Unexpected Reality

Unexpected Arrivals #1

by Kaylee Ryan

Expect the unexpected. That's what they say, but it's easier said than done.

How do you expect a change so huge it rocks you to your core?

How do you prepare yourself for an event that will alter your life forever?

One breath
One second
One minute
One hour
One day at a time, you learn to live with your unexpected reality.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Audiobook, Friends To Lovers, Adult

299 pages, ebook

First published July 12, 2016

About the author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan has been crowned the Queen of Swoon by her readers. With nearly fifty romance books under her belt, she’s known for penning happily ever afters with heart. When she's not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand or hanging out with her family where she resides in her home state of Ohio.




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Website: http://www.kayleeryan.com/

Reviews

[SamJ ★Needs a HEA★ · Rating 1 out of 5]

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★Book Basics★

Genre : - Cont Romance
Series : - Stand Alone
Love triangle? - No
Cheating? - No, but hero has detailed encounters with other women before meeting the heroine
HEA? - Yes
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - No!
Rating - 1 stars

★Review★

Warning - this review WILL be spoilery, and I may get ranty

I so got sucked in by the cover on this book and the purposefully vague blurb. I really should have read more reviews.

I have to say, I have several issues with this book.

One, we start with the POV of Melissa, ok, yes, makes sense, she seems like a perfect heroine.

She has a sad backstory, is alone in the world, meets our hero, who seems like a pretty decent guy. Has a one night stand with hero, then runs off into the night.

We then move to the POV of the hero several months later, who has been a bit down in the dumps since his ONS with Melissa, as he has been unable to forget her as there was just "something about her" blah blah blah.

Luckily, his friends are right here to cheer him up and get him out of his dry spell, by betting him to have a 3 months relationship with a woman of their choosing. Our stand up guy hero ofc accepts this bet, I mean he cannot give up bragging rights now can he or the all of $4oo that he will win.

A couple of months later, luckily the girl he is with for a bet, is "happy" for a friends with benefits arrangement so all is good in the hero's world. He might not really like this girl, but hey, he has a bet to win. And she is just a FWB that he does not like, so he can drag her to card night, and ignore her while he plays cards with his friends, but not like her attitude when she is ignored as she is clingy and unreasonable (it is ok, luckily for us, she ofc turns out to be a screaming bitch later on in the story so we need not care he treats her like crap)

So anyway, because he is our awesome hero, on the way to his FWB house, he saves a damsel in distress at the side of a road, then carries on and comes across a car crash and saves another damsel in serious distress, and feels like he NEEDS to follow her to the hospital. That is some paranormal shit right there.

Anyway, follow her he does, and while there he gets a phone call to come to the hospital, as he is listed as Next of Kin for someone who has been in an accident. So off he trots, to find out it is Melissa, her of the one night stand fame. Oh and btw she is pregnant and has a remarkably but handily overly detailed letter explaining everything (and giving next weeks lottery numbers *j/k*) on her person. Which explains she is pregnant, he is the Daddy yadda yadda yadda. Oh and this is the woman he just saved and followed to the hospital. Did he miss the massive pregnant belly, who knows?

Anyway, lots of internal torture for the hero over how he is going to be a daddy and how is he going to be a good daddy, but overall, him and his ENTIRE family, seem to take it all in stride.

Baby is born by c-section, hero "talks" to an unconscious Melissa, begging her to wake up, saying they need her etc, hero panics as he has no idea how to be a daddy, gets remarkably detailed manual type instructions on how to care for said baby by the staff, ergo, he is now actually an awesome Daddy.

So, ok, we are at 20% of the story, we just need Melissa to wake up and her and the hero can get to know each other and all set up for a nice story.

Only no, because Melissa wakes up for 20 mins, has a lovely emotional meeting with her son, her and Ridge, the hero have a cuddle and it is all very emotional. The hero then takes the baby back to the nursery, and not 2o mins later gets the news Melissa has died.

Erm.....ok then.

So on we go, 3-4 days later and the hero is home with his baby, and meets Kendall. Who is a nurse, at the baby clinic he takes the baby to.

Anyway, Super Daddy and Nurse Kendall almost immediately fall in lust. Despite Kendall thinking he has just lost the love of his life, and mother of his days old baby and he is in mourning, and Super Daddy Ridge having a freaking days old baby, who's mom has just died.

Lots of flirting, lots of Kendall feeling guilty for flirting with Ridge, even though he is flirting back, she never ever thinks "hold up, this guy has a days old baby, has lost the love of his life, yet he is flirting with me, what a dickhead wanker of donkey kong proportions" no she is all about the self loathing is our Kendall.

