“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?
more
Angst. Heartbreak. Betrayal. Secrets. There is so much of these things in this book that from basically the beginning, my heart was in my throat and I wanted to rush to the end.
Parts of this book are totally insane- in the best possible way. There are scenes that had me laughing out loud. They were the perfect balance to the events that brought me to tears.
LJ Shen writes so much emotion into every book of hers I’ve read. She connects you to the characters and makes you both love and hate them. This is a stand-alone but knowing that hasn’t stopped me from keeping my fingers crossed that some of the other characters just might get their own HEA.
Love is complicated but not as complicated as it is for Rory and Mal. A promise made to each other eight years ago, will they be able to keep it. Ms. Shen’s books are always really good, In the Unlikely Event was beyond excellent. The story was full of angst and many twists and turns. It will make you cry, laugh, yell and scream.
Review copy was received for a honest opinion.
In The Unlikely Event was an unexpected and uniquely different book to what I thought it would be and I mean that in a good way. I liked that I’d never read this style of writing from this Author previously, so that was a nice treat.
Mal and Rory will take you on one hell of a crazy adventure with this story. From their first encounter their chemistry just sizzles it’s full of passion, it’s seductive and exciting.
With a connection that strong, it was impossible not to root for them from the beginning.
I enjoyed this story it was intense and angsty with some fantastic characters you can’t help falling in love with.
Full of secrets, lies, tears, heartache and second chances.
The witty banter and cheeky innuendos made me smile too.
It was addictive reading from start to finish and I loved every eventful minute.
OMG! I love when authors step out of the box and writes something that is totally unique and different, while remaining true to themselves. That is what LJ Shen did with In The Unlikely Event. Its not your typical love story. But let’s face it none of hers are. It was unique and interesting and quirky and freaking hilarious. It was also hot and sexy…Oh my! Fans self, clutches pearls. Did I mention that a napkin and a chocolate bar have a POV?!? Who does that? LJ Shen does it and leaves you begging for more. Wrap that in a cool setting, sprinkle in a bit of mystery and add in quitty banter, a broody, beautiful and at times broken busker and a princess and you have a story that will have you hooked from the start. Thank you LJ for always giving me something I never knew I needed, but once I read, I can’t live without!
This book is so good! Christmas magic set in Ireland! Rory goes to Ireland at eighteen to see her dad’s grave and to get some answers. She does not find them, but she finds Mal, a twenty two year old busker. They make a contract on a napkin that if they meet again, they will marry! Can Aurora Belle Jenkins get her Christmas fairytale or will her snow globe shatter into a million pieces? Leigh Shen weaves one heck of a Christmas story! Loved it!
I loved this book. I think the notes from everyone but Especially The Chocolate Bar. The notes are confessions and some are Hysterical. The where the best parts I thought. Oh The Cow lol ”
Wow Kathleen(KiKi) what a C you next tuesday. I felt bad for her because she wanted the fairytale but settled for second best. Summer you dont know if you should thank her or feel sorry for her. Callum Big O D-Bag totally ..Debbie (Rorys Mom) ,Elaine (Kathleens Mom) Father Doherty and Lara all had their parts to play how a whole town hates a girl that they dont even know to keep secrets that broke so many.
Aurora Belle Jenkins Just wanted to know about her past the other half of her DNA her mom kept alot of who her dad was to keep the peace , keep her from searching .. The Ugly Step Sister always gets The Prince or King.. Princess Aurora of New Jersey
Malachy Doherty hes known all the stories of Glen and his daughters now that shes their in Ireland he trying to figure out how or if he wants to tell her anything. ..The The beggar or Busker”,The King always gets the Queen in the end… King Malacy of Tolka
“Last time we spoke, he was a beggar with no intention of becoming a king.”
“My father told me not to threaten a whore with a dick”
“You remind me of everything my mother wants. And my mother wants all the wrong things.”
“Debbie aka Mom, had always complained that I only went for the last of the litter. The broken, misunderstood, messed-up ones who couldn’t offer me more than heartache and STD’s.”
“Can I tell you a secret?”I’ve a feeling you will, anyways.””I think you were put on this earth to destroy me”
“Usually ,believe it or not, I’m the one people ask permission from. Anyway, I’m not even drunk. This beer? I don’t come here to get pissed, Aurora. I come here because of you.”
“I promise to prove to be wonderfully unstable, with a dash of incompetence and provide you with plenty of unpredictability.”
“It’s like his presence has a presence”
“Stereotypes exist because they have a seed of truth”
“You look like the more beautiful stepsister in Disney movie. The underdog who gets the prince at the end. The one who wasn’t born with the title, but earned it.”
Don’t let your feelings get in the way of facts.”
“What’s eating you? Can’t be me, or you’d have a smile on your face.”
“Letting him double-dip his wiener into the family sauce again is… gut-wrenching.”
“Don’t bother, mate. I’ve seen it so close I can recognize it in a lineup.”
“A NOTE FROM THE CHOCOLATE BAR ..Best.Day.Ever”
“She has my heart. I have my dick.”
“I loved you when you hated me, I loved you when I thought you were indifferent to me, and I loved you when you were on the fence about me. But when I realized you loved me back? All bets were off”
“You’re a pig,”she whispers,
“Then you’re my shit”
MALACHY DOHERTY….YES, PLEASE!!!
It seems like I’ve been waiting on this book, forever….way before I even knew what the letters ITUE represented….and, probably, because it drove me crazy not knowing…..But, LJ Shen’s, IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT, was well worth the wait….
Talented, gorgeous, Irish poet, Malachy Doherty is…..just hot!!! ….He’s a broke, singer/songwriter who is busking for food when photographer, Aurora Belle Jenkins, in Ireland on a personal quest, locks eyes with him for the first time….Their connection is immediate and intense….and their bumpy journey begins with 24 hours together, a cocktail napkin, a promise, and Rory catching a flight back to America with no plans to see each other again…
We get a little peek at Ms. Shen’s sense of humor inside this “fecking” hot love story……..And we get EVERYONE’S POVs….including the aforementioned cocktail napkin, a cow, a couple of dead people, and a chocolate bar with the Best. Line. Ever….
It’s a little different from LJ Shen’s previous books in some ways, but, it’s still pure LJ Shen….. And let me just say, LJ Shen is the “shite!”
“Isn’t that the essence of love? Find someone worth killing for? Someone with the power to ruin you?
In the Unlikely Event was like a breath of fresh air; this read was unlike anything L.J. Shen has ever written. Hilariously funny, quirky, angsty & unique. Mal and Rory take you on this journey with them.. their story spans years.. it’s full of secrets, family drama, multiple POV’s & napkin contracts. I could not put this book down! ::insert image of me enthusiastically clapping my hands here::
ITUE was a one-of-a-kind read that had me laughing, crying, yelling at my kindle & swooning all over the place. I honestly cannot say enough how much I enjoyed reading this book & I hope that you love it as much as I did
***ARC Provided in Exchange for an Honest Review/ Megan Scandalous Book Blog***
“Life gifts you a second chance of not fecking it up. It can either dim you or make you shine brighter. It’s a great reminder that what we have is rare and fleeting and not to be carelessly wasted.”
Eyes bright and full of colour. Heart racing hard. Face flushed. Mind gone mad. Why? Well that’s my reactions because of In the Unlikely Event. Magical words full of wonder. Stories coming alive word by word. Characters with beautiful layers told effortlessly. Scene echoing brightly page by page. Wow, I am speechless. Wow, I am so floored. L.J. Shen, what have you done to me? You created beauty. You created a book so freaking epic. I am in awe. I read every single book by L.J. Shen. Let me tell you, her talent is immeasurable. She breaks barriers left , right and center with books that touch every single inch. In the Unlikely Event is phenomena with an out of this world storyline you do not want to miss.
In the Unlikely Event is a brilliant standalone from the talented L.J. Shen. A spellbind book that made me go bonkers mad. I even forgot my name a couple of times. Hahaha. ITUE is spicy and tantalizing read that stole my heart and soul. Every single word filled my heart with utter happiness. I was absolutely basking in the light of ITUE. ITUE is a drug, giving a high of bliss and joy. A heart crippling monumental experience. An angsty story with claws digging into your heart. ITUE shot an arrow straight to my heart. I am a mess. Emotionally. L.J. Shen can write her whole grocery list as a book and I will inhale like it’s my favourite drug. Her writing breaks all the boundaries. Her writing just opens your heart. Crazy. Insane. Eccentric. Captivating. In the Unlikely Event is a sensational story with a twisted romance that blew my mind. A L.J. Shen- esque rom com full of wit, sassiness, emotion, deceit, lies and sexiness. A topsy turvy romance with a different vibe you can’t help but fall in love. A hilarious and strange reading experience I will never forget.
Every character L.J. Shen writes leaves me breathless. Every single one. With their problems, trials and chemistry, I indulge in their world. Mal and Rory just obliterated my heart. Destroyed it in seconds. I swooned. I smiled like a loom. I laughed till I almost killed my lung. Ok, I am exaggerating here. Don’t mind me. Mal and Rory charmed my heart. Mal with the complexity, sexiness and the alpha hero swag and Rory with the sass, witty comebacks, gave me a wild and unforgettable ride.
L.J. Shen astounds me. I got no words. Just read In the Unlikely Event. Prepare to loss your mind, heart and soul.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
A magical new slow-burn romance from USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author L.J. Shen—just in time for the holidays. Star-crossed lovers, my fave!
One of the most and best challenging reads ever.
E. V. E. R.
Unique meet beautiful meet brilliant meet LJShen
Falling in love took me 2 minutes. Falling out of my mind took me to another universe of storytelling. Falling back to reality took some truly truly great effort… Because I want to dive back in a world with Mal and Rory in it.
I anticipated nothing but everything from that book. My expectations were miles high. And then Leigh Shen came along and even surpassed the bar. I have read through the story and side notes… First time In my life dealt with the emotions of a cow or the thoughts of a napkin and a chocolate bar. My mind like a sponge, my heart like a stress ball in the middle of finals, my soul like a wax figure in the heat of freaking Sierra Nevada.
Because there is a whole world on the other side of your boundaries. And this world makes imperfection look beautiful, robs the mask of perfection to show the deep dark shadows lurking behind, would have made the bestest spring release book of all times regarding the generous hidden Easter eggs letting me freak out with exhilation in the middle of a snotty cry sob moment. The way to show you layers of a story in – I use it again – an unique and surprising way, you never expect, the author has changed the angle of a straight story… Heros are no heroes anymore, villains are no villains at all but they are… Kind of… Chocolate bars… Don’t get me started on that one.
What this book can do for your future: Because there is more than one lesson of self education hidden between the pages:
Do not not NOT judge persons by their shiny or slimy exterior.
Do not and never and under no circumstances doubt your heart.
Do not (big no no) play with food.
And most important:
Just do not even entertain the idea of missing out on this story.
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.
This star crossed lovers romance is addictive! But then again so is every book that LJ writes! I am in love and left with all of the feels – which is exactly why I read romance! A million stars and then some!
I have a deep love for when authors branch out and try something new. When they step outside their comfort zone, and just go for it. L.J. Shen did that with IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT, and I’m so glad she did.
This trope has been done before, it’s 2nd chance romance, and mixed with “not now but someday” storyline. I’ve always said that 2nd chance romance is not one of my favorites. I know I do read it but I don’t seek it out, or jump on them when I do run across them. That being said, I think she took these things and made them her own. This is angst filled, raw, honest, and just so turbulent that you can’t put it down.
Malachy and Aurora were two souls that were so meant to be, so intense, and just so destined to be together. Malachy did steal any scene he was in. He’s brooding but endearing qualities made it hard not to fall for him. Aurora was so sassy and sweet, I just adored her. There is nothing about these two that did not check every box I had.
I look forward to the next time L.J. Shen decides to step outside of her “box,” and give us another book to lose our minds over.
I am feeling a little lost right now because usually when I’ve read a book written by this author, I want to scream from the rooftops just how incredible it is, but having just finished In The Unlikely Event, this time I don’t feel that way. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoyed the story, but it didn’t have me wishing I could click on 6 stars which I usually want to do. In this instance I’m leaning more towards 3.5 stars because I missed being totally absorbed in the story and having a connection myself with the characters, which is such a shame.
The first half of the book I honestly didn’t want to have to step away from. I loved all the anticipation, and desperately wanted to know what secrets were being kept and how they would affect Rory. I enjoyed the way that L.J. Shen wrote the book, especially having the thoughts of secondary characters inserted at appropriate times to give us more understanding of a situation.
I also loved the lessons that this book teaches us. There is so much to take away from this story, in particular how the actions of people, no matter how well intended, can actually do more harm than good. Mal and Rory have a connection that made me want them find their HEAs together, but there were so many obstacles standing in their way that I honestly didn’t know which way their relationship was going to go.
In The Unlikely Event is a great story that deserves to be read. I know that you’ll love Rory and Mal, they are amazing people who make mistakes like all humans do. What matters is learning from them, and being able to forgive and move forward.
L.J. Shen consistently delivers stories that readers clamor for, and ITUE is another great examples. This slow burn star-crossed lovers contemporary romance covers love, loss and letting the love of your life go…just so you could win them back. It’s magical an perfect for the holidays, or any time in your life when you want to be transported by incredible prose and masterful storytelling!
I’m not even sure where to start. I guess the beginning is good. This book started out like any other L.J. book. So, I settled in for this unbelievable ride I was about to go on. I mean the emotions she puts us through are sometimes a little too much for the heart. And in true L.J. fashion she was messing with my emotions. I’m not even sure where this happened in the story but, all the sudden we had another POV and I was like what the!!!!! but I rolled with it. I came to look forward to the other “POV’s” When you read it, you’ll understand. I don’t even know how to classify this book. Like most of her books, I had to message my friend yelling and screaming because at times it was just too much. I went from totally loving main character to wanting to decapitate him and then back to love again. There were times I cheered for the main female character and pushed her along the right patch in my head and there were times when I just wanted her to say, “Screw all of you”! There were parts of this book where I was laughing out loud, and not because it was a sappy rom-com. The humor was very sarcastic and dry and fit this story so well. This was a very different story then we’re used to from this author and a VERY different way of telling it for her and it was Brilliant!
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.
“To burn under your fingertips, I think, is to come alive.”
This story is unlike anything LJ Shen as ever written and even though I thought I was ready for Mal and Rory, I was nowhere near it. With every word and every book LJ Shen writes she never fails to amaze me and leave me breathless.
“Everyone is broken. Some show it more than others.”
I laughed, I cried and I was left speechless and shocked. We have secrets, betrayals, heartache, pain, deceit, love, longing and something else, something a little darker. We get to hear from more than one voice and I absolutely loved it!! I will not lie, some characters I really didn’t like. I actually kinda hated them but that’s one of the things that makes this story amazing. It sucks you into the pages and you feel as if you are living there right along with them. Believe all the hype with this book. It definitely delivers a unique story that you will want to read again and again.
“Loving someone is willingly accepting that they can destroy you.”
~Read on behalf of Two Darlin Dolls and a Book Review Blog
Well, this one is different. That’s for sure. It’s a rare balance of comedy, angst, heartbreak and all different sorts of love. It’s also a side of LJ Shen that you’ve never seen before.
The myriad of POV’s is both entertaining and hilarious, several of them made me laugh out loud. It was unique and refreshing to read other people’s stories in the middle of a tragic love story.
The truth is, Rory is about as close to a perfect female lead that I’ve ever read. She’s resilient, loyal, forgiving, kind and a dreamer. None of the story would’ve planned out if it wasn’t for her believably beautiful spirit. I mean, sure… Mal steals the show. He’s a tortured artist swimming in guilt and broken promises. He’s as gorgeous as he is damaged. What’s not to love? He comes in strong and despite his constant fumbling and mistakes, manages to end even more brilliantly. These two together are kismet magic.
I really enjoyed this story. It was a little wild, a lot crazy, totally fascinating and utterly unpredictable. It managed to keep me on my toes, to constantly surprise me with new revelations, realizations and reluctant romance. This is a wonderful holiday story that is sure to keep you warm this season.