Tyler has spent the last six years constructing his perfectly boring life, which is exactly the way he wants it. He spends his days hiding behind the protective walls he has so carefully built and has no intentions of changing . . . until he meets the unpredictable.
Lennie Jacobs is an intoxicating mess. She never stays anywhere long enough to form a solid relationship with anyone, including her family, because she has taught her fragile heart that love isn’t an option.
What started as a way to pass the time soon blossoms into something neither expected.
He was never meant to be permanent.
She can’t promise forever.
But, when life and love are on the line, everything changes.
Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
Riann C. Miller is the author of eight contemporary romance novels. Her new release, Returning Home is available now!
Riann (pronounced Ry-an) lives in Kansas with her husband and two teenaged children. When she’s not reading, or writing, she usually enjoying a Royals game.
O-M-G the Feels in the book...the F-E-E-L-S...THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU Riann Miller for gifting me an ARC of this fabulous book of yours.
"Lennie, I tried not to like you, but I couldn’t. I tried like hell not to fall in love with you, but I ended up loving everything about you. You make me crazy in a way I didn’t know was possible."
Tyler Brooker spends his days locked away in his apartment working and avoiding all that life has to offer. Boring, safe and predictable, that's the way he enjoys it. That's the way he plans on keeping it. Until one day the opposite of "boring, safe, and predictable" knocks on his door asking to borrow some oil.
Lennie Jacobs is a tatted up rebel. Wandering from place to place and never setting down roots. Experience has taught Lennie that life is short and tomorrow isn't guaranteed.
What starts out as friendship soon turns into something more.
"You’re used to running, but Lennie you need to know something.” I put my arm around her waist and lock her body tight against mine. “If you run, I’ll chase you.” Her eyes flare as my heart rate increases. “You can run to the ends of the earth and I’ll still chase you because you matter to me. You’re a priority to me."
I honestly don't know how what to write in this review that would do this book an ounce of justice. I ADORED every minute of this thing. The writing is spectacular, so much so, I simply decided eating was of much less importance than me continuing to read this from cover to cover.
I ADORED Lennie. She was quirky and feisty and just lived a life on her own terms. No matter what people threw at her, she didn't let it get her down. That said, my heart ACHED for her SO many times. And underneath the "in your face" attitude she had this heartbreaking vulnerability that just made me want to give her the biggest hug.
"Sometimes you have to walk in the dark in order to see the sunlight.” My hand freezes as she continues. “But nobody warns you that the darkness can last so unbelievably long that you can forget the sun exists."
Tyler was a fantastic hero as well. Hurt by a huge betrayal six years earlier he now spends most of this time locked away and avoiding life. To say he wasn't all that thrilled when Lennie pushed her way into his life would be an understatement. I loved watching Lennie slowly pull Tyler out of his self imposed prison and back into life. He was such a sweet and understanding hero. Even when Lennie made things difficult, he stuck in there and wasn't letting her go.
This also had some interesting side characters. Lennie's sister and Tyler's roommate seem like maybe they will be getting their own book (I hope so) Lennie's parents and Tyler's parents both needed to be smacked around at points during this book. As did Tyler's brother Brandon. If this is indeed going to be a series, the groundwork was laid beautifully for it.
I honestly don't know what else to say. I LOVED it. I laughed. I smiled. I cried like a little baby. It even had a wonderful epilogue (so rare lately) My recommendation...go forth and read this beautiful book.
“Acceptance is a gift not everyone will give.” - Lennie
“I want you, just you, and that means I’ll take you any way you come.” - Tyler
“Meeting the Unpredictable” is a touching story of two broken people: Lennie & Tyler.
On the surface they appear to be opposites but in fact, they share many things in common.
We have hints from the beginning of the book that both Tyler and Lennie have experienced a kind of trauma in their past which have caused them to become the way they are now.
Tyler has built emotional walls around himself and he spends his life in a boring, but safe and predictable way. He has one best friend: Chad. He doesn’t go out much, doesn’t do relationships other than meaningless sex and he works at home as a corporate investigator on his computer. That is the way he prefers.
Lennie, on the other hand, is apparently running all the time, running away from her home town, from her family and maybe from her life. She moves to somewhere different every three months or so. She cannot stay anywhere forever. So, her relationships with people are always temporary.
“Life moves forward, Tyler, even when we don’t want it to.” Her fingers softly run over the flower on her arm. “Some people aren’t meant to stay in your life for long.”
But wherever she goes, she tries to cheer people up, touch their life in some way and help them heal if they are broken, too. She understands Tyler is broken as soon as she meets him. Then, she forces her way into Tyler’s quiet and safe life to break down his walls.
“Lennie, we couldn’t be more opposite if you tried.” I nod my head in silence. I can’t make him accept something he’s not ready for, but that doesn’t mean I can’t offer him a healthy dose of reality.
“The way we express ourselves couldn’t be more different.” He swallows as he watches me closely. “But we’re both suffering right out in the open for anyone to see, but they...don’t.” He casts me a meaningful look. “With people like us, you have to dig below the surface to see what’s wrong.”
She makes it her personal mission to help Tyler get out of the prison he has built for himself and encourages him to have fun. She pushes his limits, but she also knows when to pull back.
Tyler lives next door to Lennie’s sister Jodi, who she has come to stay with for a while. They meet when she appears one day at his door asking for oil to make muffins.
The way she worms herself into Tyler’s life was fun to read. At first he’s quite resistant, but he soon gives in the temptation.
Her sweet and carefree attitude slowly makes him thaw and first they become friends, then friends with benefits and then lovers.
Lennie is so much more different from anyone he has ever met. She is a free spirit and she doesn't give a damn about what anyone else thinks.
She is beautiful with brown hair and blue eyes. She is funny and sexy as hell. She has a lot of tattoos on her body.
She looks like a rebel and acts like one, too.
"This is what she does. She’s...unpredictable. She’s like a storm. You just have to wait for whatever mood she’s in to pass."
Tyler turns out to be one of the best book-boyfriends with his gorgeous looks and caring attitude. First, Lennie fights for him, defends him, helps him to heal and then, it is his turn to do the same.
Tyler never gives up and fights hard to be with her no matter how much she tries to flee.
I’m doing everything in my power to give her a reason to stay. A reason to pick me.
***
For the first time in years, I’m ready to beg for a second chance at life.
***
“She’s running. Literally. Something scared her, and I guess at this point I should be thankful she came to tell me goodbye. That she gifted me the chance to go with her.
“You belong to me.” A knowing smile forms on his face. I force my eyes shut. “Open your eyes, Lennie.” His frantic voice makes me do exactly what he asked. “We belong together.”
This book is is about life, family issues, the shitty hands fate delivers to some people and how they deal with it. It is about second chances in life. It is about friendship, love, fighting to survive and healing.
“You’re used to running, but Lennie you need to know something. If you run, I’ll chase you.”
Her eyes flare as my heart rate increases. “You can run to the ends of the earth and I’ll still chase you because you matter to me. You’re a priority to me.”
Lennie’s eyes soften. “Where have you been my whole life, Tyler Brooker?”
As you read, you uncover the mysteries that have made our main characters the way they are. You understand why Tyler has been living a lonely life for the past six years and why and from what Lennie has been running for so many years. But I must admit that the writer has made me crawl until the middle of the book, wondering what was what. I had my own guesses and most came out to be true but I couldn’t have guessed certain things and they surprised me.
I cannot tell you much more because you need to read and discover each fact about these characters yourself.
Let me tell you that the side characters were great contribution to the story and I really really want to adopt an animal from a shelter after reading this book. I kind of need the same "dog therapy"...
“Tyler, have you ever felt unconditional love?” Her question causes my head to spin.
“Humans come with strings. They always have and they always will, but the love you get from an animal is truly unconditional.”
“Meeting the Unpredictable” is a beautiful journey which has its happy and sad moments. It is really a decent book and I am glad that I have read it. I nearly highlighted half of the book. It is full of life lessons and mottos for everyone...
Let me leave you with some more delicious quotes from the book.
No one taught me that no matter how good you are, no matter how much you beg, no matter how much you pray, some things can’t be purchased.
***
I learned a long time ago that the things that matter in life never come with a price tag.
***
You know how quickly life can change. Don’t let your life disappear right in front of you.
***
When life delivers something rare, you have to reach out and grab ahold of it.
***
“Sometimes, when something breaks, there’s not always a way to fix it.”
My eyes painfully close and I’m not sure if I’m feeling agony for Lennie or me. “Is...is that what you are?” Her face turns and she looks up at me. “Broken?” My voice cracks.
Slowly, she nods her head. “No matter how hard anyone tries to fix me...I no longer have all the pieces.”
“If you run, I’ll chase you... You can run to the ends of the earth and I’ll still chase you because you matter to me...” “Where have you been my whole life, Tyler Brooker?” “I’ve been waiting to meet the unpredictable Lennie Jacobs.”
Wow!!! I wasn't expecting this book to be so lovely!!! And it took me by a great surprise!!!! This story was a wonderful companion full of joy, life, laugh, sadness and many things that were lying underneath the surface!!! It was a life-changing story and I'm glad that i had the chance to read it!!!!
"ACCEPTANCE IS A GIFT NOT EVERYONE WILL GIVE!"
Tyler is hole up into his apartment for the last six years and in a way, he is hiding away from the world and his family.... But he loves the little fortress that he has hidden himself behind... Until one day, a crazy and very unpredictable girl is bursting into his life and home and brings everything upside down!!!
"Somewhere in the back of my mind, there’s a voice whispering to me to grab ahold of Lennie Jacobs and take whatever she’s offering for as long as she offers it."
Lennie is an unpredictable mess... She is taking life by each day and she is trying to live it to the fullest. She can't stay in one place for a long time and she is trying to not get attached with anyone, including her own family.... But life is forcing her to return in her hometown for a while and she is deciding to toy with her sister's neighbor until she fly away from her next destination....
"Tyler was meant to be a distraction, but the dynamics have changed. He wants forever, and now my only wish is that I could give that to him."
Lennie is not from the kind of girls who knows how to be quiet and distreet and she doesn't care if Tyler is getting angry with her behavior.... She just wants to wake him up from his boring life!!! Tyler is furious with this crazy woman who doesn't know from boundaries, but as the time is passing by, he is longing for her companion and for what she has in her mind for next...
“Lennie, I tried not to like you, but I couldn’t. I tried like hell not to fall in love with you, but I ended up loving everything about you. You make me crazy in a way I didn’t know was possible...”
As you can understand, Lennie and Tyler are coming closer and closer.... And while in the beginning, everything started as a lovely game to pass the time, feelings are getting involved and all those things that they both hiding inside of them are revealing....
