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Love Unexpected
Unexpected Chances
MP3 CD Format Hollywood heartthrob returns home for the girl he left behind. Dylan North is back … ten years after he left his small town and high school sweetheart behind. But is he here to stay? Dr. Holly Evans has a great career and a fulfilling life. The last thing she needs is Dylan’s visit stirring up old feelings. Can his unexpected return reignite their love … or does happily ever after only happen in the movies?
1 pages, Audio CD
First published July 24, 2011
77 people are currently reading
707 people want to read
About the author
Carly Phillips
349 books9,778 followersNY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips is the queen of Alpha Heroes, at least according to The Harlequin Junkie Reviewer.. Carly married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her crazy dogs who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram pages. The author of over 75 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters and is now an empty nester. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as her first romance club pick. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her newsletter and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 7, 2012
It took him TEN YEARS to get his head screwed on straight??
Going to ignore the direction my mind went after re-reading that sentence. Bad reviewer!! LOL
Anyway, ten years after leaving Holly a "Dear John" letter in which he claimed teen love doesn't last, blah blah, Dylan rolls back into town to get his woman.
Head meet frying pan if you ask me.
So, not ONCE in ten years has he deigned to contact her, and now he wants back into her life on a permanent basis?? OK. So, he has sewn his wild oats with actresses and models after leaving her with JUST A NOTE AND A BROKEN HEART, and now he's "bored" with that scene, aching and lonely, compelled by a dream he had featuring our heroine...NOW HE WANTS HER BACK??
Oh, he admits to her being a regular feature of his dreams, but this dreams...which ended with his semi-asleep self reaching out for our heroine only to fill his arms with THE HIS CURRENT GIRLFRIEND???
Uh, sure! Righto! Loser!! Sorry. Despite liking the book, I have serious hate thing going on with this hero. Maybe he'll look better on the re-read?? Of course, she just accepts it and jumps back into bed with him with practically no qualms at all.
OK. TSTL all of them!! Again, it was a very short, sweet read-I just have a thing for these heroes that waltz back (why is it ALWAYS ten or more years) into the heroine's life, expecting token resistance but eventual capitulation??
What are they the freaking Borg? Resistance is futile and all that?? I guess I am just in a mood. :-)
Going to ignore the direction my mind went after re-reading that sentence. Bad reviewer!! LOL
Anyway, ten years after leaving Holly a "Dear John" letter in which he claimed teen love doesn't last, blah blah, Dylan rolls back into town to get his woman.
Head meet frying pan if you ask me.
So, not ONCE in ten years has he deigned to contact her, and now he wants back into her life on a permanent basis?? OK. So, he has sewn his wild oats with actresses and models after leaving her with JUST A NOTE AND A BROKEN HEART, and now he's "bored" with that scene, aching and lonely, compelled by a dream he had featuring our heroine...NOW HE WANTS HER BACK??
Oh, he admits to her being a regular feature of his dreams, but this dreams...which ended with his semi-asleep self reaching out for our heroine only to fill his arms with THE HIS CURRENT GIRLFRIEND???
Uh, sure! Righto! Loser!! Sorry. Despite liking the book, I have serious hate thing going on with this hero. Maybe he'll look better on the re-read?? Of course, she just accepts it and jumps back into bed with him with practically no qualms at all.
OK. TSTL all of them!! Again, it was a very short, sweet read-I just have a thing for these heroes that waltz back (why is it ALWAYS ten or more years) into the heroine's life, expecting token resistance but eventual capitulation??
What are they the freaking Borg? Resistance is futile and all that?? I guess I am just in a mood. :-)
February 1, 2020
DNF at 23%.
Irritating hero and heroine, and weak plot.
First love - second chance, I usually love this trope, so I expected more.
Irritating hero and heroine, and weak plot.
First love - second chance, I usually love this trope, so I expected more.
February 24, 2018
Yeah...just take him back regardless of all the pain he put you through and no grovel from him
May 16, 2017
A HUGE LETDOWN.
There was not enough groveling or even heartfelt apology, which was totally unacceptable for me. Only a few explanations for why Dylan dumped Holly weren’t enough and didn’t make any logical sense to me whatsoever. Argh!
This book pissed me off. The hero pissed me off. The heroine pissed me off. Gosh, everything about this book pissed me off! And oh, 2 stars is me being generous!
Enough said!
There was not enough groveling or even heartfelt apology, which was totally unacceptable for me. Only a few explanations for why Dylan dumped Holly weren’t enough and didn’t make any logical sense to me whatsoever. Argh!
This book pissed me off. The hero pissed me off. The heroine pissed me off. Gosh, everything about this book pissed me off! And oh, 2 stars is me being generous!
Enough said!
May 6, 2013
Midnight Angel was the perfect little escape that I needed from my hectic schedule.
Dylan and Holly were high school sweethearts and Holly was certain that they were going to be together forever. After graduation, Dylan left her with nothing more than a note telling her that what they had was just a silly high school crush and left small town Acton without a backwards glance to chase big dreams in L.A. Ten years later, Dylan is back to win Holly, the one person who he's never been able to forget. Holly was hurt by Dylan's careless goodbye ten years ago and doesn't have room left for heartbreak. Yet, Dylan is not the same teenage boy she knew then. He's a man now & knows what he wants. Has time mend Holly's broken heart? Will Holly be able to forgive & forget?
Midnight Angel was a sweet, cute, and sexy small town romance. I just love these type of stories. Add in a reunion between high school sweethearts & I'm hooked. Although there were a few spelling errors, there wasn't anything major that took away from the story. I really adored Dylan and Holly. They were lovely characters & I had fun spending time with them in this story. The happily ever after ending was sweet & left me with a smile after finishing.
I thoroughly enjoyed Midnight Angel & would recommend it to any fans of contemporary romance!
Dylan and Holly were high school sweethearts and Holly was certain that they were going to be together forever. After graduation, Dylan left her with nothing more than a note telling her that what they had was just a silly high school crush and left small town Acton without a backwards glance to chase big dreams in L.A. Ten years later, Dylan is back to win Holly, the one person who he's never been able to forget. Holly was hurt by Dylan's careless goodbye ten years ago and doesn't have room left for heartbreak. Yet, Dylan is not the same teenage boy she knew then. He's a man now & knows what he wants. Has time mend Holly's broken heart? Will Holly be able to forgive & forget?
Midnight Angel was a sweet, cute, and sexy small town romance. I just love these type of stories. Add in a reunion between high school sweethearts & I'm hooked. Although there were a few spelling errors, there wasn't anything major that took away from the story. I really adored Dylan and Holly. They were lovely characters & I had fun spending time with them in this story. The happily ever after ending was sweet & left me with a smile after finishing.
I thoroughly enjoyed Midnight Angel & would recommend it to any fans of contemporary romance!
January 11, 2021
What a horrible hero and an idiot heroine. Dylan and Holly were high school sweethearts. He took off and left her with a note. A cruel note at that. After 10 years of him going after his dream of fame, fortune, and women he had some prolific dream of Holly. He reached out for her only to find his most recent girlfriend in his bed. A month later he decided to go back for Holly. She of course just takes him back and jumps back in bed with him without a second thought. He doesn't think he needs to give up anything to make their relationship work. He expects her to just deal with him being gone for weeks or months at a time on a shoot. He expects her to fly to him whenever he can. She is a small town doctor for crying out loud. But he expects her to take time off whenever he asks. I truly despised this book.
July 18, 2022
No, just no!
Hollywood heartthrob Dylan North has a dream that he gives his high school girlfriend Holly a Christmas present of a piece of real estate to build their dream home on and wakes with his costar girlfriend in his arms. Waking he decided the dream he had is a sign of his future- it’s time to settle down with Holly…Holly who he knows nothing about and who he hasn’t spoken to since he dumped her a decade ago…
Hero: He’s an AH. 😡
1. He’s a big star, done all the movies he wants, gotten rich and basically slept with models and actresses for a decade…having fun. Never has a thought about Holly.
2. He dumped Holly, his high school girl with a letter that belittled the time they’d been together and hasn’t spoken to her since. He hasn’t even asked about her. Even though his family lives in the same town Holly lives in. So no contact/zero contact for a decade including he didn’t bother to send condolences when her father died.
Is this a hero? Cause he sounds like a spoiled, conceited jerk who will tire of Holly.
Meanwhile Holly goes to college and becomes a doctor and starts dating a high school friend. When Dylan returns, he steps aside so Holly can discover if there’s anything still there. Whaaaat?🤯
Holly loses her mind? Because she forgives forgets and jumps in bed with Dylan. Forget the guy she dated who would treat her right…no, let’s go with the emotional abuser.🤮
No! Just No.
Hollywood heartthrob Dylan North has a dream that he gives his high school girlfriend Holly a Christmas present of a piece of real estate to build their dream home on and wakes with his costar girlfriend in his arms. Waking he decided the dream he had is a sign of his future- it’s time to settle down with Holly…Holly who he knows nothing about and who he hasn’t spoken to since he dumped her a decade ago…
Hero: He’s an AH. 😡
1. He’s a big star, done all the movies he wants, gotten rich and basically slept with models and actresses for a decade…having fun. Never has a thought about Holly.
2. He dumped Holly, his high school girl with a letter that belittled the time they’d been together and hasn’t spoken to her since. He hasn’t even asked about her. Even though his family lives in the same town Holly lives in. So no contact/zero contact for a decade including he didn’t bother to send condolences when her father died.
Is this a hero? Cause he sounds like a spoiled, conceited jerk who will tire of Holly.
Meanwhile Holly goes to college and becomes a doctor and starts dating a high school friend. When Dylan returns, he steps aside so Holly can discover if there’s anything still there. Whaaaat?🤯
Holly loses her mind? Because she forgives forgets and jumps in bed with Dylan. Forget the guy she dated who would treat her right…no, let’s go with the emotional abuser.🤮
No! Just No.
January 2, 2012
When I purchased this ebook, I didn't realize it was a short story. Only 70 pages on my Nook. So, just a heads up to anyone wanting to read this story. It was still really good - classic Carly Phillips - but without the depth of her novels. A good short read.
August 11, 2018
I read Midnight Angel as part of the 3-book compilation titled Stroke of Midnight. The paperback features novellas by Carly Phillips, Janelle Denison, and Jacquie D’Alessandro.
The story is about a second change at love between a Hollywood actor and a small-town doctor. Holly and Dylan instantly connected when he moved to a small town in Massachusetts. They had their futures and dreams all planned out until Dylan fled Massachusetts for LA, leaving Holly heartbroken and alone. Ten years later, Dylan is back and wants to make Holly his again. His life had been incomplete without her. Ever since the day Dylan left Holly, she has been lost. There hasn’t been a relationship she’s been in that feels right. When Dylan shows back up after a 10 year absence, Holly knows why the rest of her relationships never went anywhere.
Midnight Angel is a sweet novella with some steam. While the resolution was too quick for my taste the story was cute. Dylan didn’t really redeem himself enough, as far as I’m concerned. He chased his dream without every checking in with Holly to see how she was or what she was doing. He just abandoned her and popped back up expecting all to be well. It’s a shame it took Dylan 10 years to get his head out of his you-know-where. Now that he has though, Dylan and Holly can move forward, together, as it should be.
The story is about a second change at love between a Hollywood actor and a small-town doctor. Holly and Dylan instantly connected when he moved to a small town in Massachusetts. They had their futures and dreams all planned out until Dylan fled Massachusetts for LA, leaving Holly heartbroken and alone. Ten years later, Dylan is back and wants to make Holly his again. His life had been incomplete without her. Ever since the day Dylan left Holly, she has been lost. There hasn’t been a relationship she’s been in that feels right. When Dylan shows back up after a 10 year absence, Holly knows why the rest of her relationships never went anywhere.
Midnight Angel is a sweet novella with some steam. While the resolution was too quick for my taste the story was cute. Dylan didn’t really redeem himself enough, as far as I’m concerned. He chased his dream without every checking in with Holly to see how she was or what she was doing. He just abandoned her and popped back up expecting all to be well. It’s a shame it took Dylan 10 years to get his head out of his you-know-where. Now that he has though, Dylan and Holly can move forward, together, as it should be.
May 14, 2025
1.25 stars
I just couldn't enjoy this story. The MMC left the FMC with no explanation and then proceeded to not contact her for an entire decade. I maybe could have accepted this if he had a better explanation or had to grovel AT ALL, but the FMC accepted him back without even getting an explanation from him! She didn't get an explanation until AFTER she decided to see where things go and his explanation was terrible. NO PART of his explanation addressed why he left without telling her WHY he was leaving. He could have, at least, had a conversation with her and said some variation of, "I don't want to hold you back. I won't allow you to let me hold you back. I think we need to go our separate ways. I'm leaving."
