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A review by thebritishbibliophile_
The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale by Stephanie Eding
4.0
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casa for sending me an ebook Advanced Reader's Copy for me to read and review via Net Galley. This is my honest and spoiler-free review.
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I picked the opportunity to read 'The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale' via NetGalley, for something different to read. A change of pace from the novels that are my usual go-to and/or comfort zone reads. The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale' promised just that.
✔ Found family
✔ Second chance romance
✔ Single Parent/Surprise Pregnancy
✔ Coming of age
✔ Roommates
✔ Slow burn
All of the above tropes appealed to me in some way, especially since I've not read too many novels with as many tropes within one novel. Usually the above tropes were either spread across a book series, or one was the central trope, so I was intrigued to see how Stephanie Eding would weave them all together, and how the final product that is The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale would fare.
Although this may be the life of Josie Hale, as promised in the title, we very much get more than we bargained for. Again, much like Josie did herself. We get Ben and Kevin, former friends and now roommates of Josie and her unborn child. Josie has connections to both and they meet unexpectedly after several years apart, bonding over the many woes and disappointments several of us go through in life here in the real world, Here, Stephanie injects an element of realism into this novel which most authors would not choose to do. Novels are often referred to and are sources of escapism from the unpleasantness of real life, but Stephanie choses to toe the line and include and raise awareness to those experiences.
In a bid to rid not only Josie of her current plagues bringing her life down but all three of them, a mission is set into motion which you all will become familiar with as a continuous element mentioned throughout the entire novel. This pact is what binds the three together and entwines their fates, as well as getting one another involved with the personal lives of everyone within their household. Everything about their lives is affected by this mission, and Kevin, especially, is keen to see it to completion to the amusement and annoyance both, of his two roommates.
The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale, among the many things, is a story about no one, but three stories of second chances. Throughout reading the novel, we join Josie, Ben and Kevin in searching for and discovering the true meaning of what it means to be family outside of the traditional, 2.2 children, nuclear family-enforced stereotype of a 'family' most of us grew up being told was THE definition of family. We see the evolution of this from the first day of Josie living with the pair, to her pregnancy bringing the three closer--and the things that happen along the way--, to the birth and the moments that follow. The novel takes the time to slowly explore this and many other evolutions, rather than suppressing this to a chapter or two as a mini-arc.
Although lacking in any steam, smut or intimacy, The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale makes up for those things with the close bonds of friendship, going the extra mile for the ones who you love, general wholesomeness and pushing of positive messages and lessons.
I would love for a second book to follow after this, as I would like to see how Josie's life goes from unplanned, to even more unplanned as her baby grows up and a whole new chapter of life for them both can and will be explored.
4.5 stars!
---------------------------------------------------------
I picked the opportunity to read 'The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale' via NetGalley, for something different to read. A change of pace from the novels that are my usual go-to and/or comfort zone reads. The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale' promised just that.
✔ Found family
✔ Second chance romance
✔ Single Parent/Surprise Pregnancy
✔ Coming of age
✔ Roommates
✔ Slow burn
All of the above tropes appealed to me in some way, especially since I've not read too many novels with as many tropes within one novel. Usually the above tropes were either spread across a book series, or one was the central trope, so I was intrigued to see how Stephanie Eding would weave them all together, and how the final product that is The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale would fare.
Although this may be the life of Josie Hale, as promised in the title, we very much get more than we bargained for. Again, much like Josie did herself. We get Ben and Kevin, former friends and now roommates of Josie and her unborn child. Josie has connections to both and they meet unexpectedly after several years apart, bonding over the many woes and disappointments several of us go through in life here in the real world, Here, Stephanie injects an element of realism into this novel which most authors would not choose to do. Novels are often referred to and are sources of escapism from the unpleasantness of real life, but Stephanie choses to toe the line and include and raise awareness to those experiences.
In a bid to rid not only Josie of her current plagues bringing her life down but all three of them, a mission is set into motion which you all will become familiar with as a continuous element mentioned throughout the entire novel. This pact is what binds the three together and entwines their fates, as well as getting one another involved with the personal lives of everyone within their household. Everything about their lives is affected by this mission, and Kevin, especially, is keen to see it to completion to the amusement and annoyance both, of his two roommates.
The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale, among the many things, is a story about no one, but three stories of second chances. Throughout reading the novel, we join Josie, Ben and Kevin in searching for and discovering the true meaning of what it means to be family outside of the traditional, 2.2 children, nuclear family-enforced stereotype of a 'family' most of us grew up being told was THE definition of family. We see the evolution of this from the first day of Josie living with the pair, to her pregnancy bringing the three closer--and the things that happen along the way--, to the birth and the moments that follow. The novel takes the time to slowly explore this and many other evolutions, rather than suppressing this to a chapter or two as a mini-arc.
Although lacking in any steam, smut or intimacy, The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale makes up for those things with the close bonds of friendship, going the extra mile for the ones who you love, general wholesomeness and pushing of positive messages and lessons.
I would love for a second book to follow after this, as I would like to see how Josie's life goes from unplanned, to even more unplanned as her baby grows up and a whole new chapter of life for them both can and will be explored.
4.5 stars!