It had to be a joke. Any minute now, a van would drive up and Ashton Kutcher would slide the door open, laughing hysterically at my melodramatic performance on the front porch. But nothing happened.The words on the page jumbled into a toxic mess my brain refused to comprehend, much less accept. Please consider this letter as a formal request to arrange a paternity test (DNA). I barely remembered … paternity test (DNA).
I barely remembered Chelsea Airy.
That wasn’t true—we’d gone out once, and we’d been friends for a while after. But I hadn’t heard so much as a peep from her since I’d gotten married. I’d reached out a handful of times, but she’d quit responding and fell off the face of the earth. There hadn’t been a text, an email, a phone call, not even a Facebook message, much less a stork in the last five years.
My wife could forgive a lot, but she’d never wanted children—much less another woman’s.
more
Unexpected Arrivals was an unexpected emotional journey. Stephie Walls created characters for this story that as a reader you were able to emotionally invest in. This book had me from the very beginning. I came into this book with an idea that you were getting a love triangle by what i got from the teaser that I read. What i found was there is a triangle of sorts but not one that i could of foreseen.
Having the first part of the book br told from James’s POV was what was needed. You were able to get a sense of the type of person he was and also the love that he had for Cora. Then having the second part of the book split between Chelsea and James’s POV was something that was needed so that you were able to see the way that Chelsea was seeing things. Along with the way that James was doing what he needed to do to make a life with Cora happen. The last part of the book being in Cora’s POV made it so that you were able to see how she took to the changes that came to be.
This is definitly a book that recommend someone that is looking for an emotional gripping read. And one that is a story about love, but also one that has a straight forward HEA, but one that makes you get more connected to the characters.
It’s a heartwarming story of the Breakfast Club James Carpenter ,the love of his life -Cora Chase and their best friend Neil and their journey from Geneva Key to Chapel hill to New York
James meets Cora in high school cafeteria and it’s love at first sight , and HE KNOWS IT TOO ! That’s the finality I loved. James knows he’s staring at his Happily Ever After , right there. No conflict, no doubt. And he treats her as such, never more than an arm’s distance and a kiss away. Cora has been through an upheaval and finds solace in his enveloping arms and solid wide chest, listening to his heartbeat, her own heart finds peace. James is a perfect man, taking care of his girl, being the loyal friend to Neil, he’s just perfect **sigh**
With Cora in my arms and the ocean lapping at our feet, my heart fell, our souls collided, and I’d found the love of my life. At seventeen and a junior in high school, fate—no serendipity—had delivered the missing piece of my rib in the form of Cora Chase.
That the thing about young love, it’s tensile and adaptive in its naivetè . Life throws punches at them, temptations, and career goals threatening their relationships, yet they work through it somehow.
The what ifs creep up between them and they are seperated .
It seemed no matter which way we turned another obstacle moved in front of us, but I couldn’t dodge them all, and she’d quit trying.
I’d lost her. I hadn’t fought when it mattered, and now I was too late. She’d seized the opportunity in front of her.
I vowed to start living tomorrow as though Cora Chase had never existed. She’d chosen her path, and now I’d blaze mine.
Separate yet still in each other’s hearts. They find their way back BUT…..its a big BUT , there’s evidence of indiscretions, staring right in their faces.
The story is peppered with Big questions and big decisions , big problems and big dilemmas, lots of bitterness and big hearted forgiveness.
I loved the story, it’s natural smooth flow and it’s grasping power. I couldn’t put it down and was constantly thinking about the characters. Cora was all forgiving, big hearted , golden girl. James was the do-goode perfect alpha and they had perfect supportive friends -Neil & Hannah. Th surprise towards the end was like W.T.H was that and though Cora is third wheel,she’s NOT, she’s more attached than we had realised.
A very feel good book. It’s
4.5 Fragile Legends Stars
Unexpected Arrivals is amazing. There are particular moments which are just so beautifully written that I couldn’t help but smile and sigh with joy and some others which are so poignant they brought me to tears. Told from three points of view, it gives us an insight into the hearts and minds of these characters as the intricate story with all its interwoven secrets unfolds. There are some laughs along the way, but ultimately this is a wonderful love story, a story of friendship, loss and forgiveness which will tug at your heart strings. This is my first read by this author and I loved it. A book which will stay in my mind for a long time and which I don’t hesitate to recommend.
I’m not really sure what to say about this book that took me on a roller coaster ride. James and Cora meet in high school, after Cora is brought to Geneva Key to live with her grandparents. Cora’s parents were killed in a plane crash. After graduation, they go away to college together and everything is fine. Things change when Cora decides to accept a position in Paris. Cora and James break up and James is in a downward spiral. He thinks alcohol and meaningless sex is ok. This book kept my attention from the first page, but I was surprised by what ended up happening.
This story was beautiful! Not only about first love, getting lost, finding your way back, forgiving, and also understanding the tangled mess families can leave us. This story is so full of heart and healing!
You can always count on Stephie to take you on an emotional roller coaster in her books and this was no exception. I loved Cora and James together and separately, I really appreciated their drive and how they didn’t want to sit back and live off their trust funds. As I was reading this book I kept thinking of the saying I have heard so many times…..Life doesn’t always give you what you want, it gives you what you need. I think that sums up this book perfectly. I knew there were some unexpected twists coming, but I didn’t imagine what actually happened was it. I can’t wait to read the next story of Stephie’s.
Wow. I was blown away from Stephie Walls’ Unexpected Arrivals! I went into this having read a few other books by this author, and they all are so different that you never know what to expect from her books, except for a great story.
This was the story of James (or Carp) and Cora, and their unending love story. Along the way, they encounter ups and downs that affect the rest of their lives, especially when a little boy comes into it unexpectedly.
This book is broken into three parts, and told from three different points of view. Because of that, we as the reader, get a lot of insight into their thoughts and feelings. And that truly added to the plot. My only criticism- and it made more sense as the story unfolded- was that the first part seemed to drag on a bit, giving little snippets of James’ and Cora’s early relationship.
This book was quite unexpected in how much I enjoyed it. I can’t wait to read more from Stephie Walls.
Unexpected Arrivals by Stephie Walls was an emotionally charged, well-crafted novel that you will not be able to put down.
Stephie Walls took us back to the beginning of Cora and James journey, which began at age 17 and brought us full circle with this novel. As the story progresses, you will fall in love with these well-developed characters. Even the supporting characters all add balance and support to the story.
This novel will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride, but it will all be worth it in the end. You will laugh, you will cry, you will be stunned and much more.
Family drama, secrets, twists and turns, forgiveness, friendship and romance are just some what you will find in this beautifully-written story.
This remarkable, riveting, unique, unforgettable story will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. Definitely worthy of 5 stars, this was an excellent read and I would highly recommend it.
**I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.**
Hate to be a naysayer, but this novel depressed me more than anything else. I may have my head stuck way too far down in Romance Land as this is more of a couples journey through life than a romance. Far too much reality and reality based angst for me on top of some of crazy coincidences that seem to happen far too frequently in fiction, and only sometimes in life.
The blurb was a little misleading as it implied something a little frothier to me.
PLOT/PREMISE
The story starts out with the hero receiving a letter that he has a heretofore unknown plot moppet.
Flashback central immediately.
SPOILERS so beware.
James, hero and primary narrator, falls for Cora in high school and that’s it for him as well as for her. For the most part. Cora has ended up in the small town as her parents just died, and her grandparents insisted they should raise her although they are never there.
James’ parents are out of the picture as well. Wealthy family neglect as opposed to lower income neglect by fiction standards.
High school, college, and post grad years until career and just relationship ennui strikes and Cora leaves for a job opportunity in France for two years. No long distance relationship. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.
James goes on a alcohol and sex bender. No, it’s not one of those gross OTT scenes, but still… he’s out there.
He goes home to see his distant parents where the dad has had a personality transplant, and he meets Chelsea. No insta-lust here, but insta-BFF with one fringe benefit aka plot moppet aka secret baby. James and Cora get back together, true love. James tries to keep in touch with Chelsea, but she never seems to respond. He does confess his infractions to Cora.
Six years later, James gets a notice that he has a child. The mother has died and wants him to have custody.
Essentially, HEA.
Why so few stars? The side lines dragged it down.
One, I was told that the couple were in love, but never felt the joy, fun etc… The two separating did not help.
Two, we find out that Chelsea is actually Cora’s half sister. Despite all the talk about how much in love Cora’s parents were before they died, her dad had an affair just about the first year of marriage. He refused to have anything to do with the mother and child. Okay, dad is a minor character, but Cora adored him and talk about how he adored her mother. BIG disconnect for me.
Three, Cora can not stand her grandmother as she essentially abandoned her after pulling her from the only home she had known. Rather than let a family friend take care of Cora after her parents died, the grandparents insisted she come to them because it looked better then abandoned her physically and emotionally. On top of that, grandmother becomes the primary caregiver to Chelsea, her OTHER grand-daughter, and eventually tothe plot moppet. Confusing family tree. When Cora meets up with her grandmother again, she is furious for all the years of emotional neglect plus the obvious hidden half-sister she will never get to me because she’s dead. And the mother of her husband’s son. Ouch.