“We don’t choose love, love chooses us, and when that happens, you have to stop fighting and embrace the gift you’re given.”
What will happen then??? Will they manage to be together??? And how this is going to happen since Lennie is a free bird that noone can cage in??? Will Tyler fight for her or will he let her go????
“Tyler, I didn’t plan to meet you. I didn’t set out to fall in love, especially when I don’t have a future to offer you... What kind of person allows someone to become attached when they have nothing to offer?” “Don’t say that. Lennie, you have a lot to offer.” “What exactly do I have to offer you?” “Your heart, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Except for the romance, this book had lots to give, but unfortunately i can't tell you more.... But it was touching serious matters that was worthying the time... I liked all the atmosphere and all Lennie's craziness, even though in the beginning it was a little bit too much!!!! When i realized why she was acting like that, i understood her very well... I also adored Tyler... He was letting life passing by through his fingers and he needed Lennie to turn his world upside down.... I also liked the way that he stood beside her.... Both of them were carrying huge baggages in their backs and they did a great job to face the problems together!!!
“You are the most amazing person I know, Lennie. I don’t care what you’re running from because whatever it is, we’ll face it together.”{Tyler}
"This man claims to love me, and somewhere along the way, my heart has fallen for him in a way I didn’t know was possible."{Lennie}
I also liked very much all the secondary characters even though most of them frustrated the hell out of me with their actions... But all this weird attitude was building up nicely the whole story... Well... This was a wonderful story and i recommend it to everyone!!!
***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***
Thank God I've found this book!! I was in need of a warming yet dramatic love story and I got what I've wanted. I usually enjoy love stories about a nice girl and a bad boy, but this book was not disappointing even when the roles were reversed.
As you know, I don't like spoilers and my main focus will be on the main characters. Lennie is a wild soul, with a tormented childhood that happened mostly in hospitals and looking for treatments for her leukemia. As the title tells us, she is unpredictable, always on the run, not making roots and attaching herself to people and places. I admired her sincerity, the way she is so straight forward with everything in her life. She is sweet and wild in the same time, showing vulnerability masked by strength, and being a very difficult person to contain.
When she met Tyler, her next door neighbor, she makes it her mission to enlarge his idea of life and fun. Tyler in essence is very like Lennie, but hide his personality due to a heartbreaking experience that marked him 6 years ago. At the beginning Lennie is literally a pain in the ass for Tyler. She is adventure to his mild personality, the pepper to his salt, the life to his secluded and guard self. He didn't see it right away, but the physical attraction is only the surface to the connection they have. They will change each others life, giving mutually things that were to deep hidden, it took a lot of love to get them to resurface.
I enjoyed so much this bonding and connecting the two characters had. Lennie thought Tyler so much, to give love a chance, to go out and experience the wonders of the word and to try to forgive the harm that was inflicted to him all this time.
Tyler also was a true gift for Lennie. He accepted her and loved her without hesitation. They blend so perfectly together and were a perfect match. He was perfection, exactly the guy every girl deserves to have. He was patient, yet determined, gentle and just adorable. He stood by Lennie even in the worst of times and it was admirable how he can love so unconditionally. They were perfect for each other, fixing old wounds that didn't healed properly, giving a new definition of second chance and loving again.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters and I hope the writer will give Jodi and Chad a chance to be together. To conclude, a stunning and sad story, with a great message behind it, with amazing characters that will make you cry and laugh. It truly was an amazing book, and I've read it without breathing.
I’ve mastered the art of hiding in plain sight. Spotting someone else doing the same thing is easy. I might not be in Dallas for long, but I plan to be here long enough to help my new friend figure out how to have fun.
When Lennie knocked on his door and asked to borrow some cooking oil, Tyler had absolutely no idea his life was about to take a 180 degree turn.
On the surface, these two couldn’t be more different.
Tyler’s completely steady, a little staid and most definitely stuck in a rut. Sure, his life is boring and predictable and that’s just the way he likes it. For the most part.
Lennie, on the other hand, has chosen a completely different approach. Life’s too short to deal with boring and to not spend it doing exactly what you like.
“The way we express ourselves couldn’t be more different.” He swallows as he watches me closely. “But we’re both suffering right out in the open for anyone to see, but they . . . don’t.” He casts me a meaningful look. “With people like us, you have to dig below the surface to see what’s wrong.”
Both Tyler and Lennie have experienced painful events in their past that have caused them to build emotional walls and both have chosen to build those walls in completely different ways. Tyler would be happy working from home and generally keeping to himself. Until Lennie. To borrow from one of the great philosophers of recent history, homegirl came in like a wrecking ball and upended his comfortable existence in the very best way.
Meeting the Unpredictable took me by surprise and completely captivated me from the beginning. Female characters like Lennie don’t come along very often and, to be honest, she could’ve easily worked my last good nerve. Instead of annoyed, I found myself enchanted with her outlook on life, despite the fact it’s obvious she’s had some serious pain in her life. As a reader I knew her happy, go lucky self was a façade built from many years of practice and that made me want to dig deeper and get to the bottom of her situation. Tyler’s exasperation yet fascination with his newfound bestie was seriously delightful.
I’m a blunt woman by nature, so let me just say I highlighted the hell out of this book. Seriously. That kind of goodness makes for some awesome reading. The story brought ALL the feels. It sucked me in with a fun Lennie and a hilariously reluctant Tyler but as the story progressed, my attention was focused on getting to know the characters beyond the surface stuff. And Ms. Miller did not disappoint. It’s rare a book can that can make me cry real, actual tears and leaves me smiling at the same time. My only complaint is the pacing at the end of the story, but overall it didn’t detract from my enjoyment.
Meeting the Unpredictable was the book I needed at exactly the right time. Lennie plus Tyler mixed with all that good stuff worked for me in a big way.
Started out with this funky, unusual heroine that did the most outrageous things. I pictured Tyler, the hero, as a sexy, straight-laced nerd with glasses or something. He was always exasperated but patient with Lenny, which made me like him.
I was curious to know what Lenny was going to do next and it was usually way out there and gasp-worthy. But then we learned more about the characters and what kinds of things made them tick, and the story took a more serious, sad turn.
I'm happy the two ended up together. They deserved a happy ending after what they each went through, and I still want to kick Tyler's ex right in the lady parts! Sheshould've ended up with a nasty infection or something equally irritating and itchy and persistent!
Lennie is a runner – when the going gets tough Lennie gets going, so I wasn’t sure about this one because I don’t want to read about a heroine who’s constantly running or pushing people away. However, the pull of Tyler being a reclusive, geeky hottie won out, and I’m glad he did because on the whole I really liked this one.
Lennie’s issues stem from an awful childhood where she spent a lot of it very sick, so she learned to suck up the bad, put a smile on it and appear to be the life and soul of the party. Her father was a supreme Arsehole with a capital Arse. Yes, at the end they make their peace but for me it was too little too late – he didn’t deserve forgiveness. In what world do you chose one child’s life over another’s? No, just no! I loathed him with a passion, I really did. Actually both sets of parents shouldn't have even held the title of parent, they were just so bad.
Tyler was absolutely perfect for her, he made her work to get in there and once he fell, he was G.O.N.E. for her. I love how he accepted her, quirks and all and never once tried to change her.
All this was wrapped up in the sweetest epilogue that made my heart sigh ♥
An ok read. Sweet male mc; not your typical NA female lead; great side characters. I liked the promise, a carefree heroine pushing our hero out of his comfort zone. But our female mc came across as so self-centered and irresponsible, to the point I felt sorry for her family and the poor guy she ended up with. Being in her head felt like reading a self help book, but said book has got it all wrong.
Definitely a second chance, make the most out of everyday, read. I really liked the H and h. Tyler has been nursing a broken heart since his high school/college girlfriend, Amber, broke off their engagement two weeks prior to the wedding for another guy, which leads him to trust no one, and for good reason! He has pretty much retreated from any kind of real social life for the past six years and has settled nicely into his boring, work, work, work, all the time existence.
Enter, Lennie, a no holds barred, say whatever your thinking, kinda gal. She is dealing with a problem from own crappy childhood and is a screw-up as far as her family is concerned. She lives by the seat of her pants, living life to the fullest, but can never seem to stay put in one place more than a few months at a time, but she is really good at leaving. Forced to come back to her hometown of Dallas and deal head on with what fate is dealing up, she leans on her sister, Jodi, for a place to stay, and ultimatly meets the sexy neighbor, Tyler, who lives across the hall.
Tyler answers the door and a very attractive, tattooed brunette is standing there asking for baking ingredients. From that point on, Lennie continues to show up like a bad penny, annoying and distracting him to exhaustion. She has decided it is her mission to make sure he starts having fun in his life again. Lennie flips his world upside down and inside out. They mutually decide to enjoy each other as 'friends with benefits,' but Tyler can't help but fall in love with her and do whatever it takes to get her to stay.
He wants forever, but she knows that is not in the cards for them.
So why only 3 stars? Actually, 3.5 would be more accurate. This was my first time reading a book by Riann. It could have been a solid 4 star rating for me, but a few of the sex scenes were a total turn off. When I have to keep tapping through pages of what I consider crude on my tablet, it irks me. Obviously, just not my thing.
Otherwise, the characters were totally entertaining and the storyline really kept my interest. The secondary characters of Jodi and Chad, who is Tyler's roommate, were enjoyable and should, and probably will, get their own story. All in all, 3.5 stars!
*I received this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*
I couldn’t understand why the heroine treated her parents the way she did. She was awful. I’m a mommy’s girl, I would never treat my mother this way. It wasn’t until later in the book we come to find out why she is like that with her parents. I can understand why she acts that way with her father but i couldn’t understand why she treated her mother like that. There were 2 things I liked about her. 1- Her love for animals and 2- She was very sexually experienced and loved sex.
“Some people need sex more often than others, and I’m definitely one of those people.”
I know kids pushed your buttons, believe me I freaking know but she wasn’t a kid or teenager. She was a grown ass woman.
“I’ve gone out of my way to slowly remove my family from my life and right now the desire to get in my car and leave is strong.”
“I can’t save lives. But you’re in luck because I love animals probably more than I love humans.”
“Humans come with strings. They always have and they always will, but the love you get from an animal is truly unconditional.”
I figured many GR readers going to like the hero. He’s a loner, a reclusive, not a manwhore or doesn’t appear to be one. He’s been celibate for 10 months prior to meeting the heroine. He was engaged, loved his ex, he was with her for 5 years until she cheated on him. After she broke up their engagement he had sex with 5 women in one month after he saw his ex and her new man he felt dirty for having meaningless encounters so he was celibate for a year after that. From that moment on he has had a few encounters but more times than not he goes home alone. His ex broke their engagement because she cheated with his brother and now she’s married to him. Poor hero has to see them together with kids. He’s not hung up on his ex but he is hurt that his brother was the one she cheated on. What kind of man does this his own brother and his family expected hero to be fine with this. No wonder hero doesn’t want to talk to them. His brother didn’t even apologize not that any apology could fix what he did to the hero. Nothing will fix that.
“I’m afraid where Lennie is concerned, I’m inexperienced.”
“You’re used to running, but Lennie you need to know something. If you run, I’ll chase you. You can run to the ends of the earth and I’ll still chase you because you matter to me. You’re a priority to me.”
“The day you knocked on my door, I was blinded by the light.”
Now hero was a good one until he ruined by calling the heroine a whore because he thought she was cheating on him like his ex, I would never understand how a man who claims to love a woman can call her horribles names. After he acted like a dick he planned to beg her for forgiveness. Do I feel he redeemed himself after calling her a whore? Yes I think he did.
I really loved this book. Awesome characters, superb writing and great plot. I loved Tyler and Lennie together. Opposites do attract sometimes and then they discover that they have more in common than they thought. I loved how Tyler changed. He eventually loves spending time with Lennie and finds himself waiting for her to storm into his apartment. Lennie changes his life. Lennie enjoys life and is very spontaneous. She has a big secret and I wanted to know what it is she's hiding. I found it very difficult to put this book down. I hope Jodi gets her own story. I liked her a lot and want to know more about her.
Star Ratings: Heroine (Lennie): 25yrs old – 1/5 Hero (Tyler): 28yrs old – 3/5 Plot: 2/5 Grovel: none Cheating: none HEA: yes but I don't see why we have a five year epilogue with no kids...just the hint of a possible kid Triggers: OW drama
Average score: 2/5
Best Line: “You should be a disappointment to yourself, Lennie, and the fact that you’re not is unnerving.”
Worst Line: h: “I’ve found I have a lot to offer the world and it feels like I’m cheating someone out of that gift if I stay in one place for very long.”
Personal Review: This was a supposed love story between a selfish heroine who would rather annoy others than be a better human being and a reclusive hero whose ex-fiance cheated on him with his older brother.
Random Ramblings •The h is not my type but I will continue in the hopes she because less obnoxious •20% in and I was hoping that the h was dying so her actions made sense – if she wasn’t dying then she was immensely annoying •I get what the author was trying to do with the h but I still found her to be too up herself with her ‘holier than thou’ attitude •The H has an extremely toxic family •When she didn’t tell him…
•I don’t get why the h felt angry or betrayed all the time…she has nothing to be angry about!! She’s rich and doesn’t work, has parents who care about her, has a loyal sister who would do anything for her and a man who loves her! She put them through hell by being so melodramatic and immature •The book cover is misleading – this ‘romance’ is no way as sweet as the couple on the front
"Sometimes you have to walk in the dark in order to see the sunlight. But nobody warns you that the darkness can last so unbelievably long that you can forget the sun exists."
I loved this book because it made me feel so much for both Lennie and Tyler. They were both fighters, fighting themselves, fighting the world and ultimately fighting for each other. I grew to love both these characters, flaws and all. My emotions where all over the place, right along with Tyler and Lennie. I was laughing, cheering, rolling my eyes and than I hit the ugly crying stage. I was sucked right in, Meeting the Unpredictable definitely left a huge impression on me.
This was a deeply emotional story about a girl who lives every day for herself, no longer caring about appearances or expectations, and a guy who's let life pass him by in order to keep a safe distance from heartache. This is a story about two complete different people finding out they aren't so different where it counts.
I will definitely be checking out more from the author. Her characters were complex, they were honest and yes, flawed but the emotion she packed into this story was incredible. To be honest, I'm surprised I fell so hard for both MCs in this one because neither is my typical H/h. I like more dominant H's (for a while Tyler was way too passive, and seemed too uptight to be paired with crazy Lennie) and less pushy h's (Lennie definitely isn't afraid to cross boundaries and her upfront attitude took a bit to adjust too) but Lennie and Tyler are uniquely their own and I couldn't help but fall head over heels for them and root for their love story.
I would definitely recommend reading - I couldn't put this one down and I can see myself re-reading this again and again.
Favorite Lines:
Acceptance is a gift not everyone will give.
"You can run to the ends of the earth and I'll chase you because you matter to me. You're a priority to me."
Safety: H is 28, h is 25, neither are virgin, there isn't really OM/OW drama It wasn't depressingly sad but was a tear jerker for me, moderately angsty, but no cheating, no separation period, and does end with a HEA and a super sweet epilogue a few years down the road.
uzun yorucu ve meşgul bir dönemin üzerine ilaç gibi gelen güzel bir kitaptı. story was perfect language, characters specially lennie was fantastic. I love it 😊❤
Lennie has been moving from place to place, never really settling anywhere for the last decade. Something in her past has fueled this behavior and her not getting along with her family certainly doesn’t help. Once a year she goes home and this time she’s back earlier than she had planned, so she decides to crash with her sister. Cue in the hot-guy-neighbor whose reclusive life fuels Lennie’s mischievous side and she sets on disrupting his life.
At first, Tyler can’t comprehend what is up with the neighbor’s obnoxious sister who insists on dropping by his house and messing with his day. As a corporate investigator he works from home and is very dedicated… there’s not really much worthy crap out in the world anyway. Apparently Tyler had never heard of “opposites attract” because he keeps being surprised when he can’t stop thinking about the tiny tornado also known as Lennie.
While Lennie slowly but surely worms in her way into Tyler’s life and his heart, she is keeping something major from him. We have hints of what this big thing in her past is (and at one point I was yelling at my kindle to just “tell me already what that is”) and even when I realized what the big secret was she still kept it from Tyler. This actually bugged me a bit, I could understand where she was coming from, but open communication would have been much better IMO.
Tyler also had some stuff from his past that he needed to work through, and that was the catalyst to his hermit-ish type life. I loved to witness how Lennie helped him realized what he was missing and introduced him back to life. Watching him thaw thanks to Lennie’s touch was lovely, and he really was a great guy: caring, funny and sexy.
Lennie’s unapologetic and sometimes blunt attitude towards everything was refreshing, though at times when she wouldn’t act towards her own life the way she did to others’ it pissed me off a little.
Tyler and Lennie’s relationship is more on the friends-to-lovers side, but when they do get involved intimately it was seriously hot. I loved them together, I really liked both of them and even though this apparently is as an “opposites attract” story, underneath it all they were a lot alike, they just dealt with their stuff in different sides of the JFI spectrum.
In the end, Meeting The Unexpected is an all around love story and how to learn that having to deal with difficult things can be easier if you lean on your loved ones. There is romance, really hot sextivities, friendships and reuniting families, a really good read.
Meeting the Unpredictable was one heck of an emotional amazing read! I couldn't put this book. Meeting the unpredictable just drew me right in and didn't let go until the very last page. Just make sure you have a package of tissues on hand because you need them.
Lennie has come home for her yearly visit after keeping her family at arms distance. She actually keeps EVERYONE at arms distance and doesn't get attached to anything or anyone. Lennie lives her life as if each day is her last. While staying with sister she meets Jodi's neighbors Tyler and Chad when she goes next door looking for cooking oil.
Tyler has been living next door to Lennie's sister Jodi for years and had no idea that she had a sister. This all changed when Tyler who is a home body gets a knock on his door from carefree Lennie. Little does he know that when he answers that door his life will change.
Will Lennie and Tyler be able to help each other in the best possible ways or will their total differences cause a disaster for all involved?
This was a nice read. I hurt for the heroine. Other reviewers commented on the rude way she treated her parents, but I felt her actions were understandable and justifiable.
I realize that good authors limit their usage of dialogue tags, but this author wasn’t good enough to structure her sentences in a way that made me aware of who was speaking. She NEEDED dialogue tags. I had to stop several times because I got lost. I did a search of the book and found that ‘said’ was used 54 times, but not once as a dialogue tag. It was all within conversations. And she had internal thoughts of one person within the same paragraph as dialogue from another person. CONFUSING. Start another freaking paragraph.
And another thing: What the heck are “THIN” eyes? “Her eyes thinned.” Did they go on Slimfast? Did they go to the gym? What?
Safety: Tyler was engaged the the first woman he ever slept with. They were in a relationship for 5 years before she cheated on him with his brother. He slept with 5 women in one month after the breakup and he didn't like himself for it. He was celibate for a year after that and then he only had a handful of encounters with random women since then. He was admittedly inexperienced compared to Lennie.
Lennie rebelled in her teenage years. She slept around a lot. Nothing long lasting because she was always moving every few months. Her experience was far greater than his and I liked that for a change. Good job to the author for giving us a heroine who enjoyed a healthy sex life before finding the hero.
This was such a beautiful story about two people that were both dealt a troubled/traumatic past for two totally different reasons but found love and peace with life after finding each other.
Lennie grew up Missing the normal teenage life that we all take for granted and as a result she rebelled and lived for the moment never thinking about what the future held. She carried a guilt with her constantly nagging at her that she didn't deserve to win, to be free of the cards she was dealt at such an early age.
Tyler was betrayed by the love he was to marry and a family member and lost his will to live instead locking himself away from the outside world and throwing himself into his work..... That was until Lennie knocked on his door for oil.
Lennie and Tyler were amazing! Her journey was so sad but so good at the same time. And I'm so glad she made peace with her dad. Carla is an absolute Gem!! And Tyler, what can I say he was dealt a shitty hand with Amber but Lennie helped him to see life was still worth living and love.... True love is amazing! This was such a powerful read that touched me and made me feel! It was an emotional story that was written perfectly and absolutely deserves 10 stars!
Meeting The Unpredictable is basically about life and about how you need to play the cards you’re dealt with, no matter what. It’s also about being afraid of second chances, about being stuck in the past, cause you‘re suddenly overwhelmed by being dealt with a winning hand for a change after so many years with a losing hand.
Meeting The Unpredictable is also about how one person‘s shitty hand can influence the life of other people and make them suffer insufferable pain. It’s about family bonds and about how much a family can drift apart through that pain.
To me, Meeting The Unpredictable was also a very personal story, for the shitty hand the h was dealt with, is the same shitty hand my Dad was dealt with, years ago, only my Dad never got a winning hand. That’s also why I only liked, but not loved this book. I guess, when it comes to the subject matter this book deals with, you just cannot love it, once you’ve lived it, cause old demons are awakened and you’re suddenly haunted by memories that are just too hard to deal with. That’s why I only rate 3 stars.
I still wanna give credit to the author for I liked how- already after page 1 - I connected to the characters she created. The writing was superb, I just had my very personal issues with the subject matter.
It's honestly impossible for me to not love any of this author's work. She is such an incredible author, I can't understand how she's not on every book shelf in every home and store in the world! I would read her grocery list if she sent it to me...I'd probably even shop for her!
As much as I just want to tell you everything about this book because I loved every word of it, I can't because you have to read it for yourself. This is the story of Tyler and Lennie. Tyler works at home and pretty much keeps to himself almost every minute of the day. If not for his roommate, Chad he'd never see the outside world at all. The minute he meets Lennie, he is forced to face the outside the world because she is the total opposite of him. She has seen the world and enjoys experiencing everything it has to offer.
However, all is not as simple as it seems, each are hiding secrets of their past. You'll just have to read the book to find out exactly what those secrets are that being hidden. Trust me, you won't be sorry you bought a copy of this book, it's just that good!
I really love this authors characters, they always feel like real people complete with realistic histories. She never falls into the predictable traits of manwhores and virgins, her heroines always have sexual pasts which is NORMAL. She does a good job about inserting realism where its needed, and suspending it when she brings in the romance aspect.
The story itself was good, I liked that both hero and heroine went on a journey to discover things about themselves, and I was happy to see them get a HEA. Loved all the animal stuff, and that when Tyler decided Lennie was it for him, he was all in!
Tyler Brooker and Lennie Jacobs couldn’t be more different if they tried…but are they really so different?
I’m going to give this a try without giving too much away. I think you should experience it just like I did.This book was nothing like I thought it would be; the characters were nothing like I thought they’d be. At first description I figured Lennie was going to be a total flake and she was to a certain extent. I figured the reason for her flightiness would be the result of some type of learning disability. It wasn’t though (at least not completely) Lennie’s flakiness was a direct result of protecting herself the best way she knew how. Tyler, yeah, I expected him to be this geeky guy who never had a girlfriend, was totally inexperienced, shy, awkward…but he was none of that. Tyler’s self-imposed isolation was his was way of protecting himself. In this we kind of see that Tyler and Lennie, really aren’t so different after all.
They complimented each other very well. While Lennie’s spontaneous nature helps Tyler see live in a different way; Tyler’s dedication to Lenny makes her see that there are people who have your back, who are capable of loving you unconditionally and are worth letting your heart get involved. Neither has the best relationship with their families and I had a hard time trying to figure out which family was worse! But in the end, I think it was an even tie, it’s was strained for good reason. While I completely understand Lennie’s feeling toward her family, there was a few times I felt like “seriously, you had to make it awkward Lennie?”
When I mentioned that the characters were nothing like I thought they’d be, that applies to supporting characters too. Lennie’s sister Jodi, I just knew she was going to be a mega-bitch but she was about as far from that as she could be. She truly loved her sister and wanted to do everything she could to help Lennie get through a difficult time and when you really look at it, she was kind of stuck in a really difficult position. Then there’s Tyler’s friend Chad. All I could see was major man-whore, no feelings or concern for anyone just trying to do his best to get into Jodi’s pants (okay, fine, he did want in her pants but there was more to it). He was looking out for Tyler the way Tyler’s family never did (I’m hoping we get a Jodi and Chad story….hint, hint). In the end I even kind of felt bad for Tyler’s brother Brandon, who betrayed Tyler in the worst way imaginable. I’m a romantic people. I want even the worst of the worst, the douchiest of the douchiest to have some type of redeeming quality. Except Amber, yeah she just sucked and I couldn’t care less about her ever finding happiness or what happens to her. However, I’d like to see Brandon have a comeback.
All in all, this was a good read. With the issues in this book, it could have been a real emotional experience but it was written well enough to make your heart ache slightly but make you smile too.
I am a huge fan of Riann C. Miller and love all of her books. However, I don’t think there are words to describe how much I love her newest book. Meeting the Unpredictable was an amazing story that had me reading into the early hours of the morning because I could not put it down. Riann C. Miller has written an incredible story that has so much emotion written throughout it. I felt connected to this story from the moment I started reading it because of the amazing writing style of the author.
I absolutely loved both of the main characters and once readers met Lennie, you understand where the name of the books came from. Lennie is as the title says ‘unpredictable’ and that was something that I admired about the character. She wasn’t afraid to go to new places and to experience new things. She was always living life in someway and she had such a good heart as well with the way that she volunteered her time. There are so many times that Lennie makes me crack up laughing with her out there personality, but it is one of the many reasons why I enjoyed the character.
Tyler is the complete opposite to Lennie and prefers to stay inside instead of going out. Tyler was such a sweet guy for the ways that despite being annoyed at Lennie’s unpredictable he still tries to be nice to her. Tyler enjoys living a simple life and it is clear that the reasons for this are due to something in his past. When Tyler meets Lennie, it is exactly the way the book is title, meeting the unpredictable. I absolutely love the way that the relationship between the two characters evolves into more then friendship. I love the way that lennie shows Tyler how to live again and to just go out and have fun.
Reading this story there was so many emotions that I felt throughout it, mostly laughter and heartbreak. However, it was the perfect combination of emotions to make this story a truly remarkable one. There were some twists within the book that I was not expecting. This was another beautiful story written by Riann C. Miller and I cant wait to read more of her work.
Lennie Jacobs entered this story like a hurricane. I had a hard time reading and keeping up and began to wonder if she might be bipolar. Honestly, a couple of times I thought I was going to lay the book down and not finish it because I just couldn't get into it or couldn't keep up- like I said- a hurricane and my head was spinning.
I stuck with it- and not only stuck with it but give it 4 stars even after a struggling beginning for me. The heart of the story is the pain, love and acceptance that not only Lennie is looking for, but Tyler is as well. Both have their own past that have hurt them, scarred them and forced them to hide out from everyone. Two kindred souls that unite on the inside well before they unite on the outside.
I wanted to be mad at Lennie for how she handled her life after fleeing Dallas- leaving her family and refusing to take root anywhere. But you have to really read this story on an emotional level, you have to be mature and not judge, you have to accept. You have to accept that Lennie didn't have the opportunity to live certain life lessons to learn how to react. Lennie learned how to run- how to not get attached- not expect anything- not want anything and just run. Tyler hides! These two are beautiful for each other because they brought to each other what they needed. Lennie wouldn't allow Tyler to hide and Tyler wouldn't suffocate Lennie into wanting to run. He accepted her and was patient and loving.
I am glad I read this story because it touched me on so many emotional levels. I am looking forward to a Chad and Jodi story????
Meeting the Unpredictable is the 2nd book I've read by Riann C. Miller. She's an author that's new to me this year and someone I'm keeping an eye on.
I expected to love Lennie right away, but surprisingly that wasn't the case. I'm usually a fan of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl (I know. Hate me.) But she was a little over the top at the beginning, even for me. Fast forward to the end of chapter 4... and I was sucked in by her crazy-yet-lovable antics.
You know throughout the book that both Lennie and Tyler have secrets, and I wracked my brain trying to figure out what was going on with Lennie specifically. Most of my guesses were completely wrong until near the end. I really enjoy when I'm surprised by the direction a book takes and this one was no exception.
Tyler was awesome. He's a serious, business owner that works hard but never really cuts loose. You know he's had some type of trauma in his life, but you don't find out what till further on in the book. I loved Tyler. I think Lennie annoyed him even more than she annoyed me at the beginning, but the way he completely embraced her (and her quirks) once he realized what he had with her was swoon-worthy.
After both reading and loving 2 books that Riann C. Miller has written, I think it's safe to say that I'm becoming a fan. I can't wait to see what comes our way next.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I'm going to start by saying that Riann is becoming one of my favorite authors! She really knows how to write a story that really hits home and makes you fall for her characters!
You get to meet Tyler, who hasn't had the best of luck with past relationships and is pretty much a homebody who doesn't want to change his ways. Then comes Lennie, she is the complete opposite. She isn't going to sit around while life moves on without her. She is going to live it up in all ways possible. Can we say opposites attract? Yes!
I just really enjoyed this story. There were parts that were sad but this entire book gave you hope. That when things get hard you fight through them and make yourself a better person. No matter how hard life is you have to remember to keep moving forward and to keep smiling. The writing was beautiful and so was the story line. I wanted a little more out of the ending that is why it didn't get a full 5 stars. I highly recommend this book. I flew through it and really enjoyed it! Happy reading!
I'm going to start by saying that Riann is becoming one of my favorite authors! She really knows how to write a story that really hits home and makes you fall for her characters!
You get to meet Tyler, who hasn't had the best of luck with past relationships and is pretty much a homebody who doesn't want to change his ways. Then comes Lennie, she is the complete opposite. She isn't going to sit around while life moves on without her. She is going to live it up in all ways possible. Can we say opposites attract? Yes!
I just really enjoyed this story. There were parts that were sad but this entire book gave you hope. That when things get hard you fight through them and make yourself a better person. No matter how hard life is you have to remember to keep moving forward and to keep smiling. The writing was beautiful and so was the story line. I wanted a little more out of the ending that is why it didn't get a full 5 stars. I highly recommend this book. I flew through it and really enjoyed it! Happy reading! 4.5
Unpredictable! Exactly that and so much more! Riann C. Miller wove a truly magnificent story within these pages. They were full of laughs, emotional ups & downs, hopes, dreams, regrets and loss of hope - the full spectrum. In the midst of that is a developing relationship between two polar opposites. I absolutely loved this story and through most of it, I was so heart broken thinking I knew how this story was going to end... however, Riann delivers a remarkable ending that couldn't have been more perfect.
Lennie is living her life to the fullest, each day its own with no regrets - at least, that is what she portrays to everyone. Tyler is living his life built securely within four walls, not letting anyone in, hiding from the world.
"I never in a million years expected a crazy woman asking for oil to change my life..."
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first book I've read of Riann Miller's. I was very impressed. I absolutely fell in love with Lennie and Tyler's story. They say opposites attract, but do they?? Lennie doesn't stay in one place for long and doesn't keep a job, therefore she is Unpredictable. Tyler has a job working at home and lives a pretty boring life. That is until Lennie walked straight into his life. No matter how annoying she got, he still couldn't tell her to leave. Lennie hasn't wanted anything but sex and Tyler hasn't had a relationship since his fiancé screwed him over. I thought they were perfect for each other. They had both chanced each other's lives. What they have is unconditional love for each other. Life may not be perfect, but they are perfect for each other. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone to read