Unsettling

by Lynda Sandoval

At long last, Lucy Olivera, fun, feisty, and decidedly commitment phobic, is doing the unthinkable. She is getting married. Yes, she's getting married despite the fact that her family is cursed and her marriage is destined to end in divorce. Everyone who knows her agrees -- there's simply no hope. The legendary Olivera curse will outlive the happiest of relationships.

But the hex didn't count on Lucy's three dearest friends -- Cristina, Mercedes, and Annette -- who are determined to get Lucy down the aisle and on the road to a long and happy marriage. They succeed -- at first. But when Lucy bolts after the wedding, each of the women must face her own problems. Together they take off for the mountains of New Mexico to seek the counsel of a guru renowned for the ability to completely change lives. What they find is not what they expect; and the quest itself strengthens the bonds of their friendship and allows them to cherish the lives they have and to make the most of what they've got -- with laughter, love, and a little bit of magic.

Genres: Chick Lit

Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

**Since I'm intimately familiar with the blood, sweat, and tears that go into producing a book, I will only be listing my 4-and 5-star reads. We don't all like the same fare (as is evidenced by some of the Goodreads ratings on my own work!), so if I don't love a book, you won't see it on my page. I'm not interested in bashing anyone else's creative efforts or negatively influencing anyone's reading choices. This is PURELY my choice, and how you review is up to you. On with the bio.**

Lynda Sandoval is a former police officer-turned fiction writer with 22 published (or soon to be published) books to her credit. She's written women's fiction and nonfiction for HarperCollins Rayo; romance for Silhouette Special Edition; a romantic novella for Avon A; and young adult novels and novellas for Simon & Schuster and Houghton Mifflin. She launched her career with five award-winning books for Kensington Bouquet and Pinnacle Encanto, and her popular nonfiction text published by Gryphon Books for Writers, True Blue: An Insider's Guide to Street Cops—For Writers, is still selling strong.

Lynda also works half-time as an emergency 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Fire/EMS Department, teaches writing for Long Ridge Writer's Group, volunteers at a GLBTQ youth center and speaks regularly to book groups and clubs.

Lynda's Awards:

Look of Love/Pinnacle Encanto/1999
~~2000 Rising Star award

One and Only/Pinnacle Encanto/2001
~~4-1/2 star Gold Medal Top Pick in Romantic Times
~~2002 Golden Quill Award, Short Contemporary

Thief of Hearts/Pinnacle Encanto/2001
~~2003 Colorado Romance Writers' Keeper Award
~~2002 Beacon Award, Long Contemporary
~~Finalist, 2002 Booksellers' Best Contest, Long Contemporary
~~Finalist, 2002 Golden Quill award, Long Contemporary

Unsettling/HarperCollins Rayo/2004
~~2005 Write Touch Readers' Award, Mainstream Fiction
~~2005 Laurie Award of Excellence, Single Title Fiction
~~2005 The Lories, Mainstream Fiction
~~2005 The Lories, Best of the Best Published
~~2005 Colorado Romance Writers' Award of Excellence, Mainstream Fiction
~~2nd place, 2005 More than Magic Award, Mainstream Fiction
~~2nd place, 2005 Beacon Award, Mainstream Fiction
~~Finalist, 2005 Golden Quill Award, Mainstream Fiction
~~Finalist, 2005 Aspen Gold Award, Single Title Fiction
~~Finalist, 2005 National Readers' Choice Award, Single Title Fiction

And Then There Were Three/Silhouette Special Edition/2004
~~Two weeks on the Waldenbooks Series Bestsellers' List, peaking at #3
~~2nd place, 2005 The Lories, Long Contemporary
~~Finalist, 2005 Colorado Romance Writers' Award of Excellence, Long Contemporary
~~Finalist, 2005 Orange Rose Award, Long Contemporary

One Perfect Man/Silhouette Special Edition/2004
~~2005 Holt Medallion, Long Contemporary
~~2005 Write Touch Readers' Award, Long Contemporary
~~3rd place, 2005 More than Magic Award, Long Contemporary
~~Honorable Mention, 2005 Barclay Gold Award, Long Contemporary
~~Finalist, 2005 Colorado Romance Writers' Award of Excellence, Long Contemporary

Who's Your Daddy?/Simon Pulse/2004
~~Finalist, Colorado Endowment for the Humanities's Colorado Book Award, Young Adult Literature
~~2007 Evergreen Young Adult Book Award nominee
~~2005 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers
~~2005 New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age
~~2005 National Readers' Choice Award, Young Adult Literature
~~2005 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Young Adult Literature

Chicks Ahoy/Simon Pulse/2005
~~2006 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers
~~2006 Books that Kids Love and Parents Hate, Cleveland Public Library System

The Other Sister/Silhouette Special Edition/2007
~~Nominee, 2007 Romantic Times BOOKCLUB Best Special Edition of the Year
~~Borders Group/Waldenbooks Series Romance Bestseller

www.LyndaSandoval.com

Reviews

[Laura]

Slow going because I am reading it in Spanish but it is really good.

I'm still reading it. I have about 100 pages left because its slow going with Spanish.

[Joanne Rock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long time favorite still on my keeper shelf. Love the girlfriend friendships. I'm hoping we'll start seeing more books like Unsettling in stores again.

[Diane Montondo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light read. Although I enjoyed it, I felt the book seemed predictable and superficial. It is well-written, but something about it didn't ring true.

Four high school friends with very different lives, each with their own set of problems, in the setting of their cop friend Lucy marrying a very perfect Ruben, a co-worker in the force. Problem is in Lucy's family, ALL first marriages ended in divorce. So the bride has very light feet...

The grudge one friend had against the other for twenty years was laughable. Wasting so much negative energy over so much time is difficult to believe.

I giggled as the four went on their road trip to find Tilly, la curandera. But was happy they somewhat solved their respective crises.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, hilarious (and at times sad) and girly summer read, right down to the hot pink cover :o) I read and loved Lynda Sandoval's short story in "Names I Call My Sister" and enjoyed her novel just as much. I hope she plans to write more novels because I really like the way she writes.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick light read- good for summer vacation.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters were so alive they practically left the page, entered my living room and told their stories---I couldn't wait to read just one more page to see what was going to happen next!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four high school girlfriends take a road trip to New Mexico in search of answers to their problems. Full of laughter, tears, joy, hope and love.

[Linda Underwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four women unite at the wedding of one of them and they have a bonding trip. Pretty typical of this type but cute.

[Nicole Burnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Lynda Sandoval's books!

[Terri Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humor, tears, sizzling dialogue and the real-life uncertainty of "settling down" make this a book a keeper. I know. It's been on my bookshelf since it first came out!

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was on my shelf for years and I finally chose it for a read in my pool. It was surprisingly good!!!

[Britney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this one down!

[Melissa Innerst · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, but the plot was a little slow for my tastes.