A review by michellekiara
When You Least Expect It by Haley Cass

lighthearted

4.25

I’ve never really been an audiobook girly, but I decided to give this one a try because I want to get into audiobooks in the long run, especially so I can “read” while going to the gym. It was not easy at first. For the first half, I had to listen while also following along with the text in the book just to keep my mind from wandering. But Lori Prince, the narrator, made it so worth it. She did such an amazing job capturing the different voices and tones of Caroline, Hannah, and Abbie, making the audiobook so much more engaging. At this point, I might even prefer audiobooks for romance, just so I can hear how the characters are actually saying these emotional, yearning-filled lines.

The story follows Caroline, a single woman who unexpectedly finds herself falling for Hannah, a recently divorced mother of one, after Caroline is hired as Hannah’s divorce lawyer. What makes this romance stand out is that it spans an entire year, touching on every holiday imaginable, rather than being confined to a Christmas setting like most holiday romances. You can feel the slow burn in every interaction, which is perfectly paced. Not so slow that it feels frustrating, but not so fast that the chemistry feels rushed.

Caroline’s pining over Hannah was one of my favorite parts of the book. You can truly feel her yearning, and the way Haley Cass writes it makes it so easy to understand why Caroline falls for Hannah. Abbie, Hannah’s daughter, is also such a sweet character. Even though the voice Lori Prince gave her was a bit annoying, I still found myself caring about her so much.

Like most romances, the ending is predictable but still satisfying. That said,

I wish the scene where Abbie “finds out” about Caroline and Hannah’s relationship had been more fully written out.

I was really looking forward to that moment, and it felt a bit abrupt ending.