Her family however, tell her to go for it, as you know, things might not be what they seem, his family tell him to go for it, as you know, Melissa dying, yeah, tragic and all that but blah blah blah, you deserve a life.

So anyway, Kendall soon starts to fill in the "Mommy" role, but it is ok, as she feels ever so guilty for it. She even finds out the hero was in a relationship for a "bet" but while having issues with it, she lets it go.

But everyone loves them as a couple, they are so adorable, Melissa is all but forgotten about, except in a vague "oh isn't it sad my baby will never know his mother" type way. In fact, given we KNOW she had no family, who on earth organised that poor girls funeral? Since that is NEVER mentioned.

I am not even sure why I did not DNF, maybe to see if it got better. Only it doesn't, since Melissa whats her name had written yet ANOTHER overly detailed letter, which had been posted to Kendall who gets it months later because of reasons. In this, we find out, that Melissa was her sister, who had been adopted by one couple, while Kendall was adopted by another. Although lets not let the fact it has not once previously AT ALL been mentioned that Kendall was adopted get in the way of a plot twist huh?

So anyway, off they got into the sunset, happily married and everything. Kendall ofc, being the guilt ridden gal she is, has some issues with baby Knox calling her Mommy, but she soon gets over that with the help of a counsellor and a set of adoption papers.

So all in, yeah that was maybe a longer rant than I thought, but this book annoyed me on so many levels. I can kinda see what the author wanted to do, you know, make it a bit different....go in a direction books like this do no usually. But it did not work for me. AT ALL.

But at least I finished it I suppose.

[NMmomof4]

DNF @ 92%

I know, I know...why not just finish the last 8ish%? I just couldn't. I'm going to put this in a spoiler tag to spare those that don't want this ruined.

**WARNING: Some cussing and ranting to follow**


It was so freaking stupid! I was worried that my grandma was really telling the truth when I was a kid and my eyes would stay rolled if I kept rolling them!!

OK let me rewind a bit...

- First... I didn't feel the connection. It was like it took them forever to actually do anything except bump into each other around town and the H staking claim on the h in a random way, and then BAM they're in love. I just didn't get it or feel it at all. WAY too instalove, and YES it is the kind that annoys the hell out of me because it feels totally unfounded!

- Then... I'm going to add another spoiler tag because this is a doozy The h was sisters with the H's baby mama. I read in reviews that this was the case, so I wasn't really all that shocked. But it isn't revealed until 92%!!! The baby mama was so adamant that she was "all alone" in the world in both her inner dialogue (in the prologue) and the letter she left the H...but WTH!?! If she knew she had a sister out there -- a freaking TWIN sister -- that's not alone is it? The h was so stupid too in crying saying that the H would break up with her because she would "remind him of what he lost". Bitch please. If he cared enough about the baby mama to be reminded of her, he would've had that issue before it all being revealed by a stupid from-beyond-the-grave letter!! So freaking stupid and OTT soap opera shit!! I wasn't even bothered by the fact that this meant that the H slept with the h's sister, because neither of them even knew she had a sister until the letter -- so it's not really the gross H just sampling the different sisters type of scenario.

I'm not even the least bit tempted to continue this one -- even if it's only 8% :/

[Olga therebelreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars




I loved it!! I loved the premise of the story and the journey Ms. Ryan took me on.

This book is really special because it captures Ridge and Kendall building a friendship to eventually falling head over heels for one another. I loved the humor and I really felt the connection between not just Ridge and Kendall but also Ridge and Melissa (NOT a love triangle!!).

The story is heartwarming, and heartbreaking in equal measures. I was completely immersed in Ridge and Kendall’s struggle to overcome the past and make a life for themselves. Ridge is a gorgeous, single dad. He may be a complete player but his son is his number one priority. Ridge finds out the hard way that life can always be unexpected and sometimes heartbreak is in the shadows. Ridge and Kendall’s relationship slowly starts to build and I love how it played out. I love that they did not just jump into bed with each other from the beginning. There are some ups and downs throughout but it builds to the story as well.

The storyline is well thought out and unique. This is an incredibly beautiful character building romance that will grab you from the beginning and not let go until you finish the last page. I highly recommend this to everyone!


ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

[BleuBelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Watch out for SPOILERS!!!

So this is one of the worst books I've ever read. Truly. It was catastrophic.

