Unwritten

by Alex Rosa

Hailey Elwood always knew three things: she wanted to be a writer, she didn’t want to run her family diner, and she was madly and unconditionally in love with Caiden Anderson.

When Hailey came to the conclusion that her family would never understand her dream to write, she decided to take her future into her own hands, but what she didn’t expect was Caiden’s ultimatum.

Falling in love with Caiden was easy. Saying goodbye to him was not.

Five years later, Hailey’s debut novel becomes an international bestseller, skyrocketing her to fame, but when her mother passes away, she’s forced to return to her hometown to confront the memories and the man that shaped her first book. She’ll argue it’s fiction, but Caiden knows better.

Hailey wasn’t the only one who was left battered and bruised, and Caiden makes it a point to make her accountable chapter by chapter.

Now with her publisher suddenly pushing her for a sequel, she isn’t sure how to write it when her future is still unwritten.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2020

About the author

Alex Rosa lives in San Diego, California. When she isn’t scouring city parks or cafe’s to write she is more than likely trying to convince her friends to join her on her next adventure. A sufferer of wanderlust, she is always looking for a new mountain to climb, a canyon to hike, or a plane to board. Her resume consists of coroner, to working at a zoo, and most recently as an executive assistant, but finds her home amongst words, whether it be in books, or in film. Her obsessions are on the brink of bizarre, but that’s just the way she likes it.

Reviews

[Paula (on hiatus)]

Here we go again…. SPOILER WARNING !!!!

I don’t understand these writers anymore. If you gonna write a 2nd chance about 2 people, why for Pete’s sake do you have one of them in a relationship with another person for either the entire story or over 90% of it? I really want an answer from an author willing to answer it for me. Anyone???

So the story is that we have a Hero, Caiden (24 yrs old) and Hailey (also 24) who were childhood besties and lovers in HS. At age 19, Hailey leaves for California to begin her career as an author and asks Caiden to come with her. I won’t bore you with the reason he didn’t go with her but suffice it to say he didn’t and they broke up – of sorts.

It’s now 5 years later and Hailey has written a fictional book that depicts their love story and the Hero in her book resembles Caiden. We never get any snippets though about what was written but the book is somehow relevant to them in some form or another – especially for Caiden who supposedly has been carrying a torch for her all through the years since she is his soulmate and all. (yeah, there’s sarcasm there folks. Lol)

Anyhoo, in the 5 years separation, our lovely “Hero” became a Manho by sleeping around with anything and everything to “forget” heroine. Then a year prior to heroine returning, he started a long distance relationship with OW, Kristen, whom he continued to sleep with throughout the story and shove her in heroine’s face all the time. Now, the author did do us a favor by not providing us any intimate scenes with the OW and that I’m grateful for, BUT he did say he loved her and she did stay over his place whenever she came to town which was many times in this story – all while Hero continued to lust after heroine, become possessive & jealous when she tried to date OM.

As for heroine, she too stated she slept around in the 5 years they were separated so that she could move-on but she never found anyone that compared to the douchfart. When a lovely OM expressed interest in her and she gets “butterflies” in her stomach just by looking at him, this reader thought that finally she would see the light and move on from the asshole – but NO. Apparently these days we can’t have heroines do that. Only Heroes can move on and have fulfilling relationships with OP and great sex lives. So yeah, same ‘ol, same ‘ol here….

So as I said, it takes over 90% or more from the story before the douchefart breaks up with his GF. In that time, we have scenes in which he “regrets” shoving the OW down heroine’s throat but it doesn’t stop him from continuing to do so and nor does he do anything to protect heroine from his vile GF who attacks heroine. What a Hero, right?
Then we have the nice part where he finally breaks up with the GF because she found out on her own that the heroine was his ex (he never told her!) and now all is forgiven and forgotten - The End.

“Kristen doesn’t know you and Caiden dated, or the history. I mean, she knows we all grew up together and you and Caid were close, but she has no idea how close.”

“Stop thinking whatever you’re thinking.”

“Then why not mention it? Us, I mean. Don’t you think it’s sort of strange that he wouldn’t tell his girlfriend the truth about the girl he previously dated?”

“Why? So she could realize she’d never live up to the girl he’s loved since he was in the third grade? So he would have to explain the initials tattooed on his arm? He was trying to save her the heartache, yet at the same time, make it easier for him to talk about you.” I release a huff and roll my eyes before she continues. “Kristen’s kind of new in town, and he didn’t want to not be able to talk about you. If she knew you were his ex-girlfriend, he’d probably never be able to gush about you. None of us agreed to it at first, but we also weren’t willing to avoid the topic when it came to you, so we just went with it. Please cut the guy some slack. He’s struggling, too, ya know?”
-----
“He loves her, so it doesn’t matter.”
“I’m sure he does in his own way, but do you really think he’s ever stopped loving you?”
“You’re not helping, Cee. I know you think you’re doing the right thing, but I need you to stop. It might seem crazy to you, but I want him to be happy, and if Kristen makes him happy, I want him to stay with her.” I sigh. “I’m going to leave all over again. No one seems to remember that part. I’m a ticking time bomb of heartache for him. I may be hurting now, but it’ll be nothing like the collateral damage I could leave when the time comes. It’d be the same pain all over again if you keep carrying on like this.”

Caiden brings down her hand slowly. They’re staring at each other, nearly nose to nose. His face is stoic but furious. He slips the book out of her trembling hand, and I watch as he nonchalantly tucks it into the back of his jeans as if the gesture comes as second nature.
“I’m so sorry, Caiden,” I hear Kristen whisper.
My heart is thumping out of my chest, and this time I’m absolutely positive I want to cry. No matter how angry he is, and how apologetic she looks, it still feels too intimate for me to witness. I don’t care that this is an argument about my book. It still reminds me of their carefree smiles on the dance floor of the fair. They’re lovers. They’re close.
I don’t know what it is about these plots that authors continue to use over & over. What is the attraction of having a “Hero” involved with someone else for the entire story, knowing the he is fucking the OW too and conflicted at the same time over heroine. Can someone please explain the attraction in that? Why incorporate a relationship with someone else when you are writing a love story about someone else? I really want to understand what is so entertaining to read about that….
“When I knew you were coming back, I didn’t know what to do. I was as scared as you were, but like you had made it very clear to me on the lake, I figured I should just try to carry on as usual until the dust settled. I didn’t realize how seeing you would make me feel. I thought I had buried it away, but I was wrong. I know it might not mean much, but before you got here, I was already having problems with my relationship. Kristen made me happy, sure—”

“Caiden, please just stop.”

“No, you’re going to listen to this whether you like it or not. Out of everything that has happened since you planted your feet back here, you need to know the truth.”

“Kristen was a good girlfriend, but like I mentioned, it was easy for me because I only saw her every other week or so because she lived in Denver. Her dad was a developer buying up property around town, so her time was split up between home in the city and in PineCrest helping her parents for work. I liked that. I needed the space and distance to function. Since the relationship had that, it had me thinking I could date again.” He sighs, adding almost remorsefully, “You’re kind of an impossible girl to get over, Hails.”

“My relationship with her was gradual but nice, and I was content, but then all of a sudden, a year had gone by. Time seemed to zoom by, and when I really thought about it, it felt like nothing remarkable was happening for me to notice. I felt like I was just going through the motions. I panicked, I think. There was some sort of looming pressure I couldn’t define. I liked Kristen, and it felt like because I had invested so much into the relationship already, I wanted to do right by her. She deserved that. So I kept going. I wanted to be better. I wanted to fall in love again. I wanted to convince myself I was capable of living a life without you.”

“She started coming back to her parents place to see me more, and oddly our relationship started getting worse. We argued more. I was on edge, and I had no idea why, because I thought I was trying hard to make it work. I wanted to love her. There were way more good days than bad, but the bad ones weighed heavy. That started about three months ago. I kept thinking it was just a me problem, and that this suffocating feeling would go away. So, I kept giving in to all her demands. She didn’t make me miserable. She made me happy, but it was still… flat. I don’t know how else to describe it, but I thought that this was as good as it gets. What I—what we had, Hailey—me and you—I had convinced myself that we were some sort of anomaly. I considered myself lucky I got to have that sort of happiness, and I was prepared to settle after that, because nothing could come close, right? At least nothing that I had experienced. So, I was willing to make it work with Kristen because what we had was good, even if it wasn’t great.” He pauses to release a heavy, almost pleasantly miserable sigh. “But that’s until I saw you again. Suddenly, everything changed.”

“What changed?”

“I felt the same as I did years ago. You kicked up the ashes that was my heart, and it scared me at first—okay, no—it terrified me. I thought that feeling didn’t exist anymore because I hadn’t felt it in so long. I shook it off at first, trying to keep things in perspective, but it only got harder.”

“Kristen could sense it, too. It wasn’t fair to her, but there was a lot to deal with. It had been almost a year since I picked up your book. After dealing with the loss of your mom, and still fighting the emotional battle of that, all of a sudden, word flew fast that Hailey Elwood was back in town. By fast, I mean Brandon called me when he was on his way to your house. I pretty much hung up on him and started rereading your book. I got through it in one night. It felt sadistic, but it had all the pieces I think I was missing. It’s nostalgia, ya know? Your mom is in your book as much as us, and even our friends. I liked the refresher, but at the same time I asked myself what the fuck I was doing. I hadn’t even seen you yet, and I was in a frenzy. After a day of panic, I started remembering how angry I was at you for leaving, but it suddenly felt misplaced, and then I didn’t know how to feel. Which I think was worse than being angry or sad. I knew at that point I had to see you just to figure out what to feel. That’s why I showed up at the bar unannounced that night. I couldn’t take it. At first, I thought I’d hide out until you left town, but it started to feel like such an idiot move to miss the opportunity to lay my eyes on you, especially since I kept thinking I made up what I felt for you in my head.”

“Dammit Hailey, when I saw you, I wanted you so bad.” He pauses to let out a chuckle. “It was actually a little infuriating to realize through my wonder how I really felt about you, that I wanted you more than I wanted anything else. I was even mad at myself all over again for not waiting for you.”

“I knew I had to keep life in perspective, and as time went on and I kept pushing myself to the limit, you made it abundantly clear that we each have separate lives, and I had to remember that I was trying to make my relationship work. Even if it was excruciating, I tried to do what you said. I shifted gears, trying to focus on Kristen again, but dammit, I had ADHD when it came to her. I was obviously distracted… by you. She noticed. That sucked because I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, either. She didn’t deserve that.” He pauses, gulping down his thought. “You or Kristen, so I trekked forward. Trying to salvage what I had built. It didn’t work. When you showed up tear-stained and angry at the fire station over your mom, I’ve never been so compelled to comfort someone in my entire life. I’m not the most nurturing guy, but my lips never wanted to soothe anyone so badly. Maybe it was selfish. Maybe I wanted to soothe your sadness as much as I wanted to soothe my pain. It hurt, holding myself back from you. The moment I said fuck it and let it all go to kiss you, I’ve never felt so alive in my entire life. This is when I valued time. The past year blindly raced by without me realizing it, but I never wanted time to go more slowly than in that moment when I finally had you.”

“I know I panicked and ran off, but it was terrifying to realize what that meant, and that I had a lot to handle if I wanted to even give us the slightest chance. Do you understand what I’m saying, Hailey?” He gets serious, his eyes reeling me in. “That kiss was game over for me. I had to find a way back to you.” He pauses again, watching me marinate in his words. My eyes flutter closed as I do just that, soaking it in. They don’t open until he adds, “…but I wanted to do it without the destruction. Kristen started making that really impossible, but that was my fault, too.”

I perk up, unable to restrain myself. “You lied to her about me.”

He winces. “But I confessed everything in the end,” he says crisply. “It might not make it right, but I made sure to tell her what you mean to me. What you were to me. I did it delicately, and in a way for her to understand. She is, of course, mad as hell. She’s upset I lied, which I deserve. It doesn’t make sense, but when I met her she was already a more fragile person than I was used to. Her knowing that the last girl I dated was the girl I’d known since I could walk was going to bring out all of her insecurities. That’s a lot to compete with. I also wanted to be able to talk about you. I never wanted anyone to put boundaries on me being so proud of you. Her not knowing made it easier, even if it made it wrong. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“I had figured out early on I was going to have to break it off with Kristen. I just wanted to try and make a clean break, but I kind of lost my mind after I kissed you. I also knew you were going to find a way to run, and all I could do was turn to the book for answers. This is when my clean break idea became impossible. I know why Kristen wanted to destroy that book. She could see the way I looked at you, the way I was suddenly avoiding the topic of you, and she caught me reading your book a few times up until the bonfire. She also figured out you were important to me, and I don’t have that many important people in my life. She crossed the line when she attacked you and tried to burn the only possession I really care about. She lost it at the bonfire, but as angry as I am at her for that, I don’t blame her. It’s my fault. It wasn’t pretty that night, but our relationship was over fairly quickly after that. She tried apologizing. I told her to stop. She slept at her parents’ house, and I showed up the next morning to break it off. That’s when I went to your house to find you.”

[Sentranced Jem · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurb sucked me in 💚

But

It's not you, it's me...I think? 🤔

Update:
Thought about it. Decided to change it from a 3 star to a 2 star.

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

God awful book! Hate is kind of a weak word for how awful this was. None of the characters are very likable: we have a hero and heroine who were each other’s firsts, and were supposed to have been deeply in love. Very weak reason for their break up. Suspension of disbelief is real here, because we are supposed to go along with the idea that she just had to leave town to write her book. The book is based 100% on the her life in that town, with her friends and family, makes sense that she needs to leave to write about people who were right in front of her right? Then we have the hero who wouldn’t leave with her, even though she was his world 🙄. 5 years later her mom dies and she comes back to handle business. Per the norm in most of these books for some godawful reason she has never moved on. She hasn’t been really involved with anyone, but in her own words was “kind of a slut”. The “hero” of course has moved on. He has been dating the same girl, who he states that he loves, for over a year. Many times in the book it’s talked about how they have a good relationship. They are together as in, still sleeping together for most of the book. Even when he has already decisded how much he missed the heroine, he was still screwing someone else. Before that he, again with the lack of originality or really anything new, was a giant manho. Neither were loyal, faithful, or had tried at all to work out the relationship AT ALL. Even their best friends were in a weird screwed up relationship where he was constantly cheating, and for some screws up reason the heroine supported him and encouraged her bestie to date him.
Anyway. Good lord it had only been 5 years and all of this happened. Kind of makes you wonder where their loyalty would be if they ever had to face a real hardship or fight. The author worked hard to create flaky characters (especially heroes) who would defiantly be the first to bail at the sign of trouble. This reminded me of the prequel to a book where the hero cheats on the heroine after she has a miscarriage. Where you look at their past and see how he was definitely the type to jump ship... Yeah I picture this as the past. There was nothing to root for in this book. There wasn’t enough of a decent plot to deal with the constant let downs of the crappy decisions. There wasn’t even any real angst, because the hard stuff was all glossed over, nothing was actually dealt with. Even when the characters get back together, it’s quick and they don’t talk about any of their bad decisions. Sorry life doesn’t work like that. People have questions, and anger and bitterness. The author just doesn’t know how to real, multi layered characters. Overall it was flat and boring just with people who were basically all selfish ho’s who wouldn’t know love if it hit them over the head 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. In a sweet and emotional second chance for love romance with sensitively portrayed characters, this beautifully written story kept me engaged from start to finish.

[Shannwow29 · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who is typically a fantasy genre only reader, I wasn’t sure how I would end up feeling about this book. However, Unwritten reminded me that magic isn’t just a fantasy. That sometimes magic can be found in relationships, a special place, and friendships. Magic in life isn’t easy though, and doesn’t come without consequences or pain. But Unwritten reminds the reader if you’re lucky enough to find the magic in your life, you should fight to hold onto it, no matter how difficult the road ahead may be.

[JadeReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short second chance romance I liked it , I can’t say I loved it , but it did I wanted at the time , cheesy enough to make me relax and swoon , one thing I loved about this .is how the author let the heroine have her own live and you know date when she was not with the hero I like that allot because in allot of books the heroine is celibate while the hero is sawing his oats but that was not in this book and that was refreshing .

[Mari]

it sounded so good. then my hopes were dashed. the review still unwritten

[Komal Chandwani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unwritten is a second chance romance filled with angst. It's about Hailey Elwood who left her hometown five years ago to be a writer and she became one, an international bestseller. Her book is drawn from the truths of her life back home. But now she is back and she has to face everything she left behind including Caiden, the love of her life.

