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Unplanned Love*
Heroine is a Little Cra-Cra
In this second book of the series, Ellie’s best friend Charli is coming to town for Ellie and Adam’s wedding. We first meet Charli, though, as she discovers that her boyfriend has been unfaithful with their boss (and he’s just gotten the promotion she figured would be hers). Her ride up the Oregon coast for the wedding comes to a standstill when her car dies. Her cell is dead as well, but when help arrives in the form of a good Samaritan, all she can visualize is that he’s a serial killer like in Criminal Minds. So she refuses his offer of help while threatening him with a gun. He comes back to check on her again, and this time, he is able to convince her to accept his help. It turns out he is none other than Adam’s brother Kean.
I really quite enjoyed the first book of this series, but I didn’t like this one nearly so much because I thought Charli was unprofessional and a little bit crazy. So much so that even when she calmed down, I couldn’t get past my first impression of her. In the very first scene, when she discovers her boyfriend and the boss, even though it is a tricky situation, a serious professional still would have handled it better. Then the way she acts towards Kean on the Oregon coast, my goodness, it’s just crazy. Honestly, I don’t understand what Kean sees in her.
By the way, I live in Oregon and have traveled up the coast from California many times. I don’t find it quite believable that Charli would be so alone on that well-traveled highway, even on a rainy day; Oregonians live in a rainy state, but that doesn’t stop us from driving! Somebody would have stopped to help her besides Kean in the amount of time she was there. We Oregonians are known for being courteous drivers and helping out people in dire straits.
My favorite part of the book actually had nothing to do with a couple of it’s supposed to be about. I liked Ellie and Adam’s story, so I enjoyed being able to follow them through their wedding and the early days of their marriage. Sophie’s still sweet and precocious. Adam and Ellie continue to be kind and loving towards each other. If you enjoyed the first book, their role in this book makes it a worthwhile read for you.