Release Blitz & Review: Not What I Expected by Jewel E. Ann

Not What I Expected by Jewel E. Ann
Published by Self-Published on December 6, 2020
Format: ARC
Genres: Romance, Romantic Comedy, Women's Fiction


Amazon

Are humans meant to mate for life?

After four kids and an unfortunate but fateful end to her twenty-two-year marriage, Elsie Smith meets the new guy in town.

Kael Hendricks is … a little younger, a lot sexy, and too confident for his own good. He also doesn’t believe in marriage and all that goes with it.

And …

He’s just opened a new business that threatens the livelihood of Elsie’s family’s store—just in time for the holidays.

The problem?

There’s an undeniable attraction that leads to out of control situations, a loss of inhibitions, and a lot of small town gossip.

As Elsie tries to redefine herself and convince her family she isn’t having a midlife crisis, she’s forced to answer the biggest question of all …

Can she love an enemy who will never surrender?

First of all, hallelujah for a romance involving mature adults! Women don’t cease to be desirable the moment they turn 40. Their sex drive doesn’t just shrivel up and die. Elsie is 42 and just starting to hit her sexual stride. Can I get an Amen? But I digress.

Not What I Expected really hit home with me in a way that perhaps I wouldn’t have appreciated in my 20s. Like Elsie, I have been married for over 20 years. It’s impossible to share that much of your life with someone and not value the level of familiarity and intimacy that comes as a result. There is also an awareness of many small things about my husband that drive me bonkers. For Elsie, over time, the million little irritants have piled up until she has forgotten why she fell in love with her husband in the first place. She wants out, but if she’s no longer a wife and her children are grown, then who is she and what does a new life look like?

I adored Elsie and all her flaws, as well as the cozy holiday setting, Elsie’s relationships with her children, and the gossipy small town and its residents. One of my favorite characters is Amie, Elsie’s hilarious ride-or-die best friend and confidante.

I really enjoyed all the un-sexy, maddening habits that Elsie and her church friends share about their husbands. They made me laugh out loud, as did Elsie’s crazy behavior that results from her attraction to the hot new guy in town.

Kael seems too kind and good to be true. I kept waiting for him to show his true colors, but he’s a genuinely nice guy with a nontraditional lifestyle. He is 12 years younger than Elsie and I welcomed the fact that their love story isn’t ruined by her being overly-fixated on their age gap. There is some serious sizzle between them. 

I know I can count on Jewel E. Ann to pen a gut-wrenching, plot-twisting drama. She can just as effortlessly create a winning seasonal romantic comedy. Not What I Expected was exactly what I needed.

Recommended for fans of:
Age gap romance
Starting over
Holidays
Small towns
Gourmet vinegar

*I received an early copy to voluntarily read and review.*

 

Download Not What I Expected today.
Read for free in Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/31LzOA7
Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/NWIE

 

 

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