Unexpected

Skipping Stones #2

by Jasmine Lee

In Emily you got part of my story. But now in Unexpected you get the rest of it.

True, it doesn't go the way I planned and I don't end up with the man I had planned on. But then again, that's why they say to 'expect the unexpected.'

I have a choice to make...

Do I choose my past? Or do I choose a path that is uncertain?

Only time can tell in the end. I have to choose before feelings are hurt and it's too late, causing me to loose everything I hold dear.

Sincerely,
Emily

Readers 18+ Sexual Content, Language

Paperback

First published October 10, 2015

About the author

Jasmine Lee is a small town girl who grew-up in a small town with a population of only three-hundred and sixty one people. She had her son at the age of twenty and at the age of twenty-four she met her husband and with-in a year they were married. It was only two short years later, while babysitting a little girl they met their soon to be adopted daughter. Fast forward to today and she is a stay-at-home wife and her husband works at the local prison. Their daughter is ex-NAVY and is now living in California and their son is working as a manufacturer of metal. She is still living in a small town, actually smaller then the one she grew-up in on ten acres and enjoys writing and taking pictures and working in her garden and babying her roses.

J.L.

Reviews

[Nerissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a well written book. The storyline keeps changing mid conversation. The drama feels forced. The characters are dislikable. It's very immature.

I do not recommend this book at all.

[Mollien Fote Osterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review if for The Skipping Stones Series not listed on Goodreads at this time.

Title: Skipping Stones Series (Emily and Unexpected)Kindle
Author: Jasmine Lee
Publisher: Jasmine Lee
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: December 8, 2015
Genre(s): Romance, Contemporary Romance
Page Count: 324 pages
Heat Level: 2 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Blurb:

Emily (Book 1)

I thought I was in love, I thought I was happy, I thought everything was perfect.

But then I found out my husband of six years was having an affair. I knew it had to be a dream, but it wasn’t. So now I’m left at square one, only now I’m a single mom also.

Dating isn’t easy but it’s especially not easy for a single mom of twin boys, with a soon to be ex-husband who’s still around. I mean what else could happen?

Throw in a hot prison guard and my ex-husband the mechanic and you have a whole mess of problems, and its only Monday!

What am I supposed to do?



Unexpected (Book 2)

In Emily you got part of my story. But now in Unexpected you get the rest of it.

True, it doesn't go the way I planned and I don't end up with the man I had planned on. But then again, that's why they say to 'expect the unexpected.'

I have a choice to make...

Do I choose my past? Or do I choose a path that is uncertain?

Only time can tell in the end. I have to choose before feelings are hurt and it's too late, causing me to loose everything I hold dear.

Sincerely,
Emily

Readers 18+ Sexual Content, Language, Violence

Review:

This is a two book set of the Skipping Stones Series. Both books are well written, with an interesting story of a woman who has the knack of attracting men from the same family. Some of them having problems of keeping their equipment where it belongs. I enjoyed this series, but I must be honest I did not know that I was reading a two book set. I thought that it was one long book that repeated some parts. It wasn’t until I started typing this review that I realized I read two different books.
The first book is where we learn about Emily. She married Conner at a young age and they had twin boys together. After six years of marriage, things seemed strained. The only conversations seem to revolve around the kids. It isn’t until she finds her husband with another woman that Emily realizes why Conner has been so distant. After her discovery, Emily tosses Conner out and goes on her own downward spiral of bad choices. Mostly evolving her ex Conner and his cousin Travis.

Book two has us picking up where book one left off, but now toss another cousin into the mix. We have the makings of a disaster of epic proportions, or happy ever after that could only happen in the pages of fiction.

The plots of these stories are interesting and well thought out. I enjoyed these books that had everything I look for in a story. Drama, romance, sex, hot guys, and some humor.
There is so much chemistry in this story, that I am surprised the my kindle fire didn’t ignite. The pacing was good. Since I didn’t realize that I was reading two separate books, I will not let the repetition of events influence me. If I had read the second book weeks after the first, I would have welcomed the reminders of what happened in book one.
Loved the ending. Although I did want to shake Emily a time or two.
Wow talk about character development. All of the characters in these books were developed to the point that you feel that you have known them for ages.

Review Copy of Skipping Stones Series provided by the Jasmine Lee for an honest Review. Reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series and they must be read in order. I was completely blindsided shortly after beginning to read this book. I was totally team Travis after reading the first book however that completely changed after beginning to read this one. He turned out to be just as bad if not worse than Connor in my opinion. You read more about James in this book and several chapters are from his point of view. I was totally open to a new person capturing Emily attention just as long as she didn’t go back to Connor; which we can all kinda guess she does. I feel that it was very hard to Emily to get over Connor to a point where she could move on because he never really left her alone. Even in the first book when she attempted to move on his pushed back into her life. I love James he is there for her and the boys without even to really be asked. I feel like Connor wants he cake and to eat it too. He wants to be able to fuck other women and still have his family and Emily dutifully waiting for him at home. Throughout this book Connor comes to the conclusion that that isn’t going to happen when James steps up and tells Emily how he feels. Emily is torn a lot in this just as in the first. She wants to be single because of her horrible experiences but at the same time she knows that she could be missing out on something great with James. That fact the one woman snagged that attention of three men in the same family is kind of funny to me. She is keeping it in the family for sure. James has been in love with Emily since before she meets Connor and now that he has his chance he isn’t going to waste it. Emily and James have their fair share of problems during the book. James wants everything with Emily right now but Emily is afraid of rushing things like she did with Connor. She wants to take her time with James and not mess it up but he has trouble seeing it from her point of view at times. When he finally does it is great for both of them. I think James was afraid that if he didn’t get her to commit to him that she would change her mind and he would lose her. I loved this book and the first. I would love to read more about the characters in other books in the future. This series was the first books I had read by Jasmine Lee and I can’t wait to read more by her in the future.
I was given this book in return for an honest review.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review over on my blog (Pretty Little Book Blog)

This book starts off with Emily trying to keep it all together raising her sons and being Supermom, dealing with trying to repair her broken relationship with her ex husband Connor. Still reeling after finding out he was having an affair and moving out they are trying to start over by living seperately and dating. Two wrongs don't make a right since she has dated his cousin Travis. This situation is pretty complicated and difficult to navigate that's for sure!

