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eesh25's review against another edition
3.0
3.25
I wanted to give this book a higher rating. I still do. But I can't ignore the fact that the only thing that really worked well for it was Harrison. He was a great guy, a refreshing character and his relationship with all the kids was heartwarming.
And yes, this is a book about a single dad. I love those so much. Harrison is a rockstar and the father of an eight-year-old boy, who he loves very much. The mother is not in the picture. Never really was. Her sole contribution was dropping off the baby, nine months after she drugged and took advantage of Harrison. Then there's Katelyn, a mutual friend, mother of two, and also someone who lost her husband almost a year ago. Harrison wants to be with her but she's not over her husband and has already made assumptions about the kind of guy Harrison is, based on the tattoos and, you know, the rock band thing.
A very unfair, and wrong, assessment, if you ask me. Harrison is a sweetheart. He's quiet and shy and somewhat broody, but so considerate. How could someone not like him? But other than him, not many things about the novel worked.
The writing, for example, was okay for the most part. But then there were times that it lacked details and you couldn't picture the scenes because of how vague it was. Some scenes were a bit abrupt. There were also a lot of flashbacks. Yes, they did give us useful information and helped flesh out the characters more, but some of those flashbacks could have just been a paragraph of someone thinking instead of a whole scene.
Also, since I didn't read book 1 (I tried and couldn't get past chapter 2, because it was ridiculous), I didn't give a shit about the many things that were added for the benefit of the fans of book 1. I get why those things were added but I think we could have done without all that, focusing on the current story.
I also got really annoyed with Katelyn sometimes. It wasn't too bad, but she didn't treat Harrison very nicely. I also don't think Harrison, in the end got the full apology that he deserved. And, last but not least, the book fell into the 'same old-same old' category with the conflict near the end. It wasn't original. A sub-plot added later on also felt rushed, like the author wanted to add more to the book but abandoned it in the middle, so it was left incomplete.
But despite all that, I did enjoy the book, largely because of Harrison. I loved him on his own, as a character, as a dad to Quinn and as a friend/father-figure to the twins. If it wasn't for him, the book wouldn't have been half as good.
That's all for this review. I wouldn't call the book a "must read" but if you're in the mood for something light and are a fan of the genre, you should check it out.
I wanted to give this book a higher rating. I still do. But I can't ignore the fact that the only thing that really worked well for it was Harrison. He was a great guy, a refreshing character and his relationship with all the kids was heartwarming.
And yes, this is a book about a single dad. I love those so much. Harrison is a rockstar and the father of an eight-year-old boy, who he loves very much. The mother is not in the picture. Never really was. Her sole contribution was dropping off the baby, nine months after she drugged and took advantage of Harrison. Then there's Katelyn, a mutual friend, mother of two, and also someone who lost her husband almost a year ago. Harrison wants to be with her but she's not over her husband and has already made assumptions about the kind of guy Harrison is, based on the tattoos and, you know, the rock band thing.
A very unfair, and wrong, assessment, if you ask me. Harrison is a sweetheart. He's quiet and shy and somewhat broody, but so considerate. How could someone not like him? But other than him, not many things about the novel worked.
The writing, for example, was okay for the most part. But then there were times that it lacked details and you couldn't picture the scenes because of how vague it was. Some scenes were a bit abrupt. There were also a lot of flashbacks. Yes, they did give us useful information and helped flesh out the characters more, but some of those flashbacks could have just been a paragraph of someone thinking instead of a whole scene.
Also, since I didn't read book 1 (I tried and couldn't get past chapter 2, because it was ridiculous), I didn't give a shit about the many things that were added for the benefit of the fans of book 1. I get why those things were added but I think we could have done without all that, focusing on the current story.
I also got really annoyed with Katelyn sometimes. It wasn't too bad, but she didn't treat Harrison very nicely. I also don't think Harrison, in the end got the full apology that he deserved. And, last but not least, the book fell into the 'same old-same old' category with the conflict near the end. It wasn't original. A sub-plot added later on also felt rushed, like the author wanted to add more to the book but abandoned it in the middle, so it was left incomplete.
But despite all that, I did enjoy the book, largely because of Harrison. I loved him on his own, as a character, as a dad to Quinn and as a friend/father-figure to the twins. If it wasn't for him, the book wouldn't have been half as good.
That's all for this review. I wouldn't call the book a "must read" but if you're in the mood for something light and are a fan of the genre, you should check it out.
jenjenbookfan's review against another edition
5.0
My Unexpected Forever is the second book in the Beaumont Series, this time featuring Harrison and Katelyn, best friends of Liam and Josie from Forever My Girl. To me, this story is about finding love after loss, whether it be from a death as in Katelyn’s case, or from a loss in trust/faith in humanity from being used and manipulated the way Harrison was. This is one of my favorite books to reread, because the world building and character development is top notch. I love the authenticity of the emotions in the book, the emphasis placed on relationships with the children and friends, while still showing a realistic evolution of the romance (even though I wish Katelyn wouldn’t have held back so much at times lol). Harrison is honestly a benchmark male character, and his relationship with Quinn is heartwarming, and that just bleeds over to how he handles the twins and Katelyn, for that matter, with empathy and compassion, being able to love them without feeling threatened by the lingering presence of Mason’s memory. I also loved how Katelyn’s relationship with Quinn evolved. Many books use kids as a token or scene ornament, but this book shows that kids have real human emotions too, and makes them central to the story. The whole band rearranges their touring life around the children in this series. Don’t get me wrong, the book’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are twists and drama and emotions and tears, but it is sooo worth it in the end!!
seymagm's review against another edition
3.0
It was okay, liked the first one more.. The plot was great and I loved Harrison and Quinn! Katelyn, not so much..
