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When You Least Expect It
When You Least Expect It
ASIN moved from less recent edition
Caroline Parker knows three things to be true. First, she is going to be Boston's most sought after divorce attorney by thirty-five. Second, given how terrible her romantic track record is, falling in love isn't in the cards for her. And third, Christmas only brings her bad luck - being broken up with not once, not twice, but three times during the holidays is proof enough of that.
When she runs into Hannah Dalton on Christmas Eve, she has no reason to believe her luck will change. After all, though Hannah is probably the most gorgeous woman she’s ever seen, she’s also straight. And married to Caroline’s work rival.
While being hired by Hannah throws her for a loop, winning a divorce case and sticking it to her ex-colleague should be enough of a thrill. But as the months slip by, bringing her closer to both Hannah and her adorable daughter Abbie, the lines between attorney and client begin to blur. And she could have never predicted just how much she wants them to.
Caroline Parker knows three things to be true. First, she is going to be Boston's most sought after divorce attorney by thirty-five. Second, given how terrible her romantic track record is, falling in love isn't in the cards for her. And third, Christmas only brings her bad luck - being broken up with not once, not twice, but three times during the holidays is proof enough of that.
When she runs into Hannah Dalton on Christmas Eve, she has no reason to believe her luck will change. After all, though Hannah is probably the most gorgeous woman she’s ever seen, she’s also straight. And married to Caroline’s work rival.
While being hired by Hannah throws her for a loop, winning a divorce case and sticking it to her ex-colleague should be enough of a thrill. But as the months slip by, bringing her closer to both Hannah and her adorable daughter Abbie, the lines between attorney and client begin to blur. And she could have never predicted just how much she wants them to.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 20, 2020
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January 19, 2024
this book is possibly one of the best sapphic romances i’ve read in my life. it has such a healthy relationship dynamic with communication but also little misunderstandings which happen even in real life, whether you like it or not. but it’s so special to my heart because of how warm and cozy and beautiful it was.
for a book so short (roughly 250 pages, which is short in my eyes lol or felt short because i binged it), it surprisingly had so much depth to it. it was slow, but in the most perfect way. you can almost picture melting at the development the mcs went through — from having perceptions of each other that aren’t true, to slowly growing closer and falling in love. both caroline and hannah believed the other lived a “perfect” life. caroline thought hannah was ice-cold and didn’t care about people, just because she was married to caroline’s arch-nemesis — even as she admired her from afar. hannah assumed caroline was living the dream life, balancing her career and love life in the perfect way and managing everything in a way that made her so deeply envious and sad. i love the trope where one or both main characters believe the other is a certain way and then truly learning who they are and taking back their words. it’s not miscommunication, but misunderstanding. which can more easily be resolved.
i appreciated how the romance wasn’t just called slow-burn and it actually was slow, and we got to see every phase of caroline and hannah’s relationship. from when they were strangers who had certain perceptions of each other, to them becoming friends while hannah was yet wary of caroline, to becoming best friends who shared everything with each other, to finally taking that last step and falling in love.
i am so in love with hannah and caroline. there. i said it. caroline is the perfect take-charge-of-life type of woman who knows what she wants, and isn’t afraid to get it — except when it comes to love. hannah is the most adorable mess after everything she’s been through with her ex-husband, that piece of shit — and yet stands tall, bold and strong just for her daughter, abbie. i loved these characters’ individuality and how in tune they finally became with each other and their emotions. they cared so much about each other and it made me sigh.
hannah was the more resistant one in their relationship, being understandably cautious about letting someone in for the first time again — seeing as the last time that happened, it broke her. hannah’s piece of shit ex-husband — better known as caroline’s rival — neglected his kid and his wife and went on to cheat on the most lovely woman ever and disrespect her in front of everyone. therefore hannah went to caroline out of desperation, turning to her for help and support during the divorce — since caroline herself was a divorce attorney. and she never imagined things would turn out the way they did. i loved hannah. truly, i did. despite being frustrated with her actions numerous times simply because they hurt caroline, i could see why she did all of that and her reactions were so real. her devotion to people she loved was also seen, however, and that’s what convinced me in the end. because the way she saw caroline in her head? the way she drew caroline so beautifully whenever she could? i love her. i also loved the growth she went through in realizing she hadn’t in fact wasted her life, that she could yet make a career and go to school and do the normal people stuff.
caroline, however? i can’t express how much i love this woman. she’s who i dream of being when i’m in my thirties. i love the way she’s so dedicated to work but also to the people she cares about, and the way she devotes time to everyone and just gives herself wholly. i hated the way she thought she’d whiled her life away because she couldn’t find love :( the way she hated the holidays because she always associated them with bad memories :( my poor baby. i adored the way hannah lit those holidays up for her and made them a memorable one in the best ways for caroline.
the found family aspect in this made my heart melt. abbie, caroline and hannah were the most precious girls ever. the way when someone called hannah out and said “your girls are lovely” and hannah responded “yes, yes they are”? i was beaming so hard. MY GIRLS. HER GIRLS.
and i can’t sign off without mentioning abbie! the cutest most wholesome lil kid. she was shipping caroline and hannah the entire time 🫶 we love her for it. oh, and did i mention she was respectful and adorable and knowledgeable? i just. my heart burst, truly.
i’m just on my knees for this family.
for a book so short (roughly 250 pages, which is short in my eyes lol or felt short because i binged it), it surprisingly had so much depth to it. it was slow, but in the most perfect way. you can almost picture melting at the development the mcs went through — from having perceptions of each other that aren’t true, to slowly growing closer and falling in love. both caroline and hannah believed the other lived a “perfect” life. caroline thought hannah was ice-cold and didn’t care about people, just because she was married to caroline’s arch-nemesis — even as she admired her from afar. hannah assumed caroline was living the dream life, balancing her career and love life in the perfect way and managing everything in a way that made her so deeply envious and sad. i love the trope where one or both main characters believe the other is a certain way and then truly learning who they are and taking back their words. it’s not miscommunication, but misunderstanding. which can more easily be resolved.
i appreciated how the romance wasn’t just called slow-burn and it actually was slow, and we got to see every phase of caroline and hannah’s relationship. from when they were strangers who had certain perceptions of each other, to them becoming friends while hannah was yet wary of caroline, to becoming best friends who shared everything with each other, to finally taking that last step and falling in love.
i am so in love with hannah and caroline. there. i said it. caroline is the perfect take-charge-of-life type of woman who knows what she wants, and isn’t afraid to get it — except when it comes to love. hannah is the most adorable mess after everything she’s been through with her ex-husband, that piece of shit — and yet stands tall, bold and strong just for her daughter, abbie. i loved these characters’ individuality and how in tune they finally became with each other and their emotions. they cared so much about each other and it made me sigh.
hannah was the more resistant one in their relationship, being understandably cautious about letting someone in for the first time again — seeing as the last time that happened, it broke her. hannah’s piece of shit ex-husband — better known as caroline’s rival — neglected his kid and his wife and went on to cheat on the most lovely woman ever and disrespect her in front of everyone. therefore hannah went to caroline out of desperation, turning to her for help and support during the divorce — since caroline herself was a divorce attorney. and she never imagined things would turn out the way they did. i loved hannah. truly, i did. despite being frustrated with her actions numerous times simply because they hurt caroline, i could see why she did all of that and her reactions were so real. her devotion to people she loved was also seen, however, and that’s what convinced me in the end. because the way she saw caroline in her head? the way she drew caroline so beautifully whenever she could? i love her. i also loved the growth she went through in realizing she hadn’t in fact wasted her life, that she could yet make a career and go to school and do the normal people stuff.
caroline, however? i can’t express how much i love this woman. she’s who i dream of being when i’m in my thirties. i love the way she’s so dedicated to work but also to the people she cares about, and the way she devotes time to everyone and just gives herself wholly. i hated the way she thought she’d whiled her life away because she couldn’t find love :( the way she hated the holidays because she always associated them with bad memories :( my poor baby. i adored the way hannah lit those holidays up for her and made them a memorable one in the best ways for caroline.
the found family aspect in this made my heart melt. abbie, caroline and hannah were the most precious girls ever. the way when someone called hannah out and said “your girls are lovely” and hannah responded “yes, yes they are”? i was beaming so hard. MY GIRLS. HER GIRLS.
and i can’t sign off without mentioning abbie! the cutest most wholesome lil kid. she was shipping caroline and hannah the entire time 🫶 we love her for it. oh, and did i mention she was respectful and adorable and knowledgeable? i just. my heart burst, truly.
i’m just on my knees for this family.
April 17, 2024
Very good book, this is a delightful romance novel that sweeps readers off their feet with its heartwarming tale of unexpected love. Set in the bustling city of New York, the story follows the journey of Sasha Adams, a workaholic lawyer who is focused solely on her career until she meets the charming and free-spirited Taylor Reed. Best experience is to listen this book: When You Least Expect It - Audiobook Version
What sets this novel apart is its authentic portrayal of modern romance and the complexities of relationships. Haley Cass skillfully explores themes of vulnerability, trust, and self-discovery as Sasha and Taylor navigate their budding romance amidst the hustle and bustle of city life.
One of the highlights of "When You Least Expect It" is the chemistry between the two protagonists. Sasha and Taylor's dynamic and witty banter keeps readers engaged from start to finish, while their emotional journey tugs at the heartstrings and leaves a lasting impression.
What sets this novel apart is its authentic portrayal of modern romance and the complexities of relationships. Haley Cass skillfully explores themes of vulnerability, trust, and self-discovery as Sasha and Taylor navigate their budding romance amidst the hustle and bustle of city life.
One of the highlights of "When You Least Expect It" is the chemistry between the two protagonists. Sasha and Taylor's dynamic and witty banter keeps readers engaged from start to finish, while their emotional journey tugs at the heartstrings and leaves a lasting impression.
May 3, 2021
Edit: May 3rd, 2021
Every once in a while, a new author appears (seemingly) out of nowhere and I fall in love with their books. This year’s book crush is Milena McKay. Last year’s was Haley Cass. Her debut novel, Those Who Wait, blew me away, I had no idea what I was getting into when I selected it from the books to review Gaby asked me to take a look at for her website LezReviewBooks. I liked the cover, I said I’d review it for her.
That was it. Those Who Wait will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s the first born, the one which made Haley Cass an author to look out for, but When You Least Expect It is just as good. This is how I concluded my review of the book: “When a debut novel is as good as Those Who Wait is, there’s always this pressure on the author and this worry in me that it could be a one-hit-wonder. With When You Least Expect It, Haley Cass puts this fear to bed with panache.” I completely stand by what I wrote then, and listening to the audiobook only reinforces my certainty that Haley Cass has a very real gift.
The original review is below, I'll focus on the narration. Each narrator has their own strengths. I’m not sure exactly how to explain what makes Lori Prince the perfect choice for Haley Cass’s books, but there’s no doubt in my mind that she is. Her voices are not the most distinctive (especially men’s voices or, as in this book, children’s) but her tone, her intonations, her acting couldn’t fit better. It’s especially true when it comes to highlighting the chemistry between the two main characters, you can hear all that longing in both Caroline’s and Hannah’s voices. And if you thought that scene during the weekend away with Caroline’s friends was hot when you read it, wait until you hear Lori Prince’s take on it!
I loved this audiobook so much that it left me in a (mercifully short) funk, I was sad it was over. I have infinite respect for authors who can make me feel so much.
------------------------------------------------
If you’re like me, you’ll be delighted to know that what was supposed to be a Christmas novella isn’t. Sure, there’s some Christmas stuff but it’s way too long to qualify as a novella and that in itself is an early Christmas present.
Caroline Parker hates Christmas. She has good reason to, since all her girlfriends seem to believe the holidays are the perfect time to break up with her. So when one Christmas Eve she comes across Hannah Dalton, one of the most gorgeous women she’s ever met, she doesn’t expect anything special to come out of it. Furthermore, Hannah is straight and married to Caroline’s former nemesis. Then Hannah hires her to be her divorce lawyer and everything changes.
Falling in love with a straight woman – or a woman who believes she’s straight – is one of the most common and terrifying experience a lesbian can face. Therefore to have it as the subject of a book should be painful. And honestly, it is, but in an exquisite way.
The chemistry between Caroline and Hannah is believable from the start, it’s big and beautiful, just as well-written as with Charlotte and Sutton in Cass’s debut novel. It simmers for a loooong time, real slow-burn, until fireworks finally – finally! – are let loose.
And I just love Christmas stories in which at least one of the main characters doesn’t like Christmas. It’s like an enemies-to-lovers trope between them and Christmas and the anticipation of them falling in love with Christmas is a lot of fun to watch (metaphorically). Christmas and the holidays in general are not as prominent in this story as they are in other holiday romances, as it takes place over a longer time period, yet Caroline’s distaste of them – not Halloween though – hovers in the background at all times. Caroline’s inner grinch will resist valiantly but to no avail. Because it’s a romance, and because of course Hannah has a child and Christmas takes another dimension when there are children involved and of course Caroline loves children.
Maybe because When You Least Expect It is shorter than Those Who Wait, the secondary characters are not as present, but when they appear, they more than do the job. The most important one is obviously Hannah’s daughter Abbie, whose admiration for Caroline is adorable. And the good news is, she really sounds and acts like a child, albeit a well-behaved one.
I don’t know what it is about Haley Cass’s writing that works so well for me. It is far from perfect – though with a good editor it could be – yet there’s something, an energy, a tone, a timbre, a balance of enthusiasm and desperation that goes straight to the deepest part of my heart.
When a debut novel is as good as Those Who Wait is, there’s always this pressure on the author and this worry in me that it could be a one-hit-wonder. With When You Least Expect It, Haley Cass puts this fear to bed with panache.
ARC provided by the author to www.lezreviewbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.
Every once in a while, a new author appears (seemingly) out of nowhere and I fall in love with their books. This year’s book crush is Milena McKay. Last year’s was Haley Cass. Her debut novel, Those Who Wait, blew me away, I had no idea what I was getting into when I selected it from the books to review Gaby asked me to take a look at for her website LezReviewBooks. I liked the cover, I said I’d review it for her.
That was it. Those Who Wait will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s the first born, the one which made Haley Cass an author to look out for, but When You Least Expect It is just as good. This is how I concluded my review of the book: “When a debut novel is as good as Those Who Wait is, there’s always this pressure on the author and this worry in me that it could be a one-hit-wonder. With When You Least Expect It, Haley Cass puts this fear to bed with panache.” I completely stand by what I wrote then, and listening to the audiobook only reinforces my certainty that Haley Cass has a very real gift.
The original review is below, I'll focus on the narration. Each narrator has their own strengths. I’m not sure exactly how to explain what makes Lori Prince the perfect choice for Haley Cass’s books, but there’s no doubt in my mind that she is. Her voices are not the most distinctive (especially men’s voices or, as in this book, children’s) but her tone, her intonations, her acting couldn’t fit better. It’s especially true when it comes to highlighting the chemistry between the two main characters, you can hear all that longing in both Caroline’s and Hannah’s voices. And if you thought that scene during the weekend away with Caroline’s friends was hot when you read it, wait until you hear Lori Prince’s take on it!
I loved this audiobook so much that it left me in a (mercifully short) funk, I was sad it was over. I have infinite respect for authors who can make me feel so much.
------------------------------------------------
If you’re like me, you’ll be delighted to know that what was supposed to be a Christmas novella isn’t. Sure, there’s some Christmas stuff but it’s way too long to qualify as a novella and that in itself is an early Christmas present.