Hailey is nervous about meeting her friends and the people she left behind, especially Caiden. But somehow, she feels at home when she meets her friends. They welcome her as they would have all those years ago.

Nobody in the town has read her book even though it made it to the top and has snagged a movie deal. But that one person, the love of her life, Caiden, has read it. Not only that, he has read it over and over highlighting the parts that he knows is about him. It is their story - Hailey and Caiden's.

Alex's characters are deep. I felt every word, every emotion. It's about the damaged relationships and how they try to save it. This book radiates reality. Yes, it is fiction, but when you put yourself in the characters' shoes, you know that you would have made the same choices as them.

There is so much push and pull. The is love in the air, but too difficult to catch because of the choice they made and the situation they are in. Your heart squeezes when you read about them. You want to cry for Hailey and Caiden. It is so bittersweet and scary.

Not only are the main characters beautifully developed, the supporting characters are written so well. I really hope I get to read their story as well because it is worth reading.

I teared up in the end, clutching my device because I didn't want it to end the way I thought it would in that moment. But Alex is full of surprises and will deliver what you need, what your soul needs.

This book teaches us about the choices we make; that they don't have to be an ultimatum. It doesn't mean we cannot rekindle with our past love or relationships. We just have to take that one step in the direction that we believe in. Listen to the heart.

[Tori - Novel Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Alex Rosa and I really enjoyed this one! It’s a very emotional read, at least for me.

I loved the small town feel of the story and I thought the characters were well written.

[Samantha Grubey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just want to wrap myself in a quilt and cry in a corner because of this book.

No words.

I need to just hide away.

I also believe this is now my fav of 2020

Full review at ABookHaven

[Fleurs et Reves · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Danielle Melo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex did an amazing job with this book. The book hooks you in from the moment you see the cover. The characters all have an amazing dynamic amongst each other.

Hailey left her hometown of PineCrest, Colorado 5 years ago. She left with a dream and a broken heart. Now 5 years later and best selling author, Hailey is needed to come home to settle her Mother's estate as she's passed away. Hailey gets hit with all her long-lost feelings and love from her friends. They've welcomed her home with open arms, except for Caiden. Can Hailey come back unscathed from old feelings and heartbreak from losing her mom?

Please get this book to see what happens with Caiden and Hailey, there's sure to be some heart-melting moments and all around feels throughout the whole book.

I loved there were no past - future chapters. I love that we were able to follow the story all the way through but still feel everything the author was trying to depict. Bravo Alex!

[Helen Chang · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not easy to be young and make decisions that can make your world turn upside down, but that was what Hailey did so she could follow her dreams, even if her dreams took her away from the ones she loved the most.
Along the way, maybe you start to question those decisions,  but as time passes by it gets even more difficult to look back.
Sometimes life has a way to bring the past back to you, giving you a second chance to find what you lost somewhere along the way.
I loved this book, loved Hailey and Caiden and all their friends, and how friendship can survive even the toughest situations.
Through Alex's words you can feel the emotions of the characters, their friendship, the longing and sorrow, love and hope. It's a book of finding what really makes us happy and never giving up on dreams.

[Annabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the story at the beginning but I didn't really like how they handled certain situations at the last part of the book.

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hailey Elwood walked away from everything she knew, including the man that she loved, to pursue her writing career. It has been five years but she is home again. It may only be for a while because she has yet more opportunities ahead of her, but while she is home, one man that she does not want to see is the man that still claims her heart, Caiden Anderson. Apparently it is not up to her, because their friends have other ideas. She does see him again and the question is, how long can she resist him?

Why did Hailey write the book in the first place and what impact did Caiden have on that book and on any future books that she may yet write? While she is contemplating what to do about her feelings, she must contend with the fact that Caiden is in a relationship which seems to be going strong. Further proof that she needs to avoid him.

But, this is a second chance romance. What is more is it becomes a matter of choosing the heart over one’s career even if it means taking a chance. If the couple was once in love can love regenerate to the point of bringing happiness once and for all? Caiden does want answers and Hailey might be at a place to provide them.

Unwritten can be a tough read at times because I often felt like I was one of their friends who were rooting for them, but then turning away when they seemed to be making bad decisions. But then at the same time, I kept rooting for them anyway. I can’t say I was disappointed as this delightful story about friendship and love ended up on a very good note.

