The Right Choice

Love Unexpected

by Karen Drogin, Carly Phillips

Marry for friendship? Or wait for love?

Advice columnist Carly Wexler has mapped out her entire life, and she's convinced by marrying her best friend she'll find happiness. The fact that they have no sexual sparks? No problem. Or so she thinks ... until Mike Novak, her finance's brother, arrives for the wedding.

Could the best man be the right choice for her after all?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult

285 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2013

About the author

Karen Drogin had three books published under her real name; she has subsequently published under the pseudonym Carly Phillips.

Reviews

[Angela]

22 June 2015: $0.99 on Kindle

19 January 2015: $0.00 FREE on Kindle

[Shannon]

The Right Choice
Love Unexpected

I Picked Up This Book Because: Bookspin Bingo, Book I Own.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Hoopla (I do own a paperback copy)
Dates Read: 1/20/25 - 1/21/25
Stars: DNF - No rating
Narrator(s): Sophie Eastlake

The Characters:

Mike Novak:
Carly Wexler:
Peter Novak

The Story:
The characters were really flat. If they had reasons for being the way they were they needed to be explained sooner. Also the insta-lust was a huge turnoff. I guess I was not in the mood.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Right Choice by Carly Phillips is Book 1 in her Unexpected Love series and an updated version of one of her earliest books. In this story we meet Carly Wexler, advice columnist, high school counselor, and engaged to Peter Novak, her best friend and a lawyer in her father’s law firm. The fact that they have no sexual attraction is the reason Carly believes this marriage will work out. Well, at least until she meets Mike Novak, a photojournalist and Peter’s brother, who has arrived for the wedding. Will the sparks Carly feel for Mike alter her beliefs and change her outlook on love? Is it better to be safe or to follow your heart?

This was a sweet, fun and entertaining story with very likeable and authentic characters that you want to cheer on, hoping for that happy ending. The characters were well written with complex characteristics. The story line was riveting and kept my attention to the very end. I really loved reading this book and had trouble putting this book down despite having read it when it many years ago, before being updated. I highly recommend this book to other readers.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Mrs. Perkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring & Not Engaging

Just kind of blah. Never really felt like you got the whole picture about the main characters' back stories. Then, with all the issues between them, never really understood how everything got resolved so quickly. Boring read. Definitely not her best work.

[11Goddess MetaLover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right idea - wrong brother (haha).

[it was an unusual subject to write about · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carly and Peter were engaged to be married and his brother Mike came to be in the wedding he was a photographer who had been working overseas . Peter was a lawyer in Carly's father's firm and trying to make partner. He was always working and asked his brother to help Carly with the wedding plans. However he was training an associate with the firm and familiar with her. His brother kept telling Carly he should put more time in with her. He would make decisions which Carly did not like and he'd tell her she could compromise and she would. S he was going to surprise him for lunch one day and caught him and the girl having lunch together with their feet up in the chair beside them. his brother later learned Peter had had sex with the associate. But did not tell the girl he was engaged he was engaged to. Mike panned to go back overseas to work even though he loved Carly. She broke off her engagement. Mike was called back overseas so he left. About a month later Peter went to Carly and told her Mike was in the hospital and she went with him and Mike had come back got off the plane and had appendicitis said he missed her. They later planned to have a family only wedding.

[Doodle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't make enough sense out of the premise to enjoy this story. The FMC is marrying her friend she doesn't love as the safe option because her dad cheated on her mom a lot. Which makes zero sense. She thought the best way to avoid getting cheated on in a relationship is to marry someone who doesn't love her and she doesn't love them back? Sounds like a recipe for cheating to me. Platonic friends getting married, expecting fidelity, makes absolutely zero sense.
So then I thought, "oh! Maybe the point is that if he cheats, she won't care and/or get her heart broken." Welp. That turned out not to be the case. She wasn't heartbroken but she certainly was hurt and expected fidelity. She thought she could trust him. I understand what she's saying, but again, a relationship with someone with no passion and/or love, for the purposes of practicality, means that relationship is going to be vulnerable to cheating because there is no romantic connection whatsoever.

Two stars. I couldn't get over the fact the FMC thought the solution to her fear was a passionless, loveless marriage.

[Ellie (bookmadbarlow) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet old school romance where the main character has to decide between the safe option or the option that makes her heart flutter.
Carly is getting married in a few weeks to someone she doesn't love, but she feels is the safe option. Then Mike turns up and throws a spanner in the works. He makes her heart beat faster, the only issue is Carly doesn't want to take it any further because she knows what lust does to a person, oh and the fact that Mike is her Fiance brother doesn't help either.
This was a cute romance, I enjoyed following the story and the interactions between Carly and Mike, the only issue for me was the brother link, made it feel slightly uncomfortable reading.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally really love Carly Phillips's books and this one was enjoyable but it kinda felt like I was forcing myself to finish. Truthfully I found the character of Carly Wexler to be a little too whiny but Mike Novack was a pleasure to read about.

I think my favorite character was Carly's dad and he was only there briefly. He spoke to me as person who loves his daughter and knew that he had messed up and wants to fix things.

[Reggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marrying the wrong brother

Cute story. The h is getting married but it’s more of a business transaction...her fiancé is working towards making partner in her dad’s law firm. Then she meets his world-traveling photographer brother and things start going sideways. Will she really marry the wring brother or follow her heart?

[Brenda Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carly Phillips is a great author. Carly Classics (The Originals) Series starts with Carly Wexler and Mike Novak and their great love story. Really enjoyed reading it. Now to read about Chelsea Russell and Griffin Stuart.

[Minxy Zynx · Rating 2 out of 5]

A light read and a nice writing style. Characters were very cliche and came across as immature. Also there were expectations from each other that arose from personal thoughts rather than actual conversations or promises. This made the whole story not very believable and very cliche.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+ stars

[Josie]

I wasn't engaged by the writing here and it was also weird having the heroine named after the author. This was a DNF for me.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audible Audiobook

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally love Carly’s books but took me a while to get into this one. Not sure why it was the case with this one.

[Michelle Kunin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and predictable read.

[Bibliotherapy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid straight romance.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick romance.

[Krys · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had a lot of elements of a good romance book, and the plot was different than what I normally come across, but I just didn’t connect with the MCs so the book dragged for me.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really not well written. I'm going to give one more a chance just because I know that this was some of the author's early work. But yeah, not good.

[Cortney Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book. I held out in hopes it would get better and it just never did. It felt chaotic and all over the place. I usually love series books, but this is one I won't continue.

[Lizzie the Book Hoarder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carly inset to get married. Everything changes when she meets her fiance's brother. Now she begins to question should she marry for convenience or is there room for passion as well.

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read my review here:
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/1939701

[Jaymy M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently had the pleasure of reading “The Right Choice,” an oldie but goody about two souls running from life and personal attachments.

Originally written as Karen Drogin, Carly Phillips puts her unique twist on the standard tale of a girl engaged to the wrong guy for security due to past hurt until she meets his brother and put Phillips unique twist on it. As with most of her books, The Right Choice is told with warmth, humor and emotion.

Each grapples with hurt, Carly Wexler with her dad’s infidelity and her mother’s refusal to acknowledge it happened afterward, her coldness during Carly’s teens. Carly learns to shut down. Brother and hero Mike Novak uses his job as a photojournalist to hightail it when the possiblity of a connections arise; he leaves so they won’t have the chance to leave him the way his parents abondoned him and brother Peter, Carly’s fiance.

Both learn to live and trust again, to give themselves a chance to feel and to trust others. Of course, that means a lot of give, extracting Carly from her engagement to Peter and globetrotting Mike wanting a home.

By the end of the book, you even learn to accept Peter as the friend he once was to Carly.

Phillips wraps this tale in fun, laughter and heightened emotions. The decriptions she uses, however, are a big part of what makes her tales so interesting.

Here are a few examples: "a look that could freeze hot coffee" "The woman would never hold her own in a game of poker, but at least he’d never be left guessing about her true feelings."


And thoughts don't just run through your mind in Phillips’ tales. They go "rampaging around her brain."

Phillips is a master at using just the description to fit the situation, the locale she is describing. Even something as simple as tasing cotton candy, or that electric energy on contact.

While describing Carly’s feelings toward Mike during an outting at an amusement park, Phillips uses terms like rush... dizziness... heady rush tidal wave of sensations... threatening, when describing the something as simple as goosebumps and attraction from a finger nip:

"A rush of dizziness assaulted her, but that was like a small wave compared to the heady rush she received when he nibbled on her fingertip with his teeth. A tidal wave of sensations surged through her. Such a simple act threatened her very being."

There are people who write books and then there are writers, true wordsmiths, storytellers. Carly Phillips, aka Karen Drogin, is a storyteller — her readers taste, smell, see, hear and feel everything her characters do.

This is why I have been a Carly Phillips fan for well over a decade.

"The Right Choice" has recently been released in ebook format. Get a copy now for a couple of hours of enjoyable reading.

[Jaymy M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carly Phillips' The Love Unexpected Series is "The Right Choice

I had the pleasure or reading "The Right Choice," an oldie but goody about two souls running from life and attachments, recently released as an ebook. As is often the case with Carly Phillips' work this Love Unexpected book is filled with warmth, humor and emotion.

Originally writting as Karen Drogin, Carly Phillips puts her unique twist on the standard tale of a girl engaged to the wrong guy for security due to past hurt until she meets his brother and put Phillips unique twist on it.

Each grapples with hurt, Carly Wexler with her dad's infidelity and her mother's refusal to acknowledge it happened afterward, her coldness during Carly's teens. Carly learns to shut down. Brother and hero Mike Novak uses his job as a photojournalist to hightail it when the possiblity of a connections arise; he leaves so they won't have the chance to leave him the way his parents abondoned him and brother Peter, Carly's finace.

Both learn to live and trust again, to give themselves a chance to feel and to trust others. Of course, that means a lot of give, extracting Carly from her engagement to Peter and globetrotting Mike wanting a home.

By the end of the book, even learn to accept Peter as the friend he once was to Carly.

