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The Unimaginable
From the author of One Pink Line comes a story about letting go of the past and finding bravery in the depths of fear. Set on the sun-soaked beaches of Thailand and the rough waters of the Indian Ocean, The Unimaginable paints a vivid portrait of a young woman on a journey to find herself—and her harrowing fight for survival.
After twenty-eight years of playing by the rules, Jessica Gregory moves from her small Indiana town to Phuket, Thailand. But her newfound routine is upended with the arrival of Grant Flynn, a captivating, elusive man who is sailing around the world while trying to move on from a past tragedy. Jessica volunteers to help crew Grant’s boat, Imagine, on a passage across the Indian Ocean and finds herself falling in love with him as the voyage gets underway. But when disaster strikes, Jessica must summon her courage as the crew is confronted by unspeakable terrors—and, aboard a boat named for such promise, comes the unimaginable.
268 pages, ebook
First published December 1, 2014
444 people are currently reading
3647 people want to read
About the author
Dina Silver
13 books639 followersDina Silver is an author, a wine lover, and an excellent parallel parker. She lives with her husband, son, and twenty-pound tabby cat in suburban Chicago. She’d prefer to live somewhere where it’s warm year-round, but she’s also a licensed real estate agent in Illinois, and she loathes the thought of having to take the broker exam again in another state. Dina is the author of five other novels, including One Pink Line, Kat Fight, Finding Bliss, The Unimaginable, and Whisper if You Need Me. To find out more about Dina and her books, visit www.dinasilver.com.
About books I review...
I am an author, so I appreciate the value of a 5-star review. I know that those stars mean more to an author, than they do to me as the reviewer who's doling them out. That being said, if I like a book at all, chances are I'm going to give it 5-stars. However, in the detailed description of my review is where I will attempt to explain what I actually thought of the book, so people can get a better idea of exactly how much I liked or loved it.
If I did not enjoy a book, or was unable to finish it, I simply will not review it. I have no interest in bashing anyone else's hard work.
About books I review...
I am an author, so I appreciate the value of a 5-star review. I know that those stars mean more to an author, than they do to me as the reviewer who's doling them out. That being said, if I like a book at all, chances are I'm going to give it 5-stars. However, in the detailed description of my review is where I will attempt to explain what I actually thought of the book, so people can get a better idea of exactly how much I liked or loved it.
If I did not enjoy a book, or was unable to finish it, I simply will not review it. I have no interest in bashing anyone else's hard work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews
July 25, 2016
Continuing on with my mission to listen to every Audible book I have on my shelf before buying any new ones, I finally made my way to this hidden gem. Not my usual type of read, 'The Unimaginable' proved to be far better than I anticipated. While there was just enough romance to keep me happy, this was a story of survival and perseverance.
After losing her position as a schoolteacher in Indiana, Jessica decides to live out her dreams. Craving adventure, she accepts a teaching job in Thailand. She spends her off-time from the school waiting tables at a local restaurant and bar.
Jessica first meets Grant when he comes to the school to make a large donation. He impresses Jessica and the students with his stories of adventure and danger. She is drawn to the enigmatic American stranger.
After putting up a flyer requesting work as a crew member, Jessica is surprised to see that Grant is the owner of the sailboat that contacts her. Despite Grant's concerns, Jessica is hired. Along with Grant's outgoing friend and crew member, Quinn, they begin their journey.
When Somalian pirates board their boat, everything changes drastically. This light-hearted read turns into a dangerous, suspenseful story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It was heartbreaking and harrowing, but also an inspirational story of survival.
This wasn't my usual type of book, but it was great. The narration was well-done and it was relatively short for an audiobook. It was a nice change of pace and a fantastic story. I also enjoyed the information provided at the end of the book about the two stories that this book was very loosely based upon.
After losing her position as a schoolteacher in Indiana, Jessica decides to live out her dreams. Craving adventure, she accepts a teaching job in Thailand. She spends her off-time from the school waiting tables at a local restaurant and bar.
Jessica first meets Grant when he comes to the school to make a large donation. He impresses Jessica and the students with his stories of adventure and danger. She is drawn to the enigmatic American stranger.
After putting up a flyer requesting work as a crew member, Jessica is surprised to see that Grant is the owner of the sailboat that contacts her. Despite Grant's concerns, Jessica is hired. Along with Grant's outgoing friend and crew member, Quinn, they begin their journey.
When Somalian pirates board their boat, everything changes drastically. This light-hearted read turns into a dangerous, suspenseful story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It was heartbreaking and harrowing, but also an inspirational story of survival.
This wasn't my usual type of book, but it was great. The narration was well-done and it was relatively short for an audiobook. It was a nice change of pace and a fantastic story. I also enjoyed the information provided at the end of the book about the two stories that this book was very loosely based upon.
February 26, 2015
I came away from this novel fairly unimpressed. More romance than thriller. Too much shuddering, quivering, convulsing, and moaning for this cranky old reader. It put me in the mind of a dime novel.
I did appreciate the author's comments at the end of the book. This was a Kindle First offering, thank you.
I did appreciate the author's comments at the end of the book. This was a Kindle First offering, thank you.
December 1, 2014
This book is unlike anything I’ve read lately. Brimming with heart, adventure, suspense, and romance, The Unimaginable is an inspiring story that kept my attention from beginning to end.
It all begins with Jessica Gregory, a twenty-eight year old schoolteacher whose mother’s death is the catalyst for her wanting a change of scenery. Having lived under strict rules in a small community, she’s looking for adventure somewhere new. She takes a big risk and moves across the world to Thailand to teach at a local school.
Soon she meets a couple of sailors on a break before continuing their trip around the world. There’s the free-spirited, charismatic, Quinn and then there’s Grant, whose quiet confidence and demeanor immediately draws Jessica in. When she hears they are looking for another crewmember for their next leg, she jumps at the chance. Aboard the Imagine, Jessica encounters things she never expected. Some of the biggest adventures of her life, some amazing and some tragic, but through it all she has so much courage.
I really liked Jessica as the narrator for this book. While at times she comes of a bit younger than her twenty-eight years, she has such a big spirit and I could appreciate her passion for life. She goes through a lot of good and bad throughout the course of the book and she does so with so much bravery. Her friendship and more with Grant was also handled really well. The foundation and buildup of their relationship was really realistic and had me begging for more, in the best way.
I enjoyed The Unimaginable from the very beginning; even with it’s slower pace at times. It surprised me with its ability to bring emotion out when I least expected it. The balance of adventure, suspense, and romance really worked and gave me a little bit of everything that I was looking for. This book makes me really eager to dive into Silver’s other works if this is any indication of the type of writing she’s capable of.
4 stars.
ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
See this review & others at No BS Book Reviews.
Also 'like' us on Facebook. ♥
It all begins with Jessica Gregory, a twenty-eight year old schoolteacher whose mother’s death is the catalyst for her wanting a change of scenery. Having lived under strict rules in a small community, she’s looking for adventure somewhere new. She takes a big risk and moves across the world to Thailand to teach at a local school.
A wave of fear rippled through me, like the one you experience when you step onto a roller coaster for the first time—or an airplane. Your heart beats a little faster, and your head is spinning from trying to calculate the safest amount of risk. I closed my eyes, but my nerves had gotten the best of me. I was afraid, yes, but in the best possible way. Afraid of what my life would’ve become had I not taken a leap of faith.
Soon she meets a couple of sailors on a break before continuing their trip around the world. There’s the free-spirited, charismatic, Quinn and then there’s Grant, whose quiet confidence and demeanor immediately draws Jessica in. When she hears they are looking for another crewmember for their next leg, she jumps at the chance. Aboard the Imagine, Jessica encounters things she never expected. Some of the biggest adventures of her life, some amazing and some tragic, but through it all she has so much courage.
I wanted to join them, but most of all I wanted to crew for Imagine. I’d spent my whole life waiting for signs and chances and timing. Going to church and praying for things that I was told were frivolous. Wishing that opportunities would present themselves to me so that I could finally do what I wanted, not just what I was told.
I really liked Jessica as the narrator for this book. While at times she comes of a bit younger than her twenty-eight years, she has such a big spirit and I could appreciate her passion for life. She goes through a lot of good and bad throughout the course of the book and she does so with so much bravery. Her friendship and more with Grant was also handled really well. The foundation and buildup of their relationship was really realistic and had me begging for more, in the best way.
Maybe he had no interest in me. Maybe he had a girl in every port. Either way, I felt alive when I was with him, and I didn’t care whether it was right or wrong. I just knew that my heart beat faster when he was close to me, and my insecurities hung over my head like a bright neon pub sign, flashing my vulnerabilities for the world to see. What was one more leap of faith?
…
“Meeting you has changed me from the inside out, and I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me. You cleared the haze and reminded my heart what it’s like to ache in a good way.”
I enjoyed The Unimaginable from the very beginning; even with it’s slower pace at times. It surprised me with its ability to bring emotion out when I least expected it. The balance of adventure, suspense, and romance really worked and gave me a little bit of everything that I was looking for. This book makes me really eager to dive into Silver’s other works if this is any indication of the type of writing she’s capable of.
“I’m not afraid of opening up to you, or of having my heart broken. Only of never seeing you again.”
4 stars.
ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
See this review & others at No BS Book Reviews.
Also 'like' us on Facebook. ♥
December 2, 2014
Poorly written and poorly paced, this is a trite, cliched romance you're better off avoiding.
After her mother's death, Jessica leaves her home in small-town Indiana and moves to Thailand to become a teacher. There, she meets a sailboat captain named Grant, very predictably falls in love with him, and spends about 10 pages in danger before everything is fine again.
As you can probably already tell, I really didn't like this book. For a book that starts out as this woman's journey to expand her horizons, once she meets the guy, her horizons narrow to only include him. Her jobs, her relationships with other people - they are all but forgotten. "All I thought of was you. I don't remember anything else in my life mattering to me. My friends, my family, my jobs - none of it mattered." I can't deal with a book where that's the main character's attitude towards her family and her other responsibilities.
So really, this is a typical, trashy romance novel. But it's not even a fun, guilty-pleasure type of romance novel. The characters are dull and forgettable. And while they are supposedly adults, everyone acts like they're 15. The writing is full of meaningless hyperbole - "I'd never felt this way about anyone before" or "he meant everything to me." The pacing is horrible. My kindle told me I was 57% done with the book when the plot actually started. The first 57% is Jessica mooning over the guy, then there's maybe 10% of actual plot and conflict, and then another 33% of her mooning again.
And what drove me most crazy was how things would happen because it was convenient for the story, not because it made any sense in the real world. Jessica starts a new job as a teacher and after 4 months, is given 4 weeks of vacation in the middle of the school year. 4 weeks! In the middle of the school year! At most places, you'd be lucky to get 4 weeks of vacation after working for a year, not a handful of months. But Jessica gets it because the plot needs her to go on this trip with Grant. Likewise, she can only go on a different trip to Bangkok if her friend will cover her at the bar where she works. Said friend was also invited on the Bangkok trip but declined because she had family visiting. So this friend couldn't go to Bangkok because she was too busy, but she can work double-shifts to cover Jessica? And why is that? Oh, because the plot needs Jessica to have some bonding time with Grant.