3 stars! ♥
3 stars! ♥
siennap's review against another edition
4.0
I can't believe I put this book on the back burner out of the books I bought around the same time … seriously captured my heart I cried so many times I can't even count! LOVE this book!
trudyd's review against another edition
5.0
My Unexpected Forever is my favorite in the series. I have been in Katelyn's situation. I understand her situation and empathized with her actions/decisions. The author got it right.
I wish I had had a Harrison. He is so compassionate, caring, loving. He made this story my favorite. He is super dad and one of the most patient characters I have had the privilege of reading about.
Harrison is doing everything he can to impress Katelyn. The minute he saw her, he just knew. Harrison has found his and Quinn's home.
Katelyn's head and heart are full of doubt. She worries what others think. Katelyn needs to follow her daughters and open her eyes and heart.
I love Harrison's story. It makes my heart swell every time I read it.
I wish I had had a Harrison. He is so compassionate, caring, loving. He made this story my favorite. He is super dad and one of the most patient characters I have had the privilege of reading about.
Harrison is doing everything he can to impress Katelyn. The minute he saw her, he just knew. Harrison has found his and Quinn's home.
Katelyn's head and heart are full of doubt. She worries what others think. Katelyn needs to follow her daughters and open her eyes and heart.
I love Harrison's story. It makes my heart swell every time I read it.
moonchild720's review against another edition
3.0
I did really enjoy this story. I listened to it on Audible and I found myself annoyed that they used the same people from the first book. I really liked how they read the story but every time a new chapter I was waiting for them to say Liam or Josie. I just had those voices assigned to Liam and Josie that it kind of threw me off when they were reading Katelyn and Harrison.
The story was cute but I thought it was kind of long for what happened. I found myself very annoyed with how Harrison and Katelyn handled their blow up. I was annoyed with Katelyn that he didn't just ask Harrison if it was true or not and I was also annoyed that Harrison just dismissed the whole thing and basically blamed Katelyn for the whole thing. I felt that he needed to understand how Katelyn felt in that situation. She hadn't been exposed to the Hollywood life and didn't know how dirty people could be. He could have tried to put himself in her shoes knowing she is naive to the industry. He just yelled about her not trusting him and took no responsibility for what happened. If I was in Katelyn's position, I probably would have reacted the same way.
I also really didn't like how the whole situation with Sam and Alicia was handled. Sam had been running around ruining shit for everyone and there's no confrontation. They just bring her to court and file a restraining order on her and that's it? After all of the crazy shit she did she would just let that happen and just stop being crazy? I don't think so. Same with Alicia. She showed up at the spa where Josie and Katelyn happened to be, tossed some incrimination pictures into their hands, says some stuff, gets summoned to court and just doesn't show up? No. Both of those outcomes seemed out of character for both of them to just end it so quietly without snapping.
I liked the story enough but I liked Josie and Liam's story better.
The story was cute but I thought it was kind of long for what happened. I found myself very annoyed with how Harrison and Katelyn handled their blow up. I was annoyed with Katelyn that he didn't just ask Harrison if it was true or not and I was also annoyed that Harrison just dismissed the whole thing and basically blamed Katelyn for the whole thing. I felt that he needed to understand how Katelyn felt in that situation. She hadn't been exposed to the Hollywood life and didn't know how dirty people could be. He could have tried to put himself in her shoes knowing she is naive to the industry. He just yelled about her not trusting him and took no responsibility for what happened. If I was in Katelyn's position, I probably would have reacted the same way.
I also really didn't like how the whole situation with Sam and Alicia was handled. Sam had been running around ruining shit for everyone and there's no confrontation. They just bring her to court and file a restraining order on her and that's it? After all of the crazy shit she did she would just let that happen and just stop being crazy? I don't think so. Same with Alicia. She showed up at the spa where Josie and Katelyn happened to be, tossed some incrimination pictures into their hands, says some stuff, gets summoned to court and just doesn't show up? No. Both of those outcomes seemed out of character for both of them to just end it so quietly without snapping.
I liked the story enough but I liked Josie and Liam's story better.
karlisimp's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The will they won’t they have this book killed me. So long and dragged out for seemingly no reason. Hard to figure out the ethnicity of Harrison though- with his doorag
michalice's review against another edition
5.0
***Before you think about reading this review, if you plan to read Forever My Girl and My Everything then don't read any further as this review may contain spoilers for the previous book, so go and read them now then come back here.***
I want to start off this review by apologising for its vagueness, amazon took its sweet time in sending My Unexpected Forever through to my iPad and I waited up for it to be delivered, but once it was there I made a start on it and I literally stayed up till after 4am reading this book, and like all books that grab hold and aren't review books, I focused more on the book than actually getting notes for reviews. I was hooked, plain and simple.