Phillips wraps this tale in fun, laughter and heightened emotions. The decriptions she uses, however, are a big part of what makes her tales so interesting.

Here are a few examples: "a look that could freeze hot coffee" and "The woman would never hold her own in a game of poker, but at least he'd never be left guessing about her true feelings"

And thoughts don't just run through your mind in Phillips' tales. They go "rampaging around her brain."

Phillips is a master at using just the description to fit the situation, the locale she is describing. Even something as simple as tasing cotton candy, or that electric energy on contact.

She while talking Carly's feelings toward Mike during an outting at an amusement park, Phillips uses terms like rush... dizziness... heady rush tidal wave of sensations... threatening, when describing the something as simple as goosebumps and attraction from a finger nip:
"A rush of dizziness assaulted her, but that was like a small wave compared to the heady rush she received when he nibbled on her fingertip with his teeth. A tidal wave of sensations surged through her. Such a simple act threatened her very being."

There are people who write books and then there are writers, true wordsmiths, storytellers. Carly Phillips, aka Karen Drogin, is a storyteller -- her readers taste, smell and feel everything the characters do.

This is why I have been a Carly Phillips fan for decades.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute read

[Heather / Obsessed With Myshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
For More - Check out my blog at: www.obsessedwithmyshelf.com

I generally hate books that involve love triangles. I suppose my poor heart just can't take it and I generally avoid these stories like the plague. However, this story may have changed my tune...this book is one of Carly's older stories that has recently been released as an ebook and it tells a tale of Carly's journey from what she thinks she needs to love that she'll allow herself to accept.

Carly is engaged to Peter, a lawyer who is on the partnership track at her father's firm. The proposed marriage is one of convenience for both of them more than anything else. But when Carly meets Mike, Peter's brother, she's assaulted with feelings. She forces herself to ignore the sparks, insulates herself from the growing desire, and convinces herself that marrying Peter is the right choice. Mike is in town to help with the party planning, and is also using this time to escape and run from his own demons. When the two come together the chemistry is practically unavoidable and the growing need for each other causes them to grow closer to one another until they shut down and do what they do best: run.

You too will get over the whole love-triangle-thing when it resolves itself to your satisfaction. Promise. And you'll cheer when Carly begins to actually stand up for herself and her needs in her life and finally accepts the love she so desperately thinks she doesn't deserve. The love story between Carly and Mike hit a warm nerve that made my heart happy. There's so much sweetness, consideration and love running between these two that it's no surprise when they can no longer run from each other. This is the kind of book you save to re-read on a cold, wet day where you need to be warmed from the inside out.

We all know I love a good smutty novel - and this isn't it - but it's a sweet romance that leaves you hugging yourself with a smile on your face. readreadread!

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...


What if the predetermined Right Choice isn't the right choice at all?

Hooray for individuality and realizing one's true desires. I know when I grab any one of Carly Phillips' books, I am in for a treat. The Right Choice is more than a treat. The writing flows well and drew me in right away. One sitting. I literally started at page one and didn't get up until the end. Why? I had to know what would happen. There are so many plot twists that are not at all what I expected that once I thought I knew what would happen--the story zagged. And it all worked so well.

Carly knows exactly what she wants in life. Or so she thinks. She's easy for lots of us to relate to. We think we know what we want and then when presented with it, we realize it might not be what we thought. Sure, there are times when she comes across rather fretful and almost weepy. Come on. We've all been there. Confusion, desire, and one darned hot guy to stir the pot.

Then there's Mike. The man is headstrong. Like Carly, he knows what he wants and takes it. Sometimes he comes across as a steamroller, just doing what he wanted without thought to her. But being all male and very alpha. I didn't agree with some of the things he did, but I could forgive it because his heart is in the right place. Oh, and when he and Carly mix it up? The emotion, though not blatantly obvious is palpable. You feel it.

If you want a book that shows the true strength of the human psyche, then you need to read The Right Choice. 4.5 books, definitely.

[MsChris1161 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable story about Carly, a woman who has set out to protect herself from the pain that can come from loving and trusting someone by choosing a "safe" guy to marry. She chooses her friend Peter, an ambitious and single-minded attorney who works hard to make partner in her father's law firm. Neither feels passion for the other but both believe they will get something they want from marriage with a partner who understands their needs and isn't expecting great love in return. There marriage plans all seem to be going well until just weeks before the wedding Peter's brother Mike comes to town and he and Carly are drawn to each other with chemistry that is practically combustible. Carly is attracted to Mike which beyond terrifies her so she tries to fight her feelings. Mike feels that same intense attraction but doesn't want to betray his brother and only living relative. He is also a world traveling photojournalist with serious commitment fears. Yet Peter, who is oblivious to what's going on with anyone but himself, keeps pushing them together for wedding things so he can carry on uninterrupted. Eventually things come to a head. Everyone not only has to face what's really going on, but the root of their issues. Of course, in her usual wonderful way, Ms. Phillips wraps it all up neatly and manages to not only leave all the characters friends with most of their personal fears resolved, but we romantics get our HEA. What more can you ask?

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a honest review.