The worst example of this is Jessica working as a crew member during a long sailing trip with Grant across the Indian Ocean through rough waters infested with pirates. Jessica must have years of sailing experience to get that gig, right? Wrong! She's never sailed at all! But despite the continuous emphasis on how dangerous this voyage is, she's hired as a crew member. It's completely nonsensical and completely unrealistic.
I rolled my eyes at least a dozen times while reading this book. It's mediocre if you're being generous, with a ridiculous plot and a predictable romance. I'll leave you with a few choice quotes, which I think speak for themselves as to the quality of this book:
"He smelled regal and damp and solid. Like Poseidon, king of the sea."
"Not many men could make sipping tea and sitting cross-legged look as manly as he did."
"We embraced as though nothing could come between us. Not even water."
After her mother's death, Jessica leaves her home in small-town Indiana and moves to Thailand to become a teacher. There, she meets a sailboat captain named Grant, very predictably falls in love with him, and spends about 10 pages in danger before everything is fine again.
As you can probably already tell, I really didn't like this book. For a book that starts out as this woman's journey to expand her horizons, once she meets the guy, her horizons narrow to only include him. Her jobs, her relationships with other people - they are all but forgotten. "All I thought of was you. I don't remember anything else in my life mattering to me. My friends, my family, my jobs - none of it mattered." I can't deal with a book where that's the main character's attitude towards her family and her other responsibilities.
So really, this is a typical, trashy romance novel. But it's not even a fun, guilty-pleasure type of romance novel. The characters are dull and forgettable. And while they are supposedly adults, everyone acts like they're 15. The writing is full of meaningless hyperbole - "I'd never felt this way about anyone before" or "he meant everything to me." The pacing is horrible. My kindle told me I was 57% done with the book when the plot actually started. The first 57% is Jessica mooning over the guy, then there's maybe 10% of actual plot and conflict, and then another 33% of her mooning again.
And what drove me most crazy was how things would happen because it was convenient for the story, not because it made any sense in the real world. Jessica starts a new job as a teacher and after 4 months, is given 4 weeks of vacation in the middle of the school year. 4 weeks! In the middle of the school year! At most places, you'd be lucky to get 4 weeks of vacation after working for a year, not a handful of months. But Jessica gets it because the plot needs her to go on this trip with Grant. Likewise, she can only go on a different trip to Bangkok if her friend will cover her at the bar where she works. Said friend was also invited on the Bangkok trip but declined because she had family visiting. So this friend couldn't go to Bangkok because she was too busy, but she can work double-shifts to cover Jessica? And why is that? Oh, because the plot needs Jessica to have some bonding time with Grant.
The worst example of this is Jessica working as a crew member during a long sailing trip with Grant across the Indian Ocean through rough waters infested with pirates. Jessica must have years of sailing experience to get that gig, right? Wrong! She's never sailed at all! But despite the continuous emphasis on how dangerous this voyage is, she's hired as a crew member. It's completely nonsensical and completely unrealistic.
I rolled my eyes at least a dozen times while reading this book. It's mediocre if you're being generous, with a ridiculous plot and a predictable romance. I'll leave you with a few choice quotes, which I think speak for themselves as to the quality of this book:
"He smelled regal and damp and solid. Like Poseidon, king of the sea."
"Not many men could make sipping tea and sitting cross-legged look as manly as he did."
"We embraced as though nothing could come between us. Not even water."
September 29, 2017
3-1/2 Stars
Are you in the mood for romance? Or adventure? Can’t decide? Well, The Unimaginable is a pretty nice blend of both. The author’s note at the end of the book made me appreciate the inspiration beyond the story.
Are you in the mood for romance? Or adventure? Can’t decide? Well, The Unimaginable is a pretty nice blend of both. The author’s note at the end of the book made me appreciate the inspiration beyond the story.
May 19, 2017
My imagination was running wild. I've always had the urge to travel the world and this was awesome to read about.
********
Giveaway win! ;)
********
Giveaway win! ;)
October 15, 2018
The Unimaginable is a story of love, hope, daring to make changes to your life, and the fight for survival. I found the romance side enjoyable and the survival side gripping. This worked really well as an audiobook. I didn't want to stop listening to it.
I borrowed this through Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
I borrowed this through Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
November 4, 2014
I started this book today and could not put it down! I am officially out of my book funk. This is a beautiful story about following your dreams, falling in love, facing your fears and forgiveness. The writing drew me in and the story kept me captivated until the very last page. I felt like I was a part of Jessica's journey. I laughed and cried with her. I felt her fear and her pain. At times, I even wished I had more of an adventurous spirit.
The Unimaginable is a book you will want to add to your TBR list. This romantic suspense is a must read. I can't wait to see what Ms. Silver will think up next. Until then, I will be checking out her other work. She is one talented lady.
The Unimaginable is a book you will want to add to your TBR list. This romantic suspense is a must read. I can't wait to see what Ms. Silver will think up next. Until then, I will be checking out her other work. She is one talented lady.
June 25, 2014
LOVED LOVED this. Totally different kind of story mark your to read list now. Full review to come!
This one sparked a conversation with my 14 year old son, which made it even better.
I feel enlightened and inspired. <3
This one sparked a conversation with my 14 year old son, which made it even better.
I feel enlightened and inspired. <3
November 10, 2014
This book was absolutely perfect! Raw, bold, and colorful. The Unimaginable consumed me from start to finish. Don't miss this book!
November 7, 2014
5++++++ This is one of the most incredible books I have ever read. You MUST add The Unimaginable to your TBR!
I have been trying to write this review for sometime, unsure of how to express just how amazing this book truly is. So here goes.