Caroline Parker hates Christmas. She has good reason to, since all her girlfriends seem to believe the holidays are the perfect time to break up with her. So when one Christmas Eve she comes across Hannah Dalton, one of the most gorgeous women she’s ever met, she doesn’t expect anything special to come out of it. Furthermore, Hannah is straight and married to Caroline’s former nemesis. Then Hannah hires her to be her divorce lawyer and everything changes.
Falling in love with a straight woman – or a woman who believes she’s straight – is one of the most common and terrifying experience a lesbian can face. Therefore to have it as the subject of a book should be painful. And honestly, it is, but in an exquisite way.
The chemistry between Caroline and Hannah is believable from the start, it’s big and beautiful, just as well-written as with Charlotte and Sutton in Cass’s debut novel. It simmers for a loooong time, real slow-burn, until fireworks finally – finally! – are let loose.
And I just love Christmas stories in which at least one of the main characters doesn’t like Christmas. It’s like an enemies-to-lovers trope between them and Christmas and the anticipation of them falling in love with Christmas is a lot of fun to watch (metaphorically). Christmas and the holidays in general are not as prominent in this story as they are in other holiday romances, as it takes place over a longer time period, yet Caroline’s distaste of them – not Halloween though – hovers in the background at all times. Caroline’s inner grinch will resist valiantly but to no avail. Because it’s a romance, and because of course Hannah has a child and Christmas takes another dimension when there are children involved and of course Caroline loves children.
Maybe because When You Least Expect It is shorter than Those Who Wait, the secondary characters are not as present, but when they appear, they more than do the job. The most important one is obviously Hannah’s daughter Abbie, whose admiration for Caroline is adorable. And the good news is, she really sounds and acts like a child, albeit a well-behaved one.
I don’t know what it is about Haley Cass’s writing that works so well for me. It is far from perfect – though with a good editor it could be – yet there’s something, an energy, a tone, a timbre, a balance of enthusiasm and desperation that goes straight to the deepest part of my heart.
When a debut novel is as good as Those Who Wait is, there’s always this pressure on the author and this worry in me that it could be a one-hit-wonder. With When You Least Expect It, Haley Cass puts this fear to bed with panache.
ARC provided by the author to www.lezreviewbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.
February 24, 2024
i love them your honor ❤️🩹
September 5, 2022
**'Storytelling is often a struggle and challenge at times but then it should offer up rewards and surprises of telling really good stories...'
3.5stars!
Won't say that i loved it just liked and enjoyed some of it. Still a recommended book!
3.5stars!
Won't say that i loved it just liked and enjoyed some of it. Still a recommended book!
December 2, 2021
Dec 2, 2021 reread and I still loved this so much 🥰
This flew to my top 5 for this year. I even delayed reading the last chapter because I just didn’t want the story to end.
This is a friends-to-lovers, toaster oven, slowwww burn romance. Haley Cass does them all so well. I haven’t read ‘Those Who Wait’ so I can’t compare them, but I am now very excited to read that one as well.
Caroline is a divorce attorney who runs into her ex-nemesis’s wife, Hannah, while getting coffee one day. Hannah asks Caroline to take her divorce case and the rest is history. I’ve read different reviews for ‘When You Least Expect It’ and some say there’s no angst, while others say it’s full of angst. I’m more in the middle. To me, there comes some built in angst of falling in love with your straight friend when you know there’s absolutely no chance of your feelings being reciprocated; and you also know there’s nothing you can do to stop your feelings or keep yourself from falling.
This is told over the span of a year and I loved that Cass really builds the friendship up before she gets to the romance. Some may be disappointed because you don’t really see them as an actual couple all that much. But I didn’t mind at all. Watching their friendship develop and watching it develop into more was perfect for me. I know exactly how they are together, because honestly, they were a couple long before either one realized it.
Highly recommend this for any romance fan.
This flew to my top 5 for this year. I even delayed reading the last chapter because I just didn’t want the story to end.
This is a friends-to-lovers, toaster oven, slowwww burn romance. Haley Cass does them all so well. I haven’t read ‘Those Who Wait’ so I can’t compare them, but I am now very excited to read that one as well.
Caroline is a divorce attorney who runs into her ex-nemesis’s wife, Hannah, while getting coffee one day. Hannah asks Caroline to take her divorce case and the rest is history. I’ve read different reviews for ‘When You Least Expect It’ and some say there’s no angst, while others say it’s full of angst. I’m more in the middle. To me, there comes some built in angst of falling in love with your straight friend when you know there’s absolutely no chance of your feelings being reciprocated; and you also know there’s nothing you can do to stop your feelings or keep yourself from falling.
This is told over the span of a year and I loved that Cass really builds the friendship up before she gets to the romance. Some may be disappointed because you don’t really see them as an actual couple all that much. But I didn’t mind at all. Watching their friendship develop and watching it develop into more was perfect for me. I know exactly how they are together, because honestly, they were a couple long before either one realized it.
Highly recommend this for any romance fan.
November 28, 2022
➥ 5+ Stars *:･ﾟ✧
Dead. How could you not die from reading that?? I had a whole breakdown after I finished this, I was mad that it was over. Like a bag of chips you buy to last you a week and I ate the whole thing. In a day. And I could not stop for the life of me. Haley Cass, you're not allowed to do that!! Who let you affect my fucking heart rate and actually make me smile and fucking giggle while reading a love story. Because that's what this was, a love story. This was meant to be a buddy read with sephie (<3) but I think my poor angel has been dying from schoolwork and I just couldn't help myself 😭💗.
Enough about how this book is my life now, let me tell you about the plot, yeah? Okay, so Caroline is a divorce attorney. There was this awful man that she had to work with that was a misogynistic cheater who neglected his daughter. And his wife was...Hannah (my baby). One day, after Caroline has changed law firms, she sees Hannah working at a cafe, which is odd because she knows that her husband should be making more than enough. But Hannah leaves her number on the coffee cup and says "call me". Of course, to any wlw, they'd think "wow, I'm really a charmer huh" but...Hannah wants Caroline to be her divorce attorney, because she knows that she's the only lawyer that her husband doesn't have wrapped around his finger, the only person who might just beat him. And so begins the love story between a divorced single mother and her divorce attorney. Of course, we also fall in love with Hannah's little girl, Abbie. Such a fucking angel, I love her sm. We follow these women becoming best friends, and then a little more than that...
I was a little hesitant at the beginning of the book because I don't tend to love toaster-over romances. Like I said, you will never catch me falling for a straight girl, that's a nightmare I will avoid at all costs. I was also worried it would be a 'gay for you' situation (those are god-awful). So obviously, part of the conflict here is that Hannah thinks she's straight, when she's...you know, not.
Regardless of my worries at the beginning, this book is up next to Those Who Wait as my favourite sapphic romance books. Although Charlotte is unbeatable, I really enjoyed how this book didn't have a long-ass separation/conflict. But "Those Who Wait" was steamier so idk...
Anyway, obviously the romance was fucking perfection. I cannot understand how Haley Cass writes these excellent, life-changing romances so perfectly. This is slow-burn and you really feel it, but through the slow-burn you get little, yet very significant moments between them that just make your heart burn.
Even before they get together and before Hannah realises that's she's attracted to Caroline, she appreciates her so much. I loved how naturally and organically their romance progressed, from strangers to hesitant acquiantances to friends to best friends to lovers. Cass drops some one liners that absolutely kill me (again, this was even before Hannah realised she had feelings for Caroline).
Are you kidding me? Now, Hannah, that wasn't very heterosexual of you 🤨😌. Hannah is so hard-working but she's also really hard on herself, when she really shouldn't be. And Caroline sees it too.
That's so beautiful, I could cry. But it's so much more than just these pretty words, they're just so in love, it hurts. The way they care about eachother, the way they're touchy with eachother, the way they admire eachother so much. I can't take it. I love how healthy and almost realistic their love is. Hannah feels like a failure, like she's wasted her life away...but so does Caroline, only focused working since her twenties.
So good. Anyway, they're just perfect. Their romance develops so steadily and naturally, such a good book. And when they went to their 'girl's weekend' thing...😌😌. Good food. I was actually swinging my legs and giggling. It's not ok.
When they're going out as friends and they encounter Caroline's ex and Hannah automatically pretends to be Carolines girlfriend... There are so many moments that are now carved into my brain. And the one bed trope 😭 delicious. When they're out all together (Hannah, Caroline and Abbie) and someone says-
Stop!!! "My girls" I died 😭. Oh, and they're hot.
I don't really know what else to say tbh 😭😭 I love them so much, I'm already itching to reread this. I'm going to pretend that Proper English didn't happen. This is the beginning to pride month I was hoping for.
But let me not brush over how significant Abbie was in this book. Everyone revolves around her and loves it, and she's so polite and respectful 😭😭. She even knew about lesbians and was just so chill with it, idk it made me emotional. And when Caroline and Hannah get a little lost in eachother for a moment, Abbie wakes up and interrupts, though she should be asleep but-
And, this line, I just. It's so perfect, and I'm aware I've already said that like 1o times.
Another thing that I found super refreshing was this clarification.
It's so weird to me how many people refuse to say "lesbian". I am not lesbian, but I have seen it treated like a dirty word or one that no one wants to say and it's so disheartening. Some books that are sapphic themselves refuse to call one of the characters lesbian even if she had never expressed any attraction or relationship to a man. I really appreciate Haley Cass' clarification and I think more people need to be helping to destigmatise the word.
Oh, and did I mention that pussies got ate? Hell yeah 😌. The only complaints I have are that 1: I would have appreciated a bit more steam, 2: sad because HC does not have an extensive backlist 3: an epilogue. Haley Cass, I politely demand that you write an epilogue book like you did for Forever and A Day: a Those Who Wait story. I want to see them as a family, maybe married and just being domestic in general <3
Ah, and one more thing. I generally enjoy the 3rd person narrative that Cass uses, but I wish we'd had of Hannah's perspective. 3rd person allows for the smooth transition of reading both characters' thoughts and I'm sad that that opportunity was wasted here. I adored Hannah as a character, so I would have loved to have seen more of her perspective, especially considering that she is the character with a more complicated and conflicting storyline.
Also, may I just mention that it's so nice to see adults get their happy endings. I feel like, firstly, there's a lot of pressure to have your "teen love" experience, and we mainly see young adults having their steamy love stories and happy endings, but seeing such real people find love is so beautiful. Especially if we, secondly, consider that it's also nice to see happy sapphic adults, it makes me so hopeful.
This book is so special to me, it'll have a place in my heart forever.
