fsmeurinne's review against another edition
4.0
This is the story of Simon Fletcher, a single father who meets Amy McNeil, a free-spirited woman who is everything his ex-wife is not. As Simon and Amy get to know each other, he realizes she is everything he has been missing in his life, but he is unsure if he is ready to retake a chance on love. The story shows us how their relationship develops, creating palpable chemistry and a slow-burning romance that will touch your heart. It is a sweet story with a happy ending and little angst.
trishaa_24's review against another edition
5.0
It's such a great story. I loved the main leads and the little sweet girl so much. A simple story but was truly amazing enough to my stomach dip with every conversation the main leads shared.
Amy - A kind teacher who loves children falls hard for her school student's dad. She's an extremely good girlfriend to her man and a sweetest little mommy to his daughter. A string character who kept her daughter's biological stupid mom in her place.
Simon - God! Just like the ever green SIMON SAYS came he's too commanding... I mean I go in awe each time he kisses his girl and his daughter have to see it not by choice. The way he guided his daughter and made sure she's treated like a princess was pretty much cute. Even though at the beginning due to his past relationship he had a fear to claim Amy, he gave her a chance and I'm so glad he did. Because trust me they need each other.
The relationship between Simon and Amy is lovely and their chemistry as promised by the author is too spicy. This was such a pleasant read to me. I'm so much in love with all the books this Author writes from THE CONTACT to this book, she's done a great job of giving us the Fantastic stories to live in.
Highly recommend if you wanna read a book and feel good.
Thank you providing me the ARC of this book. The book made my heart feel warm and my lips curved up in a big wide smile. It was a treat to my disturbed mind as well.
Amy - A kind teacher who loves children falls hard for her school student's dad. She's an extremely good girlfriend to her man and a sweetest little mommy to his daughter. A string character who kept her daughter's biological stupid mom in her place.
Simon - God! Just like the ever green SIMON SAYS came he's too commanding... I mean I go in awe each time he kisses his girl and his daughter have to see it not by choice. The way he guided his daughter and made sure she's treated like a princess was pretty much cute. Even though at the beginning due to his past relationship he had a fear to claim Amy, he gave her a chance and I'm so glad he did. Because trust me they need each other.
The relationship between Simon and Amy is lovely and their chemistry as promised by the author is too spicy. This was such a pleasant read to me. I'm so much in love with all the books this Author writes from THE CONTACT to this book, she's done a great job of giving us the Fantastic stories to live in.
Highly recommend if you wanna read a book and feel good.
Thank you providing me the ARC of this book. The book made my heart feel warm and my lips curved up in a big wide smile. It was a treat to my disturbed mind as well.
mommasaystoread's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
There's just something about single dads that brings out all the swoons, and when it's a sexy single dad who is wrapped around his little lady's finger, I'm completely done in. Simon is an absolute sweetheart, and Amy is just the free spirit he needs in his life. The chemistry between them is so good, and I love their "when you know, you know" romance. Then, we get a little scene stealer named Mia. If Mia's on the page, I was gonna smile at the very least, and chuckles were likely. There is a small bit of angst, but it's minimal, so the story is all about the positive feels between Simon, Mia, and Amy. I'm loving Melanie's Insta Spark stories. They're perfect for when you don't want things to get too heavy or you need a palate cleanser after a book that is heavy. I fell in love with this trio and their extended family, and I can't wait to see who's gonna steal my heart next in this series.
lauriereadsrom1's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Single dad Simon Fletcher recently moved to the small town of Cliff's Edge with his daughter, 8-year-old Mia, to be closer to family. Following a nasty divorce when Mia was only a baby, Simon's ex-wife Kelsey has chosen not to be involved in their daughter's life. Her brother Evan has become a good friend to Simon and a loving uncle to Mia, however, and it's a blessing for them to have Evan and his wife Holly nearby. As the summer draws to a close and Simon prepares for Mia to start a new school year, he happens to run into Holly's friend, kindergarten teacher Amy McNeil, at the local grocery store. They've met in passing a few times before, but their conversation that day quickly turns into a lunch date and more. Could free-spirited Amy be the second chance at love that Simon - and his daughter - have been waiting for?
This story was originally published last year as a novella, but has since been revised and expanded with 12 new chapters. The additional chapters really improved the story IMO, adding depth to both Amy and Simon's characters and tying up a couple of loose ends related to Mia's birth mom and one of Amy's fellow teachers. The romance was sweet with the perfect amount of heat, and I also enjoyed Amy's growing relationship with funny, precocious Mia. I had to laugh at the scene in which she "interviewed" Amy as a candidate to be her new mom. After the way Simon's ex-wife treated them, he and Mia deserved to have someone wonderful in their lives, and Amy was exactly the right fit.
That said, there were a couple of things about the story that bothered me (though I'm sure these are just me problems and nothing to do with the book). First, Simon's nickname for Amy was "Chippy" (short for "Chipmunk") and it made me cringe every time he said it. It's partially because "chippy" has an informal meaning that implies someone is touchy or defensive, but I think my main issue was that it felt like an insult. Was he telling her that she had a chubby/fat face like a chipmunk with food in its cheeks? Was he implying she ate too much? I know it was meant to be loving, but it just didn't feel that way to me. My other issue was that there was something about Simon and Amy's dialogue, particularly in the first half of the book, that just didn't feel natural to me. I can't put my finger on exactly what it was. Maybe Simon was too earnest? He also had a strangely old-fashioned way of phrasing things sometimes, like when he wrote in a note to Amy, "A conversation is what I beg for." It reminded me of something I'd read in a historical romance. At any rate, I recognize that these are my own issues and unlikely to have an impact on most readers' experience with the story.
Bottom line, I'd recommend "An Unexpected Chance" for all contemporary/small town romance fans and look forward to Moreland's next release.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
This story was originally published last year as a novella, but has since been revised and expanded with 12 new chapters. The additional chapters really improved the story IMO, adding depth to both Amy and Simon's characters and tying up a couple of loose ends related to Mia's birth mom and one of Amy's fellow teachers. The romance was sweet with the perfect amount of heat, and I also enjoyed Amy's growing relationship with funny, precocious Mia. I had to laugh at the scene in which she "interviewed" Amy as a candidate to be her new mom. After the way Simon's ex-wife treated them, he and Mia deserved to have someone wonderful in their lives, and Amy was exactly the right fit.
That said, there were a couple of things about the story that bothered me (though I'm sure these are just me problems and nothing to do with the book). First, Simon's nickname for Amy was "Chippy" (short for "Chipmunk") and it made me cringe every time he said it. It's partially because "chippy" has an informal meaning that implies someone is touchy or defensive, but I think my main issue was that it felt like an insult. Was he telling her that she had a chubby/fat face like a chipmunk with food in its cheeks? Was he implying she ate too much? I know it was meant to be loving, but it just didn't feel that way to me. My other issue was that there was something about Simon and Amy's dialogue, particularly in the first half of the book, that just didn't feel natural to me. I can't put my finger on exactly what it was. Maybe Simon was too earnest? He also had a strangely old-fashioned way of phrasing things sometimes, like when he wrote in a note to Amy, "A conversation is what I beg for." It reminded me of something I'd read in a historical romance. At any rate, I recognize that these are my own issues and unlikely to have an impact on most readers' experience with the story.
Bottom line, I'd recommend "An Unexpected Chance" for all contemporary/small town romance fans and look forward to Moreland's next release.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
risseandshine's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars!
A sweet single dad falls for a free-spirited kindergarten teacher in this extended insta-spark romance.
Simon Fletcher and Amy McNeil both have been burned by past relationships. This book follows them as they navigate a renewed chance at love surrounded by supportive family, friends, and the sweetest, most adorable little girl on the planet!
Simon and Amy’s story is as cozy as cozy can get. From the moment they first hinted at a mutual attraction, it was like getting a big hug as I read more of their story. My heart was kept so warm that I wanted to be part of the lovely little family they created. There wasn’t much push and pull in the romance, but it still was impactful with the joy it gave me.
As much as I loved this story overall, I must admit that I became fully on board with it quite later than I expected. This book is marketed as a standalone, which it is, and I kept that in mind as I jumped into it without ever reading the five previous books in the collection. However, the beginning of the story read as part of a series, and glaringly so. I felt like I was missing something as it mentioned scenes that assume a level of prior knowledge of the small town, including the time when they first met. While Simon and Amy’s romance arc started and completed in this book, I feel like I could have loved it better if I read the series in order.
That being said, I would still recommend this book to anyone looking for a small-town romance low in angst but with high levels of sweetness and steam. And, as usual, I would still reach for more of this author’s books–because why the hell not?
More...