Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Unexpected

SERIES:  Winter Sun, Book 2

AUTHOR: Roe Horvat

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 261 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2022

BLURB: 

Richard has everything he ever wanted—immense wealth, sky-high status, beautiful men… But only the dog he did not want brings him some semblance of happiness. After a messy breakup, he moves to a tiny coastal town, intent on rebuilding his life and reinventing himself. He shouldn’t even be noticing cute omegas half his age. Except then he finds his shy little dog walker crying on his living room floor, and protecting Carter becomes his utmost priority.

Carter has always had a thing for older men, but they never seem to have a thing for him. His crush on the smoldering Richard Porter is inappropriate and downright silly, and every meeting with the alpha leaves him a blushing mess. Hopefully, he can spend quality time with Mr. Porter’s lovable golden retriever and avoid the man himself.

When Carter’s friend bails on him before his second heat, Carter faces an impossible decision—to pay a heat professional he can’t afford, find a random stranger on a dating app, or risk his heart in the arms of the unattainable Mr. Porter.

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Unexpected is an omegaverse romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, and slow simmering heat that suddenly explodes. Paranormal, non-shifter. HEA, standalone.

REVIEW: 

Roe Horvat’s Unexpected unexpectedly stole my heart with its sweet, steamy, sexy story of uber-wealthy, successful businessman Richard Porter and Carter, the unassuming dog walker he hires to take care of his precocious, adorable fluffball golden retriever Noodle.  Unexpected sequentially follows the first book in Horvat’s Winter Sun series, Ugly, picking up about two years later with only a slight overlap with the epilogue of Ugly.  

Richard is a long-time best friend of Burke and appears several times in Ugly, showing up at Burke’s pub where he bonds with his friend and drinks away his sorrows. Richard’s struggling in his five-year relationship with his model boyfriend Leonard, and is questioning what his life has become.  He realizes that he’s achieved his goals of wealth and success, but it hasn’t fulfilled his needs. The disillusionment from that realization significantly impacts Richard. 

When Unexpected opens, we see Richard’s inevitable breakup with Leo play out, and it’s ugly. Richard self-deprecatingly mocks himself for his pretentious ridiculing of Burke’s lack of ambition in life:  “You aim low, you end up low”.  Ironically, Burke is blissfully happy with a small pub in the city and a middle-class wage, deeply in love with sweet Emerson. Richard now understands the validity of Burke’s philosophy: “Less ambition, more peace.”  Richard seeks to change his focus and find his peace.

Richard moves to Ellis Beach, a coastal town an hour away from the city and his firm. He readily gives Leo their multi-million dollar condo in the city so Leo will let Richard keep Noodle.  Leo wouldn’t take care of him properly, and Richard has grown to love Noodle and depend on him as his companion. Needing a caretaker for Noodle when he has to go into the city for work a few days a week, he hires Carter.

Unlike Ugly, Unexpected is less dark and much better balanced.  There are plenty of sheet scorching heat scenes, explicitly detailed but also emotionally connected. The loose plot similarity between the two books is the predicament of the omega, here Carter, when they find themselves on the verge of their heat without the necessary support to get through it.  Carter’s friend/hookup Dave, his intended heat partner, unexpectedly bails on him, leaving Carter in dire straits.  Carter succumbs to despair over his resulting situation and is caught in his moment of vulnerability by Richard. Richard finds Carter sobbing on the floor over Noodle, who has taken it upon himself to act as a dedicated, empathetic support animal for Carter.

Like Emerson and Burke’s improbable relationship, Richard and Carter fit as a couple, surprisingly so given their vast difference in age, experience, and station in life. Moreover, Horvat seems to have great skill at equalizing his characters so they can bond based on their minds, hearts, and spirits, not burdened by presumptions or societal trappings that would challenge their relationship as inappropriate or incomprehensible.

At the end of Ugly, I longed to know more about Richard – his relationship with Burke, their long friendship, Richard’s relationship plight – and we get that and then some in Unexpected.  The chemistry between Richard and Carter is evident, and I like that Horvat shows a mutually developing attraction well before any heat issues arise.  The way their relationship evolves before and during the heat is also unexpected, and I liked the twist Horvat puts on it. Horvat also delivers thoughtfully constructed and substantive subtext that doesn’t detract from the core romantic relationship.

The scene-stealer in this book, though, is Noodle. I can’t help the smile that breaks out on my face every time he appears. His relationship with both men is lovely, and I particularly like how Noodle becomes a trusted confidante for both Richard and Carter. The introduction of some outside elements, like Carter’s Uncle Ray, is welcome, and infuses the story with realism that makes me feel like Richard and Carter’s relationship is built to last.

If you like omegaverse, you’ll enjoy Unexpected, and I strongly recommend it.  It has some backstory elements that are a bit dark, but on the whole, it’s an uplifting, affirming story of improbable love. This is a book that compels rereads because of the emotional connection and the absorbing storyline. And for Noodle, of course. 😉🐕🐶

RATING:   

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon