My one and only goal has always been to make it to congress. I’ve got it all: the looks, the brains, the connections… Except I missed one glaring requirement: a wife.
The conservative voters of Kansas don’t trust an unmarried man. Which means I need a bride. Immediately.
The lovely Odette Hastings seems to fit the bill. She’s a wholesome small-town girl, and most importantly, in need of cash. I’ll give her the money to take care of her elderly parents, and she’ll be the political arm candy I need.
The only problem is Odette is a little too beautiful, a little too intelligent, and much too distracting. I have to keep my eye on the prize. Even when I’m starting to think there might be something I’d rather have more…
I walk down the hallway to the kitchen to brew some coffee. Entering the living room, though, I come upon a sight that stops me dead in my tracks.
Odette is doing yoga. In tiny yoga shorts and a tank top.
Jesus, take the wheel. I can’t do this. I turn and silently bang my head against the wall.
“Good morning! Uh, Madden? You okay?” Odette has come out of her warrior pose and stares at me with concern.
“Yes, of course.” I squeak out. “This is just how I wake up in the mornings.”
“By banging your head against the wall?” She looks at me like someone should send me to an insane asylum. Frankly, someone probably should.
“Yep. I read about it in one of those self-help books. Gets the blood pumping.” I’m going to need to read a lot more self-help books.
Excerpted from A Love Unexpected by Leah Brunner, Copyright © 2021 by Leah Brunner. Published by Leah Brunner Publishing.
Y’all this book is heartfelt, funny, and has just the right amount of romance that I can’t wait to see what she has in store for the rest of the series. I adored everything about this book. The premise of the book is plausible, the trope of a marriage of convenience, characters that you can’t help but love and cheer for, and just the overall writing of Ms. Brunner.
Ms. Brunner hits all the buttons that I look for in a sweet romance book. The longing looks, the inner dialogue of Madden and Odette, not to mention the family dynamics help the reader understand the motivations of the other characters. Sure Madden’s parents can be a bit trying at times but overall, I really liked them. Like any parent, they wanted what was best for Madden but when they realized that Madden wanted Odette for real and won’t budge, they understood. Odette’s parents were great, too. Completely different from Madden’s but came to understand Odette and her need for Madden.
I can’t emphasize the humor in the book. It’s not in the characters so to speak but just read the excerpt again. It makes me chuckle every.time I read it. Little snippets of writing that just sent me chuckling throughout the book. Don’t get me wrong, there are serious moments, too. But Ms. Brunner doesn’t drag the book down with a lot of seriousness or fluff that a lot of writers do. She has point to every word in the book and I ended up re-reading it and still picked up stuff that I missed before.
I encourage you to read this book. Anyone and everyone can read this book. It’s that good. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Brunner has for maybe Madden’s little sister. That was heartbreaking for sure. *sniff*
About the Author
Leah writes romance full of witty banter and lovable characters. She spends most of her time writing… and also petting her Maine Coon.
Her parents always told her she lived in her own little world and was oblivious to reality. The real world was simply too boring for Leah, writing is how she enjoys sharing her little world with others.
One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of A Love Unexpected (signed print to US, ebook outside the US)
Ends November 10, 2021
Thank you so much for the review! Happy you enjoyed it! 💗😍