Many thanks to Alex Rosa and InkSlinger PR for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

This book blew me away!! It was amazing!! It hits ya right in the feels! Definitely puts you on an emotional rollercoaster! The characters were perfect. And the plot was fantastic. This is the first book I've read by Alex Rose and it will not be my last. Loved her writing. She knows how to get you feel every emotion while reading. She's very talented.

[Josselyn Radillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spanish below

My Thoughts
An extraordinary story that reminded me that magic can be found everywhere even when you have to leave those you love behind.

Hailey never imagined a life where she had to settle for the easy stuff, never imagined leaving her love and finding happiness along the way, but she did imagine risking everything to follow her heart.

In a wild leap of faith, Hailey pours all her passion and dreams into a book that becomes a best-seller. With so much to do, the great and good reviews, the movie that comes out of the book, and everything else she still needs to deal with the consequences of what she wrote in the book or who she wrote about.

Caiden is almost the happy ending he had before he went after his dreams. Once the book comes out and he reads it He has a lot of questions and is ready to demand answers. I think in the book Alex Rosa beautifully explores the evolutionary and damaged relationship between them. How they adapt to this, how they struggle to fix it, and how each one looks for that magic that they had.

In general, she was completely immersed in the story, totally invested in the characters that felt so real. The narrative was perfectly balanced and reflective, evoking a series of emotions throughout each page.

★★★★★
Mis Pensamientos
Una historia extraordinaria que me recordó que la magia se puede encontrar en todas partes incluso cuando tienes que dejar atrás a los que amas.

Hailey nunca imaginó una vida en la que tuviera que conformarse con lo fácil, nunca imaginó dejar a su amor y encontrar la felicidad por el camino, pero sí imaginó arriesgarlo todo para seguir a su corazón.

En un salvaje salto de fe, Hailey vierte toda su pasión y sueños en un libro que se convierte en un best-seller. Con tanto por hacer, las grandes y buenas críticas, la película que viene del libro, y todo lo que aún necesita también tiene que lidiar con las consecuencias de lo que escribió en el libro o sobre quién escribió.

Caiden es casi el final feliz que tuvo antes de ir a por sus sueños. Una vez que el libro sale y él lo lee. Tiene muchas preguntas y está listo para exigir respuestas. Pienso que en el libro Alex Rosa explora maravillosamente la relación evolutiva y dañada entre ellos. Cómo se adaptan a esto, cómo luchan por arreglarlo, y cómo cada uno busca esa magia que tenían.

En general, estaba completamente inmersa en la historia, totalmente invertida en los personajes que se sentían tan reales. La narración era perfectamente equilibrada y reflexiva, que evocan una serie de emociones a través de cada página.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! All the feels, all over the place, everywhere. I don't think I have cried this much over a book that didn't kill off a main character.

Unwritten by Alex Rosa is a smalltown second chance romance. Now you all know I am lover, LOOOOOOOOVER of smalltown romance. Second chance, meh.... I get iffy on it because, you know, flashbacks. I am just a stickler to please with those dang flashbacks. But guess what? No flashbacks! And guess what else? I could still follow the ENTIRE story without chapters upon chapters of information that doesn't really matter! It was FABULOUS!

What I loved:

No flashbacks. Duh!

The h/H: Hailey and Caiden are written beautifully. It was just fantastic.


What I didn't love: That it had to end? Seriously, front to back loved the whole thing.

Overall: I know exactly why I loved this book so much. It was like I was watching real-life happen. There were moments I forgot I was reading a book altogether. I was as much of a part as Hailey and Caiden's journey as they were. Hence all the crying and my crazy emotions. Five stars Alex Rosa; I'll definitely be reading more from you!

[Anna K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite of the year!

After so many years I was excited to read something new by Alex Rosa. I didn't know what to expect from this new book, especially after all these years; but let me tell you, I wasn't expecting this. I never, never expected to fall so helplessly and utterly in love with this book. And god damn did I fall hard for Hailey and Caiden. And not just them, also this town, all these characters and their story. Unwritten is just such a unique and passionate story. It’s the perfect comeback.

I've been trying to write this review for a few days now and I just can't find the words to describe how great this book is. I honestly don't know how any words can do this book justice. It’s definitely one of my favourites this year! Unwritten is a really well executed romance story. It’s sweet, heartfelt, passionate and sexy; it has everything you could wish for.

The writing was flawless and these characters, damn did I love them! Hailey and Caiden were two lovely main characters, but also the side characters were so relatable and well written that I just couldn’t help but fall in love with them too! The whole book is just so well written and it has so much depth to it, the characters and this world!! Unwritten is just one of these books where you actually get to know the characters, get to know their quirks, their turn-ons and their insecurities. It’s not just about the sexual tension or general erotica, no, Unwritten is so much more. This book is all about the characters and their friends and family and how they grow through the book. It's just extraordinary! Definitely a true masterpiece, something special!

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

They say love can be shown in two ways with action and well with words from the heart. In this case we have Hailey and Caidens love story coming in every direction. Now I love reading a good love story but in some ways this one just fell out of place in a way. Alex Rosa started off slow and though I thought it might pick up it took a long while before we saw anything. I loved that Caiden is a passionate man but felt Hailey just well slowed down every way. Everybody can see the love is still there but to Hailey it seemed like she blocked her heart from well having feelings again. Have to say what got me through the book was actually their friends rooting for them and even sometimes plotting their reunion lol. I so wanted more between them but felt Hailey had to be pushed by the author to really feel again and man Caiden loved him so wanted more for him. All in all it was good but for me it lacked that full passion between the characters hopefully there will be more by Alex Rosa maybe the friends this time.

"I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own."

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time in reading this author with the story line drawing my curiosity. Being a reader I like to read about stories on writers lol. Hailey is like alot of folks not wanting to stay where they live and work in the one place they are expected to work or worth working at. In her case she does not want to be the one running the family diner but wants to be a writer. She also has given her heart to Caiden. He does break it though so off she goes to follow the one dream left. With us too along we see her path she follows and it hits the lists when it becomes more than dreams. She does though have a base for it and when she has to go back following a family tragedy things really get sharp. We are front row on where the two will go and the reader sees where they end up. The feelings the author will pull out of you are worth every turned page but can she do it again that is the author in the book when they want more? This author though will get you too.

[Fallon Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know that the romance genre has all those cheesy connotations, but Unwritten didn’t feel like that at all. Hailey is a super relatable heroine who is very passionate and driven. Of course like many of us, she tends to over analyze everything. I really enjoyed the character dynamic between Hailey and all of her friends, including the one and only Caiden Anderson. The friendships written feel authentic, and it really makes me want to go to Colorado to see this picturesque setting that was so beautifully described....
for more on my review head to the blog!

https://www.accordingtofallon.com/lif...

[Between the Steamy Sheets · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt the book had a good storyline. I just struggled with the characters. I feel like Hailey was a whiny snotty brat in some of the scenes but it was written in a way to draw out the conflict. I like the story overall but the conflict could have been wrapped up sooner and I think that would have made the love between Hailey and Caiden seem more genuine.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
This wasn’t a bad book but it was a little too light contemporary than I was in the mood for, and it failed to grab or keep my attention fully so I skimmed most of it. Even skimming I could see quite a few proofreading errors too. I did like the second chance aspect, and the small town, group of friends dynamic, and loved what the H did with the h’s book (vague to avoid spoilers).

[Arlene Asilo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just WOW! It's my first time to read a book of Alex Rosa. Amazing author! This book is too beautiful from the first page to the last page. OMG! How can I move on from Hailey and Caiden? I want more!

[Carrie Sims Schutze · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! I LOVED the story line of the book along with the characters!! It just didn’t flow like I would’ve liked it to which and I had to keep re-reading parts that didn’t make sense.

[Afia B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but dragged on

I think this could have been shortened, dragged on fro a bit but it was a good read and I’m hoping there’s a book for Brandon and Ceecee

[Aga · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't connect with the book and that is why I am giving it 1*. For me it was boring and predictable.

[Rosa Ascenso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the second change love story. R. A

Loved it. It's so cute and the friends in a small town. Loved it must must read. You won't be able to Put it down.

[Kimhe Rockchicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angsty heartbreaking tear your heart out second chance romance.