I wasn't even finished on the first page and my heart was breaking, I want to hug Harrison. I feel so sorry for him, the doubts in himself and how he doesn't fit the mould for PTA meetings, or someone who you take home to meet the parents, yet wanting so much for his love interest to actually notice him and reciprocate his feelings. He is also scared to act on them, not wanting to feel like he is pushing the memory of Mason out, or trying to replace him in the girls lives.
My Unexpected Forever is told in dual narratives, Harrison and Katelyn, we get to see what each of these characters are thinking and feeling, and there were times I wanted to lock this duo in a room so they could get their act together. Harrison has made a new life for himself and Quinn in Beaumont, Quinn attends school with Noah, Peyton and Elle, and I really like how this brings the children together and helps them form their own friendships and relationships. But it's not always easy for all involved, adults and children.
Katelyn, Peyton and Elle are still coming to terms with losing Mason and learning how to live without him. While Elle seems to be coping better, Peyton feels alone and left out whilst Katelyn is struggling in how to help the girls and still show them how she feels. She is also torn between her feeling for Mason, and what she feels for Harrison, and the behaviour from Peyton doesn't always make for an easy life.
My Unexpected Forever has all the characters we love from Forever My Girl, and I loved getting to see how the lives of all involved are so entwined with each other. They are all a big family and are there to offer support and love to everyone. Liam and Jose certainly have some words of wisdom for Katelyn and Harrison that gives them the push to make a decision. What Harrison does at the end of the book to show his love for Katelyn and the girls was such a thoughtful thing to do, and I vaguely remember crying over how sweet it was.
My Unexpected Forever was a fantastic read, from start to finish. I could not put it down. I laughed, I cried, I mentally pushed people to encourage them to get their act together, and I may have cried some more after that. Heidi McLaughlin has a way of drawing you into the world she creates and not letting you go till the very last page. I may have been late to reading her books, but I will never miss one now. I experienced an emotional roller coaster ride reading My Unexpected Forever, and it's one I would not hesitate to get back on again.
Something happens near the end of the book and part of me has come up with a scenario that might not even be true and is just my over active imagination but I am really looking forward to finding out if I was right or not when the next book is published. Heidi is of course keeping quiet about when that is.
Spoiler
I want to start off this review by apologising for its vagueness, amazon took its sweet time in sending My Unexpected Forever through to my iPad and I waited up for it to be delivered, but once it was there I made a start on it and I literally stayed up till after 4am reading this book, and like all books that grab hold and aren't review books, I focused more on the book than actually getting notes for reviews. I was hooked, plain and simple.
I wasn't even finished on the first page and my heart was breaking, I want to hug Harrison. I feel so sorry for him, the doubts in himself and how he doesn't fit the mould for PTA meetings, or someone who you take home to meet the parents, yet wanting so much for his love interest to actually notice him and reciprocate his feelings. He is also scared to act on them, not wanting to feel like he is pushing the memory of Mason out, or trying to replace him in the girls lives.
My Unexpected Forever is told in dual narratives, Harrison and Katelyn, we get to see what each of these characters are thinking and feeling, and there were times I wanted to lock this duo in a room so they could get their act together. Harrison has made a new life for himself and Quinn in Beaumont, Quinn attends school with Noah, Peyton and Elle, and I really like how this brings the children together and helps them form their own friendships and relationships. But it's not always easy for all involved, adults and children.
Katelyn, Peyton and Elle are still coming to terms with losing Mason and learning how to live without him. While Elle seems to be coping better, Peyton feels alone and left out whilst Katelyn is struggling in how to help the girls and still show them how she feels. She is also torn between her feeling for Mason, and what she feels for Harrison, and the behaviour from Peyton doesn't always make for an easy life.
My Unexpected Forever has all the characters we love from Forever My Girl, and I loved getting to see how the lives of all involved are so entwined with each other. They are all a big family and are there to offer support and love to everyone. Liam and Jose certainly have some words of wisdom for Katelyn and Harrison that gives them the push to make a decision. What Harrison does at the end of the book to show his love for Katelyn and the girls was such a thoughtful thing to do, and I vaguely remember crying over how sweet it was.
My Unexpected Forever was a fantastic read, from start to finish. I could not put it down. I laughed, I cried, I mentally pushed people to encourage them to get their act together, and I may have cried some more after that. Heidi McLaughlin has a way of drawing you into the world she creates and not letting you go till the very last page. I may have been late to reading her books, but I will never miss one now. I experienced an emotional roller coaster ride reading My Unexpected Forever, and it's one I would not hesitate to get back on again.
Something happens near the end of the book and part of me has come up with a scenario that might not even be true and is just my over active imagination but I am really looking forward to finding out if I was right or not when the next book is published. Heidi is of course keeping quiet about when that is.