In the Unlikely Event

Since today…. nothing will be the same, besides one thing – L.J. Shen owned another piece of my heart.

Since today lots of things will have new and much more emotional meaning… every snowflake will warm my heart… certain animal will make me laugh… some sweets will never be the same …

THE.BEST.DAY.EVER…? It’s THAT day when I discovered Mrs.Shen and Her Books.

In The Unlikely Event is amazing story. It’s little different from this author’s other books, but it just make the whole story more uniqe. The chatacters, the plot… and the whole story line…. Oh wow !!! My heart was meling from one paige to another one. Mal and Rory ….ohhh and ahhhh I’m so in love with them- give me some napkin, I’m ready to sign “The Contract”.

L.J. Shen hasn’t only wrote the book – in ITUE she created another MASTERPIECE with capital M. The words lead me thru amazing adventure where love, hate, friendship, family… and other not too much positive things were happen. Some moments break my heart, but other ones healed me in the same second… Mr Mal Charming and Princess Aurora were the best medicine – when You’ll read this book, You will find out.

I want to tell You so much about Mal and Rory, but You know, I can’t. They were amazing together, and wonderfull seperate. They made me cry hard, just to made me smile few seconds later. Their friends, family… I want to become Irish in New York, Or New Yorker in the Irish Land.

Maybe I need to say “Goodbye” to Rory and Mal… but I’m so not ready for this – I think that I will just reread this book another time – RIGHT NOW !

And Ekhem …I’m saying this another MILIONTH time – Mrs. SHEN IS MY MASTER… and ITUE showed, that it won’t change for a long time.

Grab Your Copy People the thiss hot Irish Man.

Utterly breathtaking!! This book is a work of art. Complex, intricately designed, and stunningly beautiful. It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever read in this genre, yet so romantic and full of hope. Malachy and Aurora’s chemistry jumps off the page!

Here’s what I loved:
From the very first time I met Mal, I was enamored! He’s so charismatic and charming, I just want to snuggle him. He’s fun, carefree, and sexy. Exactly what Aurora needed at that time in her life.

Aurora is vibrant and sweet, yet feisty. A great balance to Mal’s character. When these two meet, sparks fly!

I loved loved loved the notes!! I’m sitting here laughing just thinking about BEST DAY EVER!

The multiple POVs and insights into characters motivations and actions kept me entertained. I love multifaceted views and ITUE is certainly abundant in those.

This authors signature style of writing and storytelling is always a treasure. She is so versatile and her lyrical prose is like a siren’s song. I cannot get enough!

And last but not least, Ashton! I loveeeee!

In The Unlikely Event is unique, fresh, and an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING read. It is by far one of the wittiest books L.J. Shen has ever written. I don’t know that I’ve laughed so much while reading in a very long while. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Holy COW how do I even start with this review. This book honestly just slayed me so hard, I’m in love.

Mal just instantly became my fave LJ Shen man, everything about him pulled me in and had me falling for him. He’s cocky, arrogant and a drop dead gorgeous musician. His peculiar eye colour and his way of turning words into beautiful lyrics just adds to his perfection and has all the ladies falling at his feet. He’s hot and he knows it but there’s only one woman in the world meant for him and once he’s met her nobody could ever live up to her.

Rory, this woman has had it rough. She’s beautiful and loving and has a passion of capturing beauty in everything with her camera. Going to a place to get some closure doesn’t go the way she expects, it has her finding a charming guy busking on the streets and her asking a hundred more questions than what she had to begin with. She’s surrounded by secrets and we all know secrets come out in the end, right?

Mal and Rory brought together is damn right explosive. Their chemistry from the get go has been off the charts hot and I’m 100% surprised my kindle didn’t catch fire purely from their intense stares alone. So hot.

I’m just putting this little thing out there, I will never EVER look at a Cadbury’s chocolate bar the same. NEVER, Christ.

LJ Shen has blessed us with another cracking book with a mind-blowing storyline filled with the unexpected. This little beauty is so different from the usual books she releases but it’s just as incredible if not MORE so. All the little bits added in that are so random just makes the book that much better and has you laughing out loud. I’m in complete awe of her insane talent, she just brings more and more to the table with each new release and has me excited to see what she’ll bring next.

In The Unlikely Event is a must read for any kind of reader. It’s packed full of humour, scorching hot chemistry and heartache, the perfect kind of mixture for the perfect book. Most definitely one of the best reads of 2019!

4/4.5 STARS

“Wat did I just read?”
“Well, this was totally unexpected!”
“Holly Cow!”
Yes, this is me in a nutshell, once I finished this story!

I’m still struggling with all kind of random emotions.
I swooned.
I hurt.
I laughed. OMG, did I laugh, so, so hard, with this one!!!
It was like being on a rollercoaster, getting whiplashed and starting all over again, just when I thought I’d get out of it and land.

Rory and Mal are star-crossed all right, that’s for sure!
And together they’re totally amazing, sweet and…. So made for each other.

But in a more serious note, one of the things I loved the more in this love story, was the fact that ALL characters are flawed, ALL had hurt sometimes in their life.
So, no, nobody is perfect, but even the “eviler” gave you a glimpse of vulnerability.

This doesn’t mean I didn’t want to strangle one or four, believe me, in fact I DID want to slap almost everyone at some point, but the whole story was beautiful.
Broken, like the globe on the cover (one of my favorite covers, by the way), but still overflowing with love.

I also loved the book’s structure. Different POVs, unexpected notes, it really worked amazingly for me.

I think this book is really L. J. Shen taking a huge risk writing in a very unexpected way, and let me tell you, she nailed it!

But let me tell you, too, after this baby, and my passion for chocolate, I will NEVER be the same again!!!

I know, I’m making no sense, so just read it and you’ll understand!
Grab this book, enjoy the ride: couch, blanket, hot chocolate… Nope, think bigger, grab a yummy chocolate bar.
You’re welcome!!

***ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***

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Fate Is All About Timing

Holy Cow!!! This story took me completely by surprise and totally rocked my world.

When the timing was finally right, everything fell into place. The journey was wrought with trials and heartache. Every emotion was brought to the surface. Sometimes Happily Ever After’s can be messy.

One night spent together while traveling to find out about her past. Their lives completely changed. Girl meets boy and nothing will ever be the same.

Timing is everything. And their time was not then.

They signed a contract. In The Unlikely Event that they were ever to meet again, they’d know it was their time.

Years later and Mal finds Rory. Except things aren’t the same. Life happened during that eight year absence. So much has changed. The question is whether they can let go of the past and welcome a future.

Mal and Rory had chemistry in spades. However, Mal had so many secrets. This story was not always easy to read. Angst level MAX! I had to take some breaks. At times I loved Mal and other’s I hated him. In the end, they both found their way. Nothing is ever perfect. But the love they had for each other comes pretty darn close.

From USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author L.J. Shen comes a new star-crossed lovers contemporary romance about love, loss and letting the love of your life go…just so you could win them back.

Here I am sitting in front of this open word document trying to find an opening into my thoughts about “In The Unlikely Event” (ITUE) written by one of my go-to authors L.J. Shen.

Yes I wrote “go-to” – which sounds like I would trust to always know what I am getting myself into. – well – forget about that thought …

And while you’re at it – when you read the plot/blurb – you also might have thought that you would know all you need to know about the book – forget about that too..

L.J. Shen proves with this book that she is indeed a “go-to” author just for her writing style alone – but never ever think you would know what you were getting yourself into when it comes to the plot.

Having said that – I have a question –

It might sound totally random – but have you ever asked yourself what a cow, a piece of chocolate, a ghost and a napkin might have in common?

Well even if you didn’t – when you finished reading this story you will have a pretty good idea what the answer is to that and it will leave you in a state of disbelieve that you actually read what you think you read – … trust me you did …

This book really touches so many subjects and looks at them from all angles – and I do mean all angles – (which you will come to understand during reading too) – there were moments that left me in deep thought and moments when I laughed out loud – and I had only read the headline in that second … – There even was one moment that brought tears in my eyes and they weren’t even for the main characters.

When I choose to read this book I really had no idea what the plot would be about – and I am not into spoilers at all – but I feel that I still should give a trigger warning – because there definitely are triggers. Actually it also contained one of my triggers where I only make exceptions in rare cases – usually only when one of my go-to authors uses them.

