Unexpectedly Yours

Pine Falls #1

by Coleen Kwan

He wasn’t what she was expecting...

Derek Carmichael has harbored a secret crush on his best friend’s older sister for years, but she’s always been out of his reach. Now that Hannah is back in their hometown and newly single, suddenly the five-year age gap doesn’t seem so huge. But convincing her to see him as more than just the kid she used to know is another story.

Hannah Willmett can’t believe how grown-up Derek Carmichael has become. The troubled kid from her youth has turned into a sexy, successful TV celebrity, but Hannah’s wary of his player past and the rampant rumors connecting him to beautiful socialites. Still, she can’t help but give in when their attraction reaches a boiling point.

Trying to keep their fling a secret from her overprotective brother is one thing, but when Hannah finds herself unexpectedly expecting, her life is thrown upside down. She and Derek may be becoming parents together, but that’s no basis for a happily-ever-after.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Small Town Romance

190 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 14, 2016

About the author

Coleen Kwan writes contemporary and steampunk romance for Carina Press and Entangled Publishing.

Coleen has been a bookworm all her life. At school English was her favorite subject, but for some reason she decided on a career in IT. After many years of programming, she wondered what else there was in life — and discovered writing. She loves writing contemporary romance and steampunk romance.

Coleen lives in Sydney, Australia with her partner and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys avoiding housework, eating chocolate, and watching The Office.

Reviews

[NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books} · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4 "So many assumptions" stars from me***



Well, this was an unexpectedly good story!!!

I had a great time reading this one...
It wasn't something extraordinary, but it was given with a beautiful way!!!
It made me swoon a lot, smile a lot and irritated me a little bit in some point...
But the end was full of sweetness!!! A little bit cheeky, but i loved it!!!


This story was about a boy who in his teenage years was cruching hard on a girl...
What's the weird in that,right???
Well, this girl was his best friend's sisters, Caleb's older sister by 5 years!!!!
So, she was an untouchable girl for him...

She was always treating him as a younger brother,then he watched her got married with a douchebag and after that, their ways had parted!!!
Now, six years later, everything are about to change...


Derek is 24 years old and a successfull bussinessman as a carpenter with his own TV show!!!
An accident of his grumpy grandfather leads him back to his hometown to find someone who can take care the only parental figure that he knew while he was away to L.A. doing his things.
Hannah, at the age of 29, she is freshly divorced and had returned to her hometown to make a fresh start in there...
Derek and Hannah's ways are colliding after so many years, but the things are differently this time...

Derek is not little anymore and he had filled in the right places amazingly good and Hannah is single and available at this moment...

"She wasn't a girl anymore, but there was a softness to her, a vulnerability that made her seem younger than before. Maybe that was because he'd grown and matured, and the five-year gap between them didn't seem as big as before. They were both adults now, both single, and he couldn't keep his eyes off her."

They used to be unreachable for each other, but now something is shifting between them...

And this shift led them to a hot night together...
But Hannah is insisting that this night was just a one-time thing and that it had to be their secret...But fate is not with her and her resistance is been proven very poor near to Derek, so there is a repeat until sometime they are reaching the ultimate point with no return...


"She'd struggled hard to do the right thing, but Derek was too much temptation. Over the past few days she'd stop viewing him as a teenager and seen the man he had become...
She wanted him so badly, so passionately, that she was willing to take the risk."

What will happen then???
Can those two be together when so many things are standing in their way???
What will happen when her brother and his best friend will discover the truth???
This age gape could be a real problem between them or they can easily get over it???
And what about the feelings that they are hiding underneath about each other???
Will they admit them to the other???


Well, i liked Derek and Hannah together... I have to admit that i loved Derek a little bit more but honestly i couldn't help it!!!

Especially in the beginning, their interactions were so hot...

But after the big event, they became so awkard toward each other and their behavior frustrated me...

And i became more frustrated and a little bit irritated when they were both making all those assumptions for each other that they were keeping them apart when there was no reason for that!!!
They both had some insecurities with each other...

They both thought that the other was out of their league and it was such a pity that from their insecurities, they were hurting each other!!!
But when they were letting their guards down, they were such sweethearts and so fitted together...


"If she let Derek in emotionally, she might fall in love with him, and if she leaned too much on lim, he might start to feel suffocated... And if he left, she'd have too many broken pieces to pick up. Better to be safe than sorry."

Derek even younger, he knew what he wanted and he wanted Hannah for so long...

So, when the opportunity arised, he just took it!!! But Hannah's denial hurted him and confused the hell out of him!!!

As for Hannah??? She was the one that mostly irritated me... She made silly assumptions and she was in deep denial...

Yes, her ex-husband hurt her and he had a different image for the next man in her life and Derek it wasn't what she wanted for her...
Yep, he was seriously hot, but he was a player, he was famous and he was much younger than her...

No, he wasn't the right guy for her and because of that he made Derek's life and ours too miserable!!!

"Was she talking about love? Apprehension crawled over her. Could a handsome, sexy, successful twenty-four-year- old man with a budding TV carrer really fall in love with an ordinary, broke, going-on-thirty divorcee struggling to put her life together? Not likely. This was real life, not a romance novel."

But thank God,everything turned out really great and i was so happy about that development...
And Derrek!!! OMG!!! In the end, he was such a sweetheart!!!

Yep, i really liked this story... It was refreshing and enjoyable!!!

***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was very sweet. Derek has always had feelings for his best friend's older sister, Hannah. Hannah sees that Derek is all grown up and sexy to boot. They do a little flirting and hit it off. They have sex and Hanna ends up preggers. They're totally adorkable together. Yes. I meant to say adorkable. Lol adorable and just a little dorky. The characters, however, seem to have an element of immaturity. At least it bled through the writing. The biggest instance of this was during their big argument. The transitions were very abrupt at times going from one point of view or scene into another without indicating the narrative change or beginning a new chapter. It was a fun read despite that fact that I would've liked a little more maturity and depth.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

[1-Click Addict Support Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was such as sweet take on the brother’s best friend genre. It had a little twist thrown in too!

“It didn’t matter how grown up he looked, he was still her kid brother’s best friend, and she couldn’t get her head around that. And besides, he was a player – exhibit A: Marla Beaudry – and she was on a strict no-player diet.”

Derek, Hannah's brother Caleb’s best friend, sure had grown up in the last few years. A sexy carpenter and budding TV star, Derek was much more attractive than she remembered. But she wouldn’t go there; he was five years younger and she was just out of a crappy marriage where her husband cheated on her.

However, Derek has had a crush on Hannah since he was fourteen. Not being able to hide his attraction any longer, the two end up in a wild one-night stand.

“At first he’d just been a wicked one-night stand to boost her morale, but now there seemed to be more.”

So what happens when Hannah finds out that she is pregnant? You will have to read this enjoyable story about love, taking chances, and opening up your heart even when you’re scared. It was a cute and delightful book, and I really enjoyed it. I’m hoping we will get a Caleb and Amber story next! ~ Tiffany, 4 stars

~~~

Derek had a crush on his older sister's friend for years, yet nothing ever came from it. He's now a "somebody", and in the same town as Hannah is, so it seems like the right time to make those dreams come true…

Hannah's trying to get over the devastation of her divorce, and living back with her dad and stepmom, so when she runs into Derek, she sees the man he's grown up into and is totally caught off guard. She's tired of playing it safe so for once she's throwing caution to the wind and ends up with a gift that was totally "unexpected".

Well, Derek… I loved his fierce and go get ‘em attitude, and his bullseye is squarely on Hannah. Now, there is plenty of small angst, yet it was refreshing and welcoming. To see the way Derek assures Hannah that he is a changed man was so sweet and had me smiling like a fool. Hannah was a tough cookie, but Derek didn't give up—instead he made sure to prove to her how much he wanted a life with her.

A sweet fast read that left me with a Big Ole Smile. I will definitely be on the lookout for more on Ms. Kwan. ~ Kara, 4 Sweet stars

~~~

If you're looking for an unexpectedly cute book with a swoony book boyfriend you want to call yours, then look no further than Unexpectedly Yours.

It's light and playful, perhaps a little cliché and predictable, but incredibly easy to read and enjoy. So, that's exactly what I did. In the space of a few short hours, I raced through this best friend's BIG sister romance, and while the pregnancy stuff caused my brow to furrow a little—the timing of it feeling a bit off—I found myself very interested to see how everything turned out for Hannah and the delectable Derek.

Especially for Derek. He was all kinds of loveable; a man good with his hands but not always goods with his words, he charmed me completely. I felt he was being unfairly judged at times, and wearied a little of the constant references to his past, in particular Marla, because it felt so forced. While he may have once been a player, that assumption of him didn't match the wonderful, kind and mature man he was written as.

However, I can look past that because, despite my minor misgivings, I was so engaged by this sweet story that I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed the fact that Ms. Kwan took us gently through Hannah and Derek's relationship—from friendship to flirting to family. Plus, she rounded it out with a completely satisfying ending.

From beginning to end, Unexpectedly Yours was adorable, and left me thinking that if Ms. Kwan were to turn this into a series, giving Caleb a book, I would definitely come back for more. Having enjoyed this book, what else would you expect? ~ Beth, 3.5 stars

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars – 2 Flames

After years of crushing hard on his best friend’s older sister, Derek returns to Pine Falls to find out that not only is she divorced, but still hot as ever. Although there is a five-year age difference that may have mattered when they were younger, Derek doesn’t see anything wrong with the fact that they are obviously attracted to each other now.

Hannah pretty much raised her younger brother Caleb and best friend Derek. It was Hannah who was cooking, cleaning and offering advice after her mother up and left with a younger man. But seeing Derek, now in his mid-twenties, all hot and in person has thrown her for a loop. Adding in the fact that he’s a “celebrity” who has been linked with other celebrity woman and Hannah isn’t sure if opening her heart if something she’s up for. Too bad Derek doesn’t give up that easily.

Once the two of them accept that they are attracted to each other and can’t stop flirting and “being” with one another, telling the brother, Caleb, just didn’t seem like the right thing to do, especially after the way the ex-husband treated Hannah. But I have to admit that after a while, this “theme” started to bother me more than it probably should have. Brother. Best friend. If two adults are happy, what should it matter what someone else thinks, right? Well…

Is there an HEA? Of course, duh. Is it a little cheesy? Yes, but what else do you expect when you’re dealing with a pregnancy and old town morals. All in all, cute story with a cute HEA.

*I was given a copy of this book as a gift from The JeepDiva in exchange for an honest review.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a copy from the author/publisher, in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my review in any shape or form.

As I’ve mentioned many times, my favorite stories to read are the brother’s best friend’s falling for best friend’s younger sister. I just love those. So when I saw Unexpectedly Yours, I saw this was the older sister falling for younger brother’s best friend. What a twist! I was pretty excited to dive in.

With that being said, Unexpectedly Yours is a quick and easy read. One that you could breeze through in a day. The main characters are Hannah and Derek. We get a bit of background about both of them, Hannah was more of the mother hen who just got out of a crappy marriage, Derek is the typical bad boy but he is also now a TV star. The story is quick and that did affect the storyline for me. I felt like everything was rushed and some things could have been developed more.

I liked the twist of having the older sister falling the younger guy. I thought that was unique but I felt like a 5 year gap wasn’t that big of a deal as it was made out to be. However, I thought the story did build up okay some parts were a bit cliché but overall I think the story was pretty good for my first older sister falls for young brother’s best friend.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Unexpectedly Yours was a sweet, entertaining and heartwarming read.

I enjoyed watching the story unfold, both Hannah and Derek were likable and relatable characters.



If you're in the mood for a sweet, fun and romantic read I highly recommend Unexpectedly Yours.

Thank you Entangled Bliss via NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Bette Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. Hannah and Derek were an interesting pair and had a couple things working against them. First the 5 year age difference (Hannah being older) and then the brother's best friend angle. So when the attraction between them flares to life they decide to keep things to themselves. Until...unexpectedly....she's expecting!! I loved how Derek stepped up, after all he has had a thing for Hannah for most of his life, and how when her insecurities have her fighting against him he doesn't give up. This is a great read and definitely one I recommend to everyone!

[Books Movies Fandoms · Rating 4 out of 5]

My star rating for UNEXPECTEDLY YOURS is: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars! :)

My ‘Blogging Reader’s Review’ after reading an
ARC Copy of ‘UNEXPECTEDLY YOURS'
(via:BooksMoviesFandoms.wordpress.com):

This is my honest review for Author Coleen Kwan’s next novel titled “Unexpectedly Yours.” This is my first time reviewing this author’s work. The blurb for the story intrigued me and knowing that it was of the Contemporary Romance genre, I was ready to give it a read in exchange for my full review. The story “Unexpectedly Yours” is written the two main character’s P.O.V.’s(point of views), Derek Carmichael and Hannah Willmett.

Derek Carmichael had left behind the small town of Pine Falls and has established a great career as a TV personality, while doing what he enjoys. His handsome looks and celebrity status has kept his dating life busy and full. When he returns to his old hometown of Pine Falls to help his stubborn and moody Grandpa Otto, he never expected to see her there again.

Hannah Willmett had gotten married and moved away to Florida for a few years, that was until her marriage fell apart. She returns to Pine Falls to try and make a fresh new start again as a recently divorced woman who learned a lesson: Be picky. What she didn’t expect was to see her younger brother’s best friend, Derek Carmichael, back in town, too.

When Hannah and Derek run into each other on Derek’s last night in town, they share a drink and a night of fantasies realized. Derek would be leaving in the morning and Hannah wouldn’t have to deal with the repercussions of their one night of passionate connection. Derek loved the night but knew he had obligations to return to. What he didn’t expect was to find out the filming of his show would be delayed for a couple of weeks. Things are spinning unexpectedly… and what will Hannah do when she finds out he’s not leaving immediately after all?

Hannah is torn between wanting to see Derek leave town so she can forget their night together but she also can’t stop thinking about him. How will her brother Caleb take it if it finds out about Derek and his sister hooking-up? Derek can’t help but feel like this is more than just his long-time crush. He feels like the connection he shared with Hannah may be something stronger but will she even give it a chance? Hannah is stuck on making sure to never fall for another man who will hurt her like her ex-husband. Could that be Derek? Does Derek even truly feel anything for her more than lust? When their brief time together brings a surprise their way, how will they handle it? Will it last or is something that will end as soon as Derek returns to his life as a famous builder? This was a sweet story and “very PG-13” as far as the intimate relations go in the story. Even so, it was an enjoyable read! Check it out if this sounds like something right up your alley.

My star rating for UNEXPECTEDLY YOURS is: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars! :)

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[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpectedly Yours is what the Bliss imprint is about for me; endearing characters, a sweet romantic storyline and a small-town community feel. And, whilst for me it did follow a fairly predictable path, Hannah and Derek were a great couple, bringing occasions when you couldn't help but wish that this wasn't closed-door on the more intimate moments.

"There’s no law against admiring a best friend’s sister."

They have a superb chemistry filled with flirt, fight and tenderness, and Coleen Kwan has combined the unexpected pregnancy trope with best-friends older sister and life-long secret crush to create a journey that is passionate, frustrating and heartwarming. Hannah is adjusting to life back with her parents following her divorce and Derek is back from LA visiting his stubborn, obstinate, grouchy grandad, and when they reacquaint the mutual attraction is evident; he's no longer the troubled young man she once knew and she's no longer his best-friends unattainable older sister.



You don't really need me to say much more on where the storyline leads, but I will say this really is one of those romantic journeys that you just pick up and lose yourself in for a couple of hours. I hope there'll be more visits to Pine Falls.



Copy received courtesy of Entangled Publishing via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tldr: c+ hero wasn't enough to save the bad heroine or rushed romance
Derek was a decent guy, burdened with angst and not impressive enough for book boyfriend status but definitely too good for the heroine. She got on my nerves. I get being gun shy after her ex but she was terrible to the hero. She knew he had his own issues but constantly made comments she had to know would make him feel like shit about himself. She feels not good enough for him but handles it in a way designed to make him feel like she doesn't think he's good enough for her. Something about the writing itself irked me but I can't quite put words to why. I can't stand the use of abortion as this nightmarish thing in romance novels. You don't have to use it as a plot point but you also don't have to make it seem like anyone who's had or contemplated one is scum of the earth either. The romance didn't work because the feelings happened like a light switch. The most emotionally impactful scenes happen off screen.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story. Nice afternoon read.


ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun romance from Coleen Kwan.

Derek Carmichael had a difficult childhood, dumped by his mother on his curmudgeonly grandfather Otto, he survived by spending time with his best friend Caleb at his house. Derek has always had a crush on his best friend’s older sister Hannah pretty much since the first time he met her but she was five years older and married and moved away. Derek now has a successful business furniture-making and has become a reality TV star on a home improvements show.

When Derek's grandfather has a fall he runs into Hannah again and finds out that she is newly divorced and has moved back to their home town. When Derek meets Hannah at a local bar they end up going back to her place. After a torrid night together Derek wants more but Hannah is hung up on the age difference and Derek's reputation as a ladies man. But no matter how much Hannah and Derek try to put their night together in the past their shared relationship with Caleb. Also Hannah is moving into a new rental property which needs a lot of redecorating - redecorating that Derek helps with. Soon one night turns into a relationship, but Hannah's doubts remain and she insists they keep it on the down low. Until she gets pregnant!

I think what I like about Coleen Kwan's books is that her characters are so goddamn likeable. Derek is such a good man, he looks after his grandfather despite the lack of appreciation, he falls in with Hannah's plans and he helps her paint her new place.

Although the plot relies on Hannah not giving in to her feelings for Derek, she was still a likeable character. Her ex-husband was a cheat and a user and she is looking for someone older, someone dependable. Derek is too young (the same age her husband was when they married), too good looking, too famous to be a reliable boyfriend. I even liked Hannah's friends and Caleb and grumpy old Otto!

I recommend this book to anyone who has ever had a crush on their friend's older sibling or who married the wrong person.

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5 stars.

This was a lovely read, however I found that I didn’t really love it as much as I wanted.

We have Derek and Hannah. They met years ago, since Hannah is the older sister of Derek’s best friend. After being apart for years, they meet again at the start of the book. Derek has changed a lot in that time, now he’s famous and has money, but also he’s a MAN not a boy anymore.

Hannah on the other hand, has also changed, now having gone through a divorce that left her hesitant to start something new with anyone, little less the younger friend of her brother.

They begin something and after Hannah becomes pregnant, they both start to wonder if they have any future together, aside from sharing a kid for the rest of their lives. I could really understand their hesitancy, an unplanned pregnancy sure can make or break a new relationship; and I thought their doubts were well played here.

However the thing that bothered me the most and made not enjoy this story as much, was Hannah’s treatment of Derek. Yeah, we know she’s older than him and all, but she was so hung up on that fact it turned annoying. She was also constantly scolding him and treating him like a boy, never really believing he had grown up. I could understand that at the beginning, but not now. It just bothered me greatly that she was so hung up on this.

Still, there were sweet moments here and there, and when Hannah let herself relax enough to enjoy their relationship, things were pretty lovely.

*Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion*

[Laura McMillin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sensuously sweet love story!!!
I absolutely loved Unexpectedly Yours! Loved that it dealt with real life situations and all the emotions that go with them.
Hannah Willmett has recently moved home after going through a divorce from her cheating ex. Her self esteem is at a low, however she has her family and friends and she is determined to move ahead to follow her dreams. When she runs into her younger brothers best friend, she can't believe how successful and good looking he's become. She is unable to deny how her body feels when he is around and how he makes her feel beautiful and alive. When their chemistry ignites, they share a passionate night together that is unforgettable!
Derek Carmichael has always had a crush on Hannah and now that she is single, he takes his chance. After one night with her, he wants more but Hannah tries to stop it. However, with Derek being around so much helping her with her new house, she gets tired of fighting the attraction but tries to keep things hidden. Before Derek has to go back to L.A., Hannah finds out that she may be pregnant and Derek stumbles upon this revelation. She doesn't want to be his burden and therefore tells him to go and that she will take care of things, however she is hiding that she is scared that she won't be enough for him. Derek leaves but he comes back trying to get Hannah to see that he wants to do this together.
It's a roller coaster of emotions flying high, a hot headed brother, and past scars that run deep making both Hannah and Derek doubt everything. A truly heartwarming story!

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a really sweet read! I loved the fact that it was a man crushing on his best friend’s older sister–and it wasn’t a new crush either. Derek has been crushing on Hannah for like 10 years, which I thought was really cute. Watching Hannah open up and let herself fall for Derek was great. The two really have smokin’ hot chemistry in the sheets and out of the sheets.

I wasn’t too fond of Hannah’s dad and step-mother–or I should say that I didn’t like their reaction to her unexpected news. It just didn’t seem to fit my view of them after hearing Hannah describe them. But they weren’t in the story a whole lot so it didn’t take away any enjoyment for me. As Hannah’s brother and Derek’s best friend, Caleb’s reaction was understood, and I’m glad he came around as fast as he did.

Also, the synopsis talks about an unexpected pregnancy and the cover features a pregnant woman. So, it’s pretty obvious that Hannah will end up pregnant, so I kept waiting for that to happen…I was always like “oh, it’s going to come up now!” But it actually didn’t happen for a while. I guess I just thought it would play a bigger role in the story than it actually did.

But again, Unexpectedly Yours is a really sweet story, and I would read it again! The romance is just oh so sweet!

Originally reviewed at Bridget's Book Bungalow: http://bit.ly/1U9yYnZ

[Amber .:★Wild Heart Reviews★:. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book! I didn't love it, by I really did like it. Unexpectedly Yours by Coleen Kwan was a truly sweet read. It not only is an older woman, younger man story, but it's also a best friends sister story. What I enjoyed is that it is a twist on a typical theme. A wee bit about the book? It's a full-length novel, well written, has an HEA and no cliffy.

One thing I did love about this book is the characters. The hero and heroine are fun to read. They have their ups and downs like normal people and nothing is sugar coated. Oddly enough, my favorite character in the whole book was the hero's grandpa. He made me laugh so much, and Derek's references to him, while long-suffering, were obvious that he cared about the old coot.

Hannah's stance on everything is intriguing to read about. You can tell she's hesitant and scared, but I love that in the end, she didn't let it hold her back. The chemistry between the characters is also apparent and wonderfully plotted.

Overall, a wonderful read and one I would definitely recommend.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

A sweet romance about two flawed people who can't, make that won't let themselves give into the feelings they have for each other. Damaged from the past, both Derek and Hannah are extremely sensitive to how life seemingly goes wrong in an instant.

With that in mind, Hannah and Derek fight the feelings they have for each other. She's his best friend's older sister and well, Derek is five years younger than Hannah. Both of them are hung up on the minute problems rather than facing what's directly in front of them: they have feelings for other that if, said aloud, would change their lives entirely.

When the secrets come to light, and you know they will, the true test of how strong Hannah and Derek are will be how they handle the fall out.


~~Wicked Reads Review Team~~

[Paula Legate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpectedly yours was a sweet story that was fun to read. Derek has had a crush on his best friends older sister for years. When they were kids, 5 years seemed too much, but now that they are both grown, a 5 year age gap doesn't seem that huge. They started off flirting, and just having fun. I'm glad this book was not just a one night fling, and then oppes Hanna got pregnant. Derek, and Hannah spent time flirting, and building up a friendship. Derek lived in L.A. but was home for a few weeks to take care of his stubborn grandpa. Derek had a miserable childhood, and was never loved. It took him a awhile to realize what he felt for Hanna was love. Hanna had been married to a looser, so it took her awhile to trust Derek. It turned out to be a beautiful love story, when they both opened up.

[Lynn Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Derek & Hannah!

Derek Carmichael has returned to Pine Falls to check on his cranky Grandpa. On his first day back, he runs into Hannah Willmett. She's the older sister of his best friend Caleb, and Derek has had a crush on her since he was 15 years old.

Hannah is newly divorced and has moved back home to set up a new life. She's blown away at how grown-up Derek is when she runs into him and can't deny she's attracted. When they decide to have a temporary fling while he's in town, it's supposed to stay just between them. That all changes when they end up expecting a baby.

** Received free in exchange for an honest review **

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 3 out of 5]

You never know what you have until it is slapping you in the rear end. I guess things did not have to go that far for Hannah. I am certain that in her life future she never imagined a younger man would make her world whole again and give her much more.

I found it sweet and adorable. I wanted deep and challenging. This was the perfect setting to make the real life issues and today's world make an impact on this particular romance. I enjoyed the read. I just wanted more.

**This ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

[Laura Redmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was such an adorable and sweet book. Theses two really deserve one another.

I loved the plot and characters and totally recommend this book to everyone. Such a cute story.

****I received this author copy in exchange for any honest Review.****

Laura Redmon
Cutting Muse Blog Review

[Coco.V]

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[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is just full of clichés and honestly I don't mind that if the book is written well. This one just didnt do it for me. Derek is about the only character I liked and thats because he was way more mature, selfless and giving then Hannah or her brother Caleb. Derek has had a crush on his best friends sister for years and finally makes a move on her. She tells him its a one night thing and he agrees. Turns out he's staying in town 2 more weeks and he wants more from her. He even tells her that and she just shoots him down automatically assuming he's a playboy, even though NONE of his actions towards her shows that. Hannah was obnoxious. Oh my word she could not get over how "old" she was. For crying out loud she was 29 and he was only 5 yrs younger. For hells sack it was obnoxious how she kept bringing it up. That she wanted an mature, older man. Yet Derek was more mature then ANY of them including her parents. Throughout the book Derek is helping Hannah (fixing up her house) and taking care of his grandad, man does he sounds immature (insert eye roll). Then Hannah finds out she's pregnant and Derek happens to stumble across the truth as he's leaving town. Of course he's pissed she wasnt going to tell him! Then she basically tells him she'll raise the baby on her own and doesn't want him in their lives. How selfish and martyrdom can you be!! Seriously if Derek was anything like Hannah this book would have gotten 2 stars from me. The argument scenes were awful. They felt like drama for drama. Then the last cliché of the book they end up in the hospital bc of a miscarriage scare. Those scenes are always tough for me bc I went through that and sometimes they feel like they are just thrown in for the drama, which bothers me. This one was ok. His i love you speech was great but that took the priority over the miscarriage scare and that didn't sit right with me. Overall did it waffles between a 2.5 and 3 stars. I won't be reading the next one.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet story!
It’s kind of a hopeful story that anything can happen… and timing is everything. It took Derek and Hannah long time and life experience to find each other… but once they did it was the right time for both.
He was no longer a kid, abs she was finally available…
I found them funny and quite real.
His reactions were also typical, and not over the top.
Although the whole “he’s the bestie of my brother” dragged quite a bit… and some of Deeek’s internal excuses not to be together did not make much sense.. I think there was an intention to create internal drama because of his upbringing.,, but it was not well developed… at least it was a bit unclear to me.
Still, both are very appealing characters abs I was rooting for a happy ending since the beginning.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read for this sort of genre. The repetitive self doubt from both of the main characters got a bit much though.

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 I’m-still-pulling-my-hair-out Stars.

WARNING: This may be snarkier than usual. But I was really hyped when I picked this book up and then it made me so mad, that this is going to be one of those ranty, spoilery reviews so be warned before reading.

Wow, this book crashed down so hard on my expections I don’t know where to begin.

I loved the premise of Unexpectedly Yours, I mean, what’s not to like? A sweet guy who had crushed on his best friend’s older sister for years sees the chance to finally act on those feelings, and said older sister returns his interest, and then some. They get themselves permanently entangled after they find out they’re about to become parents in 8+ months… but is that enough for them to be a family?

Yes, that all sounds lovely and it was the selling point for me. But then, the actual story happened and BOOM, Baby! It fell completely apart.

I've enjoyed work from this author before, and even if she writes fade-to-black/morning-after type of romances, the story usually makes up for the lack of sexy shenanigans.

Welp, in Unexpectedly Yours we have a bitter almost 30 year old woman who acts like a 15 year old… Girl, at some point you stop accepting your father calling you young lady and sending you to your room, especially if it’s because you had sex. I mean… I still have no words.

Derek was a great guy, he was a bit out of touch with his feelings, a little bit in denial about where he wanted to go with his affair with Hannah, but really, after a while he got on track and I think he was one of the best surprise-baby’s daddy I’ve read about.