The grandmother expects Cora to put aside her resentment because it’s best for the newly found son.
Fourth, the hero’s parents do a turnaround and go from neglectful society parents to smug Father Knows Best.
Conclusion: Too much in the pot for me to enjoy, plus dragged down by the whole LIFE of it all.
This book was captivating. The characters were brought to life and I could relate to them. I will read everything this author rights.
4 Stars worth of Unexpected Emotions. Wow!! This one takes you through all sorts of situations that tug on your emotional strings. I’m asking myself why I haven’t discovered Stephie Walls before now. She knows how to write a story that is constantly doing “touch and goes” on just about every emotion you can have.
James and Cora met during their junior year at Geneva Keys High. James knew immediately she was his soulmate, his once in a lifetime love, his everything. Cora took a little longer to come to the realization, but she got there. They went from Geneva Keys to Chapel Hill to NYC before things really got rocky relationship wise. There had been plenty of rocky times, they just didn’t affect James and Cora as a couple. Could they make it through? James refused to give up on their love. Cora put career before James. It didn’t make for a promising future together.
While they were worlds apart both of them did some things that they’d regret later. The biggest one neither of them knew about until years later…a child. Now they had to figure out what they were going to do about said child. Only it wasn’t that easy. There were other circumstances that wouldn’t make their decision easy. Could they survive? They’d already gone through so much, would this be what completely broke them or completely sealed them?
Get ready to hop on an emotional roller coaster. You’ll laugh at some situations James and Cora get into, you’ll have tears in your eyes at others. You’ll understand both of their positions and probably cheer each one on. This isn’t a sappy read. It’s a heart wrenching and heartwarming read. It will grab you in unexpected ways.
I don’t like spoiler reviews so please read the synopsis for a summary of Unexpected Arrivals.
Stephie Walls just had to go and write another beautiful book.
Unexpected Arrivals is James and Cora’s story. Their story of first love and second chances. Of letting go and holding on. Of devotion and friendship. Of unexpected paths that make their future and love so much more beautiful.
As always Stephie’s writing makes you feel like you are part of her character’s world. She leaves you feeling all the emotions her words have created for James and Cora.
James and Cora have become one of my favorite couples created by Stephie Walls.
This is the first book by this author that I’ve read, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. It was unlike any other book that I’ve read before. It doesn’t fit neatly into any one category, and I feel that a lot of readers will enjoy it. This book has everything I enjoy in a story, (insta-love, secret baby, 2nd chance romance, and a HEA) all wrapped up in one neat package.
Unlike most 2nd chance romance stories, this story doesn’t begin with the time that the main characters are reunited. It begins with their initial meeting, relationship, and breakup. This added a lot to the story, and prevented a lot of questions later on.
There were lots of details in this story, and the description was great. For the most part, the characters were very realistic, and easy to relate to. They had problems, just like normal people, that they had to work through together, to make their relationship work. There were parts of the story that made me LOL, and parts that made me tear up. There were times I wanted to ask the characters, “What the heck are you thinking? Don’t do that!”. It was a great story, but definitely not a light, easy read. There are some very heavy issues dealt with in this book. Overall, it was a very enjoyable book that I’d totally recommend.
This is the first book by this author that I’ve read, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. It was unlike any other book that I’ve read before. It doesn’t fit neatly into any one category, and I feel that a lot of readers will enjoy it. This book has everything I enjoy in a story, (insta-love, secret baby, 2nd chance romance, and a HEA) all wrapped up in one neat package.
Unlike most 2nd chance romance stories, this story doesn’t begin with the time that the main characters are reunited. It begins with their initial meeting, relationship, and breakup. This added a lot to the story, and prevented a lot of questions later on.
There were lots of details in this story, and the description was great. For the most part, the characters were very realistic, and easy to relate to. They had problems, just like normal people, that they had to work through together, to make their relationship work. There were parts of the story that made me LOL, and parts that made me tear up. There were times I wanted to ask the characters, “What the heck are you thinking? Don’t do that!”. It was a great story, but definitely not a light, easy read. There are some very heavy issues dealt with in this book. Overall, it was a very enjoyable book that I’d totally recommend.
4.5 Stars
Just closed my kindle on my very first Stephie Walls book! After reading this one, I am scratching my head wondering why have I not read any of her other books?
This very emotional roller-coaster ride was one I could not get off. Picked up the book and buckled up. Didn’t stop reading till the kindle had no more pages to turn.
In this book, we cover a lot of years. Starting in high school when Carp is the superstar basketball player and Cora is the new gal in the high school. A school where the kids have started preschool together and gone through all the years together. It was then that these two met and became the couple everyone in school was jealous of.
Through college and grad school, these two were inseparable. The only thing they could see was a future that was Carp and Cora. But as life throws everyone hurdles to jump, Cora heads off to pursue her career. Leaving Carp devastated.
The hurdles these two manage to jump can only be called fate. But with successfully jumping means there has got to be more in store for them. Because no one ever gets the easy route in life.
I really, really enjoyed this book! Was written flawlessly and flowed perfectly.
An added note—Why oh why would someone NOT pick the University of Kentucky to play basketball at? I wanted to smack Carp upside the head for picking the not to be mentioned college to play basketball!!!!
Unexpected Arrivals is ambitious, compelling, and quite the emotional rollercoaster. Stephanie Walls did a magnificent job of fitting so much onto one book. The story is mesmerizing and unconventional.
I wasn’t quite sure how involved I would get with the story because I barely connected with the setting and the characters. I recognized the athlete, his crew of athlete friends, and the new girl who didn’t quite fit in. However, the setting and the affluence in which the characters grew up where foreign to me.
There was just enough of the human aspect and the familiar to keep me reading on. I identified with the need we all have to find that one person who will love and stand by us no matter what life brings our way. I recognized the need we all Have to be loved, cherished, and cared for by our parents and the other adult relatives in our lives. I recognized the hurt that is caused when that adult familial love is absent.
I realized that my lack of connection was quickly bridged as these young characters bonded and grew to love each other like they should have with their biological families.
The story took some very unexpected turns that left not only the characters, but also Me feeling shicked and wondering which direction would be taken next. The different voices which told the story left me wondering at times, why I hadn’t heard from some of the others involved.
Stephanie Walls brought in those missing voices at the exactly perfect times to clear away the confusion and give a whole other layer to this richly-woven, intricate story. I became more attached and emotionally involved the deeper I got into the book, until I could no longer put the book down.
This story intrigued me, frustrated me, broke my heart, and made it whole again. I thought I had things figured out, only to find out I really had no clue. I shed a mixture of sad and happy tears. In the end I loved the story, Stephanie Walls had to tell. In the end, it is a story about life, the unexpected directions it can take and the ability one has to survive those twists and turns as long love is present.
UNEXPECTED ARRIVALS is a wonderful love story that spans from high school, through college, and after college graduation to present day. The Prologue sucks you into the story when James (Carp) Carpenter, who is happily married to the love of his life Cora Chase, now Cora Carpenter, when he receives a letter. It is a formal request to arrange a paternity test (DNA) for minor child Airy. He barely remembered Chelsea Airy and they had only gone out once. He hadn’t heard from her since he had gotten engaged to Cora. She had disappeared from his life. He was afraid that Cora, who never wanted children, would leave him.
Fifteen years earlier than the Prologue, James was a high school junior in Harbrook High located on Geneva Key. When he went to take a seat in second period, it was already occupied by a new girl. He had never seen eyes so green, and just like that their souls collided and he’d found the love of his life. Her parents had been killed in a plane crash only a week ago. She had moved from New York to Geneva Key to live with her very rich grandparents. She was lost and alone and James became her lifeline. She became his world. She followed him to the college of his choice. They thought they would always be together, but unforeseen turn of events and not all things last forever. She’d chosen her path, and now he’d have to blaze his own without her. Whether they could find their way back to each other was a different kind of story.
There are many different twist and turns in this book. Many surprises that you won’t see coming. I’ve read quite a few books by Stephie Walls, but this is my new favorite. Life is never perfect, and neither is an epic love story. I highly recommend reading this book.
Unexpected Arrivals was such a great read. I was captivated by the characters and this story from the very beginning and stayed that way until the very end. Young love always seems unbreakable and if the couple is fortunate enough stay in love and together throughout their adulthood that’s an amazing achievement. However, its not always easy and sometimes adult choices have to be made and every one has to travel down their own road knowing it might not always end at the same point. Hearts will get broken.
This is the story of James and Cora. The girl who not only took his seat, but his heart. Will their love be strong enough to withstand the obstacles in the roads they have to travel in this thing called life? Secrets will be revealed and words will be withheld, but the truth will always come out? Will it do more damage than good? This is a fantastic story of friendship, love, loss and second chances. I loved the side characters as much as I did the main characters but it did take a while for me to warm up to Neil. However, I loved him and Hannah and I hope they get their own story. This story ended perfectly, and I look forward to reading more books from this author in the future. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for an enjoyable read that will pull on their heart strings.