Review: Unexpected Fate by Harper Sloan

Have you ever felt like you were living your life for a future that was predetermined? Like there was some bigger picture you just prayed you would someday see clearly? That picture has been crystal clear to me since I was old enough to recognize it for just what it was.

Or I should say recognize him for who he was.

I’ve loved Cohen Cage since I was a small child. He’s been my everything for the last twenty-two years. I’ve loved him through every girlfriend he’s ever brought home. Through his college years and then mine. I’ve loved him through two deployments. And ever since the day I told him how I felt, he’s acted like I’m a stranger.

My name is Danielle Reid, and it’s time for me to get my man.

Our future is an unexpected fate, and no matter what our parents, siblings, and friends say…it’s going to be worth every second of the fight to make it happen.

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MY REVIEW

Unexpected Fate by Harper Sloan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 every time I close my eyes STARS

“Even as a baby, if you knew he was around, your sweet chubby face would light up. You and Cohen have been a long time coming, and I know that everything that has ever happened in the past was to make sure this moment, every moment since then until now, was going to happen.It's fate, baby.”

What a surprise. A spin-off series from Corps Security. Now that is something I can go with. I had no idea it was happening, but then my timeline blew up with pretty favourable reviews...so here I am. And I had a good time. Unexpected Fate was a fun and sexy friends to lovers story about Axel Reid's -not so little anymore- daughter and Greg Cage's -superman- son.

“Mark my words, Cohen Cage. One of these days, you're going to be mine. And until you're ready...I'll be here. I'll be waiting.”

Danielle Reid has been in love with Cohen Cage since forever. Even as a little girl she always gravitated towards him and he shares those feelings (but she doesn't know...pssst). Unfortunately the five year age gap made any kind of romantic involvement impossible for a long time. She never acted on her feelings but she didn't exactly hide them either.

Cohen is twenty-six years old now and has a very dangerous life since he is about to leave town on his second tour with his special ops team. He's been in the service since he left college and is proud to follow in his dad's footsteps. But it's a life he doesn't want for Dani. The constant fear and uncertainty.

Their families have always been close and Cohen is best friends with Dani's brother, which also happens to be a reason why they are not together.

Family makes everything more complicated. Take for example Ax, Dani's father. He is the most overprotective SOB on this side of the universe and still sees his little princess and not someone who could possibly be in a real relationship with a man. But that's actually not such a bad thing. In fact, it's highly entertaining and hilarious to see.

Anyway...things change. For some reason they start flirting more open with each other and then they get to a point where they can't stay away anymore.

“When it comes to love, it’s always worth the sacrifice. Always.”

I have to confess, I took down one star from my original rating. After I finished in the middle of the night I was on a book high and almost gave it 5 star, but I thought about it and while I was writing the review...well, all the things that bothered me piled up and it just didn't warrant a 4 star rating anymore.

Here they are:

1. The plot is predictable. And painfully so. Even before Cohen leaves for his tour overseas I just knew what the twist was going to be. A little surprise would have been welcome.

2. The obligatory bad guy threatening paradise sub plot was just too forced. I knew who it was the minute it started and the whole plot line just really felt unnecessary.

3. I have a big problem when every damn romance book finishes with a marriage and a baby on the way. It's not exactly like that here, but the Corps Security series and I suspect this series as well ends up in a baby boom and it's just too much fantasy world for me.

4. Dani was a tiny bit problematic for me. I enjoyed her well enough, but she lacks a little ambition. Her goal in life was to finally get together with Cohen, but that's just not all there is to life. No wonder she is unable to function when he isn't around. And don't get me started on her level of immaturity at twenty-one. Ugh.

“Do not tease me, Dani. It’s not a game you want to play if you don’t intend to follow through.” “I-I wasn’t . . . I wouldn’t,” I stammer. “You did, and I have no doubt you’ll have the brilliant idea to do it again. The next time you allude to those dirty thoughts I know you have about me, don’t think for a second that I won’t drag you to the closest bed to show you just how fucking dirty they’ll get.”

Well, oops...for some reason this turned into a whole different review than I had imagined. Please don't get me wrong...this book was highly addictive and I read it in almost one sitting. I laughed so much in the beginning that I got worried looks around the house. I swooned a lot and the chemistry between the MCs was out of this world...I BLUSHED! Honestly, I don't blush when I read books, but I sure did. They know how to flirt...holy shit.

Most favourite thing about this book is Cohen. He is one hell of a great character and a dirty talker on top. He knows what he is doing. HAWT!

Unexpected Fate really was a nice read, but there are just some problematic things I tend to overlook while I'm in the middle of it. I would put this book in the mindless read category.

If you shut off your brain it works really well, in a sweet and cheesy kind of way. ;D