Bringing up questions of forgiveness and if you do forgive can you rebuild trust once it has been broken, the answer in this case no, as nothing has changed. What was once broken could not be fixed and the rest of the book is about how Emily begins to define her life strictly on her terms the only problem is she's not exactly sure what she wants. This leads James to have quite a few dust ups to where they try and define what they have going on when they both get a shock.

At the beginning of the book I thought James was the good guy, in the middle I started disliking him. Yes, I get the woman is on again and off again but in the middle he's kind of an asshat! Thankfully he sees the error of his ways and adjusts accordingly. (I always knew you were a good guy James!)

These characters are pretty angsty and have real life problems but all in all it works out in the end. I thought this was a pretty good afternoon read, it was fast paced and there were some sections that seemed just smashed together and might have made more sense if they were a little more drawn out. It's still an enjoyable read though.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh! I'm a bit sad really. I had such high expectations for this book and it just hasn't lived up to them.
After reading that sneaky little proglogue at the end of Emily I was excited to read Unexpected, intrigued even.
Alas, it's more of the same drama that we saw in Emily. Her insecurities, her ups and downs, more cheating, more arguing, more confusion and hiding things, more lying. I just don't like it.
I don't like Conner this time round either. But James....I quite like him. I feel sorry for him and totally get why he reacts the way he does...I would too if the love of my life was being so wishy washy and indecisive!

Another thing...I've never known a woman not look after her own kids so much! All they ever do is stop at someone else's house for the weekend, or go camping! It's an odd set up!
On the plus side, I liked the characters have real life problems. The difficulty of deciding whether to do what's best for your family as a whole or for yourself on more selfish terms. That push and pull of love, familiarity and ease over passion and turmoil.
I do actually kind of like the story line, I just wish some things were maybe explored a little bit more.
I can't actually say the title does this book any justice...Unexpected?! Not really.

It seems maybe though this is just the way I react to Jasmine Lee's way with words. I remember wanting to love Emily and feeling a bit disappointed.

[Faye Errington · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review

This is book two in the Stepping Stones series by the amazing Jasmine Lee

The books must be read in order and can not be read as standalone ...

Unexpected is a great second / Ending book to its prequel Emily...

Emily is still as always .. a HUGE emotional mess of mixed feelings

You just want to give her a shake and tell her to either choose one man or the other .. or just move on from both and focus on yourself and your boys..... GRRRR

She makes me so mad at times ... but I did still love her as a person, despite her inability to make a solid decision about her love life...

I mean come on I think most girls have been confused about a boy at one point in their lives.... it makes her feel more human and real...

Unexpected has more bumps in the road for Emily and it shows that not everything goes as planned or to your liking .... but Emily must overcome all the crap if she wants her chance at finding her Happy Ever After...

We are taken on one hell of a journey in Unexpected ... its Emily's journey to finding forever...

I am so happy with the way the book ended (NO SPOLIER) you will have to read to see ...

and that Emily got her PERFECT ending ..... but gosh what a ride it was to get there

But it was soooo worth it in the end.....

5* READ

Congrats Jasmine on this AMAZING series .... I cant recommend it enough

its a MUST READ ....

[Tanya Rae ~ TaSTy WordGasms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, the ending had me in tears (good tears)! I still think that Emily is a HOT MESS but, then who wouldn’t be with all that has happened to her. As said in your synopsis “expect the unexpected.'” I can’t say more other than you need to read this series and you need to start with Emily.

I am surprised that more people have not read the first book. I hope that you will give this series a chance and I thought it was a wonderful story and Unexpected was a great follow up book.

Unexpected is a book that you can read in less than a day Amazon says 136 pages.

I loved Unexpected. And, I got my HEA. No cliffhangers this time. Unexpected was gifted to me for an Honest review and I loved this story!

[The Color of Ink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected is a great follow up to Emily. She may be a bit of an emotional mess, but she’s been through a lot. On the outside looking in, there will be times you want to reach in and shake the poor girl, but you’ll be so glad to see how the story unfolds. This story is an example of how life doesn’t always go the way you plan or hope it will, but the unexpected twists and turns teach you how not to break, even if you can’t see it for yourself.

This is book two in the series and I highly recommend reading then both, and in order. A copy was received in exchange for an honest review. Enjoy!

[Kristie Chamberlain · Rating 4 out of 5]

And the roller coaster ride continues..talk about a girl who can't make up her mind! Ugh, it drove me nuts just like book one! I get it, I really do but sometimes you just have to take a chance on love let go of all your insecurities and let go! James and her ex Conner aren't any help either! This book continues Emily's story, you need to read it to see who it ends! I'm giving it four stars!

[Izzie d · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is anyone capable of telling the truth? Too many ups and downs for me, too many liars and too much manipulation. Not sure i even like James, when you claim to love someone but still hurt them!! eh no!!

[Hopelessly Hooked on Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come