An Unexpected Christmas by Shannon Richard Review

An Unexpected Christmas by Shannon Richard

3.92 out of 5 stars

An Unexpected Christmas was an unexpected delight.... just kidding. :) The description and the synopsis nailed this one: it is a fun romantic Christmas story will all of the perfect ingredients to make a situation unforgettable and a couple irresistible. The best thing about this story is that while it seemed a bit like a Hallmark movie at times, it wasn't too cheesy and was just the right amount of cozy. Adele and Jace were great to fall in love with as characters and it warmed my heart to see them fall for each other in this book. My one slight non-spoilery thing is that in my mind I did not picture Adele at all like the front cover of the book. Jace is fine, but I'm 99% positive that the first time Adele is fully described she's wearing all black.

SPOILERS BELOW


PLOT:
I really appreciated how this story is introduced pretty much right away; there wasn't an awkward amount of trying to set up the characters' hopes and dreams for ages without giving the characters any depth and understanding for who they are. Long story short-- it was a cute Christmas book, and it was laid out and developed really well. The ending seemed a little bit forced when Adele felt like she needed to leave Jace, but it balanced out by the end. What was most interesting to me in the plot was the introduction to the other characters. Because we get to see Jace interact with the team a bit more at the end (especially with Adele's brother), I think that the series will continue to branch out into the stories of the other players. Overall, the plot was fairly expected in almost an overly cliche way, but at the end of the day the cuteness won me over.


CHARACTERS:
Adele- I really liked Adele! It took me a quick second to get used to her character and get to know her. But I really did after only a few chapters. The only thing that was slightly annoying (and I've kind of said this already) is when she leaves Jace because she thinks that he won't have that kind of relationship with her. I get that it's important to the plot of the story, so I say that it's annoying, but I also get it. Adele was such a cool character though. I don't think I've ever read a character with her career before, which was really interesting; her attitude was so independent, which was GREAT; and her habits were so casual they came off perfectly, which sealed the deal on me liking her character.

Jace- My largest concern coming into this book is that I wouldn't like Jace because I typically do not like plots or storylines about jocks or famous people. I get that it's a thing, but I still came into this book with that. DESPITE THAT, I ended up really liking Jace's character. He was so caring for Adele that it was hearbreaking when Adele wouldn't hear him out.

WRITING: I want to visit that cabin. It seems like the perfect place for any winter vacation. There was snow, there were great rooms, cozy atmosphere, and you can be there completely alone like a mini vacation. Granted, a lot of places could fit that bill, but the way this one is described seems amazing. The entire story was filled with a lot of great descriptions that I really think added to the holiday wintery atmosphere.

PLOT:
I really appreciated how this story is introduced pretty much right away; there wasn't an awkward amount of trying to set up the characters' hopes and dreams for ages without giving the characters any depth and understanding for who they are. Long story short-- it was a cute Christmas book, and it was laid out and developed really well. The ending seemed a little bit forced when Adele felt like she needed to leave Jace, but it balanced out by the end. What was most interesting to me in the plot was the introduction to the other characters. Because we get to see Jace interact with the team a bit more at the end (especially with Adele's brother), I think that the series will continue to branch out into the stories of the other players. Overall, the plot was fairly expected in almost an overly cliche way, but at the end of the day the cuteness won me over.
CHARACTERS:
Adele- I really liked Adele! It took me a quick second to get used to her character and get to know her. But I really did after only a few chapters. The only thing that was slightly annoying (and I've kind of said this already) is when she leaves Jace because she thinks that he won't have that kind of relationship with her. I get that it's important to the plot of the story, so I say that it's annoying, but I also get it. Adele was such a cool character though. I don't think I've ever read a character with her career before, which was really interesting; her attitude was so independent, which was GREAT; and her habits were so casual they came off perfectly, which sealed the deal on me liking her character.
Jace- My largest concern coming into this book is that I wouldn't like Jace because I typically do not like plots or storylines about jocks or famous people. I get that it's a thing, but I still came into this book with that. DESPITE THAT, I ended up really liking Jace's character. He was so caring for Adele that it was hearbreaking when Adele wouldn't hear him out.
WRITING: I want to visit that cabin. It seems like the perfect place for any winter vacation. There was snow, there were great rooms, cozy atmosphere, and you can be there completely alone like a mini vacation. Granted, a lot of places could fit that bill, but the way this one is described seems amazing. The entire story was filled with a lot of great descriptions that I really think added to the holiday wintery atmosphere.
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This book is perfect for the holiday season or maybe even just any cold season. It certainly will make you want to just snuggle up with someone and appreciate the things around you. What is even more exciting to me though is that it looks like this will become a series? I'm not sure if there is enough there to really follow Adele and Jace some more, but maybe it will follow other hockey players or maybe a sibling or something like that? I'm definitely curious though and I am really hoping that whatever it is will be another holiday/Christmas book.

Thanks for reading!

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