“The perfect blend of soul-crushing angst, laugh out loud wit, and heart-melting romance.” – Helena Hunting, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author.From #1 Amazon Bestseller L.J. Shen comes a new, star-crossed lovers romance about loss, love, and meeting The One when you are too young to know how to keep them.Sometimes you meet people who are out of this world, so you make them a part of … this world, so you make them a part of yours.
A one-night stand born from vengeance in a foreign land.
An explosive chemistry neither of us could deny.
We signed a contract on the back of a Boar’s Head Pub napkin that said if we ever met again, we would drop everything and be together.
Eight years and thousands of miles later, he’s here.
In New York.
And he’s America’s music obsession.
The intangible Irish poet who brings record executives to their knees.
The blizzard in my perfect, unshaken snow globe.
Last time we spoke, he was a beggar with no intention of becoming a king.
But a king he became, and now I’m his servant.
I’m not the same broken princess Malachy Doherty put back together with his callused hands.
I have a career I love.
A boyfriend I adore.
An apartment, a roommate, a life.
I changed. He changed, too.
But Mal kept the napkin.
Question is, will I keep my word?
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#RORYANDMAL4EVER
Five stars for Rory and Mal !!!
What did I just read?!?!?!
THIS.
BOOK.
ISN’T.
WHAT.
I.
EXPECTED.
IT.
TO.
BE.
I’m completely speechless.
She did it again.
As someone who has read most of Leigh’s books (I didn’t read five of her books yet), I can say that this book really surprised me.
In a good way.
Leigh shocked me.
She made me fell in love with this new book, a new world, new characters and their complicated but so beautiful love story.
She made me laugh.
She made me cry.
She made me want much more.
She occupied my mind with this story so the next few days I won’t be able to think about anything only about “ITUE”.
After reading “Broken Knight” which is one of my favorite books this year, I thought that this book will have the same Leigh’s writing style.
Something we all used to it.
But, I was wrong.
In “Acknowledgment” she said that this was supposed to be Christmas romantic comedy.
And yeah, I felt that the book has those characteristics when I was reading it.
Funny parts and multiple points of view (which will make you laugh out loud, especially when you will read napkin, cow and chocolate bar’s points of view) are what is new in her writing.
But…
…she didn’t write a romantic comedy.
This book is much more.
Because whatever Leigh writes, it’s always more than you think at first side.
Yes, it has a lot of funny moments that made me laugh, but it also has deep thoughts about life and true-life situations that make you wonder what would you do if you in their place.
She knows how to wake up all your emotions and also how to break heart not just to her characters also yours too.
“In the Unlikely Event” is a romantic book about true love, fate, cheating, secrets, forgiveness, second chances…
It is also a book about unconditional and pure love not only for THE ONE PERSON but for the innocent human being who is the good thing created from something maybe not moral or right intention.
Rory and Mal’s relationship is unique and something I didn’t find in any book before.
The way they had met each other and everything after go ups and downs was so special that I had a feeling like I was in the book.
Rory is a female character you’ll fall in love the second you meet her because of her free spirit and her persistence to get what she wants.
She didn’t care to marry a rich man.
She only wanted to have a career that will make her happy and find the man who will love her and support her.
But, the most important thing she wanted is to know more about her father which she never met.
And that wish was the main reason why she had met Mal.
Mal is not the usual type of male character you’ll meet in other Leigh’s books.
This one is so… (Can I say cute? )
He is totally cute and gah I love him so much!
He is definitely the man I would fall in love with if I meet him in real life.
He made mistakes that had put him in a bad light.
But we all humans and we are daily making mistakes which sometimes taught us to do the right thing the next time or sometimes they change our lives in an unexpected way.
Like it was the case with Mal.
One decision followed another and in the blink of the eye, everything about his dreamt with Rory and their happily ever after turns into dust.
I absolutely loved the notes that were on every end of the chapter because they gave me an explanation to understand the actions of the characters and get conclusions that I had needed.
I’m really glad that Leigh tried to write something new and get out of her comfort zone because with “In the Unlikely Event” she only proved how amazing writes she is.
I can’t wait to see what the next she prepared for us !!!
If you’re looking for a romance book that will touch your soul, put out all of your emotions and make you laugh out loud a lot of times, this is the book you MUST TO READ NEXT!!!
Highly recommended!!!
I don’t even know where to start with this review.
This book was more than words can say, i saw other early reviews saying how amazing it was but amazing doesn’t even cover it. Doesn’t even scratch the surface.
Reading the first few chapters i knew i was going to absolutely love this book and then i met Mal. He took this book to a whole other level for me. He was everything.
Everything that happened in this book had me feeling all types of emotions that i can’t even begin to explain because i don’t want to give anything away and spoil it for anyone.
To me everyone needs to experience this book, this absolute out of this world book.
I loved Mal and Rory, yes i had moments where was shaking my head i couldn’t help but love everything about them it was like insta love but also not? Not that makes sense but hey nothing makes sense at the moment my brain is scrambling to think of things to say about this book without giving too much away.
Please if you do anything give this book a chance. You won’t regret it.
There is no level of praise high enough for this story. In The Unlikely Event is thought-provoking, funny, sad, intriguing and – as you would expect from a LJ Shen novel – riddled with angst!
As an emotive reader, I was put through all kinds of emotions while reading In The Unlikely Event.
I swooned at Malachy’s early antics. A true lad about town, his outlook on love and life and how free he was with himself endeared me to him instantly. Rory stood NO chance against his wiles. I stood no chance. I loved him immediately.
So much had changed for both of them in the 8 years they were apart. But underneath it all, nothing had changed. They were still troubled. Life apart had put layers of ill-feelings towards each other above their integral feelings for one another which were marred through lies, deceit, and malice. They were jaded with one another and rightfully so.
As always, though, the truth will out.
Discovering long buried secrets and uncovering the lies told over the years was told in such a unique and quirky way. Ms Shen made me feel for all of the characters. Not just Mal and Rory, but the side characters too. She may write about flawed people but her writing is flawless. I was sucked in and devoured this story as quickly as I could.
You won’t regret picking up this complete standalone. In fact, I may go as far as saying it’ll be the BEST. DAY. EVER.
In The Unlikely Event was a unique and different type of book by LJ Shen. It was strange, a little angsty but a beautiful story. I loved Mal and Rory. They were both frustrating at times but I did love them. They had such great chemistry and connection. I loved them together!
O.M.G!
Captivating, angsty, emotional riveting, addictive…that how I describe ITUE. I don’t even think putting those words into sentences would make a clearer picture.
I was intrigued when the announcements as coming. I couldn’t wait for the cover reveal and blurb. I just had to know what this book was going to look like and what it was going to be about. Then the announcement came and I was like, oooh this sounds like it’s going to be SOOOOOO good! Let me tell you – it was BETTER than I expected. I was consumed with every word and every moment of their story.
For several house (I was up till 5am) I was lost in Malachy and Rory’s lives. Their chemistry, their soulful connection. Their written promise. This story was SO absolutely beautiful. I can confirm I felt everything they did. The heartache, heartbreak, anger…EVERYTHING!
After having slept for a couple hours and now at my desk SUPPOSED to be working…I’m still consumed with thoughts of Mal and Rory. Their story moved me and buried itself deep within my heart. This is one love story I will never forget.
If you like jerks as heroes, you will love LJ Shen’s novels. This one is both like that and unbearably sweet at the beginning. Love at first meeting gone wrong.
I enjoyed it!
Spoiler alert!
EXCEPT Kathleen. That was screwed up how she’s basically martyred! She’s deserves to burn in hell, NOT get a kid named after her! She wasn’t in love with Mal, she was OBSESSED with Mal and completely ruined his life. The fact he kept sleeping with her after she raped him AND purposefully got pregnant, PLUS allowed the families to talk him into marriage?! WTF. Those are all UNFORGIVABLE offenses.
I also didn’t like the mom for hiding Mal was trying to contact her, but at least her reasons made a bit of sense, if in a very bad way!
The Kathleen part completely ruined it. She totally deserved to die the way she did. That Mal looked beyond everything she did was NOT normal or healthy.
I loved it! The perfect book of love at first sight, and about one true love. The twist with Kathleen blew me away! I wasn’t expecting it to turn out how it did! But I love that it did happen that way! The last chapter made me cry. When Mal talked about what Rory’s dad said to him when he was younger. True love exists. This book definitely makes you believe in it.
I’m totally in love with everything LJ Shen! This book was different than her other books but it was so amazing! It was funny and had a slight weirdness and everything I’ve grown to love about Leigh’s writing. This might possibly be my favorite so far which is really saying something because I’ve been stuck on Vicious since the beginning. I loved having after notes from all the other characters as well as the inanimate objects lol! I think the chocolate bar after note was my favorite!! This book was fun, funny, sad, heartbreaking, so mysterious and so fulfilling! I’m a sucker for an Irish accent and I love imagining them when I read. Mal is my leading man now! He is witty, funny, charming and has such a dirty mouth! Rory is eccentric and she is just as witty as Mal. I love these 2 characters and after all they’ve been through, the secrecy, the distance, and the lies I’m so glad they got their HEA!
I loved this book. The characters were intriguing. Yes, sometimes I wanted to shake, hit or scream at them but overall you rooted for them. Rory and Mal meet by chance and only get to share 24 hrs together. They make a contract on a napkin that if they ever cross paths again they will be together. Eight years later they do cross paths again but they are both very different people, Mal especially. I wanted Mal and Rory to be together but I did have my doubts that it will work out. When all the secrets finally came out and how the past has changed them I was still worried about them. You need to read this book.
4
When I picked up this book, I expected a romantic journey like I’ve come to expect from Mrs. Shen. But this was unlike anything I’ve read from her before.
One thing stayed the same as I found it difficult to stop turning the pages and take a break. I loved certain characters just as much as I loathed others. Rory and Mal shared a “love at first sight” kind of connection. It was a powerful one! But so many events occurred within and around them that kept the angst at the perfect level. There was a cute, comedic element to it that I really enjoyed. I mean one scene had us hearing a cow’s thoughts and point of view. I burst out laughing a few times.
My only real issue was something I can’t explain. For me, there was just something missing but I can’t say what that was. After reading the last page, I was left wanting but just can’t point to what.
I did enjoy it overall and felt nice and warm after reading the epilogue. As usual, I can’t wait for her next release.
This book is a little different then most others by this author. Oh, there is that angstiness, and I don’t know if I’d call him an Alpha-hole, but he definitely is a cocky bastard. The first 30-40% has him coming off a jilted man set out for revenge. I was grinding my teeth through most of it because of his actions. He was apparently justified, albeit he went a little too far in extremes of his actions. But was his justification actually the truth, or just one side of the story? He was acting as judge and jury for the women he felt had wronged him without letting her testify on her own behalf. And all this negativity and bitterness he had towards her was after only knowing each other for one day. She met him while in search of answers about her deceased father, whom she never met, in a country she’s never been to. He couldn’t give her the answers she was looking for, but he gave her his time and attention and lead her to someone else who would ultimately change her life. Needless to say, it takes a little while to really take a liking to his character. She is ultimately innocent in all this, and you do like her and feel her pain when it strikes. (She’s not perfect, but she didn’t deserve what was tossed at her.) This story has many components. Of course there is the romance aspect, as second chance romance, but there is also some mystery surrounding her and her birth father. Also some mystery in regards to his hatred of her and what he thinks she did. There are a few more comedic pieces here and there when the author gives us a POV from some unlikely sources. There is some cheating involved, so if this is a hard limit for you, you may want to proceed with caution. There is also some coerced consent. Due to the sexual content and some of the subject matter, I would recommend this for mature readers. It alternates POVs. It also alternates between the past and present.
Every year there are some books that I wish I could give more than 5 stars to. This year it’s ITUE!! This one has it all. The angst I love, romance, love, hate, deceit and revenge. Oh and it’s funny as hell just when you need a bit of levity. The “ note from a napkin” had me laughing so hard I almost feel off my chair. I enjoyed every moment of Rory and Mal’s story even when it was ripping my heart out. The ending!! Beautiful end to a beautiful story.
WOW. This was absolutely amazing. One of the most well-plotted books I’ve read in a VERY long time. I heard a lot of great things about this book but I am always skeptical when “everyone” loves a book so I waited and waited and yeah this one is SO good. I shouldn’t have waited. If you’ve heard of this book but have been holding off because you think the “omg it’s so amazing” might be overblown. It isn’t overblown.
I listened to the audiobook which is very well narrated! The basic set up… two people have a chance meeting and one amazing night. They sign a contract on a napkin promising if fate brings them together again they will get married no matter what their life situation. Eight years later they meet again. And this book is SO much more than what you think it is. Seriously read this one.
Amusing and entertaining. Loved the narrators. The manipulation was of epic proportions by everyone but Rory. As much as I enjoyed quirky, talented Rory, Mal was the hero of the story. He’s perfectly imperfect. Secretive and a man on a mission. He loves with his whole being. And Rory is his one. She was eight years ago and she is still the one forever today.
Oh My Goodness…this book was absolutely AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL. Holy sh*t, I didn’t expect this to be so… so… HYPNOTIZING… I think this is the perfect word to describe this MASTERPIECE. I just couldn’t stop reading it.
In The Unlikely Event became my favorite book of L.J Shen. She just outdid herself with this one. It was so unique, completely unlike her other books. Don’t get me wrong, I still love her jerks-heros from her previous books, as I have said in my others reviews of her work, she is my queen when it comes to creating perfect bad boys. But In The Unlikely Event was a very pleasant surprise from her.
After watching the movie P.S. I Love You, I have a weakness for Irish hunks, so it’s not a surprise that Malachy found his way to my heart. He is sweet, playful, and talented. He has something in him that makes me want to melt in his arms and stay there forever. Aurora is also a very fantastic character, one of those I’d like to have as a friend. She is smart, brave, creative. Mal and Rory fit together perfectly and their relationship is full of intense passion. Their sex scenes were so hot that they almost set my Kindle on fire.
This book contains one extraordinary and brilliantly described journey, during which so much happens that you really couldn’t be bored with it. And these side notes containing points of view of different characters (or things) giving a different dimension to the whole story. It was because of them that I couldn’t find the villain in this story.
In The Unlikely Event is an emotional, sometimes heartbreaking, intense, maddening (but only for a second or two), beautiful experience that I recommend to everyone. Whether you like it or not, you will judge it yourself, but Mal and Rory are the characters that you need to know and experience their stories.
When I first read The Kiss Thief, I went crazy and bought a bunch of LJ Shen paperbacks, without knowing if I would enjoy them. So going into this one I had a lot of high hopes that were ultimately met.
In the Unlikely Event tells the story in the present and past, through both Rory and Mal’s perspectives. Most of the book takes place in the present. In the past, they met and after a whirlwind time with one another, they promised to get married if they ever met again, no matter what, or who, was in their lives at the time. Jump forward 8 years, and there Mal is again, in front of her. Only at first he wants revenge for some unknown reason and she is happily dating and wants nothing more to do with them. The more time they spend with one another, the more their pasts and present breaks down. Mal is hiding something and Rory pretends she is truly happy.
There’s an underlying mystery surrounding Rory with this book, something that only she doesn’t know. Top that with Mal’s secret and how everything else seems to happen for a reason. What I liked most about this book was how important every character was. No one was inconsequential, and in the end, everyone was given a voice. Her little “Notes from…:” was often funny, but also super interesting. Like I said, random girl with Mal…She gets her time to talk and explain her story. So with everyone’s mini stories, it builds to be a great book with lots of background from each character.
The sex is hot. The romance is cute. Exactly what you’d expect from this book. A little bit of angst and a whole lot of humor. In the end, this is a great feel-good book for when you want an actual story with it as well.
In the Unlikely Event, you haven’t read this yet, do so now!!!!!!!!
What do you say about a book title In the Unlikely Event…?
Too much, bot enough, and I can’t even begin. Once you fumble through those, your tongue gets tied over ever possible hilarity, heartbreak, and swoony thing all vying for departure at the exact same moment.
If you are able to spit out a conscious, sentient thought, then we did not read the same book.
LJ Shen had a whim. She took it and ran with it. Bow she has hoards of people chasing after her for more because as mind boggling as fate, kismet, and napkin oaths are life wouldn’t be the same without them.
In the Unlikely Event is a beautiful and unimaginable (well to everyone but LJ) adventure that I am still processing. I lived, hated, and hurt throughout it’s pages while also laughing me ass off. You’re thinking I’m suffering from a mental imbalance but alas, its actual a result of In the Unlikely Event. It’s possible LJ has made us all crazy. I actually think it’s highly probable. Why else would I saying I think I need a reread mere minutes after finishing!?!
Maybe I need closure from my new best fecking friends!?! Or maybe I want my own TDAH? ( I have one. He even has an accent. Although, he is pretty short so…)
Whatever calamity has befallen you so that you have not yet one clicked this evidence in the proof of kismet, unconditional love, and sheer fecking will prevails- you need to correct this injustice immediately. Just make sure you clear your schedule because you are not going to want to put this down!
This book was set up differently than LJ’s other books, but if you follow LJ you’d know that upfront. That said, I really enjoyed the core of the story with Mal and Rory. Man did my heart break for them and their circumstances. I really really loved Mal but hated his secrets and secret keeping.
I did appreciate the added commentary by the other characters to fill in some blanks/questions I’m sure most of us had – however that is what added some of that quirkiness.
So, I’ve quite recently discovered the amazing L.J. Shen and her wonderful writing.
I’ve managed to go through all her books in about a week on a serious binge and have been waiting with bated breath for her next book to come out.
In the Unlikely Event did not disappoint. It’s filled with with so much angst, secrets, love heartache, kismet, cow-horses and arsehole sheeps and I literally couldn’t put it down.
5 stars and a meaningful meaningless napkin.
Absolutely amazing.
I loved every second of this book. It was amazingly sweet and heartbreaking. I loved all the little side notes and funny one liners. Truly a must read.