But every member of Hannah’s family made me want to drop kick them into next year. Hannah herself was waaaaaaaay prejudiced against Derek because he was known to be a player, so sue him! He is a freaking single hot guy with a famous tv series about his carpentry work: obviously he is going to get laid! This is Hannah’s first strike against him, he is a player… just like her cheating ex-husband. Well, no actually, him being a player mostly means he never stays with one woman long enough to be able to cheat on her, and besides, we only know about 1 woman he was involved with in the whole book, so just because everyone kept saying “he is a player” didn’t make it true for me.

Then Hannah’s father and step-mother treat her like a naughty 13 year old who got pregnant for being a slut… that was just, I’m still not sure why these characters were even in the book? Their presence and actions were just that absurd and baffling. Hannah’s brother? I can understand a little bit his feeling like he had failed his sister when he let her marry a douche he knew was a douche, but his reactions? Can anyone say OTT and NOT in the good way?

Anyways, I read the whole thing hoping that at some point it would redeem itself… but that never happened. It just ended in an HEA that, frankly? I did not buy.

And this I need to get out of my chest but it might give away too much so I’m spoiler-tagging it

If you’re a nurse, and you’re pregnant and you find yourself spotting and then bleeding you don’t sit cool as a cucumber to wait for your absurdily-offended-by-your-behaviour father to come and take you to the hospital, and MUCH less let your father shout it out with the father of your endangered unborn child, and then go placidly to change your clothes before the men take you to the hospital because you wouldn’t be comfortable being dressed up… You. Get. The. Fuck. Out. Of. There. And. To. The. Hospital. As. If. The. Hounds. From. Fucking. Hell. Are. Chasing. You. *deep sigh*

So let’s just say this one did not work for me. This doesn’t mean other people won’t find it enjoyable… but if they do… let’s just leave it at that xD


*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[books are love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received in exchange of a honest review.

Love love Derek. He was so sweet and kind. He loved Hannah forever and didn’t really see it until he got her and she treated him like meh. Derek always had a crush on Hannah but being that he was younger and her brother’s best friend he kept it quiet. He was having a tough time when growing up and Hannah and her brother’s house was his escape. His grandfather Otto wasn’t mean just ornery. A loner so when he gets hurt and needs help Derek comes back home. Home that confuses him because his life is successful and now he is going back in time and trying to show he has changed and keep himself from sliding into what he was. What he was as a teenager wasn’t bad just confused. He was the bad boy. He was trying to figure out life. But as an adult he was more confident and self assured.

Derek tries so hard to get Hannah to see him as something other than a player and she was just stuck in her ways and even when she wasn’t fighting the attraction and sleeping with him she still hurt him. She treated him with distance and hurt him. For her he wasn’t up to par but to me he was more. She closed herself down and put Derek down as well. She openly let him know how she felt and was cold alot. Too bad because all the anger and pain could have been avoided if she just got past her issues. One issue was her ex husband. She put everyone in that book and said that now all she wanted was a mature older man who was stable, had a job and money. So to her Derek who had a past of being with the ladies didn’t fit no matter how much he was sweet, kind, supportive and there for her didn’t matter. She put blinders on and that really frustrated me.

when the unexpected happened I thought yay they will be together but Hannah almost didn’t even let him know and than was like ummm...That truly truly angered me. She was treating him like dirt. And yet wanting him to be there as a friend etc. So I expected his reaction and yet he was the more mature one. He wanted to be with her and everything. She blew him off again. Even going so far as to push him away and say she didn’t need him to be there ever. And you wonder why he was upset. Over and over again you were with him for your needs and needing a friend but than would push him away and put him down. Try to make him feel less. When the brother came into the picture the two of them really really hurt Derek. It was horrible and I felt for Derek because he was amazing. So kind and wonderful throughout. I loved how no matter what Derek didn’t stoop to Hannah’s level. He was steadfast and honest. so kind and caring.

This is the sweet story of Derek and Hannah. Sweet because of Derek. At times you will love Hannah and her strength when it comes to getting her life back together after the divorce. She was strong and amazing than. As for Derek shaking my head at her painful ways. She did make up for it at times but most times it was just wrong. I loved them together though. I loved how Derek supported her and encouraged her. Made her feel that she was worth everything and could do anything she put her mind to. He was amazing throughout the whole story. A great guy to the end and how he got her in the end was a tearjerker. The story was fastpaced and entertaining. The romance was lusty and fun and watching Derek get his girl was a rough but fun ride. A fun loving romance that will have you swoon for Derek and see the girl as the one who for once needs to grow and find her way.

[Didi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This is the second book of Coleen Kwan that I read, and I enjoyed this one as well! Sweet, touching with only a dash of steam thrown in (which I prefer, rather than too many graphic smexy scenes).

The story evolved around Derek Carmichael and Hannah Willmett set in small town Pine Falls. Derek had had a crush with his best friend's older sister since teenager. He escaped from their town a day before Hannah's wedding and made a successful life of himself in LA.

