Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Book Review for 10.2.24: Unexpected Gifts

Title: Unexpected Gifts

Author: Elena Aitken

Publisher: Ink Blot Communications

Quote: "Blaine and I, we're over."

This has to be the ultimate revenge romance fantasy. Andi and Blaine had a baby together before the official engagement was even announced. From Andi's point of view, Blaine dumped her. (His story is that he hid away from her because he couldn't deal with the situation.) Andi's buddy Eva, the voice of sex-worshipping pop culture, urges Andi to find another man. Blaine's old pal Colin, who has begun to notice that their friendship reflects Blaine's immaturity too, is willing, but he's still at the one-night-stand stage of social development. When Andi tells Colin she's outgrown that stage, Colin accepts that. When Andi worries that she's lost Colin by being too much of an adult for him, and tries to tempt him, Colin spends the night "just cuddling" with her, not even having safe sex. And so, when Blaine turns up at Christmas, counting on holiday spirit (and spirits) to put his relationship with Andi back together, Andi gets to watch both men suffer for a few hours, but you know what's coming next.

Anyone in search of a good revenge fantasy will enjoy this novel. Is there anything to enjoy beyond the revenge element? Well, there's a comedy scene where a character who's always lived in Canada learns to skate...and there are several sequels about Andi's and Colin's friends. I received a review copy of the first "box set" of five stories in the series. There's another "box set" by now.  Some of the stories involve Christmas at a Rocky Mountain ski lodge, and some involve summer camping there.

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