Unexpected

Unexpected is a heartwarming look at families - families by birth, by marriage, by adoption. Ms. Knupp weaves this absorbing tale about Knox, Quincy and the baby Knox did not know existed. I love the total panic that settled on Knox and on Ava when he showed up with a baby in tow. Thank goodness Quincy could save the day. I felt like part of the family as I raced through this well written saga to see how all the elements came into play. Unexpected is a great addition to the Henry Brothers series.

What a fantastic book - I just wanted to keep reading! Love the whole big North/Henry family dynamic. After Knox having his own family secret surprise and then ending up with a surprise baby left for him, Quincy helps him manage his new life as a dad. Their relationship, despite the age difference, was well developed and steamy! I also like how Quincy found her own path for her life and what she loved to do. The added epilogues were a bonus! It’s great to see how characters are years later…and maybe even a set up with new characters for another book! Can’t wait to read more from Amy!

In Unexpected, book four in the Henry Brothers series, we finally get to see just what’s up with that Knox Breckenridge guy, the one who has been skulking around Dragonfly Lake since book one. He says he’s a writer who has fallen in love with the town and decided to make it his home. But he’s been keeping a big secret and when he reveals it, it’s quite the bombshell that drops on the Henry Family: he’s the biological son of Simon Henry, the family patriarch. Simon and Knox’s mother had a weekend together just over 42 years ago. Simon is stunned but realizes the timing works and is more than open to welcoming Knox as another son if that turns out to be true. The Henry “boys,” however, stay true to form in their reactions. Holden and Knox have been friends for a while and Holden thinks having a half-brother won’t be so bad. Seth needs to think it over, as usual, but will probably come around sooner rather than later. Cash – well, we all know Cash by now – he never has liked Knox and this just cements his anger, distrust, and suspicions. He wants to know what Knox is after, what Knox is trying to get from the Henrys. What does Knox want? Simple. He wants a family. It was always just him and his mom. The identity of his father was only revealed to him in a letter his mother left when she died a few months ago. He just wants to see them, to get to know them, to wonder if his fervent hope to belong, to become one of them, is possible. It’s a lot for everybody involved. And how ironic that as this little drama starts to play out Knox finds a surprise package in the back seat of his car: a 5-month-old baby girl with nothing but a note from Knox’s ex-girlfriend that says, “I can’t do this. She’s yours now.” Knox is as stunned as Simon was, and Cash doesn’t hesitate to ask, “How does it feel when it happens to you?” From here on the story is delightful. Full of misunderstanding, misconceptions, mishaps. Knox knows absolutely nothing about babies and is terrified at the mistakes he might make, but little Juniper is growing on him and he begins to hope she really is his biological daughter and wonders what he’ll do if she’s not. Watching him navigate new fatherhood is fun and funny. What would he do without Quincy, the server at the Henry family restaurant who has agreed to be his nanny until she goes off to school in a few months. She practically raised her stepsiblings and loves children, especially this adorable little girl. And for Knox the question is – REALLY – what would he do without Quincy? Acting on the attraction he feels would be wrong in so many ways. She’s his employee, he’s not looking for instant family, and the biggest no-no in his mind: she’s 28 to his 42. His reactions, especially to being mistaken as her father, are priceless. But the attraction is real, on both sides, and doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon. Unexpected is another wonderful visit to Dragonfly Lake and more time well-spent with those Henrys and the rest of the folks in town. I’m hoping there is another brother or cousin or someone somewhere so this engrossing, satisfying series doesn’t have to end. The narration is perfect, as it has been for each book. Ryan West’s Knox is uncertain, passionate, conflicted, besotted and comes to life. Carly Robins is as amazing as ever; her portrayal of Quincy is believable and appealing in every way. Good pacing, emotions that feel like the real deal, a genuine pleasure to listen to both of these narrators. I received a free audio copy of Unexpected from the author via Home Cooked Books. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to see what’s next from author Amy Knupp. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.