The Unexpected Match

The Unexpected #1

by L. Clara, Branden Davis-Butler (Narrator), Grayson Owens (Narrator)

Listening time: 6 hours and 4 minutes

HadleyI married my high-school sweetheart five years ago. We have been making plans to have our first child when he tells me on our anniversary that he can only stay with me if I allow him to open our relationship so that we can both see other people. Reluctantly, I agree, not expecting to fall in love with the person I meet. ConnorI moved to Central Falls to help my sister raise my nephew after her husband was killed in a car accident. I've spent the last five years as CEO at DL Technologies, concentrating on my career and caring for my family. When my nephew insisted I find someone, I never expected the incredible woman I found

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Contemporary, Dark, Audiobook, Book Club

7 pages, Audible Audio

First published February 29, 2024

About the author

L. Clara is an award winning amazon international best selling author who lives in south central PA with her husband and their son. When she's not writing she's trying to convince her husband to adopt every animal - because who doesn't want a house cow, right? Her love of Gilmore Girls transcends into her day to day life in the form of a fast talking, coffee obsessed daisy lover. Although daises have been her favorite flower since she was a kid. You can catch her listening to audiobooks on the daily or when she has time to sit down and enjoy a book on her kindle she's reading all things romance.

Reviews

[Serialbookstarter:Marla · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.1
Conner and Hadley

This book started out okay but then It morphed into a totally bizarre mess. The husband becomes
The most ridiculous villain —it was so ott it made me laugh.. and this metamorphosis takes 10 years…. He’s strolling along perfectly normal and then he’s this cartoonish clown of a villain. He’s tstl literally, he does every ludicrous thing the author can come up with. This book suffers from kitchen sink syndrome , a lack of cohesiveness, and just sheer ridiculousness…. And the husbands POV chapter just another thing that made this book silly. What a waste of time!

[Kristina Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give zero stars I would

Our author creates beyond cringe dialogue with no actual plot development. No slow burn? No burn at all. They message 3 messages on hinge and he immediately can’t control his dick thinking about her? Girl pls.

As the book progressed every trope but the kitchen sink was thrown in along the way. It felt like way too much without a direction. The story could have been cute but faltered shamelessly.

[Tishana Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have 0 words for this novel. It was perfectly titled “The Unexpected Match”.

Hadley’s marriage wasn’t all that she thought it would be after her husband Andy changed and wanted an open marriage to “explore”. Being her first everything, it was a hard thing to swallow. So her friends got her on a dating app and that’s how she meets Connor. While things started to spark with Connor, things with Andy began to take a twisted turn.

I loved that Connor was everything Hadley truly wanted. He made her happy, treated her like a queen, HAD A HOT IRISH ACCENT and really wanted to be there for her through everything she was going through. Kat and Ryan (her best friends) were AMAZING friends. There to help her pick up the pieces, didn’t judge her for her decisions and helped heal her both emotionally, physically and mentally.

It got spicy throughout the book, but I felt was more plot/storyline driven. L Clara did an amazing job with allowing the readers to resonate with her characters, feeling the emotions they felt, leaving twists and turns throughout and did a great job telling Hadley and Connor’s story organically. I absolutely devoured this book and enjoyed it!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I hadn’t read this. So much happened and all of it was hard to read. 1.75 ⭐️ That one chapter solely in Andy’s POV was the worst thing to happen to this book and my life

[Kristina Marquardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my all-time favorite romance stories! I absolutely devoured this novel. Connor has my insides on fire with his charm. Hadley is too sweet, and I found myself easily thinking of her as a friend. The story was written so well that I was emotional several times. I cried, happy tears as well as sad tears. I highly recommend this emotional romance novel to all those who enjoy a good bit of drama and just the right amount of heat. Must read 5 star romance!

[Skye Minnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was an amazing read! Pulls you in from the first page!

Without spoiling it for you, I will just write that you feel everything that the FMC feels, which is rare for me. It was over way to quick for me. No fluff, just kept you enthralled. I read it straight in one night!
I do not get triggered so I didn't read the TW's so I was shocked when the time came which made it even better of an experience for me. You will not regret reading this one!

[Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute Garbage

Truly hate-read this. Bad plot, bad writing, bad characterization. All around….really really bad do not waste your time opening this dumpster fire.

[Jenn M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angsty, Emotional, Steamy, Read!!!

Hold on to your seats because this book is a wild ride! My heart broke for Hadley as we watched the truth get revealed about her husband, but it became full as we watched Connor help her piece herself back together once again. This book had me often on edge waiting to see what was going to happen, and I loved every minute of this read.  I felt all the emotions of these characters, and the spicy scenes were hot! Please heed the trigger warnings because there are some difficult themes throughout the book, but I loved how the author tackled them. This author has now made it onto my 1 click list as I love her work!

[Pageturner_ Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, hello! This was one hell of a ride. Let me start by saying that once I sat down and dedicated time to this book, I read it in one go. This story comes from dual point of views and it flows flawlessly. From the beginning you fall head over heels for this suave, Irish man named Connor. He is protective and has this “touch her and die” vibe about him. He had no desire to date, until he meets the sweet Hadley. At first, I thought Hadley was a bit weak, but you come to see her grow into this strong FMC who fights for what she wants and knows is right. Some parts may seem hard to read, but are necessary to the story and are told in a way that makes things turns out beautifully..and it’s spicy! Definitely read the trigger warnings.

Hats off to LClara, this is a sorry well done. 👏🏻

[Samanthareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

It should have been a 4.5 star if not for the inclusion of Andy's POV (the motherfreaking piece of trash, useless piece of sh*t who calls himself Hadley's husband) in this book😤

Seriously, what the hell? He doesn't deserve it!🤬I don't freaking care about his excuses or his sick plans. Reading his POV was a complete waste of time, and I'm glad he died!👿

The plot was good tho and I love listening to Grayson with his Irish Accent. A dominant silver fox indeed👏 I think we all need one at this point🫩😫🤣

[Haley’sBookCave · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!!! She did it again!! I fell in love with Hadley and Connor!!! The way he loved her right where she was. Hadley one upped her husband so hard by getting with his boss unknowingly!!! Who doesnt love a silver fox because i know i do!!!! And the way you write about mental health is probably one of my favorite things when it comes to reading your books.. its not forced or anything. It feels real and its familiar and its nice to see someone talking about mental health

[Skyla Belarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book!!!!!! I loved EVERYTHING about it! Eff Andy and his open marriage suggestion to the amazing Hadley. While she still is hoping her marriage works she finds herself meeting Connor who is yummy in all the ways a MMC should be. The twist in the book is unexpected and juicy! L Clara has a way of not making me wait to fall in love with her books. Her main characters are always swoon worthy together. I will read any and everything she comes out with. Don’t sleep on reading this book and her debut novel Endgame you will fall in love with both just like I did!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

[Kim Whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, and finding love in an unexpected way.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was amazing. I love how heartbreaking it is but at the same time how much everyone cared for the FMC. Will definitely read again.

[Tracy Cunningham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just a lot. It was nonstop craziness for the last half that didn’t seem to fit the beginning. Everything just escalated to extremes so quickly but maybe that was the point. Not for me.

[Tabatha Wheat · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful book

I loved this book but also I think I need more Mr Lewis, I find myself needing a chapter with his pov as to WHY he did what he did in his own words. Like did he have a thing for her or just felt protective of her….. maybe a book with him in it.

[Bria Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man this was done so well 😭🙏 oh man I'm obsessed i need more!

[Rachael McGarvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! Could not put is down! First off fuck Andy, I have never instantly hated a character more! Hadley and Connors relationship was just amazing! I didn't want the book to end but the last two chapters just filled my heart.

[Haylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3-3.5 stars? Idk I’m tired lol

❌Please read the triggers (highlighted them)❌


💜Contemporary MF
💜First Person/Multi POV
💜FMC does not end up with cheating husband
💜She is married while with ML (ML knows)
💜Possessive ML
💜ML is not a manhoe
💜Husband gets abusive on page
💜Attempted suicide on page
💜HEA

FMC- Hadley
ML- Connor


Hadley’s douche bag husband Andy decides he wants to open their marriage to ‘explore and get more experience’ since they only been with eachother. They were high school sweethearts. Of course she agrees since he said it’s the OnLy WaY tO sAvE tHeIr MaRrIaGe. So you already know he already has someone lined up if he wasn’t already screwing her. Spoiler Alert, he totally already was, color me shocked 🙄

A few months pass in the book. Her friends convince her to get on a dating app and that’s when she meets Connor. She is upfront about her being in an open marriage and he’s fine with that. Bonus, he’s Irish with an accent 🤗 And he also gives her her first orgasm that she didn’t have to give herself. He makes her 🌬️☔️🫣 IYKYK 😂

It really bugged me that after all she went through……where the F were her parents?? We get one small bit where Hadley mentions she called her mom after the suicide attempt and the mom had the audacity to tell Hadley she was selfish!? Like what…..do you not know what even happened?!

Without going into anything, let’s just say most people get what’s coming for them and karma is truly beautiful. Sadly not everyone got their turn with karma.

[Merrit Townsend (always1morebook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 1 in the Unexpected Series. Each story is standalone in an interconnected world that will follow a different couple. This story focuses on Hadley and Connor.

My girl Hadley had it rough. Such a sweet and innocent woman who married the wrong man. Connor was a dream and I loved how much he loved Hadley and was there for her through her journey. He would do anything for her.... including waiting until she realized her feelings ran deep for him. Hadley goes through so much trauma in this book. Her friends are there for her and they are the perfect solution to Haley's broken heart. I loved how Hadley needed the time to help herself heal before diving right into a deep relationship with Connor. Such an amazing love story.

This book is dark. There are some very disturbing scenes in this story so please check the content warnings before diving in. Having said that, the book was written very well and the chapter with Andy's POV was a very interesting addition and I wasn't expecting it. I thought it gave the book an additional inside look at how he saw things through his very sinister eyes. There are a lot of characters in this story so we have a great foundation for future books and storylines. I look forward to reading more from this author and can't wait for the next dive into this world..

[I’m a Paula too… Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happened to this guy?

The FMC is named Hadley, and the MMC is named Connor. Hadley is married to Andy, who somehow completely changes his character and ends up with a pregnant mistress. He doesn’t tell Hadley about it, but says he wants an open marriage now, and he breaks that to her on their fifth wedding anniversary. He’s been with the mistress long enough that she’s at least one month pregnant.

So naturally Hadley’s best friends throw her on a dating app and hook her up immediately. I must say that I adore her friends. They are fabulous! And what do you know, Connor is the date and he turns out to be Andy’s boss.

You need to read this to see how it all turns out. The ending twists and turns are heartbreaking but also serve up karmic justice.

KU read, and I wasn’t really ready for how nasty Andy became…

[Sonia Odum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome. It started a little slow at first, but as the story got deeper....ish got real!
I really liked how the fmc started strong and then slowly changed as her situation progressed. I think it portrayed the regression that people in these types of situations go through.

This book put me through a roller coaster of emotions from start to finish. It was so amazing I read it in 1 day, I COULD NOT put it down.

The spice...is spicy....

Now for the serious stuff, this book does contain situations that could be triggering so please check the trigger warnings. Your mental health matters!

I 10/10 recommend this book!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You know, you may have been my unexpected match, but no matter what I've gone through to get myself to this point, I would do it a hundred times over if it led me to you."

I have absolutely no words for how beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time this book was.
I devoured this in a few hours. Once I started, I absolutely could not put this down. I needed to know where it was going and how it ended it. I was consumed from the inside out for this story of Hadley and Connor because Oh. My. God.

I was swooning from the very beginning when the gorgeous Connor Quinn came into play 🥵. He was enthralled with Hadley from the very first conversation.
Plus the romance between the two of them, yes please! 🥵🥵. Absolutely swoon worthy! He definitely treated her like a queen when they were together, together 😉

What Hadley, what both of them went through, was absolutely heartbreaking and I cried so much when we got to the heavy stuff. My heart broke for these characters. Hadley has some amazing friends that everyone deserves and even though they were angry at her decisions, they were there for her and made sure she was okay.

This book definitely covers the more heavy but realistic things some people do go through in their everyday lives and I appreciate the realness of it all.
Please, please, please, before going into this book, make sure you read the trigger warnings!!

This was such a beautiful story and every single one of the characters I absolutely loved (except Andy, he deserves nothing less than what he got. Just saying).

I love the fierce and passionate love that Hadley and Connor found.
I love the friendship that Hadley, Ryan and Kat (Pickle 🤣) have.
I love the sibling bond between Connor and Alannah.
The bond between Connor and Sean and with Sean for his dinner and whole coming out and introducing his boyfriend to his uncle and his mum and his reaction to it afterwards 🥺
And Jim, the Valet, omg. The sweetest 🥰
And then just the friendships they made throughout their story and how they will be long lasting and it will continue to be beautiful. 😍

Oh and don't even get me started on the whole Connor is from Ireland and speaks some hot Irish to Hadley because damn 🥵

"Taim i ngra leat." She says it so quietly, and it's as if she's breathing life back into my soul. 🥺🥺

I love love loved this book and I cannot wait to read more from this series! ❤

[Gnome Patronus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book 100% blind, knowing nothing except that the author was incredibly kind when I met her at a book convention in Lexington KY and that one of those January Instagram challenges listed her as a “must read.” So imagine my head tilt when I hit chapter one and saw the words “Open Marriage.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve read plenty of books where marriage comes with no doors—or where things start closed and one thing leads to a bed that’s suddenly much more crowded. But this guy? Oh, this jerk (don’t worry, we know right away he’s a jerk) takes his wife to their go-to restaurant, the one they’ve gone to for years, for their anniversary dinner and drops the bomb that he isn’t fulfilled and wants an open marriage. Like, SIR. What the hell?

Needless to say, Hadley (our FMC) is blindsided. But here’s the thing: this asshat is her high school sweetheart, the love of her life, and the only man she’s ever been with. She’s heartbroken, devastated, and clinging to the hope of saving her marriage, so she says yes. I know, I know, I KNOW…you’re probably thinking, “She should just dump him.” And trust me, I feel that. But I can also see why someone might take less than they deserve, holding on to the faint hope that it’ll bring them the love they’re wishing for.

That said, Hadley’s friends? ICONS. These women convince her that an open marriage means she gets to play too, and oh boy, does she play. Enter Connor—the accent alone is enough to melt panties. And watching Hadley step into her own power? Chef’s kiss.

I do wish the book had an extra 100 pages to fully explore Hadley’s emotional complexity, her inner turmoil, societal expectations, and the rawness of finding herself again. Some twists felt a little rushed, but one thing I loved was that Hadley fought to save herself. No one did it for her. The bonus journal entries from Hadley’s perspective were stunning and added such depth to her journey. I hope those eventually get worked into the main story because they complete her emotional arc beautifully.

While the pacing wasn’t perfect, there was so much about this story that felt raw and real. It’s a tale that’s relatable to so many, and if you don’t need the why explained to you—well, I’m sorry you understand it so deeply. For those who can’t relate, remember that not everyone makes the same choices, and if you haven’t been in those shoes, sometimes you just need to listen without judgment.

[TheReaderVert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do We Really Know Who We Love

I had to sit on this read for a few weeks because I couldn't determine if it was 4 or 5 stars. After careful thinking, I landed on 5. This book was kind of brillant but in a sneaky way. It's a beautifully woven tale about DV and abuse. It's deceptive in how the character angles are set up. Just when you start to think the FMC is a problem, in a way, or the Hubby is drawn as overtop, eyerolly; you take a step back and determine no it's you and your perception. No, as a reader, I was using misogynistic paradigms to sneer at the FMC.

