"When I started reading Unexpected, I have to admit, I expected a shallow boy meets girl story in the world of the rich and famous. There are so many “billionaire romances� floating around. But only pages in, I realized this story was anything but superficial.

Nick and Claire live in different worlds, and they assume the gap can’t be crossed. But their physical attraction is strong, and they act on it. They jump into a love affair they consider a carnal convenience. What they both miss in the beginning is the deeper draw to each other. What Ms. Abrams is adept at is writing the slow revelation of their characters.

One note on style. Ms. Abrams used clips from news articles to begin each chapter. The effect was fun and insightful for the story.

I love character driven fiction. When an author can grow a character, immerse the reader, and complete the arc, the end result is satisfying. The story has depth and kept me turning the pages. Claire and Nick inspire each other to be complete. The fact remains, they are still a rich celeb girl and a no-name artist. Can it work? I encourage you to pick up this book. The ending will leave you feeling good. "

"This was a beautiful story that I really enjoyed. The author has an amazing way of writing that brings the story and the characters to life.
This is a story about 2 people from 2 different worlds and all the struggles and obstacles they have to go through to be together. Struggles that include their different positions in the world, the opinions of their friends and also their own self doubts and inner struggles.

Clare is a heiress and a smart woman in her own rights, however that isn't seen very often as most people just see her as the pretty ex model. She really wants to take the helm of her fathers business and make changes but with people telling her she doesn't have to and no one expects if of her how can she show people what she can really do?

Nick is an art student. His life is a constant juggling act between school, and his job which he needs to pay for his tuition. He is pursuing his dreams but most of the times it seems like his dreams will never materialise. At his job as a waiter in a restaurant is where he first encounters Claire and her friends.

From the start their attraction to each other was instant however with the rudeness of her friends Nick didn't hold out any hope for anything. After all Claire was way out of his league.
When a one night stand leads to several dates in secret the pair decide they can't hiding their relationship from others. But what will be the consequences of making their relationship public? Will people's criticisms of their different backgrounds make it hard for their relationship to succeed? And what happens as their story progresses? Will they find what they are searching for together or will they need to be apart to succeed?

This was a unique turn of the female being the wealthy partner where as most times its the men so that was a nice change. Claire is also a very down to earth character, she doesn't flaunt her wealth or look down on people which I loved about her. Both of our main characters have flaws which make the human and relatable.
This is a fast paced read which I couldn't put down."

"4 Stars

Unexpected by Laylah Abrams turned out to be quite the unexpected read- in a great way. With such an unassuming, although somewhat charming cover, I really didn’t know what to expect � but the blurb sounded promising, so I snapped up a copy and set off to explore.
What I discovered was a fun story with a bit of a fairytale-esque vibe to it. With plenty to keep me flipping the pages of this feel-good romance.
-Celebrity heiress meets waiter/struggling artist �
-Different worlds collide �
-Opposites attract �
-finding love unexpectedly �
-Sweet story �
-chemistry �
-Character growth and development continues over the course of the story �
-a dash of drama �
-a sprinkle of angst �
-Light-hearted �
-Memorable �
This is my first read by Ms. Abrams, but after enjoying this story more than I expected, it certainly won’t be my last.
Looking forward to seeing what Ms. Abrams does next.
Happy Reading�

Thank you, Laylah Abrams!
"

"Unexpected
By: Laylah Abrams

This is FANTASTIC and I read it in one sitting. This book takes the familiar tale of one character being wealthy and one living in poverty and flips it on its head. In this story the wealthy one is the female. However, this is not done in an over the top or in your face way, in this story it all just makes sense. The question this story explores is what happens when two characters let go of what holds them back and really become who they are meant to be. Claire is a fantastic main character who challenges the ideas of what a wealthy female main character should be. She is a model, however, she has way more brains than beauty. The only problem is that no one can look past her exterior. And in some ways, that is the way she wants it, because she doesn’t really want the public to know the real her. That all changes when she meets Nick. Nick is a waiter and she definitely is interested in him. However, he is not at all what she thought she would fall in love with. Nick on the other hand fully expected everything to be a fling, but when it continues he finds that it is causing changes to his future in art.
These characters are so well written and are so flawed. But I love a really well written flawed character, because who among us isn't flawed. This plot moves along at a good pace and this is a book that kept me reading way past my bedtime. This was the first book I have read by Laylah Abrams, but it definitely won’t be my last. Her ability to create characters is something that I find myself wanting even more of. I definitely recommend taking the time to read this fantastic story.
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