An Unexpected Kind of Love by Hayden Stone is currently scheduled for release on August 9 2021. Bookstore owner Aubrey Barnes likes his quiet, orderly London life, thank you very much. His shop may be struggling, his only employee is a menace, and his plumbing is one creaky pipe away from disaster, but he can handle it. Maybe. He cannot, however, handle the film company that’s thrown his Soho street into chaos. And he definitely can’t handle the charismatic American actor Blake Sinclair. Which is why he’s extremely reluctant to lease out his shop as a set for Blake's film, but it’s his one opportunity to save his business. Now he can’t get away from the distractingly hot actor. Then Aubrey finds himself alone with Blake in a trailer, and what happens next turns London’s heat wave into an inferno that leaves him breathless. Aubrey is not cut out for the high-profile life of dating a celebrity, especially an American actor who’s not even out yet. Good thing their tryst is absolutely not going anywhere. Of course, when you expect nothing, that’s exactly when it starts to mean everything.

An Unexpected Kind of Love is a romance with well developed characters and a solid setting I could understand and empathize with Aubrey. He is awkward and more loved by his friends than he realizes, and just trying to be the best person he can under a lot of stress. I understood every moment of his worries and self doubt. Blake is well written as well, but since we do not get his point of view I connected much more with Audrey. I thought the set up, the secondary characters, and the problems everyone faces are all realistic and well written. I was intrigued by some of the secondary characters, and while some are definitely not my favorite (looking at you Eli) I would love to see more about Ryan, Gemma, and Lily. I think they were all well developed past the role they needed to play in this story.

An Unexpected Kind of Love is a sweet contemporary romance with plenty of heat and feels.

This was quite the cute read! Certainly not unexpected, but still very entertaining! The pacing was completely off, though, so the characters really saved this for me. Still, would pick up more by this author in the future!

Listen, this sounded so cute when I read the synopsis! I was not prepared for the steamy moments that followed 😂

This, to me, is a textbook romcom. It had all the elements of a good, swoony romcom story! It was fast-paced, has a charming love interest and the relatable main character, the best friend to the rescue, the semi-jealous ex(?), the final grand gesture (sort of? no spoilers tho, lol!). And above all, it makes you want to fall in love, believe in the idea of love. So if you're looking for a lot of romance, a teeny bit of angst, and some steamy scenes, this is it!

An Unexpected Kind of Love is a surprisingly fun contemporary M/M romance between a bookseller determined to live an uneventful life and an up-and-coming actor.

Aubrey Barnes lives a very quiet life in London, running the family bookstore he inherited from his parents after his father's death. His ordered life is upended when a film crew takes over the store as the perfect filming location and his path crosses with Blake Sinclair, the charming actor working on the movie. Their relationship is complicated by Blake's limited timetable in London, a public outing and a possessive ex-boyfriend.

This book started out really strong - Aubrey is kind of charming, in a grumpy-not-sure-what's-going-on-with-his-life kind of way. He's in need of his life being shaken up and that's exactly what he gets. The entire story is told in his perspective and he has huge growth as a character throughout the book, including realising that his ex-boyfriend is playing games with him and he needs to put a stop to it. By contrast, Blake is very confident, but insecure about people finding out that he's bisexual, which is where a major source of conflict occurs.

The setting was fantastic, and all the bookish references made my reader-heart very happy. The bookstore is a huge part of Aubrey's identity and so when things happen to it, it has an impact on him. I also really loved Aubrey's best friend, Lily, who was just a force of nature and a really great friend to him.

The third act break-up was not my favourite thing; mostly because Aubrey and Blake's relationship is whirlwind, and the over-the-top feelings seemed to be an extension of that speed-up connection. Miscommunication is a huge thing in this book, so be aware of that going into it, and do check the content warnings for anything you might be sensitive to.

Aside from that, I did have a fun time reading the book and it was a page-turning book.