Rory and Mal are probably the most infuriating characters that I read this year – There were several moments when I thought “Is he serious” or “She did not just say that” – but it all made perfect sense considering the contract they had.

The other characters in this book – and there is a lot of them are all so well developed and placed that in any other case you would feel that this is the start of a series and the author uses this to introduce the readers to them. But I am pretty sure that will never happen in this case – trust me –
This plot has so many layers that not even the comparison to an average onion will do – because you will find yourself peeling from the first chapter on and you will not stop to do so until you read the final words from the author.

If you look on the surface you see a “second chance novel” – but there is so much more hidden – I wouldn’t even know where to start or how to compare this book to anything I read.
I can honestly say that L.J. Shen wrote a story unlike any other I read so far which again proves that it is still possible to do something fresh and new.

I don’t know what to make of this story. LJ Shen definitely upped and went over herself on this one. This may be different from the typical stories she writes but it doesn’t mean that it is any less good.

I like the back and forth of the past and the present. The story was well presented and timeline is just right. I may not understand instalove but it doesn’t mean I don’t get to enjoy a love so pure it wrecks you for someone else. I liked that all the characters, regardless how small, had their own spotlight and have been a vital part of the plot. Everything was placed in such a way that it does make sense. The multiple POVs are just hilarious to watch as well. At least it also gets you into perspective of what is happening. Like seeing a 360 picture. And those twist? Just when you thought you figured it out, she comes smacking your face with a plot twist so fast you wouldn’t even know what hits you.

LJ Shen writes good heroines. Those that you want to hate but can’t. The one who’s weak and strong at the same time. I like Rory’s fierceness and her ability to love and forgive. She may not have made the best decisions in life but she does own up to what she do without having to blame others. Mal on the other hand is just as perfectly broken. He fights for what he wants head on regardless of the consequences. He loves fiercely and protects those he loves to the core.

I’m giving this a 4.5 stars. It’s almost there, it’s kind of missing something but I couldn’t put my finger on it. But this is definitely a good read.

Chaque histoire écrite par LJ Shen est totalement différente des autres mais avec In the unlikely event, nous passons à un stade supérieur avec une romance totalement libre des codes classiques et qui m’a fait passer un excellent moment de lecture. Nous avons la multitude des points de vues en dehors de ceux des héros et cela apporte indéniablement un plus à ce roman incroyable.

Rory Jenkins est une jeune femme qui va débarquer à 18 ans en Irlande pour tenter de tirer définitivement un trait sur son passé en tentant d’en apprendre plus sur ce père qu’elle n’a jamais connu et qui n’a jamais cherché à en savoir plus sur elle. Sa mère Debbie n’était pas pour ce voyage mais elle a tout de même décidé de le faire et cela va changer sa vie à tout jamais car elle y fera une rencontre inattendue et époustouflante. A Tolka , elle sent qu’elle n’est absolument pas la bienvenue et elle fera quelques découvertes superficielles. Elle sent qu’on lui cache des choses mais elle ne pourra rien faire de plus pour en savoir plus. L’Irlande sera une terre de mystères et le restera après qu’elle reparte aux Etats Unis pour ses études. Mais elle ne repartira pas les mains vides car elle aura avec une serviette sur laquelle un contrat a été signé , stipulant qu’au moment même où Mal et elle se trouveront sur le même chemin, elle devra tout lâcher pour vivre avec lui. La douleur , la souffrance de la séparation se sont peu à peu espacés mais elle tentera tout de même de vivre de beaux moments avec Callum Brooks, son petit ami.

Le destin semble donc se réaliser quand Mal et Rory vont devoir retourner en Irlande pour leur travail respectif. Lui va créer les paroles sur prochain album d’Ashton Richards et elle prendra les photos pour documenter ce travail de longue haleine. Richards vit pleinement sa vie sans se soucier de la brûler par les deux bouts et les excès seront très récurrents. Mal semble aussi être tombé par moments dans les excès mais elle ne parvient pas à retrouver l’homme bon qu’il était. Il est devenu froid, distant et prend un malin plaisir à la torturer. Elle ne comprend pas ce qui a mal tourné mais elle restera déterminée à effectuer son travail. Retourner à Tolka sera aussi une manière de remuer un passé qui n’a jamais été mis derrière elle et peut être enfin découvrir tous les secrets qu’on lui a si longtemps caché. J’ai aimé le personnage de Rory car elle saura nous montrer toutes les émotions qui l’habitent sans jamais cacher ses failles. Les héros de ce roman sont loin d’être parfaits et c’est donc leur faille qui nous permet de les apprécier encore plus. L’intrigue sera inattendue et nous risquons bien d’être surpris par les dénouements finaux.

Malachy Doherty est un héros hors norme que j’ai adoré. Nous verrons ses deux facettes alors qu’il a 22 ans et 30 ans. Je peux vous dire que j’ai souffert à ses côtés car je pense sincèrement qu’il a souffert un peu plus que notre héroïne mais simplement car elle n’a pas tous les tenants et les aboutissants. Je doute qu’il ait jamais eu la main mise sur sa vie et il devra prendre des décisions qui risquent d’anéantir celui qu’il était. Quand nous le découvrons dans le passé, nous allons tout de suite adhérer à ce personnage qui va se distinguer par son attitude, par sa nonchalance et par ses paroles. Il est très talentueux et il aurait pu trouver une muse incroyable si le destin n’avait pas pris un cruel plaisir à mettre des obstacles sur leur route. Parfois, on adore découvrir une romance simple et épanouissante mais j’adore aussi les histoires d’amour où les héros se déchirent, affrontent des épreuves qui les dépassent pour sublimer cet amour qu’on avait découvert. On sent que Mal détient de nombreuses clés dans l’intrigue et si certaines hypothèses peuvent être vérifiées assez aisément , ce ne sera pas le cas de tout.

En effet, les personnages secondaires n’en ont que le nom car ils ont tous des rôles incroyables à jouer. On va adorer les détester pour la plupart d’entre eux car ils auront des gestes lourds de conséquence. Summer est certes la meilleure amie de Rory mais je n’ai pas toujours été d’accord avec ses paroles. Callum est le petit ami presque trop parfait de notre héroïne et cet homme m’a souvent laissé un goût amer en bouche et on verra si j’avais ou non raison à son sujet. Les mères de certains personnages sont aussi de sacrés numéros et sans vous en dire plus, j’ai eu envie d’en secouer plus d’une pour leur remettre les idées en place. Kathleen aussi connu sous le surnom de Kiki est clairement l’élément très perturbateur de cette histoire. Je l’ai détesté pour ce qu’elle a fait vivre à certains personnages.

Bref, si vous lisez en VO je ne peux que vous recommander cette histoire qu’on découvre au fil des pages mais qui nous rend accro dès les premières pages. Les héros sont atypiques dans le sens où ils ne suivent pas les règles qu’on a l’habitude de trouver dans nos romances mais c’est cela qui fait toute la différence. Un grand bravo à Leigh Shen qui sort des sentiers battus pour notre plus grand plaisir.

Star-crossed lovers who meet was kismet. A one-night stand that should’ve lasted forever.

At 26, Rory has everything she could possibly want. Her job, apartment, roommate and boyfriend are all perfectly perfect.

But, eight years ago she made a promise to drop everything and marry Malachy Doherty.

But Mal is not the same boy she knew nor is she the same girl. Will fate bring them and keep them together or will they be kept separated for good by outside forces?

This book is romantic, whimsical and endearing. For me, having the extra point-of-views along those of our main characters is surprising and enchanting. It pulled everything together in the cutest and quirkiest of ways. Comparable I would almost say to a fairy tale.

This book has all the angst and feels this author is known for but is so different from her previous works. Along with the angst and feels, a magical story unfolds. It will break your heart, make you sigh, laugh, fall in love, and maybe, just maybe, make you shed a tear or two.

Mal has so many secrets. Rory has so much to learn. Their story is a roller-coaster of ups and downs but throughout, they love each other dearly.

I must say that I was enchanted by Rory and Mal’s first meeting. I normally avoid a trope with a one-night stand as I am normally unable to connect with and believe in the couple’s relationship. But ITUE changed all of that for me. Their whole first meeting from start to finish was romantic and sigh-worthy.

There is OW/OM drama but is pretty low key. I must admit however, that some of it made me angry and a little upset as I didn’t agree with the character’s actions.

A cute, page-turning and angsty read that I recommend whole-heartedly.

I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own