This is a delightful book. The main character, Aubrey, owns a small bookstore in London. When a major film starts shooting on the street where his store is located, his quiet life undergoes some big changes -- not only does the film want to use his bookstore as a filming locations, but Blake, one of the main actors, takes an interest in Aubrey. Given their differences, and the ticking clock on Blake's time in London, it does not seem like much can come from a relationship between the two. But as they spend more time together, they both begin to question their long-held views about what the future holds.

This is a fun and warm read. Strongly recommended!

3.5*

Overall, I quite enjoyed this story and read it in a relatively short time for me. The writing style appealed and flowed naturally, making it easy to read despite it being 1st person/present tense, which is not a favourite of mine.

Aubrey is an interesting character. He comes across older than his twenty-two years. He has the responsibility of running the family bookshop and caring for his mother. You really get the sense of his financial and social difficulties. He spends much of his time alone and with his treasured books. He puts a lot of pressure on himself and I was glad he found someone to love him after being hurt by his ex.

I didn’t really take to Blake and the way he treated Aubrey towards the end of the story was almost unforgivable. Blake had made no attempt to hide their relationship or their public displays of affection—they even kissed in the middle of Euston station. Anyone could have filmed them! At one point, I was hoping that Aubrey and his ex, Eli, would get back together because I was so cross with Blake.

This is an insta-love story. Aubrey falls hook, line and sinker for Blake within days and he can’t believe Blake would feel the same way for him. There are some sweet, romantic moments and a few steamy scenes between these guys. Their banter works well and makes for an enjoyable rapport. Blake was filming a romcom in London and the story comes across as a sort of romcom. Although some of the ‘funny’ moments had me cringing.

I was a little frustrated with some of the timing issues in this story. For example, when Aubrey and Blake are preparing to go to the Lake District for the weekend, the busy Friday evening traffic outside is mentioned. Yet when they leave the following day it’s Friday morning. A lot of travelling takes place and in a relatively short amount of time, and sometimes it doesn't add up.

If you enjoy low-angst, insta love stories then I’d recommend giving this one a go.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
Thank Netgalley.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book...I seriously don't have the right words. Hayden Stone will fill your heart into a million little pieces with the threads of happiness together in such a beautiful new way 😍. I love these characters with my heart and the story was one I simply couldn't put down until I inhaled every word of this fascinating novel. It’s just as special in its own way. Beautifully written and full of hope, with a cast of characters who will stay with me all the time (after finishing this novel as well).

Who doesn’t love a good romance with a cast of quirky characters?*

Go for this book witha single blink of your 👀 eyes..... 🤟

An endearing achillean story. Taciturn and sarcastic London bookseller Aubrey meets Blake, a charming actor from the American South. But Blake is only in London for two weeks while filming a movie. Will they make it work?

I don't know what to say. I am speechless. This charming story between two adult men at times seemed like a first crush, adolescent kind of story. Not that it would be a bad thing, either. The writing was lovely and descriptive. I love especially how the sex scenes weren't too explicit. Instead, we got to see Aubrey's emotional side, which was wonderful. This was truly An Unexpected Kind of Love.

I especially liked Aubrey. He's not the perky, optimistic kind nor does he have to be. Far too many main characters seem outwardly friendly while having deep emotional scars. I found Aubrey to be the opposite. While he is still affected by his break-up and subsequent betrayal by Eli, there is only light inside him. Blake is perfectly suited to extract that part of him to the surface.

Eli, on the other hand, seems like a manipulative arsehole. He dumps Aubrey to be with their friend and seems perfectly happy while Aubrey is miserably still pining for him. The very second Aubrey starts to recover and move on, he tries as hard as he can to keep him.

The beginning of the book has trigger warnings, which I've come to realize recently, some people need. All in all, this beautiful queer love story deserves 4.5 out of 5 stars. I just realized all three of my first NetGalley reads have 5 star ratings. I'll chalk it up to my good taste and luck, to have picked out such good reads.

Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review.

This was a decently fun, queer rom com, which I’m usually all there for. I just didn’t find myself particularly attached to the characters or their relationship. It seemed like they jumped really fast from attracted to big feels, without much more than sex. There were a few tender moments from Blake, but then the misunderstandings that are integral to the genre seemed really contrived and suddenly the not-afraid-to-be-out-in-public Blake is suddenly horrified that paparazzi caught them kissing and his Dad might find out? If that was a huge concern of his, why wasn’t it mentioned before? Why wasn’t he more secretive? I wish I’d connected more with the characters because I love books about books/bookstores/booksellers, so I was immediately sold on this premise!

[3/5 stars]

I'm not much of a romance reader but this book and the synopsis caught my attention and I decided to give it a read. This book follows the story of Aubrey, a grumpy owner of a bookstore who seems to have a problem with love, coincidentally meeting a rising actor who is currently visiting London.

Overall, I enjoyed this story but I was more invested in the conflict between Eli and Aubrey, and I didn't really care for Blake. I thought their romance happened out of nowhere.

Another thing that I really liked was the focus on the struggles of independent bookstore owners.

In terms of the characters, I would die for Lily. I didn't really care for any of the characters but the one thing that I loved was how much Aubrey grew. I hated how he was fine with the whole Eli and Ryan situation and remained friends with them. I was so glad when he started to set boundaries with the people around him.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

An Unexpected Kind Of Love was a very cute fast read! It follows Aubrey Barnes, a bookseller in SoHo, young but grumpy because of the heartbreak he has suffered with his ex-boyfriend and the financial struggles of keeping his bookstore, that's been in his family for 3 generations, open.

Aubrey meets Blake Sinclair, an up-and-coming actor who is involved with the rom-com that is filming on his bookstore's street in SoHo. They have a couple encounters before things start to blossom between them and financially for the bookstore with an opportunity Aubrey literally cannot turn down.

The romance in this book was very cute. I'm usually not a fan of the quick fight and make up trope, but it didn't feel SUPER forced here because they at least had a decent reason as to why it was a short lived separation. I do with side characters like Ryan were more fleshed out though. A disabled, queer character is great representation, but his character was just kind of there. mentioned relatively frequently, but it was like the same info every time he was mentioned.

Overall I enjoyed this book, it was cute and romantic. definitely worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC!

This book is super entertaining, super cute, and super immersive: I read it all in about 3 hours, in one sitting. An Unexpected Kind of Love follows Aubrey, a grumpy (but young) down-on-his-luck man who runs his family's bookstore. He's broke, he's still trying to get over his ex-boyfriend (who left him for their best friend), and when a filming set pops up down the street for him it just might change his life in more than one way. Enter charming, American actor Blake Sinclair. They have an immediate connection, and are swept up in a whirlwind romance.

What i love about this story is how pure their romance is. There's very minimal angst and miscommunication; they just like each other. The author does a fantastic job writing their chemistry in the most believable way, with several swoon-worthy (and unique!) scenes. The author also does a great job writing them as individuals, with character development I find many rom-com novels lacking.

This book is so good!!! Go read it now!!!

*Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

My overall thoughts after reading this book is that I loved the premise so much, but the book could have been better.

Aubrey Barnes is a bookseller. He owns "Barnes Books" a failing indie bookstore that has been passed down through his family. To get the money to keep his shop open, he opens his store to a film company, which Blake, a gorgeous actor, happens to be working with.

This book is one of the least slow burn reads I have ever seen, which in itself is not a bad thing, but the relationship between the MCs could have used just a little bit more development in the first few chapters. Nothing crazy, maybe just slightly longer conversation when they run into each other. I felt like the first three chapters were extremely rushed.

I wasn't completely sold on the book because of the rushed intro, but I'll admit that later on the story really grew on me. I wish that the side characters has been more developed and dynamic at the beginning, because while we see Aubrey grow and have weaknesses as well as strengths, we don't get that much with the other characters like Lily, Gemma, Ryan, and even Blake.

This romance is absolutely adorable, and I enjoyed it, but I really wish we had gotten more.

Mein Leseerlebnis

“An unexpected kind of love” beinhaltet in Aubrey einen männlichen Hauptcharakter, der herausticht und an den ich mich noch lange erinnern werde. Aubrey drückt sich auf eine Art und Weise aus, die ihn wesentlich älter erscheinen lässt, als er ist. Teils hört er sich etwas altmodisch an, aber nicht auf eine unangenehme Art und Weise. Zudem geht er mit einer gewissen Naivität durchs Leben, die ich durchaus charmant fand. Phasenweise erinnerte mich Aubrey etwas an Hugh Grants Rolle in “Notting Hill”.

Szenen mit Aubrey fand ich teils charmant, teils aber auch etwas langweilig. Ich konnte mit Aubrey und den anderen Charakteren der Geschichte leider nicht immer eine gute Verbindung aufbauen.

Einige Szenen und ganze Kapitel des Buches konnten mich einfangen und bezaubern, andere liefen ein wenig an mir vorbei. Neben den Charakteren mag das am Schreibstil gelegen haben, der für mich nicht ideal war. Das Ende war schön und nett. Nett beschreibt vieles im Buch gut.

