Review: Heidi McLaughlin's "My Unexpected Forever."
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1d8PM60
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/15Yco3Z
Synopsis:
***IT'S SUGGESTED YOU READ MY EVERYTHING BEFORE READING MY UNEXPECTED FOREVER***
I expected a life of music.
I expected to raise my son.
It took one look to make everything change.
I never expected happiness.
I never expected to find her.
I never expected to feel desire.
I never expected I’d be a family man.
I never expected to be loved.
I never expected to fall in love.
They say you should expect the unexpected, I didn’t realize my unexpected would be the forever kind.
I usually find it either so difficult to review a 5* book or the easiest thing in the world. I have a feeling this will be the latter. There was a million one things I love about it and I enjoyed every single word. I want to call it a 'feel good' book, and it is to some extent, I felt beyond happy whilst reading it, the majority of the time, but my poor heart also took a battering. I think Heidi McLaughlin is the only author I can recall that is able to have you fall in love with a character that we never met. Watching all of the characters - from Josie and Liam in Forever my Girl, to Katelyn now in My Unexpected Forever, mourn the loss of their old friend/husband, Mason, is so heart breaking.
We know from reading Forever my Girl that Katelyn is trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband, Mason, the father to her twin girls Elle and Peyton. He tragically died in a car accident and I felt the pain of that death through every page of this book, as well as the first. In the first book, we briefly see a connection between Harrison and Katelyn and I was so excited when I knew this book was theirs. It can be a very fine line when writing a love story like this, with one mourning party, so I was nervous to see how Heidi would pull it off. How would Katelyn move on? Would Harrison push her, or let her come to terms with her feelings slowly? How would their children play in to this? I just couldn't see it happening without major heart break.
"You can't replace Mason even if you tried, but you can find happiness and
love if you allow yourself to."
I've seen a few quotes where people are complaining that Katelyn was annoying and had too much of a back and forth over her feelings. Yes, she was very wary about starting any type of new relationship. She fought her feelings for so long, trying to convince others (but mainly herself) that she didn't feel anything for Harrison, that there was no possible way she could be falling for another man whilst still mourning her husband. My heart broke for her over and over again when reading her POV chapters. "I would never date a man who is covered in tattoos, wears a beanie and shorts all the time. He's the quintessential rocker and doesn't fit my life." I think had Heidi McLaughlin written the story in a way that Katelyn didn't fight her feelings and jumped straight in to a new relationship I wouldn't have enjoyed it half as much. It really wouldn't have felt real.
Now, on to Harrison.. beautiful, beautiful Harrison ♥. I'm beginning to think I have a brand new book boyfriend. A gorgeous, kind, warm-hearted, rocker book boyfriend. He was BEYOND perfect. There are so many stereotypes when it comes to rockers - the sex, the drugs, the alcohol, the ladies, the rock and roll lifestyle. Now, to some extent, that is life (minus the drugs) for Harrison, but only a small part of him. The other part, the huge part, the part I fell HARD for is daddy Harrison. Reading about this part of him.. the part where he is the most kind, caring and compassionate person to not only his own son, Quinn, but Katelyn's girls, Elle and Peyton. It was beautiful to watch. His POV were probably my favourites, albeit a little bit painful at times. He, like Katelyn, is trying to fight his feelings. He knows the sitution Katelyn is in and doesn't want to push her and he is forever hearing from her that he isn't her type and they can be nothing more than friends. Regardless of the deep connection that they both feel. My poor Harrison, my heart broke for him time and time again and I was just desperate for him (and Quinn) to get their HAE.
"Thing is, Katelyn, love doesn't know the way someone looks.
Love knows the inside of who that person is."
I LOVED THE KIDS. There is something so beautiful about having kids present in books, especially when the main characters are the father of said kids. It's rare and I love it. I really think the kids in this series need their own, or at least a book. I could read about them for days. I know they are not real (it was a shocking revelation, believe me) but they felt so real as did the situations and constant wise words coming from them.
"Quinn, you make being a dad the easiest thing I've ever done, but that's not it. I don't think she likes my tattoos and I'm very different from her husband."
"I think your tattoos tell a story, maybe she should learn to read."
The emotional impact of the story was something I thought I was prepared for.. not so much. I smiled, I laughed and I had tears on more than one occasion. It was so emotional. Heidi McLaughlin has written one of the most beautiful books. The ending was so beautifully perfect. It wasn't over the top, it wasn't unbelievable, it was the most realistic ending we could have hoped for, it fit the story of Katelyn and Harrison so well. I'm sad I've finished this book but I can't wait for more in the series. I love this crazy bunch.
"He's a part of your life and he's part of the girls' life. I'll never ask you not to talk about
him when I'm around. I'll never ask you to stop loving him. If he was here, I'd hate him."
I shake my head because that's not true. "No, I probably wouldn't know you if he was here,
and for that I'm both thankful and remorseful because his girls are the best, most beautiful
girls that I've ever encountered and I want to do right by not only them, but him too."
I rated "My Unexpected Forever" 5 Big Beautiful Hearts
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