I was rooting for John, to be honest. The MMC didn't really strike me as having deep feelings for the FMC. He told her that he thought about her everyday over the last ten years, but if that's the truth, then why did he react so strongly to a dream about her? For whatever reason, one little dream about her had him chasing after her and certain she was the one he should be with. If he had been thinking about her everyday for 10 long years, the idea of settling down with her in their own home (the dream) shouldn't have been such a striking revelation to him.
I'm giving this 1.25 stars simply because it was slightly better than other one star books I've read lately.
I just couldn't enjoy this story. The MMC left the FMC with no explanation and then proceeded to not contact her for an entire decade. I maybe could have accepted this if he had a better explanation or had to grovel AT ALL, but the FMC accepted him back without even getting an explanation from him! She didn't get an explanation until AFTER she decided to see where things go and his explanation was terrible. NO PART of his explanation addressed why he left without telling her WHY he was leaving. He could have, at least, had a conversation with her and said some variation of, "I don't want to hold you back. I won't allow you to let me hold you back. I think we need to go our separate ways. I'm leaving."
I was rooting for John, to be honest. The MMC didn't really strike me as having deep feelings for the FMC. He told her that he thought about her everyday over the last ten years, but if that's the truth, then why did he react so strongly to a dream about her? For whatever reason, one little dream about her had him chasing after her and certain she was the one he should be with. If he had been thinking about her everyday for 10 long years, the idea of settling down with her in their own home (the dream) shouldn't have been such a striking revelation to him.
I'm giving this 1.25 stars simply because it was slightly better than other one star books I've read lately.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2021
Super short story but for me packed a punch in many ways, both good and bad.
This is about 2 people who just couldn't get over each other from their youth and about 10 later try to tie up lose ends and move on.
I can go into so many details about this 2 hour read, but I feel I would spoil the book being that it is so short. Phillips could of gone on more details on this story and the emotions torments the they go through but that is just me.
I can not agree more when the heroine realizes and states, ' he hurt me so bad I only dated safe people, people that never had my heart who comes of not hurt me like he did.'
If you ever wanted to know my dating life, choices and a bit of back history on the emotional touch points and subliminal defenses to me now and dating? This be the book to read. So much that I feel like she took some tips from me when writing this short story, but I guess that is how common this kind of thing is. Just, we don't all get the ending we want and the ending we do get is not as romantic as people think it is.
This is about 2 people who just couldn't get over each other from their youth and about 10 later try to tie up lose ends and move on.
I can go into so many details about this 2 hour read, but I feel I would spoil the book being that it is so short. Phillips could of gone on more details on this story and the emotions torments the they go through but that is just me.
I can not agree more when the heroine realizes and states, ' he hurt me so bad I only dated safe people, people that never had my heart who comes of not hurt me like he did.'
If you ever wanted to know my dating life, choices and a bit of back history on the emotional touch points and subliminal defenses to me now and dating? This be the book to read. So much that I feel like she took some tips from me when writing this short story, but I guess that is how common this kind of thing is. Just, we don't all get the ending we want and the ending we do get is not as romantic as people think it is.
October 14, 2022
Skimmed through this 61% then gave up and DNF. Honestly, this chick is a doctor so is intelligent. Her boyfriend leaves then TEN years later after manwhoring it up, decides he wants her (personally I think he was bored and jaded) and she climbs back into his arms after not even making him work for it. I wouldn't touch that d**k with a stainless steel vayjayjay. Ugh. I don't care enough to see how the book ends.
May 15, 2025
Dylan comes home to win back his high school love Holly.
Dylan left for Hollywood ten years ago but his heart has always remained with Holly. Now he has to prove to her that he wants her to be in his life and willing to do what it takes to make her his.
Holly was devastated when Dylan left her. She thought she moved on but her heart still belongs to Dylan. Is she willing to risk being heartbroken again just for another chance with the love of her life?
Dylan left for Hollywood ten years ago but his heart has always remained with Holly. Now he has to prove to her that he wants her to be in his life and willing to do what it takes to make her his.
Holly was devastated when Dylan left her. She thought she moved on but her heart still belongs to Dylan. Is she willing to risk being heartbroken again just for another chance with the love of her life?