That's my bad. All of the beautiful things in this book
✨️ FMC really goes through a metamorphosis. A timid thing so in love with her husband she is totally thrown off by his request to open their marriage and date others. We watch her go through the pain and sadly kind of try
✨️ the MMC is a solid guy. He's an Irishman, business mogul, and go-getter. He sees her and is immediately smitten and taken aback. He's determined to woo her and win her to have her anyway he can. The moment he decides to actively steal her from her neglectful bi-polar acting hubby, we cheer "YES! FINALLY! Steal your boo, boo" 😈
✨️ OM/OW drama is choice for a cheating book. Even though this is an open marriage, it's abundantly clear that the hubby is just straight-up cheating. He starts to give Other Man drama, and all of the conflict is thanks to his wishy-washy back and forth ways. The Other Woman is only relevant because the Hubs is a POS. Anywhoodle, wanting to win the trophy for "Worst Husband of the Year," goes all out into the mouth dropping final 20% when the tone shifts and we see true spousal abuse. It's a lot, so please mind your triggers.
✨️Killer ending. I left the ending feeling partly happy but also a little bereft. I wanted to know just a teensy bit more. I wanted to peak more into the Hubby's brain. He was a treasure trove. I wanted to see how the OW/Affair partner went on. Just had a lot of lingering questions.

[Veronica Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Unexpected Match by L. Clara is the first book of The Unexpected Series, an interconnected standalone series about 3 best friends and their journey through life, love and friendship.

Our FMC Hadley has been married to her high school sweetheart for 5 of the 10 years they have been together. On their 5th anniversary he tells her that he needs to explore more of himself sexually and they should have an open marriage. To be supportive of his needs, she agrees to his request and decides that she too will start to date as well. Well by decides I mean her besties download a dating app and start swiping for her. That is how the MMC enters her life.

Our MMC Connor moved to the states from Ireland to help his sister raise his nephew after tragedy strikes and her husband dies unexpectedly. His nephew downloads a dating app to give him the push he needs to start dating and possibly fall in love. After meeting Hadley, the instant attraction is a surprise to them both. Of course the surprise doesn’t end there, after all few weeks of dating it comes out that Connor is Hadley’s husband’s boss and now knows all about the open marriage arrangement he asked her for. To say that Connor is disgusted by the husband is an understatement!! Of course now that her husband knows that she’s dating Connor, he wants to try and make it work but she’s heartbroken with how he’s been treating her so she’s keeping him at a distance. Which only enrages him and their marriage takes a very dark turn.

This book surprised me, I had no idea what to expect because I went in blindly which is something I rarely do and I’m glad I did. There are trigger warnings so please read them and take care of yourself first and foremost. There is a happy ending but it is a journey to get there so just stay patient. I enjoyed it and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't like the pacing of this book, and the dialogue was pretty cringe.

It started off with insta-love. FMC and MMC met on Tinder, where FMC had the details of her open marriage in her profile, and MMC was a super hot Irish m/billionaire CEO. FMC asked early on why MMC was on Tinder when he could've had literally anyone, but he never answered. Why is a hot Irish CEO on tinder? Does the billionaire dating scene suck that bad??

The first 70% percent of the story was basically lots and lots of sex between FMC and MMC. Very slow, not that interesting. In the last 30 percent though, all hell broke loose. It went from a slow romance story to a graphic thriller, then straight back to romance.

FMC's husband was her high school sweetheart and they used to be really cutely in love with each other. But roughly four years after they got married, her husband suddenly turned into a cartoonishly evil villain who viciously attacked FMC and attempted to murder MMC.

There was even an entire chapter dedicated to the husband's point of view, showing him to be a one-dimensional scumbag who did all of this horrible stuff because he was secretly into BDSM. Not a single empathetic thought in his head, absolutely no guilt, just pure hatred and cruelty to the very end. He couldn't even think about the consequences of his actions. The husband was just a little too cartoonishly, disgustingly evil for no discernible reason to be believable.