An Unexpected Kind of Love had a really good premise. It sounded like the mm version of Notting Hill and I was all for it. But the reality was a little different from what I expected.

The story was about bookseller, Aubrey Barnes, who just struck me the wrong way from page one. He's judgmental and opinionated, and just all round negative about most things. You know those stereotypical old men in movies who's always yelling at kids to get off their lawn? Well, even though Aubrey was in his early twenties, this was the vibe he was giving off. Yes, he had some endearing quirks, like his annoyance at people putting books in the wrong genre or people buying books purely for their aesthetic value. But for the most part he just came off as judgy, not just towards others, but also himself.

When a film shoot sets up shop on his street, he's annoyed. When they end up requesting to use his bookstore for filming, he's completely against the idea. But his assistant gives them permission and he storms the set to give them a piece of his mind. Unknowingly, he ends up in the trailer of one of their actors and somehow, they end up hooking up. That one move, felt like a complete change from his usual personality. It came out of nowhere and becomes a catalyst for the rest of the story,

The actor, Blake Sinclair, is trying to find his way in the film industry. He's intrigued by the local bookseller and wants to know more about him. Blake is charming and confident , and he manages to convince Aubrey into going out with him. They spend an entire night just wandering around London. It's a whirlwind of a date that puts them on the fast-track for a relationship.

The plot is really interesting, but there's only so far a plot can go on its own. When the main character is frustrating and not very likeable, it just sets a precedent for the entire book. The relationship between Aubrey and Blake was fast and they had a lot of good times. But it just felt very superficial. We got a lot of generic information about them, but they didn't really have a whole lot of serious conversations. They didn't really address the fact that Blake was a celebrity and what their relationship would mean. And they never talked about whether or not he was out to the world, his family or anybody in between.

And then there's Aubrey's ex, Eli, who broke up with Aubrey to date another one of their friends. Both Eli and his boyfriend are still part of Aubrey's inner circle and the whole relationship just felt off. It just felt like an added element of drama, that could have been handled better.

I did like the way the author sprinkled in recent books into the story. Most of the time, characters who are readers are usually put into a box of primarily reading classics and only talking about them. But Aubrey was someone who read a lot of modern books and I liked that about him.

The ending was also pretty cute. We had a couple of public grand gestures, and I liked the way the characters were able to laugh about themselves in those situations. I just would have liked it more if we were able to really get to know the characters. The nitty-gritty details that make a good book, great, were just missing here.

I'd recommend this book if you're looking for a very light, opposites attract romance between a bookseller with a quiet life, and an up-and-coming actor, who's as charming as he is good looking!

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!
I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this book! the meeting if the characters was extremely entertaining and I found myself loving them. After the first half though it just felt like it was missing something. But overall it was still and enjoyable read.

I was excited to read a new to me author and the synopsis for An Unexpected Kind of Love really caught my eye; unfortunately the book didn’t live up to expectations. I loved the start of this book, but there were way too many parts that just didn’t work for me.

Aubrey was thrust into running/owning the bookshop that had been in his family for generations following his father’s death and his mother’s health problems. The shop isn’t doing well and on top of that is in need of many repairs. Aubrey acts like he’s in his late 40’s or 50’s but he’s only 23 and that was just the first problem with this story because despite a break-up a year ago that left him unsettled, it’s like he’s give up on life. Blake is an American actor in London filming a movie and has a crush on Aubrey after visiting the store a couple of times. I actually loved the way Blake tried to get Aubrey’s attention, their hilarious exchange of Notting Hill references, and their first date was pretty outstanding. I was excited to see where their relationship progressed from there, but it kind of fizzled. The story got bogged down with Aubrey’s money woes, his worry about his Mom (although he never visited or really talked to her?), and the problems with the shop after filming ends in it, not to mention something with back taxes. BOGGED DOWN and honestly boring and nothing to further the romance plot of this story.

My other issue is that Blake was not “out,” yet he and Aubrey were out and about together, go away for a weekend, are no strangers to PDA and when the paparazzi print pictures and a story he shuts down and basically blames Aubrey because he hasn’t told his father he’s bisexual. It wasn’t like he was hiding and I get that he wasn’t a “big” star but he had a huge Instagram following and was well known and he didn’t expect someone would recognize him? So the whole forced outing just felt like manufactured drama as did the jealousy act he pulled with Aubrey’s ex. They never discussed being exclusive, they’d known each other a couple of weeks it all just felt over the top.

I hate that the beginning of this story started out strong, but it fizzled in the middle and honestly crashed and burned at the end with a grand gesture that wasn’t so grand when the person you are trying to impress isn’t even there. By that point I was over it and angry because I had such high hopes at the beginning and it just became a convoluted mess.

I liked the characters but I found this story was so focused on the romance that it missed parts that made characters more real. They had real life issues and it was so easily resolved when the couple got back together. I want their real life and romance. But it was cute, I liked it.

This Book's main character was absolutely intolerable to read about, I personally counted 7 uses of the word arsehole in the first chapter itself so we weren't off to a great start but I really didn't like anything

The romance is so instantly filled with lust and there seems an absence of genuine affection and engagement between the characters. The mc is very annoying and he gatekeeps his books and doesn't want to sell his books to people for some reason? I never understood him and he was so unlikeable for a romantic lead when he acts childish the entire time

I felt like the description of the book made it sound like more than what it was. I thought there would be more about Blake not being out and also the woes of dating a celebrity, but I didn't really get a lot of either of those things.

I liked the references to other books that were sprinkled in. I liked that some of the books were more modern and it made the story feel very "now".

The characters were okay. I didn't love them, didn't hate them.

I feel like the title is very generic and could be applied to a lot of other books out there.

It's a cute little romance if that's what you really enjoy reading, but there are definitely better books out there that cover similar topics.

This was fun and entertaining and cute! A nice, heartwarming queer romance. Thank you for the early copy!

I grabbed a copy of this from NetGalley when I was looking for books to fill in between other upcoming deadlines.* It had a cute premise and reminded me a lot of Notting Hill so of course I was going to want to read it!

Aubrey has taken over his family's bookstore and is struggling to keep it afloat after he was unceremoniously dumped by his first (and only long term) boyfriend for their mutual friend, when he meets Blake, an up-and-coming American movie star who's filming a movie up the street and encourages the film to approach Aubrey about using his store as a set.

Honestly, from the first paragraph or two I thought I was going to absolutely adore this book. It kicks off with both Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights references! I mean that's basically written for me, right?

Unfortunately, I didn't fall madly in love with it, but I did very much enjoy parts of it and can't wait to see where Stone goes from here. I'm pretty sure this is the start of a series and I REALLY hope Aubrey's friend, Ryan, is the lead of the next book because I've never read a MM Romance book with a wheel-chair user! And there was this wonderful interaction that just gives me hope that he'll be next since he came to the shop after the relationship with Aubrey's ex ended:

He chuckles. 'Don't worry if you can't find the book right away, either.'
'What're you after?'
'Something hopeful.'
'Hopeful . . . What sort of hopeful?'
'Something to restore my faith in humanity.' Ryan grins, a familiar sight, 'Surprise me.'
I purse my lips looking at him thoughtfully, 'How do you feel about queer romance? I've been reading some interesting stuff lately.'
'Go on.' Ryan perks up. 'That's outside my usual. Exactly what I need. And they're good?'
'They're fab,' I assure Ryan with a smile that comes from I don't know where. 'How about Red, White & Royal Blue and Boyfriend Material?  A couple of recent queer romances.' (Chapter 22)

I love the Red, White & Royal Blue and Boyfriend Material shout outs, both of which I can see this being compared to, which is doing a disservice to this one because it's just not quite as high up there as those two, but Stone has the potential!

The highlight of the book for me was Gemma, Aubrey's young polyamorous shop assistant. She just had a spark about her and was the perfect foil to Aubrey's curmudgeonly attitude and she KNEW about Aubrey and Blake, but totally kept it mum and did what she could to spur them on. And then this entire passage early on in the book KILLED ME.

'You know, cross-marketing? Maybe sell gifts, too? Or even dildos? I don't know. I mean, this is Soho, right? People expect that. The dildos could be all literary or something. Match books with sex toys. You won't be able to keep the crows at bay.'
It's all horrifying talk. I'm not a prude but it's quite something to be getting this kind of cross-marketing advice from my shop assistant. Chapter 2)

Depending on the time of my life I could absolutely see myself being on either side of that conversation and being thrilled or totally mortified, but really when you think about it, it's kind of genius depending on where your store is located.

Where the book really let me down, however was in one of the sex scenes. If you've followed me for a while, you know I'm a stickler about them either having to be serious and passionate or fun and humorous and DON'T change it up mid scene. I'm not sure why but they just work better for me that way. And all but one in this book were well written and I enjoyed them, but this one line totally pulled me out of the scene and I was like WTF:

He slaps my arse and rides me like the apocalypse is at our door and the last thing he wants to do is have me. And I'm his, all his, desperately his. His urgency only makes me more wild for him. (Chapter 19)

Like it would be totally different if the entire scene had been rushed and there were other references to the speed and desperation, but they weren't quite like this one and the simile just broke me out of the moment which was not a good thing.

The big crisis of the novel was a combination of Aubrey's ex (yawn), Aubrey and Blake not talking to each other, and Blake being forced out of the closet by a gossip site. None of them were really harrowing and honestly if they would just be open to each other without being scared there would've been less drama and angst.

The only real critique I have is that for the first time in quite a while I actually felt the characters were moving too fast. I'm not sure if it's because they kept focusing on the deadline of Blake heading back to America in two weeks or what, but it really was like whoa whoa whoa, slow down. I'm reading a book with a similar deadline, but it's a little longer and it doesn't seem to bother me as much. I'd just put that down as a note to think about as Stone writes the next one, sure have the deadline, just don't spend so much of the characters time focusing on it.

Recommendation: Well worth the read. It's a debut novel that is a fun and engaging read. It very much came across to me as a queer version of Notting Hill (from what I remember at least) and there's nothing wrong with that. There were quite a few memorable minor characters, which is always a plus for me, and the crises of the novel were pretty low angst even if they did include a crazy double trans-Atlantic flight basically back-to-back days that I couldn't help but freak out at how expensive it would be, but that's love right!?

*I received a copy of An Unexpected Kind of Love from the publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.

I sadly had a very hard time getting through this book. The plot sounded like it would be great, but there was way too much telling, not showing. I also found Aubrey's constant inner dialogue about how much he hated himself pretty off-putting - he disliked himself so much that I started disliking him. Some of the plot points felt underdeveloped, and things just kinda fell flat for me.

I appreciate the ARC from NetGalley.

This is a pretty sweet mlm romance with major Notting Hill vibes. It was a little too “Insta-love” for my taste, but I couldn’t help but find Aubrey and Blake’s story to be adorable (Bean of the day?? So weird and so cute!) I do wish the main characters had a little more complexity to their personalities, but otherwise I found the story enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for the arc.

This book started off strong but waned throughout the course of the novel. At first, I enjoyed the snark from our MC, Aubrey, but towards the end he kind of grated on my nerves. I also never really connected with the other character, Blake. That said, it was a pretty easy read.

This was *such fun*! Blake and Aubrey are lovely characters, and so realistic. I loved that this was a queer spin on Notting Hill, and so well done too! The banter is great, the romance and sex scenes made me swoon a little bit and the side characters were such a good addition to the story.
This book is perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue & Boyfriend Material.