June 27, 2020
A Love Story for the Ages
This was a very quick read but a great second chance romance. CARLEY Phillips is an author that is a one click for me. She writes books that are believable and are always great from my perspective. Always a happy ending but with some angst but it is resolved fairly quickly. Keep it up Carly and I'll keep reading. Highly recommended.
This was a very quick read but a great second chance romance. CARLEY Phillips is an author that is a one click for me. She writes books that are believable and are always great from my perspective. Always a happy ending but with some angst but it is resolved fairly quickly. Keep it up Carly and I'll keep reading. Highly recommended.
March 5, 2024
Carly Phillips is a great author. Carly Classics (The Originals) Series with Dylan North and Holly Evans and their great love story. Really enjoyed reading it. Now to read about Kevin Manning and Nikki Welles
September 4, 2017
Short and sweet. Classic Carly.
September 1, 2020
A short love story but a great read. They were meant to be but after high school he took off and left her behind and now he is back and what her back.
October 13, 2020
Yeah this ones just a bit of a no from me. There were a few too many lines that were just uncomfortable to listen to. Definitely preferred some of Carly Phillips newer works.
February 2, 2022
Audible Audiobook
February 9, 2022
I can only assume this is some of her earlier writings because this isn’t up to her usual standards. Too simple and syrupy. Good thing it was already short.
April 11, 2022
It was very hard to feel any "like" for the hero and the heroine was a flippin doormat.
Read
April 5, 2023I was not impressed by this book...
November 14, 2024
Horrible book.. Where is the groveling??
November 1, 2025
Hope Dylan enjoys his Marshmallow Fluff UTI. Don't do food play with genitalia, people.
September 2, 2016
This is a good old-fashioned second chance story. Dylan and Holly were high school sweethearts and 10 years before Dylan took off for the bright lights of Hollywood, leaving his heartbroken love behind. Holly was extremely hurt by the way Dylan left and when he returns to town claiming that she is the one person he could never forget, will she be able to forgive him for all of the pain he put her through previously? Is the fact that he's older and maybe a little wiser going to be a positive for Dylan?
I love visiting the world's that Carly Phillips creates! The characters are always fun and well developed and this was no exception. It was a sweet story that ended with an HEA that left me smiling.
I love visiting the world's that Carly Phillips creates! The characters are always fun and well developed and this was no exception. It was a sweet story that ended with an HEA that left me smiling.
October 7, 2014
Midnight Angel is about Dylan North and Dr. Holly Evans. These two were high school sweethearts. Dylan always had the dream of being an actor and Holly wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and be a doctor. Their plan was to go to New York where Holly would go to college and Dylan could try to break in on Broadway. Just after graduation, Dylan left Holly a note and took off for Hollywood leaving Holly stunned. 10 years later Dylan is back and has decided he wants Holly back in his life for good. This was a sweet, reunion story about two people who could never move on from the past. Loved their fun times together and big surprise for Holly at the end.
September 19, 2013
I really liked this one, in spite of itself I think! As the synopsis says the H dumped the h via a crappy letter the night after high school graduation devastating her in the process then comes back 10 years later to win her back. He offers apologies and explanations for his behaviour but the quick acceptance of the h makes her seem kind of a doormat which would ordinarily turn me off the whole book. However in this case the story, characters and writing were so good that they swept me along and made me hope for a HEA in spite of myself!
May 23, 2013
I really enjoyed this novella. There was pretty good character development, especially considering the length of the story. If you've read another book by Carly Phillips, you won't be disappointed.
This is a story of a now famous Hollywood actor returning home trying to win back his high school sweetheart. The chemistry is still there, but they have some issues to deal with before they can have a HEA.
This is a story of a now famous Hollywood actor returning home trying to win back his high school sweetheart. The chemistry is still there, but they have some issues to deal with before they can have a HEA.
September 2, 2016
Cute Christmas novella of rekindled romance. Dylan left Holly as a teenager to make it in Hollywood. He has and has come home to reclaim her love.
Great short read and I did enjoy the hot romance which you typically don't see in a Christmas romance. Originally released as Midnight Angel, I believe I've read this before, but it was worth the reread.
Thanks to the author for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Great short read and I did enjoy the hot romance which you typically don't see in a Christmas romance. Originally released as Midnight Angel, I believe I've read this before, but it was worth the reread.
Thanks to the author for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews