Not What I Expected by Jewel E Ann-Review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 6, 2020

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?

•••••••••

REVIEW:NOT WHAT I EXPECTED by Jewel E Ann is a contemporary, adult story of women’s fiction focusing on forty-two year old, widow Elsie Smith.

Told from first person perspective (Elsie) NOT WHAT I EXPECTED follows in the aftermath of the death of forty –two year old Elsie Smith’s husband. With three of their four children in college and living away from home, Elsie finds herself struggling to keep the Smith family business viable, a business that is about to get some stiff competition from a new, upscale store catering to the hottest trends. Enter thirty-year old businessman Kael Henricks, and the man with whom Elsie will fall in love. What ensues is the clandestine and secretive relationship between Elsie and Kael, and the fall-out as Elsie battles between head and heart, and struggles with jealousy, envy, insecurity and loss.

Elsie Smith never expected to ever again fall in love, and a secret relationship with the hot, young newcomer throws our heroine into a personal spiral. Living in a small town with all of the small-town gossip finds Elsie struggling with perception, and the potential for judgement in the eyes of not only her neighhbors’ but in the eyes of God, for our heroine is very religious, and their sexual relationship is so much more.

NOT WHAT I EXPECTED is a beautifully written story of second chances, of a sorts, but I struggled to like or sympathize the story line heroine. She is immature and often adolescent in behaviour, jumping to conclusion and throwing tantrums in public at the slightest provocation. Following the dictates of the bible, Elsie often finds herself in opposition to the teachings of her church, teachings that are reinforced at her weekly group grief meetings. Meeting Kael Henricks stirs something deep within widow Elsie Smith but Kael doesn’t promise forever, and his personal convictions , like his store, are in direct competition with our story line heroine.

NOT WHAT I EXPECTED is a character driven story line about a heroine who is lost, angry, stubborn and raw. The premise is emotional; the characters are energetic and flawed; the romance is spirited and edgy.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

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