First off all, the blurb left much to the imagination. I didn't really know what this book would be about. The only hint was the baby on the cover. So single dad with a newborn baby? I thought this story would be great and really interesting. It would seem, that I was wrong. Again.

It all started with the prologue. It was written in the 1POV form Melissa. You would think that this Melissa would be the heroine, right? Well, wrong. She's not. She's the one night stand of the hero. So the first thing in this book, I have to read about the hero having sex with another woman than the heroine. This is sooooo bad. I don't want to read about this stuff.

Well then thats over and the POV changes to the one of the hero, namely Ridge. He's tattooed and has hot friends. He works construction and let's off steam at a bar. We learn that he didn't have had a woman since the night with Melissa. And of course this can't go on. Right? I mean poor boy, hadn't had sex in several months. That's against the law of men!! Sarcasm off.

That's when his really super duper friends make a bet with him. He has to have a 3 month relationship with a chick they choose for him. And what does he do? He goes with it. For 400 Dollars. Great. That's the kind of man I wish to have as a hero in my romance novels. Not!!

I find it hard to believe that such a bet would exist in the real word. I mean come on! A 3 month relationship? What's the kick in it? It's really boring. And degrading. And so not nice to the poor woman they choose. And of course the author decides to portrait said woman as a clingy, unworthy, hysterical female. I hate it when authors paint women in such a bad light, just so they can show what a poor man the hero is and what he has to endure. I mean if he doesn't like her, he could leave her? Yes, I mean he has his own free will. And form what I could see is that Ridge isn't hurting for money.

Then we have to endure chapters of Ridge with his "girlfriend" Stephanie. Wow, don't want to read about that.

Then Ridge finds out about the baby and he's totally freaking out. He was kind of sweet and I liked it that he wanted to care for his baby boy, even if he wasn't sure that it was his. And then he cared for Melissa too.

But somehow I couldn't read on. I wasn't interested in Ridge anymore. I'm 1/3 into the story and I don't like him.

The point where I stopped reading? Chapter 8 near the end. You know what Reagan's (sister of Ridge) has to say to him, after Melissa dies? "It's not fair. It f***ing sucks donkey d**k." Yeah that was her response to all that. And I thought: "Shoot me now." Totally immature.

Whole book felt like reading a young-adult book, but with immature characters in it. It was just too simple for me.

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I’m going to make this as quick and unspoilery as possible… This was my first Kaylee Ryan book and I’m not necessarily going to write off her books, because this had aspects I enjoyed and I liked the authors writing well enough, but I couldn’t connect at all with either of the characters and there was so much drama that wasn’t done well and the plot was all over the place for me. On the plus side, Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton are two of my favorite narrators so it was fun to listen to!

Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 2.5 stars
Narrators: Teddy Hamilton & Callie Dalton
Narration Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance (single dad)
Length: 8h 34m

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I saw this cover I had to read this book. Sometimes judging a book by the cover can completely backfire on you, as I am sure you know, but this one was a complete win!

I love a single dad story, they are my jam, but they can easily come with a lot of unnecessary drama. I love how Kaylee executed this one. Ridge has a one night stand and months later finds out the girl got pregnant. It’s unexpected and while he liked the girl, there isn’t any baby momma drama. It was actually handled in such a way I thought it was perfect.



Kendall went to school with Ridge’s sister and is recently back in town. Her and Ridge actually connect since she works at the pediatricians office his kid attends. I loved how Kendall immediately wanted to help Ridge and fell in love with his son. Her connection to both of them brought a huge smile to my face and let’s be real gave me the warm and fuzzies.

Unexpected Reality hit all my hot buttons, it gave me a plot I love. Sweet moments that made me smile big and hot moments that made the story just more. I know I may love this story a little more than most because I love single dad stories, but even if it’s not your jam it’s still a sweet read with tons of feels.

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

Teasers created by me with stock images purchased from depositphotos.

[Dilek VT]

The heroine is the twin sister of the hero's baby's mother. Not my cuppa!

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different kind of surprise baby romance!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💚
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 🙂🥰☺️😂😀
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

The Hero: Ridge Beckett - he owns Beckett Construction, and he works with his four best buddies. He and his friends are huge players with the ladies. Ridge went through a bit of a dry spell after a hot night with a girl named Melissa who ghosted him in the middle of the night. Though that was fine with him since he doesn’t date, he is a one and done kind of guy.

The Story: One night when he is out with the guys, his friends bet him $400 and bragging rights that he can’t be with one woman for three months. They pick the woman, a blonde girl named Stephanie. Though dating is against all his rules, he agreed to the bet so follows through. He spends about one night a week with her, though he promised her he wouldn’t be with anyone else while seeing her.

