Who hasn't read Lori Foster? Truly? If you like romances, or more specifically, contemporary romances, it's a pretty safe guess to say that you've come across at least one of Foster's books. She's quite the heavy hitter. Penning mostly light hearted contemporaries (not counting her new foray into darker urban fantasies), Foster has consistently turned out books that I have thoroughly enjoyed.
However, I must note as an aside that I never become too emotionally embroiled in a Foster book. While I wouldn't go as far as saying they're just a dime a dozen, she gives me just enough to whet my appetite, satisfy it for the moment, but never really pull at my heartstrings. When I say that, I mean that I'm not teetering on the emotional ledge like I would for some other books. But, I will say that they are very enjoyable and it's a rare instance for me to come across a Foster that I really didn't like. If I happen to favor one book over another, it's just because of character traits of the hero/heroine and nothing to do with Foster's writing.
Foster's heroes have a bit of an old world feel to me. That is, the men are men. Big, protective, possessive, and I can't help but notice that all her men are usually described as hairy. That always makes me laugh. Apparently, in Foster world, hair on a man makes him manly. But the descriptions are always followed by something along the lines of: But not too hairy to turn her off. No, it was just enough to make her feel that pang of delicious heat deep inside... I'm guessing that for Foster, manscaping is nothing a real man would do. Heh, heh...
In continuing with Foster's men, they don't waver much from her (so called) formula. If you like reading male characters that are manly, capable, and generally good-looking, Foster will please. She does for me. Personally, when I'm in the mood for reading Foster, it means that I'm in the mood for a male who feels that his one reason for living is to protect the innocent and that, without a doubt, includes the heroine. No matter if she wants him to or whether she's attractive or not, she's going to get that protection.
So, why was I so hesitant to read Unexpected? The gender roles seem to be reversed. Since Ray was the merc who is hired to help retrieve Eli Connors's missing brother, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read a Foster in which the heroine gave off more traditional masculine vibes than the hero did. Glad I was wrong!
Yes, Ray Vereker is quite the tomboy. She can break up a bar fight or participate in it herself with a smile on her face. Able to handle whatever her job throws at her, she is not the girly girl. However, it was with a very deft pen in which Foster was still able to endear such a character to me. I liked how Foster did not beat me over the head with the fact that Ray wasn't all that feminine. It helped that Eli noted all the innate feminine qualities in Ray that was obvious Ray didn't see herself. Foster also didn't constantly have Eli confused about Ray in terms of her not being 'typical.' If he constantly thought of her as too manish, it would have turned me off immediately.
Of course Eli would need to be a strong character himself to match up with Ray. That was a given. But his masculinity wasn't in question and it was nice to see that there was no competition in terms of "who's going to wear the pants in the relationship." I think sometimes, when authors reverse gender roles, the heroine is too concerned about the hero usurping her role such as driving the car, opening doors, paying the check, etc. There wasn't much of that in Unexpected.
However, it was the plot itself that made this book much more enjoyable. The plot about rescuing Eli's brother just too the reader up to half way of the book. The rest, was really the unexpected news of Ray ending up pregnant. I liked it. It certainly did its job of softening Ray's character and gave her more of a traditional feminine edge that was needed for a reader to see that she does indeed, need Eli in her life. I have to admit, that the plot wasn't all that exciting nor was it the best I've ever read. It did its job in balancing everything in terms of the characters. Totally character driven as a whole, it makes it a more traditional Foster in my point of view. Her books are more about the character connection and that's what makes me love them.
But what tied the whole package together for me was the very nice cover decisions made by the art department. Choosing the bright, almost neon pink, was a very nice touch. Ironic, yes. The pop art feel of the cut out picture of the woman and the stork pulls at the eye while serving its purpose of showcasing the author's name first, and then the yellow color of the title. Font choice was also very appropriate in accordance to the clip-art feel of the pictures.
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3 out of 5: Overall, Unexpected delivered on its name. I was pleasantly surprised at how I was softened in reading a plot I would normally not choose. Personally, the characters did not connect all that much with me emotionally and I read with a dispassion that showed I wasn't all that involved into the ending. The chemistry between the characters was all right, but it didn't sizzle for me and definitely didn't singe the pages during the sex scenes. I appreciated the uniqueness of the story and while it will not be a re-read for me, it's something I would recommend for a fun day at the beach.
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