When his granddad broke his leg, Derek came home to take care of him and they saw each other. Hannah, now divorced, couldn't help the attraction she felt to grown up version of Derek. They're agreed for a one night stand. After all, Derek never planned to move back permanently. Or was he?

Well, that's the gist of the it. More or less.

The characters were rather troublesome, yet still likeable. Derek was a troubled young man with less than sterling past. This we soon found on early pages. I thought his relationship with his granddad was frustrating and rocky, though in a way I found the grumpy and hermit Otto to be rather charming. What happened between these two was mainly the inability to show affections toward each other. Theirs, rather than the romance between Derek and Hannah, was what moved me in this book.

As for Hannah, I wanted to symphatise with her but at the same time I found her exasperating. That she addressed Derek kid was not even funny, and the way she handle her crisis (for lack of a better word) was wishy washy! Hannah didn't represent good female character IMHO.

There were also a couple of questionable issues that faded out, such as Hannah's superior (it would be interesting to see there's more behind her disapproval); or Derek's notorious ex lover and his life and business in LA which seemed to be brushed off so easily.

The ending also a bit rushy, though there's that aborted bedside proposal scene that became my favorite. The epilogue served to summarise and explain the happy beginning the characters embarked on. Some predictably so and a bit of a cliché. But what the heck, there's a baby and O'Malley cat; and they made for a lovely picture in my mind! :)


ARC is kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the exchange of a fair and honest review.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this story was cute and sweet and dealt with issues that can be related to real life today. The characters were well developed and the story line kept your attention.

Hannah is a young lady that has just recently gone through a rough marriage that ended in divorce pretty quickly for her. She is slowly getting over what her ex has done to her but it has only been 6 months since the divorce was final. Hannah has moved back home and is just trying to piece things back together when she runs into Derek, her brother's best friend that is in town to take care of his grandfather. When Hannah and Derek were growing up, they spent a lot of time together because of their poor parenting. Hannah was always cooking and cleaning up after her brother and best friend, Derek. Derek had a thing for Hannah back then, but he never reacted on it because of their 5 year age difference.

Derek is a very well know TV celebrity, but he has not let it go to his head. Hannah has heard rumors that he is a socialite, but she doesn't know for sure because she hasn't seen Derek in a long time. Derek has his hands full with his stubborn grandfather and ends up being in town for longer than he expected the first time, which is where he and Hannah end up getting together. Hannah thinks that Derek is just there for a week and what can a quick fling hurt anyway, they won't tell anyone, especially not her brother.

As things progress for Hannah and Derek and Derek is around more than what he at first expected, them being together is getting more and more hard to hide. When Hannah starts to have the first signs of being pregnant, she doesn't want to tell Derek right away, but he sees evidence of the pregnancy test and confronts Hannah. I love how Derek was so persistent for Hannah to allow him to take care of her. He never gave up on that and proved himself to her over and over again.

This is a sweet story overall and of course has a HEA, but just how happy?? You need to read this quick read to find out for yourself. Such a great read that you will not regret reading at all. I am excited to see what is next from Coleen Kwan!

I received a copy of this book from Entangled Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Books and Spoons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, sexy, and endearing tale, that has to deal with some realities of life, when the fun and games gets consequences.
Hannah has moved back home, after her marriage ended up in divorce. She is dreaming about going back to school, while working part time, and living with her dad and his wife. Not an ideal situation, but has to do right now, as she is trying to get her life back in order.
Derek has made a successful life in Los Angeles, now back trying to take care of his grandfather, after an accident. His teenage crush for Hannah gets all kinds of adult ratings, when the attraction they feel for each other, ends up with a supposed one night stand.
The dynamics between Derek and Hannah seems a little awkward. They have a connection, and it is as solid as the attraction. But neither of them expected the feelings to get deeper than that. And then there's the pregnancy. And so life gets messy, and tension is high, fear towards the future, and responsibility, and the parenthood, it all gets tangled up, and in the heat of the moment acted upon, and things are said, people's feelings are really hurt, and the feelings of rejection just hits hard, deep, and gutting you out.
So, the fun, light, and sensual tale, takes a turn into the deep muddled waters, and I was as much of a mess as the characters were. I connected with them, I felt the pain, the fear, and devastation. The characters are developed, Derek has to accept that he deserves to be loved, and Hannah has to learn to trust again after the divorce, to be able to build something together. But they work on things, they face the hard things, they are there for each other when the world seems dark and unforgiving.
I love it when a story gives you a positive surprise, and digs deeper into the emotions and problems than you expected, when you find that emotional common ground with the characters, and you and up reading the ending several times over, with a big goofy smile on your face.
Life gets hard and messy, but Hannah and Derek find something extraordinary with each other, when they face their biggest fears, and open up their hearts and lives for each other.
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side