Anyways, if his personality changed that drastically for seemingly no reason, I think the husband should've gotten checked out for some horrible disease or amoebas that ate his prefrontal cortex before they resorted to shanking.

[Emily Johnston (Booked.Up.With.Emily) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this story takes us on one emotional and crazy journey! Hadley and Connor’s path to their happily ever after is far from easy.

3.5 ⭐️
3 🌶️

Please check the TW if you have any triggers!

🖤Love triangle
🖤Newly open marriage
🖤Insta-love
🖤Hurt x comfort
🖤Dirty talking MMC
🖤Twists and turns

When Harley’s husband states that he wants to open the marriage, she goes along with it because she doesn’t want to lose the love of her life. And after a little bit of wallowing, she decides to go on an app to see what else is out there.

And now enters dirty talking, sexy Irishman Connor. This man is EVERYTHING you want in a book boyfriend. He kisses the ground she walks out and gives her everything she needs.

But Hadley’s ex husband is still causing problems in the background. Is there any way for them to be together in the end? Or will Hadley’s marriage outweigh the love that Connor and her have found?

This is absolutely not what I expected. There were so many things that happened in the second half of the book that had my jaw dropping. I will say that I feel like Connor deserved better - Hadley made some really questionable decisions with no repercussions that had my mind trying to grasp at how she was excusing certain things.

Branden Davis-Butler and Grayson Owens were fantastic narrators and really helped me feel so hard for these characters.

Thank you to High Gravity Productions and the author for the ALC.

[Yvette Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unexpected Match by L. Clara, the description did not do it justice and 100x’s more than I expected. Wow this book was soo good but please check your trigger warnings because there were parts that were hard to get through. If you like age-gap, he falls first, millionaire, love triangle, afraid to commit, opposite attract, told in first person with dual POV’s then you will love this book!!

Andy and Hadley have been happily married for 5 years or so Hadley thought. While at dinner celebrating their anniversary Andy asks for an open relationship, caught off guard Hadley reluctantly agrees. She soon learns Naomi is why he wants this. At the urgency of her BFF’s Kat and Ryan she joins a dating sight where she meets Connor, an expected match who changed her life for the better.

I could not put this book down and read it in one sitting. All of the emotions and the confusion that Hadley felt knowing that her marriage was over but still not wanting to walk away. Falling in love with Connor but afraid of falling in love with Conner, not sure how to feel about being loved, cherished, wanted, and protected. I loved that Connor loved her as she was and didn’t want her to be anyone else. L. Clara did such an amazing job with this book and not just the MC’s but the supporting characters as well. I went through so many emotions reading this book and I LOVE it and cannot recommend it enough. I received this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Nicole Zarut · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Please pleaseeeee make sure you check TW ⚠️ before reading this book. VERY IMPORTANT!

Let me start by saying i read this book in one seating, started at 8am and by 6:30pm same day I was done, that is how good, heartbreaking and beautiful this book is. Hadley, my queen a strong FMC that is trying to fight for her marriage, doing everything he ask to make him happy until of course he ask for something she never expected! The way that the story flows is incredible. One thing after another and the love story between two people that wasn’t suppose to happened, it is just beautiful. The things the FMC endures is so heartbreaking at the hands of the man that supposedly loved her her whole life. You will cry, smile and also feel for her so deeply, it will touch you deep in your heart, you would wanna reach for her and hug her. The MMC is OUT OF THIS WORLD, I could listen to this man ALL day and never get tired, so caring and sweet and H O T 🥵🌶️. I can imagine his accent in my head, i can literally just hear him talk inside my head.

The entire book I personally wanted to get inside the book and beat some a$$! You would get very mad at times 🤬 and curse out loud. But despite of this, the story is beautiful and this happens very often in real life situations we just hope we can find a Connor too ♥️.