1.5 stars

Stilted dialogue with many pointless scenes. It is the generic brand equivalent to books in the Lucky Harbor Jill Shalvis series.

Sorry if that sounds harsh and this is the most I can muster up to write about it. Talk about a double edged sword, I paid for it but that also means I don't feel obligated to write a good review. Maybe others will like this but to me there are several other, way better, contemporary series out there. ( )

This story is about Mel, young teacher, and Bennett, former soldier, finding love in a small town.

Lots of fluff (fluff meaning unnecessary info) in this one, which caused it to drag at times. It's not a bad read but there really wasn't anything in the storyline that really grabbed and held attention. Even though it's a part of a series, it can be read as a standalone, you just lose some of the different character's history.

I received this book in exchange for an honest book review. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Very steamy romance with lots of drama and heartfelt moments.

Opening Sentence: The pain was incredible.

The Review:

Melanie O’Bryan just recently came to terms with how short life can really be. A few months back she was shot, but luckily there was no permanent damage. Former Air Force sergeant Bennett Hart has really been there for Mel through the whole healing process. They are just friends, but Mel’s feelings have started to go way beyond friendship lately. She gets butterflies every time she sees him. The fact that he has a killer body and is very easy on the eyes doesn’t hurt one bit. Being a good friend, Bennett has agreed to help Mel with a school project, but Mel is secretly hoping that he is going to offer her a whole lot more.

Bennett Hart is just happy to be alive. After surviving a terrible accident in Afghanistan that killed everyone in his unit except for him and one other, Bennett feels blessed to be back home. But living through an experience like that leaves its scars and all Bennett wants is to live a quite, peaceful life with no complications. He never expected the gorgeous math teacher at the high school could make him feel so many complicated emotions. After one amazing kiss, Bennett finds himself entering into uncharted territory with Mel and he is determined to not screw it up. But with memories and fears from the past slowly creeping in, he will have decide what risks he is willing to take to be with the one woman that has ever made him feel anything.

Mel really develops and grows exceedingly throughout the book. Starting out, she is timid and has always been a little scared to put herself out there. Somewhere along the line she realizes that life is too short and that she needs to go after what she wants. She has the patience of a saint, which is good since the certain man she has her eye on seems to take forever to act on his feelings for her. I love that she is willing to take chances and try new things. I really loved getting to know Mel, she was a great character that was easy to sympathize and connect with.

Bennett is a very appealing man. With his quiet and sweet demeanor, and his rocking body, what is not to love. There are parts of him that are broken, so letting someone in that could hurt him is extremely scary for him. There has never been a woman that has made a lasting impression on his heart until Mel. Everything about her is sexy and interesting to him. They have hot chemistry and together they seem to complete each other. Everything about Bennett was perfect and I’m not going to lie, just thinking about him made me drool just a little bit.

Unstoppable is a great romance story filled with inspiring characters, sexual tension, and heartfelt moments. My one complaint about this story was that there wasn’t really a subplot beyond the romance. In the other books in the series there was always an underlying plot that was completely separate from the romance, and it seemed to help add substance and drama to the story. Because this book pretty solely focused on Bennett and Mel’s relationship, I felt at times the story dragged. That’s not to say that I didn’t love their relationship because I did, I just wish there would have been something else added to make the plot more intriguing. But with that being said, I still really enjoyed this novel and I really hope that Richard will release more books in this series. There are a few other secondary characters that I hope get a book because I really love them. If you are looking for a fun and steamy new adult series, I suggest you give the Country Road series a try.

Notable Scene:

Mel Jumped back into him as his arm skimmed over hers. He steadied her by placing his free hand on her hip. He grabbed the container, and when he set it down on the counter she turned and looked up at him.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

He was so close to her. All he had to do was lean down a little bit and he’d be able to press his mouth to hers.

“No problem,” he said, unable to look at anything but those soft lips of hers.

She was breathing unevenly. He was pretty sure he’d stopped taking in oxygen a while ago, because he felt a little light-headed. He took a step into her, pushing her back against the counter, and her breasts came up against his chest. His eyes flickered up to hers, and what he found there made all rational thought leave his mind.

“Bennett,” she whispered.

FTC Advisory: Forever Yours/Hachette provided me with a copy of Unstoppable. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )