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A review by bookdrgn
My Unexpected Love by Heidi McLaughlin
4.0
This book was a change of pace for the overused manipulative ex and fake pregnancy trope we've seen in nearly every Beaumont universe book.
Elle Powell-James is a mess. After nearly losing her twin in a car accident that rings similar to the one that cost them their father as children and after saying goodbye to her and trying to get Noah to do the same; Elle isn't coping. And no one notices until she self-destructs in a haze of alcohol binges, public behaviour she used to mock and declining grades.
Her brother and parents are on her case to shape up or ship out to rehab. They even have her long time best friend Ben on side.
Ben has been in love with Elle since the nanosecond he saw her. He became her best friend because he was afraid if he tried for more he'd lose her. He wants to help her, but doesn't want to lose her. So he sides with her family in their effort to get her help. In the near decade they've been friends he has also become part of their close-knit extended family and not for their fame. He loves these people.
It all comes to a head at his birthday party.
Elle is drunk and ends up sleeping with Ben.
A dream come true for him until they wake up and she doesn't remember.
This serves as the catalyst Ben needs to chase his professional dream after being offered a ten week internship at his dream company.
I get where Ben is coming from. He absconds to New York without telling anyone but his brother and mostly maintains radio silence with Elle.
They keep using "friendzone" to describe his friendship with Elle and I think this does a disservice to their relationship. Especially since it's being used incorrectly.
The friendzone is a word used when a guy acts like a friend in order to get a girl into bed and gets angry when it doesn't happen.
Ben is genuinely Elle's friend so this doesn't apply.
I feel for Ben, but I was glad when he pulled on his independent pants and went and lived his life.
Of all the characters in the Beaumont universe, Elle has developed the most as a character so far. She has the most human reactions to things and even though she doesn't think so, wears her hears on her sleeve.
She feels guilty that she told Noah to say goodbye to Peyton and he didn't, and she pulled through. Elle took the responsibility of it on her shoulders.
It was good she took the time to own her issues and work on them before fighting for Ben. If she hadn't, I don't think they would have worked
I'm looking forward to Quinn's book. So far, he's the most enigmatic character.
Elle Powell-James is a mess. After nearly losing her twin in a car accident that rings similar to the one that cost them their father as children and after saying goodbye to her and trying to get Noah to do the same; Elle isn't coping. And no one notices until she self-destructs in a haze of alcohol binges, public behaviour she used to mock and declining grades.
Her brother and parents are on her case to shape up or ship out to rehab. They even have her long time best friend Ben on side.
Ben has been in love with Elle since the nanosecond he saw her. He became her best friend because he was afraid if he tried for more he'd lose her. He wants to help her, but doesn't want to lose her. So he sides with her family in their effort to get her help. In the near decade they've been friends he has also become part of their close-knit extended family and not for their fame. He loves these people.
It all comes to a head at his birthday party.
Elle is drunk and ends up sleeping with Ben.
A dream come true for him until they wake up and she doesn't remember.
This serves as the catalyst Ben needs to chase his professional dream after being offered a ten week internship at his dream company.
I get where Ben is coming from. He absconds to New York without telling anyone but his brother and mostly maintains radio silence with Elle.
They keep using "friendzone" to describe his friendship with Elle and I think this does a disservice to their relationship. Especially since it's being used incorrectly.
The friendzone is a word used when a guy acts like a friend in order to get a girl into bed and gets angry when it doesn't happen.
Ben is genuinely Elle's friend so this doesn't apply.
I feel for Ben, but I was glad when he pulled on his independent pants and went and lived his life.
Of all the characters in the Beaumont universe, Elle has developed the most as a character so far. She has the most human reactions to things and even though she doesn't think so, wears her hears on her sleeve.
She feels guilty that she told Noah to say goodbye to Peyton and he didn't, and she pulled through. Elle took the responsibility of it on her shoulders.
It was good she took the time to own her issues and work on them before fighting for Ben. If she hadn't, I don't think they would have worked
I'm looking forward to Quinn's book. So far, he's the most enigmatic character.