Ridge isn’t very nice to Stephanie when he is with her, though in other ways, he is a pretty nice guy. Nice enough to stop in a rainstorm to help a girl whose car broke down, then stop at an accident to help someone who rolled their car into a ditch. He doesn’t know it at that moment, but the girl who has to get cut out of the car is Melissa and Ridge finds out later that she is pregnant and has named him as her next of kin. Before he knows it, Ridge is a father to a newborn baby boy.

The heroine: Kendall - She is a nurse who works at a pediatrician’s office, she recently returned to her hometown. She had been dating a doctor where she used to live and when they broke up, she couldn’t shake him, so moving home came at the right time. She has known Ridge and his sister Reagan for a while as they went to high school together. Ridge and his friends were the dreamy guys of the school who all the girls wanted.

This was a different sort of romance in that the heroine didn’t enter the book until the tenth chapter. Though the prologue and the first nine chapters weren’t just a quick setup of the backstory, they were story in and of themselves and pretty good at that. I also liked the fact that though the baby’s mother died, Ridge was never in love with her, so he didn’t have to go through a grieving period.

I liked the fact that the book showed how hard it is to be a single parent. Even if you have money and a family that will help you, the day to day is not easy. The scene where the baby wakes up with a poopy diaper that got all over the place was terrific. They both ended up dirty and Ridge had to shower with baby Knox before trying to get them both all together, pack up all the baby stuff and get to work on time was classic. I remember those days.

The relationship between Kendall and Ridge evolved gradually and I liked the fact that their romance developed naturally. I also was happy with how nice Ridge was with Kendall, and he grew as a man after he got the baby. He and his friends were so much like frat boys at the start of the book, and he gave no thought to how he treated Stephanie, even though she wasn’t that great either.

This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton. Teddy Hamilton is one of my favorite male narrators. He has a great voice, which is deep yet soft and he always sounds so natural. Callie Dalton has an ok voice, though not one of my favorites. Though she does sound genuine, not like she is reading, which is good.

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[♡Tonya♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

******This review will be chocked full of spoilers, continue at your own risk******


I have read and adored every Kaylee Ryan book that has been released. I have read some spoilers that I will admit, made me doubt my preorder. I have heard different things and wasn't sure what to expect when I started this today.

In the prologue, Ridge has a one night stand with a young lady named Melissa. She is emotionally beat down and passing through after experiencing a tremendous loss. After spending the night with her, Ridge, wakes up to find himself alone without a note or anything. (Their night together is not detailed, however it is mentioned that she feels his erection when he is standing closely behind her.)
He then continues on with his life, working and hanging with friends. Initially, I felt they were a childish bunch without regards to others. Ridge even starts seeing a girl on a bet, knowing he has no feelings for her and there is no chance of a future for them. (Other than being a brief antagonist later in the story, I didn't even see the need for this)

His life takes a sudden turn on a stormy night. He happens upon an accident and what transpires next, sets the course for his future.

Ridge ends up being one of my all-time favorite hero's. He takes responsibility for Knox, even before tests confirm that he is his father. He steps up and is an amazing dad. Ridge does not look back on Melissa with longing or feelings of loss. He feels bad that his son won't know his birth mother. He actually thinks of her with thanks for giving him such a precious gift. I never once felt like he was pining for a lost love or that Kendall was second best.

Kendall is such a sweet heroine. She meets Ridge when he is at his most vulnerable, but she never takes advantage of that. In fact, she feels guilty for having feeling for him because all she knows is Knox's mother died. She didn't know that not only were they not a couple, they barely knew each other. Her love for Knox and Ridge was so sincere and heartwarming.

Their relationship grows at such a realistic pace. Once Ridge decided to pursue his feelings for Kendall, he is a hot alpha male! He never wavers one bit and he is 100% devoted to her.

The main "twist" that had me worried was the fact that we find out Kendall was Melissa's (Knox's birth mother) twin sister. It is safe to assume that they were fraternal because Ridge didn't see the resemblance. He, as well as all his friends, his sister and his parents all saw Melissa in the hospital and didn't see the connection when they met Kendall. That being said, that fact is what almost kept me from reading this story. Kendall knew she was adopted but didn't know she was a twin. Spoilers led me to believe that it was more sordid than what actually transpired. It definitely ended up being ok in the end for me. Personally, I had a bigger issue with Stephanie, (the girl he dated on a bet) and their friends with benefits arrangement.