I found The Unimaginable to be an incredible, emotional journey of a young woman setting out on her own for the first time in her life. This beautifully descriptive story had my full attention right away, making me want to know more about the lovely young woman I had just met, and where her story would take me.
The characters are beautifully written and well developed and I felt an immediate connection to them all thanks to Ms. Silver's brilliant writing. Particularly to one little boy, who's presence touched my heart deeply. There is also no denying the strength of the relationships between the characters in this story. Whether the relationship is one of friendship, love or fear, Ms. Silver was able to make me feel the connection. I dare you not to fall in love with Jessica, Quinn and Grant.
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started reading The Unimaginable, but I definitely wasn't prepared to be sitting up at three in the morning, heart in my throat and tears in my eyes. So many emotions in this fabulous book. I won't lie, Dina Silver completely broke my heart and I'm not sure if I can forgive her...You'll see ;-) The Unimaginable is like nothing I have read this year and for all my heart may have been broken, I found this to be a very uplifting story.
If you are looking for a beautiful adventure with the added touch of a tummy-fluttering romance. A journey that will your break your heart and mend it back together... Look no further, The Unimaginable is one of my favourite books of 2014 and I hope it will be one of yours.
*I was gifted a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review*
I have been trying to write this review for sometime, unsure of how to express just how amazing this book truly is. So here goes.
I found The Unimaginable to be an incredible, emotional journey of a young woman setting out on her own for the first time in her life. This beautifully descriptive story had my full attention right away, making me want to know more about the lovely young woman I had just met, and where her story would take me.
The characters are beautifully written and well developed and I felt an immediate connection to them all thanks to Ms. Silver's brilliant writing. Particularly to one little boy, who's presence touched my heart deeply. There is also no denying the strength of the relationships between the characters in this story. Whether the relationship is one of friendship, love or fear, Ms. Silver was able to make me feel the connection. I dare you not to fall in love with Jessica, Quinn and Grant.
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started reading The Unimaginable, but I definitely wasn't prepared to be sitting up at three in the morning, heart in my throat and tears in my eyes. So many emotions in this fabulous book. I won't lie, Dina Silver completely broke my heart and I'm not sure if I can forgive her...You'll see ;-) The Unimaginable is like nothing I have read this year and for all my heart may have been broken, I found this to be a very uplifting story.
If you are looking for a beautiful adventure with the added touch of a tummy-fluttering romance. A journey that will your break your heart and mend it back together... Look no further, The Unimaginable is one of my favourite books of 2014 and I hope it will be one of yours.
*I was gifted a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review*
April 24, 2018
5 The Unimaginable Stars
Truly a hidden gem, this book was so intriguing. It was a little slow going at the beginning but once it really starts you can’t help be become hooked.
Jessica is the wanderlust sort, I don’t truly appreciate people like her but that is ok. She is following her dreams and her adventurous nature.
She meets two gentlemen Grant and Quinn on her journey and they all become friends. She has romantic feels for Grant, he just catches her eye unlike anyone has before.
Grant is kind of on a quest of his own, to heal from the past and see what is out there, in this big wide world.
This story is sweet and soul catching because the events you are about to read happen it is fiction but it isn’t at the very same time and I think that is why it just caught my attention so much.
I am on the fence if I like this narrator or what, sometimes I think I love her and sometimes I don’t know. For this one I am going with love.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
Truly a hidden gem, this book was so intriguing. It was a little slow going at the beginning but once it really starts you can’t help be become hooked.
Jessica is the wanderlust sort, I don’t truly appreciate people like her but that is ok. She is following her dreams and her adventurous nature.
She meets two gentlemen Grant and Quinn on her journey and they all become friends. She has romantic feels for Grant, he just catches her eye unlike anyone has before.
Grant is kind of on a quest of his own, to heal from the past and see what is out there, in this big wide world.
This story is sweet and soul catching because the events you are about to read happen it is fiction but it isn’t at the very same time and I think that is why it just caught my attention so much.
I am on the fence if I like this narrator or what, sometimes I think I love her and sometimes I don’t know. For this one I am going with love.
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
December 27, 2014
This was almost a DNF for me. I was so bored and so annoyed with the characters in the book. Jessica acts like a teenager and Grant is boring and stiff. So Grant has a lot of money and here comes Jessica with not so much. And Jessica claims she loves him for him (after knowing him for a short time) and doesn't want him to pay for her along the way. But being the gentlemen he does pay for everything and she soaks it up. Seriously, I am tired of these heroines, if you can call them that, saying they're strong and they're capable of surviving on their own, and then they toss it all away because some hot, rich guy is interested in them. All of s sudden the guy's paying for everything. I don't even remember if she even offered to pay for a meal.
I want a female lead character to stand out and stay strong during the book and not let some guy define her dreams. That irritates me with these books and I blame FSOG for this happening. It may have happened before that book but since that book every female character has to meet a rich guy that only has eyes for her. Where's the romance? Where's the date? All we ever get is instant love and I hate that!!! You can have conflict without the guy having money.
Also, it's been a few months since I've read this, but killing off Grant's bff? Not necessary, especially when it happened. You want suspense, fine. Give me suspense. Just don't go killing off a main character because you can't think of anything else to happen.
I want a female lead character to stand out and stay strong during the book and not let some guy define her dreams. That irritates me with these books and I blame FSOG for this happening. It may have happened before that book but since that book every female character has to meet a rich guy that only has eyes for her. Where's the romance? Where's the date? All we ever get is instant love and I hate that!!! You can have conflict without the guy having money.
Also, it's been a few months since I've read this, but killing off Grant's bff? Not necessary, especially when it happened. You want suspense, fine. Give me suspense. Just don't go killing off a main character because you can't think of anything else to happen.
December 21, 2014
I'm really bummed that I couldn't give this a higher rating. I expected to fall in love with this story. The description made it seem as though it'd be action-filled and an intense ride. Instead I got a diluted love story mixed in with a watered down version of terror. While I recognize that incidents like this do actually happen, the narrative of the main character didn't come across terrified or frightened enough. Is that weird? And honestly, I felt she was more worried about her life AFTER the threat ended than she was in just LIVING through it. Jessica read in a very juvenile manner, perhaps it's intentional considering where she came from? I just found it hard to commiserate with her most times. She was whiny about a man she barely knew, and I felt myself wanting to slap her when she all but begged him to be with her. Seriously, yuck. The best character of this book was Quinn, and was easily its saving grace. I wouldn't have been able to finish had it not been for him.
With hints of foreshadowing and an easy to guess plot, The Unimaginable was far from that. It's mediocre and clear cut in direction.
With hints of foreshadowing and an easy to guess plot, The Unimaginable was far from that. It's mediocre and clear cut in direction.
May 2, 2015
I would rate this somewhere between 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 stars. Goodreads should really invest in that. Sometimes it might really help a book out.
This one started out promising. The main character is the same age as me, which doesn't happen very often in the books I read. So I thought that was cool. She leaves her small town life in Indiana to move to Thailand to teach. I love exploring books set in other countries, especially ones that I know I would most likely never get to visit in real life.
It started out great and I flew past the first third with no hiccups. Then it started to fall apart. It wasn't so much the story as it was the characters. Well, Jess. She came off pushy and juvenile. For someone almost thirty, I felt she should have acted a little more mature.
There was plenty of foreshadowing that I knew what was going to happen from a mile away. But it didn't happen until after the halfway point and lasted only a few chapters. I don't want to give to many details on that part, because the synopsis doesn't really say anything about it.
I guess what it comes down to is that I didn't feel for the characters. A very big scary unimaginable (if you will) event happens, and I just didn't really get that rush you are supposed to feel while reading. It has been classified as suspense, but I feel there is more romance involved than action.
ALL of that aside, I felt it could have been really great. Girl travels across the world to find herself, meet new friends and find love along the way. I wish I could have loved this like so many others. I hate when I can't connect with a story, I wish every read was a five star for me.
This one started out promising. The main character is the same age as me, which doesn't happen very often in the books I read. So I thought that was cool. She leaves her small town life in Indiana to move to Thailand to teach. I love exploring books set in other countries, especially ones that I know I would most likely never get to visit in real life.
It started out great and I flew past the first third with no hiccups. Then it started to fall apart. It wasn't so much the story as it was the characters. Well, Jess. She came off pushy and juvenile. For someone almost thirty, I felt she should have acted a little more mature.
There was plenty of foreshadowing that I knew what was going to happen from a mile away. But it didn't happen until after the halfway point and lasted only a few chapters. I don't want to give to many details on that part, because the synopsis doesn't really say anything about it.
I guess what it comes down to is that I didn't feel for the characters. A very big scary unimaginable (if you will) event happens, and I just didn't really get that rush you are supposed to feel while reading. It has been classified as suspense, but I feel there is more romance involved than action.
ALL of that aside, I felt it could have been really great. Girl travels across the world to find herself, meet new friends and find love along the way. I wish I could have loved this like so many others. I hate when I can't connect with a story, I wish every read was a five star for me.
Want to read
November 24, 2014DNF This book is moving slowly and I'm so bored. Moving on....
February 20, 2015
4 really well done and refreshingly different storyline stars!!
February 27, 2016
This review is kind of difficult for me because I had very conflicting feelings about it. To me, it came across as kind of a sweet and goody-goody romance at the start, mostly because of the matter of fact and somewhat simple wording, which bothered me because it caused the characters to feel flat and uninteresting.
Jessica leaves her small town simple life in the US and moves to Thailand to teach underprivileged children. There she rents a room from a retired American couple in their home, makes some friends and meets Grant, a sail boat captain with whom she eventually falls in love.
Some of the characters came across as strange rather than endearing or delightful, as I suspect they were meant to be. Mr. and Mrs. Knight, the landlords, were very kind to Jessica, but they had this weird practice of not allowing their tenants to use the washer and dryer, making it necessary to go to the laundromat, but they would allow them to borrow the car to get there. I just thought that was a strange practice. I would think that it would be riskier to do that, and more costly and inconvenient to replace a car than it would be to replace a washing machine.
Grant, the love interest had some sort of past issue he was dealing with which gets revealed later as something sad and tragic but at first when it's just merely hinted at, along with other nuances of his personality made me feel like he was going to turn out to be a creepy weirdo.
I had a problem with the pacing during the entire first half of the book. Quite a significant amount of time had passed, but it felt like everything was still in the introduction stage. Jessica gets a promotion and it felt unbelievable at that point of her employment, because it just wasn't clear how long she had been there. She also apparently had a few dates and had even slept with a few guys which didn't get mentioned at all except as a brief mention during an internal monologue at a later point in the story.
About halfway through the book, right in the middle of an abundance of sweetness and feel-good momentum, tragedy strikes in the form of Somali pirates. I won't give away anything, I'll just say that I will never understand why they chose to sail through an area that is notorious for these attacks. I accept that there is no other option that makes sense while attempting to sail around the world, my problem wasn't the route they took but rather that there was not a pressing need to actually sail around the world within any specific amount of time other than to fulfill a promise made and a dying wish. A request that in my opinion might have been retracted, given the risk and the danger it presented, if it had been known at that time.
Jessica leaves her small town simple life in the US and moves to Thailand to teach underprivileged children. There she rents a room from a retired American couple in their home, makes some friends and meets Grant, a sail boat captain with whom she eventually falls in love.
