Greyson Ratcliffe. I met him at sixteen, the hot new guy sitting on my jetty, an aspiring artist just passing through. He was my first kiss and my first love. I wanted forever with him. I didn’t even get a year.Five years later, I’m a budding writer who scripts stories of love and struggle, the good and the bad and the ups and the downs. He’s a star on the rise—his wicked talent and crazy good … crazy good looks have his face plastered on countless magazines. We move in two different worlds and still our paths cross again. We’re older and wiser and as crazy about each other as we had been as teenagers.
My medium is words and my imagination is limitless, but not even I could have written the incredible journey we traveled to reach our happily-ever-after. Life isn’t like fiction, and the greatest love stories don’t follow a script.
Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
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“A life without love isn’t a life worth protecting.”
L.A. Fiore never fails to put my emotions through a wringer. She is also guilty of weaving stories within stories so that she takes me on a journey I’m not expecting, even when I’ve read enough of her work that I should be expecting it. I love her surprises.
When they first met, she was 16 yrs. old and Greyson was 18 yrs. old. She found him sitting on her jetty. It was her place, where she went to be alone and write her stories. She’d never seen anyone else there before, and she might have been upset at the invasion if she hadn’t been struck dumb by his presence. The attraction she felt for the stranger was immediate and confusing. She didn’t even know his name but she’d already written a love story in her head before she actually met him.
Greyson was just passing through on his way to pursue his career as an artist. His grandfather insisted he finish high school before he left, so he was just biding his time. He didn’t think anything would make him want to delay his dream, but leaving her was the hardest thing he’d ever done… but he did it.
It was so sweet watching the teenagers fall for each other. The notes in lockers, walking to class, and the first kiss. The first visit to the #EraserRoom. She wasn’t the only one envisioning their forever, I was guilty of the same thing. Just like her, I knew he wasn’t staying, but I fell for him anyway. And right along with her, I was devastated when he left.
I also fell in love with many of the support characters. Especially the twins. L.A. Fiore, if you are reading this, pretty please give them their own book. I neeeedddd to see them fall in love. You could even do it with just one book and make it a menage, I’m okay with that. Please?
Let me tell you, I practically held my breath the whole time she and Grayson were separated. Biting my nails and my lip, sooooo anxious for them to find each other again. But of course, the author doesn’t make it easy for her readers. No, we must yearn and worry and wait and just when we think everything is fine, it’s not. I’m considering investing in a defibrillator to have on hand before I start reading her next book, just in case my heart stops again. But no worries, you couldn’t stop me from devouring whatever she decides to tackle next. The line forms here…
Audiobook version:
This was such a great and heart warming story~ I loved every second of it. It was great how up followed the characters for most of their life vs a small chunk of time. Their love was an absolute please to watch develop.
The narration was awesome! Tracy and Aaron do a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life! Aaron’s Irish accent was… well…. just plain yummy! They were a great team for a wonderful story!
AMAZING!!! This book was everything I was hoping it would be. I laughed, I cried, I yelled, but most of all I fell in LOVE!!
This story was all about the journey of two young teenagers and finding a forever love!! This book spans over the course of many years. I loved the journey that L.A. Fiore took us on.
What a total SWOON fest!!! This is truly what a romance novel should be like. Characters you can fall in love with and feel what they feel and a storyline that lets you escape into a fairytale world, without it being over the top!!! L. A. Fiore brings me into the worlds she creates with every book I read of hers. Her stories are the true definition of escapism.
This book was slightly different than what she has given us in the past. It is truly focused on the love story between Alexis and Greyson and not so much the suspense/mystery of the story, like she does in her other books. But this totally worked for Alexis and Greyson.
I also loved that we follow them from their High School years and well into adulthood. She kept the story flowing and moving so nothing dragged out. Sometimes when there are time jumps in a story you feel like you are missing out on something, but that is not the case in this book.
I was completely sucked into this story and the lives of Alexis and Greyson. Right from the start you will have a hard time putting this book down. What I love the most about L.A. Fiore’s writing is how she captures the true essence of the story and setting she is writing it in. She makes you feel like you are right there. She also gives us relatable characters and storylines. Even though the journey for Alexis and Greyson wasn’t always easy, it felt real. You’ll understand that better after you have read this story.
I would 100% recommend this book to all ROMANCE lovers!!! If you love a story that will sweep you off your feet then this is the book to read. Everyone NEEDS to meet Greyson Ratcliffe. He will make your heart flutter and your panties melt 😉 I could probably talk all day about this book, but I don’t think my words can do it justice and I don’t want to ruin the experience for any other readers. This is a MUST READ!!!
This is definitely going on my BEST OF 2018 List. I know this is a book I will read over and over again in the future.
I just finished Our Unscripted Story this morning, sitting at my desk in my classroom, praying that my eyes no longer look red and puffy when my students enter the room. I truly cannot express how much I adored Alexis and Greyson’s love story; it’s emotional…it’s passionate…it’s as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking…it’s a first love, last love book that illustrates just how powerful a connection can be formed with just one look…one word…one embrace. L.A. Fiore takes her readers on one hell of an epic journey – one that not only spans decades and continents, but also provides readers with a clear view of just how much people are willing to sacrifice when it comes to the people they love, even if it destroys them in the process.
Alexis and Greyson’s story began when they were teens and even though they took their own paths, which separated them for a significant amount of time, they promised one another they would find their way back because a love like theirs was meant to last forever, so as their story unfolds, it’s divided into three parts, and those parts show readers their lives as young adults, their individual lives as they work to achieve their dreams and goals, and the moments when their lives become one again, building off of their bond that was formed all those years ago and adding a deeper connection – one where promises and vows are made, which tether them together always, despite the obstacles and difficulties that force their way in and threaten to undo everything they’ve built since they were teens.
Alexis Owens is an incredibly strong heroine who uses her imagination and her words to help her cope with the reality of her childhood, and it’s that ability that allows Alexis to remain positive and hopeful despite the neglect…despite the loneliness…despite her unwavering desire to have the fairy tale life that she so easily loses herself in on a daily basis. But her life is not always a struggle; in fact, when Greyson Ratcliffe enters her life she finds her soul mate, and even though she understands that their paths will lead them away from each other, it’s with the understanding that their love will not dull even when they’re apart because one fateful meeting is all it took to know that there will come a time again when they will be together forever.
Greyson Ratcliffe is an amazing artist who captures beauty in every piece that he creates, but where he finds his home is in Alexis’ enchanting eyes. Greyson is driven to succeed and it’s that determination that not only makes him a successful artist but it’s what allows him to endure the years that Alexis is not by his side. Greyson is everything a hero should be, and it’s not because of his gorgeous physical appearance. He’s kind, giving, and so in love with Alexis that he only ever sees her…she’s his end game…she’s his everything, so even though they spent five years apart, she’s never far from his mind and she definitely never leaves his heart.
‘Life wasn’t like the fiction I wrote. It didn’t follow a script; it didn’t have a formula. Our story was still being written, unscripted, real…’
Alexis’ words will resonate with readers because she understands just how ‘unexpected’ life can be, and she sure as heck would not have scripted her separation from her parents, her mistreatment by her foster parents, or the heartbreak that comes into her life. Life is real. Life is difficult. Life is impulsive. Life is all about weathering the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the losses and the gains. And it’s that idea that drives both Alexis and Greyson to make the events of their life as full and as passionate as they can, and while sometimes, life throws them a curveball, they work that much harder to roll with the punches until the reality of their lives positions them together with a lifetime to create their story – one that began with one look and hopefully will end just as it began that day they first noticed each other and made their dreams a reality.
I can’t end my review without mentioning the secondary characters who become Alexis and Greyson’s family. The Cantenellis, Paige and Grant and their daughters, and Greyson’s grandfather, Callum, add so much to Alexis and Greyson’s life: history, love, support, and a multitude of memories that will last a lifetime. And it’s those bonds that help both Alexis and Greyson to cope with the loss of their parents, the loss of one another for those five years, and they are definitely the people who have their backs, call them out on their lunacy and give them a place to safely fall when things become too overwhelming. Alexis and Greyson may not have had their parents with them as they grew up and became successful, but they were not without family, and it’s the ones who choose to be with you that come to mean everything.
Every time I enter one of L.A. Fiore’s stories, I’m swept away by her beautiful words…by her descriptive storytelling…by her multifaceted characters. Her love stories illustrate just how much work a relationship takes as well as just how much a love like that is worth the heartache, the pain, and the fear that come with giving someone else your heart. There’s definitely a risk in loving someone so intensely because a life without them isn’t worth living, but to not have experienced that kind of love, regardless of the amount of time you have together, is a fate worse than loneliness.
Alexis and Greyson’s story is one that will stay with me for quite some time, and there’s a bevy of reasons why, but the one idea that I keep coming back to is the fact that Our Unscripted Story is an honest and open love story – one that allows both main characters to find their own successes and one that allows them a way back to one another. It’s a hopeful story despite the sadness, and it’s one spectacular love story despite their time apart and the missteps they take when they’re together.
It’s amazing what can be made with words and hands alone, and whether it be a work of art, a fictional story, or family’s history brought to life, all mediums provide the imagination the limitless opportunity to explore, to create, and to cherish.
5+ Poison Apples
Do you ever read a romance book and wish it gave you more than a year of their love story, and maybe that snippet of a one year later? Do you ever wish you could go on the full journey wish them, their full life because it is a life to you, they are real to you, you care as if they are real and you relate to them the way you do perfectly crafted characters, and you just need more?
I’m a little conundrum because I want and need that with every book I read, but I also normally lose interest when a book spans over a year. I’m not sure if it’s my short attention span (oooh look a puppy!) or that when books do this they risk getting a little slow or tedious, but I never once felt that with Our Unscripted Story. Instead, I got everything I never dreamed to hope for in a love story. We get a journey of love, family loyalty and sacrifice that spans decades. We get angst, heartache, beautiful, soul destroying symmetry, and a book that leaves you feeling like your heart might explode from all that you’re feeling.
… Plus there’s a really, really, really cute rescue kitten. Don’t judge me okay?!
There is so much depth, history and culture to this book. I love that the girl who always wished for a family ends up with friends that are family to her, that would move mountains for her and get through the hardest moments, and that she falls in love with a boy with centuries of recorded family history that she’s enveloped in.
The love that Alexis and Greyson share is a heart wrenching journey that had me feeling all the feels, that had me terrified that a classic Fiore plot twisting, oh f***moment was around the corner, and that often had me sobbing into my kindle. And I’m talking snot crying. I mean, I understand no one can possibly cry attractively, but I turned into a snot monster with the amount of sobbing that went down. And now my face hurts. From crying. Did you know that’s possible? Like my tears have hurt my skin. Thanks, Satan (yes I’m talking to you Liz).
Getting through the emotionally gruelling parts of this book is a battle, and I would certainly not judge you if wine or ice cream played a part in you handling those parts, but it’s a battle worth winning. It’s a journey worth every beautiful, lyrical word. And it’s an unforgettable love story that shouldn’t be missed!
Sorry for what probably seems like the most overly dramatic review ever but I’m really glad I wrote this straight after reading it because one; closure. You think I’m joking. I could not sleep until I wrote this. It is 2am and I am awake because I couldn’t sleep until I got the closure I needed by finishing the book, and then the closure I needed by writing this review regardless of the time. Fiore always makes my heart hurt. And two; I hope I’ve managed to convey the raw beauty, love and life explored within the pages. Our Unscripted Story is a love story to span decades, that shows you the continuing lives of a small town and the beautiful family that was created there; because blood doesn’t make a family.
And also the really cute cat!
On second thought, feel free to judge me because I definitely don’t think the cat was supposed to be such a focal point of the story or my review. But regardless, I do hope my review does justice to this book, and all I can say now is that your life will be incomplete without it.
Okay maybe a tad overly dramatic there. But your kindle library DEFINITELY won’t be complete without it.
L.A.Fiore presents Emotional sketches and Diaries full of Sentiments in Our Unscripted Story. There’s no other way to describe it. Her deft hands type the words that just fastened to my heart. Can’t believe I hadn’t read her before or my “Friends” didn’t force me to read her before. I’ve had the fortune of meeting Ms. Fiore a couple of times and she’s been very generous and gracious to us and hence my need to kick myself repeatedly, is pretty strong. I’m gonna make up for it for sure, LA!!!
Back to the story. The ardour and fervour displayed just makes your heart soar and you get to experience the fevers of first love again, heart thumping, adrenaline boosting rush of emotions that will hook you and make you remember your first crush and first love.
There’s a town of Mendecino , where there’s a Jetty. One fine day a beautiful young girl, Alexis Owens, all of sixteen and stars in her eyes, meets the boy who’ll occupy her thoughts and words for the rest of her life.
“Greyson, from the moment I saw him, has been like that favorite tune you can’t stop humming; he’s a part of me, the very best part.”
Grayson Ratcliffe recalls the day in a a different way, albeit the effect is identical
“She entered my life on a beat-up second-hand bike and from the moment I saw her, she was it. She’s my heart.”
“She’s my muse.”
Of all the towns, on all of West coast, he had to land in hers!!!
They couldn’t be more different socially, yet their hearts are so perfectly aligned, it’s like cosmos shifted the planets to make way for them. Right from the onset, their thoughts, tastes, likes & dislikes match. They’re kindred spirits meant for each other.
The story spans 20 years and we bear witness to sprouting of seedlings of love, thier nurturing into saplings and as the love grows and forests around them, getting thicker and denser, Greyson & Alexis are entwined in souls, inseparable in limbs. Life tides drift them apart, and they keep crossing paths off and on.
His dream of making it big in Art world and her dream of “The ultimate dream is to win an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay based on my international best seller.” forks their paths. They run parallel and sometimes their Ships pass in the night
She’s been creating characters in her mind as a coping mechanism, ever since she was abandoned as a two year old. Why? …..(Read The Book) . Her wounds, painful and abcessive, are soothed by words that
embalm her damaged heart. That’s how she starts scripting her love story.
I could admit deep down I was lonely. My birth parents abandoned me and my foster parents didn’t see me. I lived in my head so much because I was happier there.
Two things I MUST mention here.
It could’ve gone really heavy and depressively sad, but LA gives Alexis a helluva sense of humour. That girl is hilarious and uncoordinated, her mouth and brain stumbles over words and inappropriately mouths them out loud. Which makes it a very fun read
“I had our entire lives planned in the three minutes before the bell rang.
Secondly,and very unprecedented actually, the H & h are very open and in sync. They read each others thoughts, almost completeing each others sentences, so much so that there’s no room for misunderstandings! . This concept or clarity of emotions was so novel and fresh , I almost fell for them again. All along the books you read couples split apart due to stupid and frivolous misunderstandings, just to create drama, where there’s none.
This dynamic alone had me fangirling hard! This added to the perfectionism of their coupling.
“Promise you’ll always be around to talk me off the ledge.”“I promise. You promise me you’ll always be around for me to talk off the ledge.”
Easiest promise ever. I kissed him and said against his lips, “I promise.”
Their love story is stuff of Legends. Legends belonging to ancient times complete with castles, foggy moors, ancestral paintings and lost family heirlooms.
Now to the characters.
Alexis Owens I could feel in my bones, like she was me. I was her!!
Very smart and funny, vulnerable as a peach . She redesigns her own family .
Paige & Grant including Tara, Amanda & Heather are her family
Dylan & Dominic Cantanelli are almost her brothers.
Finn I wanted to read more about.
Mr. & Mrs. Cantanellis provide warm embraces that should belong to parents
Grayson Ratcliffe is a noble soul, loves so entirely, I was jealous of Alexis . His heart beats ONLY for Alexis, sees ONLY her, paints ONLY her. *sigh*
He’s a Legendary Lover, very clear in his choice, solid in his stance
Their love starts, slows, goes dead, jump starts, breaks and sometimes bends. It’s never a dull moment between them…Aye!
Life interrupts them a lot and many trials and tribulations later their Unscripted Love Story gets written
I wanted two more things from this book, if I may be so impudent in suggesting Ms Fiore
I wanted more upheaval and twists and blind turns.
Secondly more about his groupies/fans. Background, parallel narratives and their frenzied fandom.
But I loved the story. Her writing is so refined and smooth, I didn’t wanna step away, even for a second. The characters she creates occupied my thoughts 24/7. I was rooting for them, cheering them on, crying for them and wanted to slap Grayson couple of times!
All good things come to an end and so did the book, but I’ll pick her earlier work
5 Mo Chuisle (My Pulse) stars
I just finished reading “Our Unscripted Story” and I find myself writing one of my “Dear Author” reviews simply because it is hard not to address you personally with what I have to say.
Congratulations – simply because you just “ran over” Ms. Hoover on the pole position of the ugly cry reads. She was holding that No 1 position since she made me cry in reading under 10% of Confess…. YOU … on the other hand only needed 5% – so yeah there is that.
And there might be a second writing Oscar going to you because you kept me crying the longest during a book in … well (#MeThinking) – I guess this is a first as I cannot remember ever crying this long. I really had a problem reading for a few chapters ( I already told you which chapters that were so I do not need to spoiler this to the other readers here ) …
I really hope I get a chance sometime to discuss with you face to face what your writing does to readers like me. Sure – I already had an idea because – hey lets face it – you have a writing style that is not that easy to forget. And probably the playlist you placed in front of the story should have also warned me because of “Supermarket Flowers”
When I read your book “A Glimpse of the Dream” I thought it would be impossible to ever recreate that feeling between the leads that you managed in that book. But again Greyson and Alexis will take the readers on a journey that covers a lot of time and develops over years which is one of your signature traits and I love it when you do that. . But you not only did that – no you did more – for spoiler reasons I cannot tell the fellow readers what evoked that feeling in me but I think this book just took a space in my heart and will remain there.
This book covers – space and time and I have a hard time deciding which characters were the best ones. As strange as it may sound I think I would like to know Grant’s story and I also sense a story behind the twins.
Greyson is simply incredible but if you would force me to pick a favorite than you would receive an answer that probably would be another first. As I cannot remember ever picking a female as my favorite.
But here I am Team Alexis ALL THE WAY.
This girl is just unbelievable, dedicated, honest, loyal and simply incredible.
Your characters are the most alive ones I encountered in a long time.
I agree with you … you do not simply let a person READ your books. No – your readers have to work for it. The story does not simply come to them – your readers have to go there and pick it up … dive inside, hold on tight while they will suffer (and believe me they will) and the characters will stick with the readers until they are finished with them – not the other way around.
The plot asked for things to happen and I as a reader expected things to go a certain way… I was looking over my shoulder always worried THIS would be the moment – but the plot was so wide spread that it is impossible to keep your eyes on every string so I was never prepared for what actually happened no matter how hard I tried.
Our Unscripted story had my laughing and crying
It ripped my heart out and patched it together again
Just to shred it to pieces as soon as I felt it would be safe to breath again
I recommend a huge box of tissues, chocolate, tea/coffee or even something stronger to go with it. To complete the setting I suggest a blanket, a candle or if you have a fireplace.
You know through this story I was worried it wasn’t going to feel the same as all her others had because I didn’t cry early on, or breakdown, which for the majority of her stories that have happened. But wow it felt the same and oh wow, I cried. It hit me in the feels and the feels are beautiful. L.A. Fiore really knows how to get me and it was totally unexpected. Well, sort of unexpected.
This story follows Alexis and Greyson over a span of their life from meeting when they were kids to when they are together as adults. It is also told in two points of views being Greyson and Alexis. You can always tell whose point of view you are in which is good and when there is a time jump it is also very well shown that there has been which is good. So there is no confusion over that.
I loved Alexis I found although she had a big situation in terms of her foster family she still tried to make the best out of the other people around her. I loved her little family that she created with her neighbours and across the street and various other people. I loved her personality and how she was still willing to carry on with her dream, I also love that when Greyson did leave to do his art career she carried on. I loved seeing her do the writing for her plays and I liked how her little side project turned into something big for Greyson.
Greyson was so romantic although stubborn through a lot of this book, I loved how he called Alexis his muse it was so sweet and cute! I loved how he talked about his art and how much he was willing to change his life to be with Alexis when she was in New York. I also loved his family history and especially about the jewel which will make sense when you read this book!
I fell in love with the plot, it was such a sweet romantic story and it did, of course, set me up for that heartbreak, broke my heart and put it back together again. I loved everything. I feel like this turned into a gush post but I’m not ashamed of that. This was an absolutely fabulous book and L.A. Fiore did not disappoint with her latest release! A beautiful romance!
A beautiful soul consuming story that feels real. Love Alexis and Greyson from the first word till the last word. L.A. Filed some a phenomenal job writing this book.
I think my heart was bleeding while reading this book. Gut wrenching, heart warming, just phenomenal!!
This story will have you at the prologue and you won’t want to stop. I had to put it down a few times to meditate on what I just read and get my heart ready for more.
An amazing love story with heartache, joy, suspense and so many other emotions all wrapped up in a perfect package!
“My wish for you is to sing when you bake, to talk to the flowers, to walk in the rain, dance in the streets, to love until it hurts and most of all to live every day like it’s your last.”
This book to me was like watching a movie play out in my head. Her words go straight to your heart. It reminded me of a Nicholas Sparks book but better. Your emotions will be all over the place and you will be hanging on every word. This is my favorite so far of 2018 and will read it over and over. Alexis wasn’t lucky enough to have a happy childhood but, was lucky enough to find a wonderful “family” across the street. They helped her to see not all people are bad and feel loved. They helped to mold her into the woman she becomes. Few are lucky enough to find love at first sight. I was and so was Alexis. Greyson was in the right place at the right time, her spot. He is everything you could want in a man but, their story isn’t an easy one. I hope you love this story as much as I did.
4.5 stars
I adored this book. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and Our Unscripted Story was everything I was hoping it was going to be.
Alexis and Greyson meet as teenagers and fall in love but their timing isn’t right. Loving each other enough to encourage them both chase their dreams means they need to do that alone. Over the years it seems like it’s one thing after another keeping them apart and it frustrated me in the best way possible. I was completely consumed with their story and was rooting for them all the way through.
This is a beautiful story of a first love that’s worth fighting for and i absolutely loved both Alexis and Greyson characters and their story.
A beautiful captivating story of young love to forever love. As usual, this author writes in such wonderful detail that you feel like your living it with the characters. And what characters. Just superb! From our couple to the entire cast of family, friends and villains. I have a soft spot for long haired artists and Greyson was perfection. So swoon worthy and Irish! The strong, courageous, heartbroken and slightly quirky Alexis was a lovely creation. This was quite the emotional journey of not only love and success but heartbreak, tragedy and triumph. I’m not a cryer but this did twist my heart a few times so be prepared for the angst. I even liked the bit of Irish mysticism. As with any great love story there is some predictability in this one but we so love our HEAs
This was an amazing story to read! Oh, I smiled, I laughed, I was sad, but mostly it gutted me. I LOVED IT! So thankful to my daughter who gifted me a copy, because she knew I needed to read Our Unscripted Story!
Sometimes you get an arc of an ok book. It’s fun and you move on. Sometimes you get a not so great arc and you struggle to read it b/c OMG it’s so boring. THEN there are times when you get an ARC that ROCKS YOUR FUCKING WORLD. THAT is this book. I wasn’t sure going in. But from chapter 1 I knew this book would leave me with the most delicious book hangover.
We meet Alexis when she is 2. I was a bit hesitant not having a clue where this story was starting and where it would lead. The tears were so fucking fast.
You jump in time, you go from meeting Alexis at two and end with her at 40/41. This is a love journey like no other.
Then when Alexis is 16 she and us meet Greyson. Oh.My.Bob is he amazing. A-fucking-mazing. Definitively in the top 10 of book boyfriends. (yes later in the book he does a dick move, but you know his heart behind the move)
Let’s talk about the side characters. The twins, Dylan and Dominic; Paige, Grant, and the girls. You have Debbie the bitch, Callum the grandfather we all want, Colin who kinda pops in and out but helps move the story.
GAH, I could go on, I should go on, but I need (NEED) you to read this story for yourself.
~I volunteered to read an advance copy
4.5 stars!
Second chance romances are truly stories that L.A. Fiore can weave together to captivate a reader. Our Unscripted Story was no different. She gives Grayson and Alexis a foundation of love that enables the characters to endure all of the heartache and obstacles life puts in their way.
This is a story that grips you from the start, tugs at your heart strings, brings tears to your eyes and has you routing for the characters to find their happy. Alexis was truly a strong character always finding the silver lining in the worst of situations. Her love never wavering as it was her silent strength.
Grayson….what can I say. L.A. Fiore loves to create swoonworthy men who take a piece of your soul. Artistic, sexy and all consuming are just a few words that help to describe Grayson.
What more can I say……GO #1click! It is truly a beautiful story that will stay with you long after you finish reading.
You can’t look at a cover and blurb like the one on Our Unscripted Story and not want to dive in head first.
The story does not disappoint! Honestly, one of the things I loved the most about this story was it was more of an older fashioned novel, in the form of length. It’s hard to find books that are long enough that things can be really put into the story. Fiore did not let length stop her here and I love that!
But the story as a whole was just beautiful. It really painted a gorgeous picture of the ups and downs of not only love, but of life.
It gave a message of hope, love, and honor. You can’t find many stories as beautiful as this one.
Hands down, one of my favorites from Fiore!
5.5 Stars!
My heart felt as if it would burst, numerous times, while reading Our Unscripted Story; this moving romance felt like an epic tale at times, with all the feels we romance lovers yearn for in our love stories. The sad and shocking prologue foreshadowed what was to come, giving us a smidgeon of what to expect, in a story that will stay with me for some time. I’m including it on my Top Read on 2018 list.
“Life isn’t like fiction, and the greatest love stories don’t follow a script.“
There’s so much both characters go through, especially Alexis, so I won’t go into too much detail about the story, so you can experience it yourselves. It starts off when Alexis Owens is two years old and we see little snippets of her painful early childhood, one that sets her off on the path she’ll lead later on. The story takes off when she’s a sixteen year old junior in high school and meets Greyson Ratcliffe, a seventeen year old senior who just moved to Mendochino, Ca from Ireland. One look was all it took for Greyson to know she was it for him.
“The day was coming when I would have to let her go, but I’d always have this…my girl who claimed my heart with no more than a look.”
Knowing they’ll have to separate when Greyson graduates, as they both want to accomplish their dreams; Greyson as an artist and Alexis to go to college and become a writer. They make a promise to one another:
“Promise me if we lose touch, you’ll look me up. A year, two, ten.”
These two are separated, for years and by oceans at times, but I was always hopeful they’d find their way back to each other and keep their promise. All this pre pre-social media, cell phones and other ways we take for granted to keep in touch.
“Our paths will definitely cross again. This thing between us is just getting started.”
Told in alternating dual POV; it’s my favorite story narrative, I love “seeing” both perspectives and it gives me a gleam of what the other is thinking. This story takes place over various decades, with astonishing highs and gut-wrenching lows, and more twists than I ever imagined. I stayed up late into the night to finish it, and cried myself to sleep, feeling wrung out by all the emotions I felt while reading it.
“My heart is within you”
Sigh!
I loved this book, the characters, their journey, unending love and beautiful story. I laughed and I cried and I felt their love! I highly recommend it!
Wow! I was not prepared for the emotional journey L.A. Fiore was going to take me on. It was stunning…she broke my heart and then tenderly put it back together.
From the very beginning, Alexis held a special place in my heart. Her spirit was incredible, and her imagination is what helped her survive. Her imagination has no boundaries, and when she sees Greyson Ratcliffe she makes up all sorts of stories in her mind, mostly involving them as a couple. She convinces herself that will never happen, especially because she zones out whenever she is near him.
Greyson has moved to the states from Ireland to begin his career as a successful artist, but his grandfather (whom I adore by the way) wants him to finish high school. He knows his time in the small coastal town has an expiration date, so he has no intentions of getting involved with a girl, that is, until he sees Alexis. Something about her just pulls him in, and he can’t resist.
There were so many things I loved about this book. The first part reads like a sexy young adult romance. Fiore taps into those emotions of first love, and it made me remember that special time in my life. However, Alexis and Greyson won’t get their HEA until much later, after having their hearts broken, and having to work so hard to get it. Their journey is very much like real life…it is full of joy, sadness, love, hardships, hope, redemption, and second chances.
There is so much more that happens within the pages of this book, and as I hinted at before, parts will completely break your heart. Just know that out of the sadness, there is incredible joy.
It is a beautifully written book and all the parts fit perfectly together from the title to the quotes that Fiore uses at each new part.