Thursday 22 May 2014

Review - Unchosen by Alisa Mullen

 
 
Title: Unchosen
Series: Chosen #2
Author: Alisa Mullen
Release Date: May 12, 2014
 
 
Lizzie O’Malley is back with a purpose in life. Still flighty and unpredictable, she knows that loving and losing Teagan Gallagher has changed her life forever. As she navigates her new life in Boston as a full time working mother, she promises herself she will never fall in love again.

But can she keep that promise after meeting Nick Sawyer, the gorgeous Texan who has fallen for her?

Follow Lizzie to Ireland where she struggles with tragedy and rediscovers herself all over again.
 


  
 
Or purchase both books 1 & 2 as a boxed set
 
 
 
 

Do you hear that? That's the sound of my heart breaking and my chest heaving from all the ugly crying... Argh! I was seriously afraid, when I was about 80% of the way through this book, that I was going to run out of tissues and I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY EXCEPT TO SAY OH MY GOD!! Phew, sorry for yelling y'all. I won't do that again. I can, and will, compose myself... Unchosen by Alisa Mullen is the second book in the Chosen series - and it's a series which, if I had my way, would never, ever come to an end. Did that sound a little Kathy Bates-esque? Sorry but it's true. I loved book one, Unsettled, even if it left me feeling a little....well, unsettled. And Unchosen raised the bar. I cannot wait for Unrequited...

Lizzie O'Malley's life has changed since the hot summer she shared with Irishman Teagan Gallagher. Still not quite at peace with the devastating revelation that removed Teagan from her life, Lizzie is nonetheless moving forward. She has a successful career, a loving and supportive family and very little time for herself. She's not looking for a relationship - she's never going to fall in love again - so when she meets gorgeous Texan Nick Sawyer, it seems that she's found herself a new best friend instead. Nick wants more from Lizzie but, despite her attraction to him, she's determined to keep it platonic. That's easier said than done when his relationships and her past start to come between them and jealously threatens what was once a perfect friendship. Then a trip to Ireland ends with a heart-breaking phone call and suddenly friends-only doesn't seem like enough for Lizzie and Nick anymore...

I've thought about this book non-stop since I finished reading it. It's wormed its way into my brain and it won't leave. I want to tell you why I was left feeling a mixture of elation and sadness but unless I let loose a massive spoiler, I can't. What I can tell you is that if you sit down to read this book, you will be rewarded with a beautiful, flowing, heart-breaking and life-affirming story. It's not all flowers and hearts and roses but it can - and will - make you laugh and smile, cry and frown. It's easily one of the best books I've read this year - maybe even one of the best ever. So...Nick Sawyer, what can I say about him? He's practically perfect. He loves our Lizzie without forcing anything on her. He helps her when she needs him, drops everything to hold her as she breaks down and does it all while recognizing that she's also perfect - for him - just the way she is. But he still calls her on her bullshit. Yes! I'm so glad that he didn't just let her get away with being selfish and confusing. Lizzie is a puzzling mixture of exactly the same and completely different from the girl she was in Unsettled. In her lighter moments, she's the carefree, fun-loving girl she was before Teagan but it's when the going gets tough that you see a new maturity in her. Alisa Mullen did a wonderful job of giving her character growth without losing the spirit of who she is. I have often found in the past that (unfortunately) sequels don't measure up to their predecessors but in the case of Unchosen, it has surpassed Unsettled - which is no easy feat. I could probably gush about this book for a while longer but I won't. I'll simply encourage you to one-click it and see for yourself why I. Can't. Stop. Thinking. About. It.... Just make sure you bulk-buy the Kleenex first.

This is the second book in the Chosen series. It is not a standalone book. There's no real cliffhanger but it does tease book three, Unrequited.
 
~ Review by Beth
 

 
 
 

I grew up in Maine and have lived in many cities across the US. I like to travel but I crave to travel to places in my mind. I combine life experience and my imagination on paper. I have been a writer since I was eight years old when my mother told me she couldn’t believe I wrote the way I did. Throughout my schooling, I wrote poems and stories.

Writing took a back seat when I fell into the business world rat race and tried out several occupations. Nothing has every felt more satisfying than writing. So here I am! I published my first book “Unsettled” in February. “Unchosen” and “Unrequited” complete the Chosen Series...for now. I released a suspense novella, "One Missing Link" in May and my WIP is The Good Bye Trilogy, another suspense romance project.

In my rare off time, I enjoy baseball with my family. My husband and our two children are major Rangers and Red Sox fans. We live between San Antonio and Austin, Texas and I like it here. It’s very quiet, a great place to write. I also own my own macramé necklace business, Devika Knots. I started it with my daughter five years ago and it has become a great business. So art is my life now. I feel blessed and honored to be among the Author Club.
 
 

   

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