Thank you to Entangled Embrace and Netgalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest review:

And I have to say, I rather enjoyed this adorable comedy of errors turned rom-com--though the author does throw just about every possible trope at you they can (including the kitchen sink [no joke]). But ultimately I was okay with that? Because it made me laugh and oooooh and aaaaaah and it provided some sweet escapism with the promise of a happy ending... And sometimes that is all you need!

I think I particularly enjoyed this title as I am a bookseller myself: so I found all Aubrey's obsessions and anxieties (at least as regarded his shop) entirely relatable; and all the quirky little references about genres and alphabetical shelving and poets and green covers with gilt lettering just made me laugh (because they are too true). I also appreciated that despite this story relying heavily on 'insta-love', which is not usually my favourite, the author made a distinct effort to develop our characters from insta-crush to a believable connection--at least as much as one can over the course of two hundred pages and a couple of weeks (the approximate time span of the main story). That, along with all the bean chatter (if you read it, you will understand) and grand gestures and silly sidekicks are ultimately what endeared me to the story and kept me reading through to the end.

I do wish we got to know several of the secondary, supporting characters a little bit better--Gemma and Ryan particularly. And I also felt that referencing queer rom-com book recs like 'Red, White and Royal Blue' and 'Boyfriend Material', while a fun call-out, actually hurt my reading experience a little (specifically and especially as this moment came in the last 20 or so pages)... Because while a lovely story! It is not quite on the same level as these titles and it instantly made me start comparing them in my mind.

That all said, it would still give this 3.75 Stars and be curious to see what Hayden Stone has in store for us next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review because I loved this book! If you loved Red, White, and Royal Blue or Boyfriend Material definitely give this book a go!
A grumpy and wounded bookseller in London meets a sunny American actor and I couldn't put it down. Aubrey is my spirit animal and basically living my dream even though it's not quite his. Blake is a perfect sunny but complex cinnamon roll hero and I loved all the ways he tried to get sweet, oblivious Aubrey's attention. The steam was there and written in a way that I don't think I've seen in so long where the heat and the emotions came through equally and it was perfect! I will definitely be reading more by Hayden Stone!

There's something very Notting Hill about this book, but gay and I loved it.

The story was charming, sweet and the humorous style in Hayden's writing does not go unnoticed. The pacing was good and I never felt bored or wishing it would go faster.

Characters can be relatable too - as we do get older as adults, we can be cynical and grumpy and I normally find a character who shows these traits to be quite annoying, yet felt for him. There are many moments where I just found myself smiling without realizing and sighing with such loving "awws".

I would definitely recommend this queer romcom to others who enjoy this genre. And as always, suggest people to check the TW/CW.

Thanks to Netgalley for the E-ARC!

Thank you so much to Entangled and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Aubrey Barnes is a bookshop owner in London, and all he really wants is for things to go right for once. Still pining just a bit over his ex, still trying to make ends meet at his bookshop, and still trying to figure out what the hell he's doing in life. When a film crew starts filming down the street and offers to pay Aubrey for use of his shop in the movie, he's hesitant but stuck. How can he turn down the money for his floundering shop? But when he meets one of the actors and a wrong turn into the wrong trailer takes an unexpectedly steamy turn, Aubrey gets more than he bargained for.

I love the bookshop meet-cute in this book, and the grumpy/sunshine pairing. Aubrey is a cynic and incredibly hard on himself, but I think that made his character feel more realistic. He's snarky and sarcastic and there's frankly nothing I enjoy more. Blake Sinclair, our actor love interest, is basically a golden retriever. He's so sweet and good-looking, and he really just wants to make Aubrey smile - but we find out eventually he's dealing with his own ghosts, same as Aubrey.

I enjoyed the writing and the humor. Stone manages to nail the recipe for a good romance with excellent banter, steamy love scenes, and an emotional connection. Great read!