I adored the seconday characters. Both of their parents were loving and supportive. His sister Reagan was sweet and stood by her brother. His friends turned out to be great guys who were there for him and I hope to see stories for them as well.

Will this story be for everyone? Most likely not. Some won't be able to get past some of the story plot, and that's ok. Everyone has their limits. I however am glad I read it. I loved Ridge, Kendall and Knox and I would have missed out on a great love story.

*sweet epilogue but I could have used a better look into their future! I hope that there are in fact sequels to this book!



I have been looking forward to this, but some of the spoilers people have let slip out are making me nervous.

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★]

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[Kate]

Note for me: Having baby with heroine's sister - ONS, bleh.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5++ One breath, one minute at a time stars. I have to say that I had my doubts about this book. I heard some spoilers that made me think I wouldn't enjoy this story. I trusted my friend Tonya and went for it and am I glad that I did. In the beginning, we meet Ridge and honestly some of his actions had me questioning what kind of man he is. At times you could see the hero that he was and others I really didn't know about him. Then tragedy happens and Ridge has to grow up real quick because now he's a single dad. Then I realized the beginning was so important so we could see how amazing his transformation really was. Then we meet Kendall and this girl is so loveable from the start. She is so kind, generous, and beautiful down to her soul. She gives of herself and never expects anything in return. Not that she didn't get it though because Ridge gives as good if not better than he gets. There is no doubt that they are made for each other. Their love is built at a totally believable pace. The secondary characters are just as wonderful and I would love to read books about them as well. This book just worked for me and Ridge will forever be one of my favorite heroes. Oh and I just have to mention that this cover is beautiful to me.

[Lisa (A Life Bound By Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread for me. And I still really enjoyed it! It’s been awhile since reading so there was plenty I didn’t remember. Quick, easy to read and full of so many different things that brought out loads of varying emotions.

You can’t help but feel for the characters.

Really enjoy it! Would be happy reading more in the series.

EDIT: reread yet again in 2023

[Cami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, not going to lie...……………...I totally figured this was going to be one of those cheesy brainless reads but it had way more substance then I would have thought.

I liked it! It had several twists I didn't see coming at all AND there were a bit of "feels" going on that was also unexpected.

I guess the title is fitting.

[Chris K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I was a goner when I first saw the cover and knew it was about a single dad. And I was right. The story was so sweet it almost gave me a toothache.

“So this little guy, not only is he your gift, but he’s mine too.”

The beginning will start a bit different then you might expect and it'll make you feel a bit confused and why I'm reading this in the first place, but let me tell you it's sure going to pick up.

So at the beginning of our story, I found that those couple of chapters are my favorite. We get to see how he became a single dad. I'm not going to say more about the book just like the blurb was vague, I won't divulge more about the story.

What I'm only telling you that life is really unexpected. You just learn to deal with what it throws at you and take it one day at a time.

“I had to learn to live one breath, one second, one minute, one hour, one day at a time. I’ve learned that the best things in life are truly the unexpected.”

There were some minor details that irked me. Yeah it was a bit dragging in the middle and it was OTP-insta-everything for Ridge. This is the reason I am giving it 4 stars.

And finally look at that cover and tell me how you're gonna say no.

“We actually suggest skin-to-skin contact, especially for those babies who are born early. It helps regulate their breathing,” she explains.

Skin-to-skin contact? “Uh, what does that mean exactly?”

“You take off your shirt, and we unwrap him. You lay him on your chest, skin to skin.”

Before Reading

Single Dad "sigh"

[Kaylee Lovering · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been with Kaylee from the beginning with this book and I can tell you that this is her best book yet! I wish I could give it more then 5 stars! And that cover! How could you not love it! It's AMAZING!

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

[1-Click Addict Support Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there anything more swoon-worthy than a hot, alpha, tatted up single dad? I think not, and my ovaries exploded numerous times throughout this story. Not to mention all the feels!

“This man – tall, dark, handsome, looking like sex personified – is holding his baby boy close to his chest. Ovary explosion!”

Ridge Beckett’s life changed in a single instance. A good, hardworking man, he stepped up to the plate when needed.

“Life is funny like that; it has a way of changing on you when you least expect it.”

One look at Kendall at his son’s first doctor’s appointment, and he can’t get her out of his mind. She is his sweet girl and it doesn’t take long for him to make her his.

“Holy shit, my brother just claimed you.”

I loved this story and I couldn’t put it down. It made me cry, a lot! But I also laughed and swooned and the sexual tension—holy shit! The secondary characters are just as fantastic, and I sure hope that all the boys will be getting their stories!

I have come to expect a good book from Ms. Ryan every time, but this one blew me away and is probably my favorite of all time! ~ Tiffany, 4.5 stars

~~~

There's a reason I am always excited when I have a new Kaylee Ryan book on my Kindle.

Butterflies.

That's the reason. Ms. Ryan is an expert at getting the butterflies in my tummy moving, flying, fluttering. And with Unexpected Reality, it was no different.

Or, wait... Actually, it was a little different, because in addition to the butterflies, she also made my ovaries go BOOM! With a tatted-up, single father as her hero, I'm not that surprised. Ridge was delicious. He said and did all the right things—and while it could have made him too perfect, for me, it made him dreamy and sexy and ideal.

For Kendall, too. Sweet, kind, open Kendall. She was so easy to like, so easy to root for, and although this book came with some heartbreak (tissues required), it was also pleasantly low-angst. There were a couple of slightly outlandish (but also, pretty unique and awesome in a coincidental kinda way) twists, as well as some light-hearted enjoyment to be had, and that's what kept me turning the pages.

This was another one-sitting read for me from this author. I'm something of an addict when it comes to her charming words, swoony characters, and playful storylines. I hope the completely lovable secondary characters—who were just one reason to adore Unexpected Reality—will be back in the future. Each in their own books. And each with their own set of fluttering butterflies... ~ Beth, 4.5 stars

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this one didn't work for me. The insta-love wasn't connecting for me. Along with characters who seemed immature for their age. Plus the OTT drama was not my thing. Then around 90-ish% there is a reveal that seemed ridiculous to me. The twist felt a little too convenient and made me go from 3 stars to 2 stars.

Audio book source: Audible
Narrator: Teddy Hamilton & Callie Dalton
Length: 8H 34M

[aNneMarLi - Chatterbooks Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 "WHITE ENVELOPE" STARS!!!

I am a whore when it comes to book covers. More often than not, it's the very first thing that caught my interest that and the blurb. Unexpected Reality is one of those books that got me rooting for the very first time I laid my eyes on the cover. Damn! There's nothing hotter than to see a shirtless man with a hot bod and tattoos cradling a baby in a skin to skin contact. So, I read the blurb, it piqued my interest and there's no way I was going to pass this book. I then stalked the author only to find out it's my first book of her's. What a shame!

Moving on, the story started fast paced giving readers an idea what to expect and where it leads. However though, I was not prepared to the numbers of twists and turns of the story that made my reading more enjoyable. It may be light hearted but it was written well and with a pull that will make any readers drawn to the story. True, right from the first page, I was hooked. I enjoyed my reading moment and what's more good about it is the fact that the story keeps on getting more interesting as I keep on turning the pages.

But what really struck me and made me fall in love with the story more is the main character that not just made me swooned to death but made me fall in love over and over. His journey with his "little one" and him falling in love and finding "the one" made me a goner. He's an addition to my unending list of my BBF. That and the full support from friends and family. I just so love how a family's love was written well with this story. It's so sweet and will make any woman/reader dreamy and that and the fact that it really warmed my heart.

If I am to complain something with the story, maybe it's the just a small thing to one of the turns of the events. It's just a little vague and confused me and made me question some things but it's somewhat negligible though as I cannot deny the fact that I had a fun and enjoyable read.

But the important thing is, as I finished the book, Indeed the best things in life are the unexpected.

*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review*

[French Press Bookworm Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good story with a sexy daddy involved...I mean lets be real there is nothing sexier than a daddy lovin on his kids and this book does not hold out on that.

Ridge was great. alpha, sweet, possessive, loving, and a kick butt dad. Kendall was sweet, witty, confident, and loyal. I loved how these two played out. their romance felt real and believable.... but
first off...if you sleep with someone I'm pretty sure unless your drunk off your butt your going to remember what they look like...and since the one night stand kept coming to his mind you would like when he finds her in an accident months later he would know that its her? this really bugged me and I would have been fine with ignoring common sense if the author hadn't thrown in another unexpected reality of the dead baby mama and the h being twins...I mean come on how can you know realize the chick your with looks like said baby mama..? this just killed it for me
there were some inconsistent plot stories that I couldn't see past and pretty much killed the whole story for me.

2.75 stars because I did enjoy it but I couldn't get over some things

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ridge is a chill guy, he's caring, protective and I loved his attitude after sex it was carefree and easy going with his woman, “it’s not nice to laugh at a man after sex, sweet girl,” he mumbles into my neck." Ridge tends to have caveman tendencies at times, "I smack her on the ***. “Go shower and get ready. We men don’t take near as long.” I loved this book I loved Ridge and his boys I can't wait for the others to get their own books.

[ItaPixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a solid 4 stars read but I added 1 more star for the cute "unexpected reality" and the beautiful cover.

I really really liked this story and I'm glad I started it as soon as it showed on my kindle.
I was a mess for the first 30% of the book...I felt my heart breaking page after page but my anxiety to know how the story was going to end made it that much harder to put it down.

I've appreciated how our hot and strong hero,Ridge,faces all the hurdles and the novelties his new life entail in order to be happy.

This is my first book by Kaylee Ryan but it won’t be my last.I already asked the author if the supporting characters will have their own books and she said I have to patiently wait.

[Rosalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars,

I really enjoyed this book despite my initial reservations from the mixed reviews! There were moments which were a 5 star read for me (Moments which made me FEEL), but then there were a few things which decreased my rating.

This story is about Ridge and Kendall. Essentially, he has a ONS and becomes a dad. He meets Kendall, and bam, their romance begins!
What I loved:
- I actually loved Ridge. He changes A LOT when he gets a kid. In the beginning, he's a bit of an asshole, but I swear it isn't nearly as bad as I've anticipated reading other reviews. Besides the fact that I love myself redeemable assholes, I didn't think he was that bad at all. Many 'alpha' men in books we read today are A LOT worse. He's just a bit of a player and does a stupid bet with his friends where he sleeps with the same girl for 3 months consecutively (OW, not the h, this all happens before Kendall). A bit juvenile? For sure, but no where near as bad as the assholes I've read recently. Even then, I kinda liked him when I saw his other sides.
- Kendall: I think it was so refreshing reading a book about a normal, genuinely nice girl. I liked her quite a lot.
- The anticipation of their relationship had moments which gave me butterflies. Kaylee Ryan was able to truly create intimate moments which made my FEELS rise.
- What I loved the MOST is listening to Ridge's inner thoughts about his son!!! I MELTED at how much he cared for and loved his son! And the image Kaylee creates for Ridge... damn, I melted!

What has my body screaming his name is his baby boy, cradled in his arms. This man - tall, dark and handsome, looking like sex personified - is holding his baby boy close to his chest

I liked how SWEET Ridge is to Kendall. He had his alpha-tendancies which I loved, but at the same time was SUPER SWEET.

"Anytime you're near me, I gravitate towards you."

"Jump baby. Jump and let me catch you. I can't explain it. There are no words to explain this, or how I feel.

There is actually low angst here and low drama between Kendall and Ridge.

What I didn't like:

- The first 30%..... This is all BEFORE Ridge meets Kendall and the author introduces us to Ridge and what happens to him. I've read other reviews that said it's needed to understand his transformation, but I don't agree unfortunately. It dragged A LOT. I was particularly annoyed cause I wanted to read a bit before falling asleep, and I read the first 15% or so, and I didn't meet the MC's together! And I love reading their beginning, falling asleep etc before continuing the next day or so. I do think it was cool to set up the scene, but I think it could have been done in 2 chapters... MAX. And I didn't even think it NEEDED to be done. If the story began with him meeting his son, followed by kendall, I think it would've been a lot cooler. The beginning kinda bores you tbh. I loved hearing how he felt towards his son in the beginning! I LOVED IT. But again, that was the last 2 or so chapters before he meets Kendall.
- Also, while there were 5 star read aspects here which made me swoon from their romance. It was a bit underwhelming. Some parts weren't BORING per say, but I needed more to stay CRAZY captivated in a book. I skimmed bits to get to juicier bits.
- Also I was really confused about something.... The MCs were in high school together, and Ridge says he's met her a lot of times before. But then when their romance begins, he says "from the moment I met you I knew" etc... So, did they meet before or now?! haha I was a bit confused.

Safety? Yes. Once they meet, they're both 100% faithful. No descriptive scene with OM/OW but in the beginning (pre-kendall), he does hook up with a girl (not descriptive). I do like safety in my books, but I don't mind it when the MC's are with people before meeting if it's not descriptive.

Oh and I should talk about the *twist*:

So, the heroine ends up being Ridge's kid's dead mom's twin. This actually didn't bother me... Is it bizarre? Hell yes. I would've find it weird. But they were both adopted by different families, never met. And as I said, I don't mind cause this was before Kendall. In this story, it's used as a tool, kind of like a 'climax' where the heroine feels guilty for being with Ridge and Knox. But Ridge is super sweet and assures her how much she means to him. Ridge also felt nothing towards Kendall's sister. It truly was a ONS. Yes, in the hospital he didn't want her to die and desperately wanted her to live. But seriously, that makes him a good man, I didn't think it spoke much about his feelings at all. He was frightened about having a kid and was hoping his mother would make it.

Would I recommend this?
Yeah I would. If you can handle what I put in the 'safety' :)
Also, if you want something OTT, crazy, dramatic. This isn't it. This is sweet with a tattooed bad-boy who changes cause of his son.

[Cyndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to give you a few spoilers in this book because I want to warn you about a big trigger.


We have the baby's mother dying right after giving birth and having a terrible car accident. I almost put the book down because it was just too sad. She was such a sad character. She lost her adoptive parents and their family wanted nothing to do with her. Especially when she was given her parent's estate. So she takes her sadness into a bar while on a trip and spends the night with our hero.
Of course at this point our hero is not very heroic when it comes to women. After a night of rolling in the sheets she leaves without a note.
A few weeks later our hero's "friends" dare him to have a relationship with a random girl in a bar. Since he is such a player. He takes the bet. Picks a blonde and embarks on a relationship. Meanwhile the baby's mother counts herself lucky to be pregnant. She isn't alone anymore! But, she needs to alert the father.
So she writes him a letter with intentions of delivering it personally. Off she goes on another road trip. In this soap opera the timing must work perfectly so our hero is late to pick up the woman he is dating but barely even likes. He comes across an accident and rescues the female victim. Even follows the ambulance, the whole time he is thinking that he feels a connection to her. (Almost recognizes her. Can't blame him, it was dark, they were naked)
While he is hanging out at the hospital trying to get information about the woman he is notified that he is the point of contact for a woman just brought in. Yes. She had to list someone on her emergency contact list and chose the baby's father. So now he is allowed all the information. He also finds out he is a father.
She goes into a coma after the birth and is only woken when he has them bring their son into see her. (I think this happened in Days of Our Lives) He gets some selfies of them as a family and he plans to help her raise their child. Except...Dun Dun! She has a brain hemorrhage and dies. (Didn't renew her contract) I can joke now, but at the time I was crying buckets! She would have been a great heroine. They could have fallen in love while tending to their child and she would have finally found love.
Instead it's the pediatric nurse. And because we must have another soap opera twist, the nurse is the lost twin sister of the baby's mother. (General Hospital?)
Although the characters are lovely, especially his family, I still had trouble with the death of the baby's mother. How was that necessary? She felt like a toss-away-character and I didn't like it.

[Nina DuBois · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, I'm not finishing this book. Ridge has already been with two woman who he had zero connection to that I really don't care about the third woman who he equally has no connection to. I hate that I had to wait till almost 100 pages in to even meet the heroine. At that point I really didn't care. Ridge already slept with his baby momma and got with a chick his friends picked out for him over a bet. So I wasn't all that interested in Ridge's love life despite his loss and the fear of being a father. This story just did not bode well for me at all and as much as I tried to stick with it, it was not good.

[Haidoulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you give the cover of this book a good look then you'll know where you get yourself into.... Ridge is a tattooed single dad.... Knox, his son, came totally unexpected in his life but his is determined to do his best to raise him... Now, if you want to know why he's single and if he stays single or if he finds true love to a perfect girl all you have to do is read it.... It was a sweet book....

[Rohina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Review to come closer to release date.

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*

[Nyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! This was a lovely story.

[Nicla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

I ended up really enjoying this book. At the start I wasn't too sure I was going to enjoy it but once we meet the heroine (which is at the 28% mark) it turns into a beautiful love story. Highly recommend if you are after a sweet low angst instant love read.

HEA Yes
Cheating/OW/OM No cheating. MAJOR PLOT SPOILER - - - - He was with OW 8 months before he was with the heroine who turned out to be her twin sister (not identical) that she had never meet who passed away. He also casually dated another OW before he meet the heroine that he didn't particular like. It was more like a once a week hook up. No OW/OM after they meet. Even with that OW drama I still felt like the heroine was his one and only
Any Push/Pull No
Any couple separation No
Heat Level: Medium
Angst Level: Low

[Alex(Books-In-A-Storm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this story from the first chapter.
The story isn't just about love, it's about new beginning and family.
I loved the love story and now it's in my top ten favorite romance books.