Tuesday 19 November 2013

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway ~ The Unknown by Lara Henley.


Title: The Unknown.
Author: Lara Henley.
Genre: Romance.
Publication Date: November 7, 2013.


Misty found out early in life that things just don't come easy. She has learned to trust no one, and that you can't depend on anyone but yourself when the chips fall. Finally free of the states clutches she sets out on a whirlwind adventure called LIFE...

But she never expected Drake...

Drake... is used to being in the limelight just graduated from college. Wondering what's next? Misty is a welcome surprise. So different from his everyday mundane experiences...

Can two completely different people share a journey that could change both of their lives forever? Or will they end up destroying each other in the process?

Escape to The UnKnown.




Check out the book trailer here!


Excerpt:

We walked inside the restaurant of the very small Angelo’s. It was busy because it was a Saturday night. The walls were painted a very dark red and each table was outfitted with a matching red table cloth with a lit candle sitting on top of it.

“Very romantic, Mr. Mitchell.”

“I try my best, Miss Scott.” The waitress walked over and took us to a very small, quiet booth in the back of the restaurant. When we reached it there were a dozen white roses sitting there. I was confused, had he planned this?

“Drake, you have already given me flowers. This is too much.”

“I can never give you enough. I want to give you the world. Do you know what the white rose signifies?” He pulled me down into the booth with him.

“I don’t, but they are just as beautiful as the red ones you gave me.”

“The white rose signifies purity and innocence. The red rose signifies love, beauty, courage, and respect. And together they signify unity. Baby, you are those things to me. You are my heart.” He kissed the back of my hand. “You are as pure as the driven snow.” He kissed it again. “And you are as beautiful as an angel descending from heaven.” Drake’s eyes danced with hope and love. I could see that he truly loved me. Where did this man come from? Tears were beginning to form in my eyes.

“And together,” he pulled out a single white rose and a single red one and laced the stems together. “We are strong. We can’t be broken.” By the time he finished I was a blubbering fool. I was so happy in that exact moment.

“I love you with all my heart,” he whispered lovingly. I closed my eyes and savored his every word. I hadn’t ever known love like this. I never wanted to let it go. “Baby, you ok?”

“Yes. I love you so much. I can’t believe you did this. My makeup is probably running.” I wiped the tears from my eyes. Who knows what I look like right now, but I couldn’t help it. This was just all too wonderful not to cry.



Review:

I had really been looking forward to reading The Unknown, and it didn’t take me long to feel like this was a heartfelt book for Lara Henley. It was an easy read which took me just one sitting to finish but whilst I liked the premise of this book, at times I struggled to connect and probably didn’t enjoy The Unknown as much as I thought I would.

I guess my issue with the book was the pacing. It all felt too rushed. Okay, I know it was meant to feel like Misty and Drake’s feelings were rushed but to me, the whole story seemed too quick and I found it hard to really root for either of the main characters.

Most of the characters were written well, so I can’t criticise Lara Henley’s character development for that. We learn quite a bit about Misty and Drake in phases progressing throughout the book, and the bits we didn’t learn all helped in the way The Unknown panned out.

However, I felt like I should have liked them more. At times, I knew as the reader I should have been more sympathetic over some of the things which had and were happening to Misty, yet that just wasn’t happening to me. Drake was also built up to be sweet in the way he felt about Misty but I couldn’t connect.

Despite this, I really did get to enjoy The Unknown a lot more over the half-way mark. With all the minor little teasers during the book, I sensed that it would lead up to a strong finish and the ending did not disappoint.

I also liked how the whole story all seemed to connect to the title of the book. The Unknown was a theme throughout in both Misty and Drake’s lives as they learnt and experienced things so new to them.

The Unknown ended with a flourish which told me that I was right to stick with it. I had grown to root for Misty and Drake a little bit more but for me, it was characters like Aunt Silvia, Lizzy and Carla that helped me enjoy the book. The conclusion to this book won me over and I’m intrigued with how the follow up book will turn out.

Rating:
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review also posted on Goodreads ; Amazon UK ; Amazon


About the Author:


Lara Henley was born in the Midwest. She holds a degree in Fashion Marketing and loves all things creative. She enjoys spending time with family and friends. Her first love is writing and hopes to make it her full-time career. She first began her career as a writer with children's books and has since transitioned into writing young adult and adult romance.

Connect with Lara: Goodreads ; Blog ; Twitter ; Facebook




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