Some of the characters came across as strange rather than endearing or delightful, as I suspect they were meant to be. Mr. and Mrs. Knight, the landlords, were very kind to Jessica, but they had this weird practice of not allowing their tenants to use the washer and dryer, making it necessary to go to the laundromat, but they would allow them to borrow the car to get there. I just thought that was a strange practice. I would think that it would be riskier to do that, and more costly and inconvenient to replace a car than it would be to replace a washing machine.
Grant, the love interest had some sort of past issue he was dealing with which gets revealed later as something sad and tragic but at first when it's just merely hinted at, along with other nuances of his personality made me feel like he was going to turn out to be a creepy weirdo.
I had a problem with the pacing during the entire first half of the book. Quite a significant amount of time had passed, but it felt like everything was still in the introduction stage. Jessica gets a promotion and it felt unbelievable at that point of her employment, because it just wasn't clear how long she had been there. She also apparently had a few dates and had even slept with a few guys which didn't get mentioned at all except as a brief mention during an internal monologue at a later point in the story.
About halfway through the book, right in the middle of an abundance of sweetness and feel-good momentum, tragedy strikes in the form of Somali pirates. I won't give away anything, I'll just say that I will never understand why they chose to sail through an area that is notorious for these attacks. I accept that there is no other option that makes sense while attempting to sail around the world, my problem wasn't the route they took but rather that there was not a pressing need to actually sail around the world within any specific amount of time other than to fulfill a promise made and a dying wish. A request that in my opinion might have been retracted, given the risk and the danger it presented, if it had been known at that time.
July 16, 2019
🎧 Audio Review 🎧
CAN I GIVE THIS BOOK 10 STARS? I went into this book completely blind, I didn't have the slightest idea what it was about, honestly it was a price I couldn't pass up so I thought I'd give it a try.
This books was gripping and suspenseful, I couldn't stop listening. The characters were all compelling and very strong, they each had their own completely different personalities and it worked so well! I think I laughed, I shed some tears, I smiled with pride and I smiled with happiness all in this one book. I don't have any knowledge about this subject and after this book I really want to read more about it.The details about the location and places in this story were great, the author truly made me want to visit places I've never even thought about before. She did a fabulous job on research and the writing style was perfect. For me this book was simply incredible.
I think listening to the audiobook probably made this great book amazing! Amy McFadden was PERFECT! She had the exact emotions reflected in her voice every second. I loved that she did all different voices so no matter who was talking you always knew even if she hadn't said it yet. Most narrators can't or don't do that especially a female narrator with male voices, they usually only have one voice for the opposite sex! I will be adding her to my list of narrators to search when looking for knew audiobooks.
CAN I GIVE THIS BOOK 10 STARS? I went into this book completely blind, I didn't have the slightest idea what it was about, honestly it was a price I couldn't pass up so I thought I'd give it a try.
This books was gripping and suspenseful, I couldn't stop listening. The characters were all compelling and very strong, they each had their own completely different personalities and it worked so well! I think I laughed, I shed some tears, I smiled with pride and I smiled with happiness all in this one book. I don't have any knowledge about this subject and after this book I really want to read more about it.The details about the location and places in this story were great, the author truly made me want to visit places I've never even thought about before. She did a fabulous job on research and the writing style was perfect. For me this book was simply incredible.
I think listening to the audiobook probably made this great book amazing! Amy McFadden was PERFECT! She had the exact emotions reflected in her voice every second. I loved that she did all different voices so no matter who was talking you always knew even if she hadn't said it yet. Most narrators can't or don't do that especially a female narrator with male voices, they usually only have one voice for the opposite sex! I will be adding her to my list of narrators to search when looking for knew audiobooks.
April 19, 2015
Book Review:
The Unimaginable is a story about a woman looking for color in her life and a guy running from his past. Adventurous, fast-paced, and beautifully romantic, Dina Silver had me on the edge of my seat with my heart frantically beating. One moment I was breathless from the romance and the next, I was breathless from the action-packed intensity. What a ride!
Jessica Gregory has lived her whole life doing what was expected. After losing her mother and then her job as a school teacher, she uproots her small-town life in Indiana and moves to Phuket, Thailand, ready to begin a new adventure. There, she works at a local school teaching English to young children during the day and at a local bar at night. The culture, the landscape, and the people are a stark contrast to her rather dull life in Indiana.
Not long after arriving in Phuket, she meets Grant Flynn., a sailor traveling around the world. Instantly, she is drawn to rugged looks, his selfless generosity, and his charm. Grant and his crew mate aboard the Imagine, Quinn, had just arrived in Thailand and were looking for a third person to come aboard and assist with the next leg of their trip across the Indian Ocean. Immediately, Jessica's sense of adventure propels her to apply for the job. As fate would have it, she gets the job.
In the beginning, Jessica gathered that Grant is a man of few words. He keeps those around him at arms length with the exception of Quinn. It didn't take long for Jess to figure out that he had experienced something painful in his past. Leading up to their expedition across the sea, Jess and Grant spend more time together getting to know one another, both discovering that they don't want to be alone anymore.
I enjoyed this book. The "event" happened a little over halfway through the book, and the speed at which this occurred was emotionally jarring. Leading up to the event I had this sense of foreboding and unease, as Silver had left little bread crumbs sprinkled throughout the novel. But even with those hints, I wasn't prepared for the horror that faced the Quinn, Grant, and Jessica. I was so heartbroken for everyone involved. To know that this sort of thing actually happens is so incredibly sad.
