn on?” “Well, yeah. That, and those shorts you’re wearing.” His gaze lowered to the denim cutoffs hugging her hips. “I think you put on those itty-bitty shorts on purpose just to torture me, didn’t you?” She gulped. “It’s a hot day, and they were the only shorts I had.” Liar. She had other, more modest shorts, but for some reason she’d chosen these tight-fitting cutoffs with the frayed hem. Again, she blamed her subconscious. He snickered at her, and she knew she wasn’t fooling anyone. “You’re right. It is a hot day. In fact, it’s so hot I think I need to do this.” He stretched his arm behind his neck, gripped his T-shirt, and pulled it off in one swoop. Tossing aside the T-shirt, he stretched out in the sun. “Ah, yeah. That feels so much better.” Her mouth fell open, and she might have made a choking sound. Her eyeballs felt like they were on stalks as she gawked at Derek’s naked torso. What a magnificent sight. Sunlight bounced off his smooth pecs and bulging biceps. He didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. Hard, broad shoulders narrowed to lean hips showcased by his low-slung jeans. He rubbed his chest, drawing her attention to the trail of fine, dark hair that tracked down the center of his body. “What’s the matter, babe?” Babe. Heat seeped through her pores. Just one “babe” from him, and she was already melting. “Uh, n-nothing,” she managed to stutter. For the life of her, she still couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. “See something you like?” She was almost panting now. Dammit, he was so devilishly tempting, but she was not going to cave in. “Yes, I do.” She leaned toward him, slow and deliberate, until his eyes widened and he licked his lips in anticipation. Then she stretched her arm across him, brushing against his naked chest, and grabbed a bottle of iced tea. “This is what I’d like.” She twisted the cap off and tipped a deep gulp of liquid down her throat. When she lowered the bottle, Derek was grinning at her. “Nice move. You play hard.” Her blood fizzed like she’d drunk champagne. It was such fun teasing and flirting with Derek. It made her realize she wasn’t old after all and that Derek brought something out of her that no one else did. “You didn’t think I’d swoon at your feet just because you bared your chest, did you?” “A guy can hope.”
Coleen Kwan has been a bookworm all her life. At school English was her favorite subject, but for some reason she decided on a career in IT. After many years of programming, she wondered what else there was in life — and discovered writing. She loves writing contemporary romance and steampunk romance.
Coleen lives in Sydney, Australia with her partner and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys avoiding housework, eating chocolate, and watching TV shows like Criminal Minds and Masterchef. Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
2 Comments
Crystal, Tasty Book Tours
22/3/2016 16:32:16
Love the review! Thank you for hosting UNEXPECTEDLY YOURS today!
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