Love Story: 3 (Love Unexpectedly)

I recently read another book from Lauren Layne, which I really liked, so I read this afterwards. Sadly, it's pretty horrible and not in a nice trashy kind of way. The main characters have the worst communication patterns and act so horrible and toxic with each other I wanted to send one of them into a psychiatric clinic for bipolar disorders after half the book and thought: please don't get each other in the end, you guys are horrible for each other. The book produces very unhealthy relationship patterns, which apparently simply can be forgotten about, when "two people are meant for each other." Please, don't believe that love or relationships are or should be like that! This is not love, it's toxic dependants!

I loved it.

This is Reece and Lucy's story. Despite thoroughly disliking each other, they find themselves sharing a long, cross country road trip. Hostility slowly turns to a different kind of passion and by the time they reach their destination, their lives have been turned upside down. This is an oft used romantic theme but Lauren Layne writes it with such flair that it seems fresh and new. There is quick witted humour, pathos and passion. A most enjoyable read.

3.5 "We're in trouble here..." Stars! The third book in Lauren Layne’s Love Unexpectedly series offers up a road-trip of sorts between two childhood friends, turned lovers, turned enemies. Lauren is an author whose writing I never struggle to read, and for the most part all of the books I have read by her have been enjoyable, Love Story wasn’t a struggle, I pretty much read it in one sitting, but for me the connection between Reece and Lucy lacked a little of the spark that I have come to expect from this authors couples now. "let’s get this nightmare on the road." This is a couple that have been through the wringer together from a very early age, and told from dual POV as well as dipping back to their younger years at points, you pretty much take that journey from childhood to adult with them both to the present, as they drive across the country in a beat up truck called… Horny. "We may hate each other, but we’re a part of each other." As I said I didn’t struggle to read this book at all, but I generally read a book by this author in a perpetual state of excitement, and that kind of fizzled out quickly for me with this one, the constant merry-go-round with them battling with each other over every little thing on the journey, coupled with the odd gesture of kindness lacked any real backbone for me, and it felt more like they were behaving that way because the author thought they should rather than their personalities dictated. Damn but I want her. Always her. Maybe only her. I know what you are saying, the author gave them their personalities so how can I be saying they were acting out of character? But for me they just both seemed too nice in general to be acting as they were towards each other. The reason for the conflict again seemed a tad flimsy for the level of dislike, especially from Reece’s perspective, but again I will reiterate, I did not struggle to read the book. Not my favorite book by Lauren Layne, but then I have had such a long and illustrious line of winners from this author in the last couple of years it stands to reason that at some point something isn’t going to quite hit the high level of expectation I have from her now. I’d still recommend it if you are looking for a quick and easy read to get you through a few hours of inactivity. **This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy of the book.

The writing is fine, the plot is okay. The characters were a problem for me. I think it's supposed to be a story about two people who misunderstand and resent each other. Problem is, Reece is totally justified in resenting Lucy. He fixes up her parents old broken-down car on the understanding that he can use it to drive to his new job; when Lucy's car breaks down, her parents insist that he give her a ride as well. Lucy has the grace to feel a little uncomfortable about this and offers (sulkily) to fly instead. All fine. But when Reece says he's okay with driving her, she insists on turning a three day drive into a two week road trip, doing all the things Lucy wants to do. From that moment on she acts as though the car belongs to her (Reece winds up homeless towards the end of the novel because Lucy keeps the car and he didn't budget for buying a new vehicle as well as putting down a deposit on an apartment). And on top of that, Lucy's consistently condescending about Reece's family, his education, and his job. Reece could be kind of mean and stalkery as well but I had a lot more sympathy for him.