The setting was its own character in this book. The author's description of Bangkok and Phuket was so vividly done, I could picture everything as I read. I enjoy reading books in exotic places, most of which I've never been to because I'm not well-traveled. It's such a treat to feel like I'm there living through the characters and seeing what they're seeing (both the good and the bad).
My other favorite part about this book, aside from the setting, was two of the secondary characters, Quinn and Niram. Niram is a local and own of the bar that Jess works at. He was absolutely hilarious!! He saw what was going on between Grant and Jessica before they did. He kept asking Jess whether she'd had sex with Grant yet and I just laughed out loud. Quinn was also a carefree, flirty, likable guy. He was the comedic relief in the book but his charismatic spirit had a soft side. I really loved him a lot.
I liked how Silver weaved a love story through this suspenseful and tragic story. There were parts in the beginning that were a bit slow for me and parts in towards the ending that seemed to drag as well. But overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to those who love adventurous and suspense love stories.
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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November 15, 2015
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My Review
I received a copy of The Unimaginable by Dina Silver in exchange for an honest review.
Jessica decides against her sister's advice to move clear across the ocean from the United States to start a new life, take a risk and do something she never could imagine. Life is going well in Phuket, Thailand, she is slowly building a new life then one night Grant Flynn walks into the bar where she works and for Jessica, it's almost love at first sight. She is instantly captivated by him and his life and when an opportunity presents itself to go sailing with Grant, his friend, Jessica jumps at the opportunity despite reservations. And so begins an adventure that they will never forget!
I really liked the progression of the storyline in this book. It was not overly "wordy" but I could totally imagine the horrors of the trip the small crew experienced. This book painted a very vivid picture of what could happen when all the citizens of this world don't operate on the same level of humanity and what happens when there is no law or conscience. Altogether this book was a great read, but for someone as wimpy as I am, this was as close to horror as I get :).
Buy the Book
This review was originally posted on
I received a copy of The Unimaginable by Dina Silver in exchange for an honest review.
Jessica decides against her sister's advice to move clear across the ocean from the United States to start a new life, take a risk and do something she never could imagine. Life is going well in Phuket, Thailand, she is slowly building a new life then one night Grant Flynn walks into the bar where she works and for Jessica, it's almost love at first sight. She is instantly captivated by him and his life and when an opportunity presents itself to go sailing with Grant, his friend, Jessica jumps at the opportunity despite reservations. And so begins an adventure that they will never forget!
I really liked the progression of the storyline in this book. It was not overly "wordy" but I could totally imagine the horrors of the trip the small crew experienced. This book painted a very vivid picture of what could happen when all the citizens of this world don't operate on the same level of humanity and what happens when there is no law or conscience. Altogether this book was a great read, but for someone as wimpy as I am, this was as close to horror as I get :).
Buy the Book
This review was originally posted on
November 30, 2014
The Unimaginable takes you on Jessica’s emotional journey as she goes across the world in search of herself. After some unfortunate events, Jessica decides to uproot her life in Indiana and move to Thailand to teach English. While there, she befriends Grant Flynn, a wealthy man who plans on traveling across the Indian Ocean on his sailboat. Both running away from things in their past, each is setting out on their own personal adventure. Jessica, now more independent and without the safety net of her small town is falling in love with Grant. And Grant, who’s become quite interested in Jessica, is taking big risks in life. But when disaster strikes, it’s all they can do to stay afloat.
Come with Jessica on a journey of self-discovery. With romance and adventure perfectly intertwined in this novel, The Unimaginable is a must read.
It’s no secret that I love a good romance, but when an author can brilliantly combine romance with some action and adventure, color me happy! Once again, Ms. Silver has written a book that not only captures my attention and keeps it, but makes me want to go back and read the book again.
Come with Jessica on a journey of self-discovery. With romance and adventure perfectly intertwined in this novel, The Unimaginable is a must read.
It’s no secret that I love a good romance, but when an author can brilliantly combine romance with some action and adventure, color me happy! Once again, Ms. Silver has written a book that not only captures my attention and keeps it, but makes me want to go back and read the book again.
November 4, 2014
I am in love with Dina Silver's mind. She has a sense of what the reader wants in a good story and serves it to you on a silver platter. She has an intuition when it comes to her readers and what will grab hold of them, keep them reading and leave them with a desire to read more. Unimaginable is a great story that takes you on an emotional journey, with love, adventure, heartbreak and triumph. 4 stars
March 26, 2015
Riveting! I could not put this book down. Dina Silver does an incredible job of telling this amazing story of a young woman on a search to find herself in Southeast Asia, who experiences the unimaginable during what was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime! While it is fiction, the story is told in a way that is so believable, and it stole my heart!
December 9, 2014
Was this supposed to be a YA novel? Because for the first half I was convinced it was. The Unimaginable is emotionally simplistic, predictable, and written with straightforward, plain prose that I found lacking. I think the Lifetime movie comparison other reviewers have made it apt. This was a disappointment.
February 2, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the pace was perfect for the story. I was really teetering between a 4/5 star review, but the epilogue pushed it over the top. It was a very exciting, heartfelt and sobering read. I loved the idea of Grant and how he meet Jessica and the adventure they shared with Quinn.
January 11, 2017
There's really not much to say about this book other than its a fantastic read, great story that blends romance, adventure and a touch of drama flawlessly. Beautiful setting, excellent writing, the author does an excellent job of taking you on a trip that you'll remember for a long time. Highly recommend!
Want to read
November 2, 2014Amazon Prime free book for November 2014
never-finished
December 1, 2014Had to put this down for good at 3/4. It turned into a direction that I didn't enjoy and by this stage many plot developments angered me.
May 29, 2018
More reviews available at my blog, Beauty and the Bookworm.
A beautiful cover and convenient timing left me in the mindset that The Unimaginable was going to be something like Station Eleven--not in topic, because the book summary made it very clear that this was nothing like Station Eleven, but for some reason I had it in my mind that this would have the same beautiful writing, construction, and love of life that Station Eleven contained. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
The story is about Jessica Gregory, who moves to Thailand in the wake of her mother, who she never really got along with. She has a job teaching English and gets another job at a bar. After a few months of this she has three weeks of vacation and decides to look for an adventure by crewing on a boat for a long distance sail, despite having no sailing experience or really any sense in her head at all. She also falls immediately and conveniently in love with a man almost twice her age who really doesn't want anything to do with her, but of course as soon as she bats her eyelashes at him he falls in love with her, too, despite being in mourning for his deceased wife, and takes her on as crew essentially so he can get around to boning her. And then, of course, come the pirates.
The writing here is sloppy and the romance is eyeroll- and gag-worthy. I am an avid reader of romance, but this is not good. The chemistry is nonexistent, the sex scenes sloppy and deserving of nothing more than cringing. Despite going into detail, it's ultimate unclear whether Jessica--our narrator--even gets to have a decent orgasm. Poor thing. The danger, despite being very real, is completely overblown. And though the entire book builds up to it from a brief--very brief--prologue, it only lasts about fifteen pages and then is over, and the focus of the book is back to Jessica mooning over Grant, in a relationship that seemed more than a little skeevy to me, mainly because Grant just kept putting Jessica off and wouldn't emotionally commit to her, even for a little bit, but was perfectly willing to fuck her all the way across the Indian Ocean. Ew.
This is also one of those books where the heroine, despite wanting adventure in the great wide somewhere a la Belle, promptly gives up everything when she meets the hero. This bothers me in any context, but in contemporary books more than in historical ones, because in times like the Regency era women were taught not to have expectations or dreams and, if they did, to give them up to men. A modern woman should know better than this. If what Jessica had wanted was to be a wife and nothing else, then fine--that's a woman's prerogative. But to claim she wanted adventure and to teach and see the world and not be one of the women from her hometown who just got married and gave up on life, and then to immediately abandon everything in favor of mooning over a guy who has literally said three sentences to her.
The pacing is also awful, and the writing itself is terrible. It's full of sentences like, "And the, on the Imagine, came...the unimaginable. You can just tell that Silver wants us to gasp and clutch our pearls and be so dismayed by the drama, but I really didn't care about any of the characters and so this ploy was completely unsuccessful. There is only one remotely dismaying thing that happens in the book, and it has nothing to do with Jessica or Grant.
There is an author's note at the end of the book about where the story--and all of the character names--came from. While the origins are remarkable, tragic, and worthy of their own story, this particular story did not do them justice, not in any way. I would not recommend this, nor will I be picking up anything else by this author in the future.
1.5 stars out of 5, and that's only for the setting.
A beautiful cover and convenient timing left me in the mindset that The Unimaginable was going to be something like Station Eleven--not in topic, because the book summary made it very clear that this was nothing like Station Eleven, but for some reason I had it in my mind that this would have the same beautiful writing, construction, and love of life that Station Eleven contained. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
The story is about Jessica Gregory, who moves to Thailand in the wake of her mother, who she never really got along with. She has a job teaching English and gets another job at a bar. After a few months of this she has three weeks of vacation and decides to look for an adventure by crewing on a boat for a long distance sail, despite having no sailing experience or really any sense in her head at all. She also falls immediately and conveniently in love with a man almost twice her age who really doesn't want anything to do with her, but of course as soon as she bats her eyelashes at him he falls in love with her, too, despite being in mourning for his deceased wife, and takes her on as crew essentially so he can get around to boning her. And then, of course, come the pirates.
The writing here is sloppy and the romance is eyeroll- and gag-worthy. I am an avid reader of romance, but this is not good. The chemistry is nonexistent, the sex scenes sloppy and deserving of nothing more than cringing. Despite going into detail, it's ultimate unclear whether Jessica--our narrator--even gets to have a decent orgasm. Poor thing. The danger, despite being very real, is completely overblown. And though the entire book builds up to it from a brief--very brief--prologue, it only lasts about fifteen pages and then is over, and the focus of the book is back to Jessica mooning over Grant, in a relationship that seemed more than a little skeevy to me, mainly because Grant just kept putting Jessica off and wouldn't emotionally commit to her, even for a little bit, but was perfectly willing to fuck her all the way across the Indian Ocean. Ew.
This is also one of those books where the heroine, despite wanting adventure in the great wide somewhere a la Belle, promptly gives up everything when she meets the hero. This bothers me in any context, but in contemporary books more than in historical ones, because in times like the Regency era women were taught not to have expectations or dreams and, if they did, to give them up to men. A modern woman should know better than this. If what Jessica had wanted was to be a wife and nothing else, then fine--that's a woman's prerogative. But to claim she wanted adventure and to teach and see the world and not be one of the women from her hometown who just got married and gave up on life, and then to immediately abandon everything in favor of mooning over a guy who has literally said three sentences to her.
The pacing is also awful, and the writing itself is terrible. It's full of sentences like, "And the, on the Imagine, came...the unimaginable. You can just tell that Silver wants us to gasp and clutch our pearls and be so dismayed by the drama, but I really didn't care about any of the characters and so this ploy was completely unsuccessful. There is only one remotely dismaying thing that happens in the book, and it has nothing to do with Jessica or Grant.
There is an author's note at the end of the book about where the story--and all of the character names--came from. While the origins are remarkable, tragic, and worthy of their own story, this particular story did not do them justice, not in any way. I would not recommend this, nor will I be picking up anything else by this author in the future.
1.5 stars out of 5, and that's only for the setting.
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