Denke ich über mein Leseerlebnis nach, so fühlte sich die Geschichte so an, als wäre sie gezielt als Vorlage für einen Film geschrieben worden und weniger als Buch-Buch (ihr wisst schon, was ich meine).

Ich denke, dass die Bewertung von “An unexpected kind of love” stark davon abhängt, inwieweit man Aubrey als Charakter authentisch findet und ob er einen dauerhaft interessiert. 🖤🖤🖤1/4

Für wen?

Wer eher ruhige Liebesromane mit ganz eigenem Charme mag, sollte unbedingt mal in eine Leseprobe reinschauen.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy to review.

It is a cute story, Aubrey is a librarian who for a long time has had his heart broken for his Ex and now his friend Eli his, here comes a movie star Blake.

I did not feel the chemistry between the protagonists, I think that was the main problem, the way they met was ridiculous, I think that a library does not work, but what do I know, maybe in other countries it is like that. The lack of chemistry at the time they meet, which leads to a second uncomfortable moment and finally to the third that was supposed to be something sexy, but that for me is nothing more than strange, considering the personality that Aubrey tells us he has .
Aubrey's monologues were exhausting and tiresome after a few pages, full of contemplations on his life and his insecurities, as well as including Eli, Ryan, and later Blake.

It was not a book for me, although the premise was good, I could not connect with any character.

This really was unexpected! I love celeb romances so much. I do wish I had enjoyed this more because the main character sometimes got on my nerves. I wish there was a little more chemistry between these two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the arc of this book!

3.5, rounded up.

This was honestly just such a FUN read. It's the perfect amount of cheesy and trope-y and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The story follows Aubrey, a struggling bookstore owner in London who is really goin' through it. When a film production sets up shop in his bookstore for filming, Aubrey and hunky Amerian actor Blake get close- real close. They begin an incredibly cute romance and things are going great until the paparazzi and exes throw a wrench in things. Will Aubrey and Blake get it together in time to realize what they mean to one another?

This was such a fun, sweet little read. I loved Aubrey from the jump and he was so relatable. Also, he's got kickass style, haha. I rooted him from the beginning and seeing him find his confidence and going after what he wanted was such a satisfying journey for me. I wanted to be his friend. Blake was such a charmer, and I was worried about him at first, I won't lie, but he quickly won me over. The two of them together are such a sweet, believable couple.

If you want a quick, heartfelt, feel-good romcom, I definitely recommend picking this one up!

“Sometimes, I think life brings us people we’re supposed to meet. Like there’s something we’re supposed to learn.”

An Unexpected Kind of Romance was such a fun and charming book. ‘Unexpected’ really is an appropriate word as I did not think that I would have enjoyed this book as much as I did, but here I am, 24 hours later, still replaying scenes from this book in my head. still rooting for Aubrey and Blake. Still laughing at the banter.

It follows Aubrey, a quiet struggling bookstore owner who agrees to lease out his store as a filming set for an upcoming rom-com. While on set, he meets Blake, an up-and-coming actor and sparks fly. Things are easier when they exist within a bubble that they’ve created for themselves, but what happens when reality threatens to pop that bubble? How do you navigate a harsh reality while staying true to who you are?

If you’ve ever daydreamed of having a meet-cute with someone in a bookstore but are too much of an awkward human being to even exist in the same aisle as another patron (just me?), this book will fill that void for you.

Aubrey is a very compelling narrator. He’s a stressed out, cynical, introverted, ball of stress who’s hung up on past ghosts and is one leaky pipe away from Losing It. I can see how some people might find Aubrey to be an annoying narrator as he spends so much time in his own head wrestling with his worries and making excessive self-deprecating comments but that’s exactly what I love about him: how frustratingly relatable he is, how human he is.

And then you have Blake. An absolute bright light. A star, both in terms of his job and personality. He was a joy to be around. But I wish that Blake’s story had been further fleshed out. he has such an important story to tell about forced outings, dealing with family, and learning to live with pride and authenticity even though it’s scary and the world tries to stuff you into a small box.

Speaking of wanting more fleshed out characters, this was very much a story revolving around Aubrey and Blake, but I really wish the side characters were more nuanced. There’s a queer, disabled side character! Who I adore with all my heart! It’s hard to find stories where these two paths intersect, but it’s always special when they do. There’s so much potential here and I would have loved to know more about him, or perhaps meet him again in a future book.

The conflicts were promising but fell short, and - not to sound like a broken tape recorder - i think its because Blake’s character really wasn’t sufficiently developed. That made it difficult to understand and buy how the conflicts were dealt with which left me feeling a bit confused and incomplete.

But still, the story remains warm and hopeful. It's a very cute romance that will make you smile and make you feel a little lighter. It's a story that I’ll return to again, possibly even as a comfort read!

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of the arc in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

CW: Mentioned death/illness of a parent, reference to homophobic parents, forced outing, internalized homophobia, possessive ex, alcohol use

London queer romances are my kryptonite, and “An Unexpected Kind Of Love” delivered that, mixed with a little star crossed lovers, mixed with a bookstore and I was sold.
Aubrey Barnes is the owner of Barnes Books (no relation to Barnes and Noble) and is struggling to pay the bills. After a breakup that left him reeling, he lives inside the bookshop and keeps to himself. When an American film crew takes over his corner of London, he finds himself in an entanglement with one of the films stars. Blake is the All American dream-good looking, kind, sweet…and not out. The two need to balance living in different countries, as well as the scrutiny the media and ex’s.
I could not stop reading this. Aubrey is such a fun narrator because I really saw myself in Aubrey. A book lover loner who is down on his luck in both love and life. It was fun to dive into his mind as he comes to terms with being wanted by someone for the first time since his ex Eli. It was hard to tell wether the author wanted you to like Eli or not, but I found him to be very Unlikeable. Arrogant, cocky, and the kind of person that thinks everyone wants them and is a dick because their right.
Blake was adorable to read. From the moment I read THAT scene in the trailer I knew Blake would become someone I was infatuated with and I was not let down. His journey is probably the most angst, having to deal with being forcibly outed by tabloids and the ramifications that can have on his career.
There’s also a stunning cast of b list characters. Aubrey’s employee Gemma was such a joy to read with her snark and wit, while his best friend Lily really felt like that ride it die we all need in our corner. Was this ground breaking? No. You can pretty much tell where this is going from the jump. But whose timing say that’s a bad thing? This is fun, light, and sweet, and just want the dr ordered when you need a mood lift.

This was so much fun! A gay London bookseller and a bisexual American actor....umm yes please. I read this book so quick I just didn't want to put this down.

There were times that it was a bit frustrating because it was the classic romance novel thing of "if they just communicated this would all be fine", but it was all around a super fun summer read and I am so glad I read it.

All of the relationship drama felt so real and raw especially when it came to the topics of allowing oneself to move on from a past relationship that ended badly, a forced outing by the press, and just general insecurities that come from normal, healthy relationships.

Sweet, Swoony and Sassy, An Unexpected Kind of Love, was an Unexpected gem of a read.

With so many adorable moments, witty banter, grumbling, sarcastic humor and swoon worthy romance, this book just made me fall. I laughted, I cried, I absolutly loved this utterly lovely book. so much so that I blazed through it in a single day.

5 stars and a mystery bean

I read this ARC from Netgalley, and these opinions are my own. I really enjoyed this book! One of my favorite romance tropes is the celebrity who falls in love with a non celebrity! Aubrey and Blake are so cute! I loved their meet cute and I liked how they were with each other! I’m also a big reader so the fact that Aubrey owns a bookstore was really fun, I’ve always thought working in a bookstore would be fun and I wish we had a non chain book store where I lived. Hayden Stone did an excellent job with this story and it looks like these might be one of a series so I’m excited to see what comes next! I did have one qualm with this story but it’s too spoilery to discuss, but it didn’t take away from Blake and Aubrey story so it was really easy to get over! I loved that these two were so drawn to each other and that Aubrey had such strong reactions to Blake, it was fun to read about it! I also liked that Eli and Aubrey still had a relationship, dysfunctional as it was, I think Eli overall wasn’t a bad guy and he did have some positive impacts on Aubrey! I loved both Lily and Gemma and would have liked to get to know them better! Overall I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to buy it when it comes out!

An Unexpected Kind of Love is such a swoon-worthy romance! This adorable book made me so happy, and I couldn't put it down!

This was cute and fluffy. It follows a bookseller down on his luck and an up-and-coming actor who immediately connect with one another but struggle to fit their lives and expectations together.

This is a very sweet read and both of the main characters are lovely. It was a little bit of a slow starter for me but picked up fairly quickly. There were parts of it I found a little too cringy and overblown but that's just personal preferences. There was a lot of drama in this and at times I got very frustrated they just didn't communicate. It was fast-paced and the dialogue was engaging.

This wasn't a serious novel but it was lovely and I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.