“You aren’t as…” Hannah has to clear her throat. “You talked about…” She huffs out a breath, muttering. “God, I hate how hard it is for me to speak sometimes. You were a lot more, uhm, aggressive in talking about what you wanted to do, that night, than you usually are in person.” She tilts her head, a questioning look in her eyes.
Caroline thinks back to describing just how she wants to hold Hannah down and make her come. Which, fuck, does she ever. Even more so, now. But Hannah’s right; she does often let Hannah dictate their physical moments. At the very least, until they grow more heated.
“I’m letting you guide us. I don’t want to… push you.” She’s trying so hard not to cross any boundaries, even though with every single day that goes by, she wants more.
Hannah leans back against the door, her tongue sliding slowly over her bottom lip and Caroline’s eyes trail after it, hungrily, before snapping to Hannah’s. “Push me,” she rasps.
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Dead. How could you not die from reading that?? I had a whole breakdown after I finished this, I was mad that it was over. Like a bag of chips you buy to last you a week and I ate the whole thing. In a day. And I could not stop for the life of me. Haley Cass, you're not allowed to do that!! Who let you affect my fucking heart rate and actually make me smile and fucking giggle while reading a love story. Because that's what this was, a love story. This was meant to be a buddy read with sephie (<3) but I think my poor angel has been dying from schoolwork and I just couldn't help myself 😭💗.
Enough about how this book is my life now, let me tell you about the plot, yeah? Okay, so Caroline is a divorce attorney. There was this awful man that she had to work with that was a misogynistic cheater who neglected his daughter. And his wife was...Hannah (my baby). One day, after Caroline has changed law firms, she sees Hannah working at a cafe, which is odd because she knows that her husband should be making more than enough. But Hannah leaves her number on the coffee cup and says "call me". Of course, to any wlw, they'd think "wow, I'm really a charmer huh" but...Hannah wants Caroline to be her divorce attorney, because she knows that she's the only lawyer that her husband doesn't have wrapped around his finger, the only person who might just beat him. And so begins the love story between a divorced single mother and her divorce attorney. Of course, we also fall in love with Hannah's little girl, Abbie. Such a fucking angel, I love her sm. We follow these women becoming best friends, and then a little more than that...
➥ Hannah Dalton (h), god I love her. She's so fucking cute 😭. I tend to favour the character that does the charming, but I'm actually obsessed we her. Would eat her out 10/10. She's such an amazing mother, working double shifts to make ends meet, but still doing her absolute best to spend time with her daughter. She was studying architecture at university until her husband convinced her to stop. Love her sfm <3 Oh, and she thinks she's straight...LMAO.
➥ Caroline Parker (h) was alright too. Honestly, I never really fell in love with her character. We were mainly in her perspective so I didn't really get to...see her? But ik she's hot bc i always cringe at dirty talk/phone sex type talk but it was so hot. She was very logical, but also so kind to Abbie too. It was so beautiful to see how Caroline slowly integrated herself into the family.
➥ Abbie, Hannah's little girl is such a fucking angel. It's children like her that make my ovaries glitch. She makes Caroline a and I 😭😭.
➥ Michael (Hannah's ex-husband), I will beat you up, myself.
I was a little hesitant at the beginning of the book because I don't tend to love toaster-over romances. Like I said, you will never catch me falling for a straight girl, that's a nightmare I will avoid at all costs. I was also worried it would be a 'gay for you' situation (those are god-awful). So obviously, part of the conflict here is that Hannah thinks she's straight, when she's...you know, not.
Regardless of my worries at the beginning, this book is up next to Those Who Wait as my favourite sapphic romance books. Although Charlotte is unbeatable, I really enjoyed how this book didn't have a long-ass separation/conflict. But "Those Who Wait" was steamier so idk...
Anyway, obviously the romance was fucking perfection. I cannot understand how Haley Cass writes these excellent, life-changing romances so perfectly. This is slow-burn and you really feel it, but through the slow-burn you get little, yet very significant moments between them that just make your heart burn.
Even before they get together and before Hannah realises that's she's attracted to Caroline, she appreciates her so much. I loved how naturally and organically their romance progressed, from strangers to hesitant acquiantances to friends to best friends to lovers. Cass drops some one liners that absolutely kill me (again, this was even before Hannah realised she had feelings for Caroline).
She ducks her head down again, eyes slipping closed as she breathes out, “I could get so lost in you if I’m not careful.”
Are you kidding me? Now, Hannah, that wasn't very heterosexual of you 🤨😌. Hannah is so hard-working but she's also really hard on herself, when she really shouldn't be. And Caroline sees it too.
But mostly, she wishes that Hannah could look in the mirror every day and see that she shines as bright as the moon and has twice the gravitational pull.
That's so beautiful, I could cry. But it's so much more than just these pretty words, they're just so in love, it hurts. The way they care about eachother, the way they're touchy with eachother, the way they admire eachother so much. I can't take it. I love how healthy and almost realistic their love is. Hannah feels like a failure, like she's wasted her life away...but so does Caroline, only focused working since her twenties.
"I mean." She sits up straight in her chair, giving Caroline a once-over. "You're beautiful, you're young, you have a well-playing career that you're passionate about-"
"And I go home every night to have dinner by myself. There's no cute kid at home, thinking I hung the moon, and there's never been someone to stick around long enough to marry me. Plus, I'm two years older than you."
"Still..." Hannah trails off, running a long finger over the edge of her now empty coffee mug. "You still have everything ahead of you."
She puts her hand on Hannah's forearm, revealed by the sleeves she often rolls up halfway through her shift. She leans close - closer than she's ever been to her, but she wanted Hannah to see how serious she is.
"So do you. You're beautiful, you're young, and you will bounce back from this. You've already done the hard part. Do you think just anyone could walk away from someone who scares them and single-handedly raise a child, while working? Because I've met a lot of families and I can promise you that not just anyone can do what you're doing."
Hannah's eyes search her own as she flips the hand under Caroline's arm and mirrors her grip. Her fingers wrap around Caroline's and hold, before her eyes fall closed.
So good. Anyway, they're just perfect. Their romance develops so steadily and naturally, such a good book. And when they went to their 'girl's weekend' thing...😌😌. Good food. I was actually swinging my legs and giggling. It's not ok.
When they're going out as friends and they encounter Caroline's ex and Hannah automatically pretends to be Carolines girlfriend... There are so many moments that are now carved into my brain. And the one bed trope 😭 delicious. When they're out all together (Hannah, Caroline and Abbie) and someone says-
"Your wife and daughter are adorable."
Instead of correcting her, Hannah just smiles back. "They are."
...
"Have a good vacation with your girls." (they add)
"My girls," Hannah repeats with a smile, shaking her head at them. "Did my girls come up with a cannoli consensus?"
Stop!!! "My girls" I died 😭. Oh, and they're hot.
She loses her footing, nearly toppling as Hannah forcefully pushes her into the empty classroom they're walking by. She only doesn't fall because of Hannah's strong guiding hold on her arm as she slams the door closed behind her.
"We are in elementary school!" Hannah's voice falls to an urgent whisper, gray eyes boring into her own from only inches away. "Do you know how many little eyes and ears are around?"
Her heart is hammering with their proximity, the want so easily sliding through her even as she arches her eyebrows, incredulously. "Well, I wasn't about to have my way with you in the hallways, Hannah."
I don't really know what else to say tbh 😭😭 I love them so much, I'm already itching to reread this. I'm going to pretend that Proper English didn't happen. This is the beginning to pride month I was hoping for.
But let me not brush over how significant Abbie was in this book. Everyone revolves around her and loves it, and she's so polite and respectful 😭😭. She even knew about lesbians and was just so chill with it, idk it made me emotional. And when Caroline and Hannah get a little lost in eachother for a moment, Abbie wakes up and interrupts, though she should be asleep but-
"Say goodnight again." (Hannah tells her.)
Abbie's bottom lip pokes out in a pout, but she acquiesces. "Night, Caroline. Love you."
"Love you, too," she manages to get out, even though she sounds just as dazed as she feels.
And, this line, I just. It's so perfect, and I'm aware I've already said that like 1o times.
"If I could have my daughter look up to anyone in our lives, I would choose you."
Another thing that I found super refreshing was this clarification.
"I know you’re…” She trails off, staring at Caroline, her eyes running slowly over her face.
She sips her water. “A lesbian. You can say it, it’s not a bad word.”
It's so weird to me how many people refuse to say "lesbian". I am not lesbian, but I have seen it treated like a dirty word or one that no one wants to say and it's so disheartening. Some books that are sapphic themselves refuse to call one of the characters lesbian even if she had never expressed any attraction or relationship to a man. I really appreciate Haley Cass' clarification and I think more people need to be helping to destigmatise the word.
Oh, and did I mention that pussies got ate? Hell yeah 😌. The only complaints I have are that 1: I would have appreciated a bit more steam, 2: sad because HC does not have an extensive backlist 3: an epilogue. Haley Cass, I politely demand that you write an epilogue book like you did for Forever and A Day: a Those Who Wait story. I want to see them as a family, maybe married and just being domestic in general <3
Ah, and one more thing. I generally enjoy the 3rd person narrative that Cass uses, but I wish we'd had of Hannah's perspective. 3rd person allows for the smooth transition of reading both characters' thoughts and I'm sad that that opportunity was wasted here. I adored Hannah as a character, so I would have loved to have seen more of her perspective, especially considering that she is the character with a more complicated and conflicting storyline.
Also, may I just mention that it's so nice to see adults get their happy endings. I feel like, firstly, there's a lot of pressure to have your "teen love" experience, and we mainly see young adults having their steamy love stories and happy endings, but seeing such real people find love is so beautiful. Especially if we, secondly, consider that it's also nice to see happy sapphic adults, it makes me so hopeful.
This book is so special to me, it'll have a place in my heart forever.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
November 26, 2020
Hailey Cass is a damn fine writer of romance.
Haley Cass produced a very well written debut book. Whoever read that would remember how capable this writer can be in writing romances.
This book doesn't quite evoke the same level of emotion that Those Who Wait did but the author still hits the mark. This book disguises itself as a light hearted Christmas novel but it really isn't one. Its far more than that. Its a whole-year romance novel that gives you the full package.
Caroline is a woman who's been hurt far too many times but just can't resist falling in love once more. This time, deeper than ever. Caroline is the most consistent, dependable and selfless character in the book. And the deeper she falls in love with Hannah and 10 year old Abbie, the more we fall in love with her. Even if we know that falling for the straight Hannah could potentially mean a heartbreak somewhere in the book.
Being newly divorced with a 10 year old, Hannah finally has the chance to live her life again. All she wants is to be independent. She also enjoys the company of her new best friend and very attractive divorce attorney. And best friends is all they can be until she learns to trust again.
I was hooked from the first page. Haley Cass has once again proven herself to be a damn fine writer of romance.
Haley Cass produced a very well written debut book. Whoever read that would remember how capable this writer can be in writing romances.
This book doesn't quite evoke the same level of emotion that Those Who Wait did but the author still hits the mark. This book disguises itself as a light hearted Christmas novel but it really isn't one. Its far more than that. Its a whole-year romance novel that gives you the full package.
Caroline is a woman who's been hurt far too many times but just can't resist falling in love once more. This time, deeper than ever. Caroline is the most consistent, dependable and selfless character in the book. And the deeper she falls in love with Hannah and 10 year old Abbie, the more we fall in love with her. Even if we know that falling for the straight Hannah could potentially mean a heartbreak somewhere in the book.
Being newly divorced with a 10 year old, Hannah finally has the chance to live her life again. All she wants is to be independent. She also enjoys the company of her new best friend and very attractive divorce attorney. And best friends is all they can be until she learns to trust again.
I was hooked from the first page. Haley Cass has once again proven herself to be a damn fine writer of romance.
July 12, 2021
This is what I needed, a perfect romance! After reading several romances in a row that didn’t completely work for me for one reason or the other, I was starting to lose faith in romance novels, until this book came along. A delight to listen to (listened to the audiobook narrated by Lori Prince).
There are so many reviews, so I’m keeping it short; a toaster oven, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers storyline. Nothing new to the storyline, but ughh, all Caroline’s yearning and pining over her unattainable “straight” friend Hannah, so well done, I felt her frustration (told in third person from Caroline’s POV). Also, the way Caroline, Hannah and Abby (Hannah’s kid) are together gives the perfect happy family feeling.
There are so many reviews, so I’m keeping it short; a toaster oven, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers storyline. Nothing new to the storyline, but ughh, all Caroline’s yearning and pining over her unattainable “straight” friend Hannah, so well done, I felt her frustration (told in third person from Caroline’s POV). Also, the way Caroline, Hannah and Abby (Hannah’s kid) are together gives the perfect happy family feeling.
March 1, 2023
Audio: Feb. 2023: This was great! I have a hot/cold relationship with this narrator, but felt she toned down her usual snark and sarcasm for this story. I enjoyed it!
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Oh heeeeey Haley Cass, what's that? You managed to completely WOW me three times this year? Well done, you.
Do I even need to review this?
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Oh heeeeey Haley Cass, what's that? You managed to completely WOW me three times this year? Well done, you.
Do I even need to review this?
May 3, 2022
5 stars - Audible edition - narrator: Lori Prince
What the heck Goodreads!? Where is my original review???
I have listened to this book 4 times now. I think I like it a bit. :) To me, this is the perfect toaster-oven romance. The level of pining is perfect. The falling in love with your best friend trope, so sweet and painful. The reveal at the end (no spoilers!) was also so sweet and perfect. Love this book.
When I am not sure what to listen to next and everything I have is not hitting the spot my two go to audiobooks are this one and Far From Home by Lorelie Brown.
What the heck Goodreads!? Where is my original review???
I have listened to this book 4 times now. I think I like it a bit. :) To me, this is the perfect toaster-oven romance. The level of pining is perfect. The falling in love with your best friend trope, so sweet and painful. The reveal at the end (no spoilers!) was also so sweet and perfect. Love this book.
When I am not sure what to listen to next and everything I have is not hitting the spot my two go to audiobooks are this one and Far From Home by Lorelie Brown.
February 4, 2021
This is a satisfying slow burn romance. A Christmas hating divorce lawyer walks into a cafe...
Haley Cass... what am I going to do with you? Everything you write is magic to me. I love your characters, I love your stories, I love the situations you create, I love how you can make me feel the characters chemistry through little touches, I love your dialogue, I love the angst you create, and I just love you, OK? OK.
Make sure to read this. And everything else by Haley Cass.
Haley Cass... what am I going to do with you? Everything you write is magic to me. I love your characters, I love your stories, I love the situations you create, I love how you can make me feel the characters chemistry through little touches, I love your dialogue, I love the angst you create, and I just love you, OK? OK.
Make sure to read this. And everything else by Haley Cass.
April 28, 2021
Review of When you least expect it by Haley Cass, narrated by Lori Prince
Haley Cass quickly became an automatic read for me after her debut novel Those who wait was one of the big surprises of the 2020 lesfic year and one of my favourites too. Soon after, I read When You Least Expect it and I loved it too, so when I saw that it was going to be released on audio narrated by Lori Prince it turned into my most expected audiobook of the year. I’m happy to say that it was worth the wait.
Caroline Parker is a divorce lawyer who doesn’t believe in love and hates Christmas because she was dumped 3 times during the holiday season. So when gorgeous Hannah Dalton, the wife of one of her colleagues approaches her on Christmas Eve, she doesn’t think her luck will change…
This was another fantastic story by Haley Cass, who writes gorgeous love stories and endearing characters. Both Caroline and Hannah are fleshed out realistically in their strengths and shortcomings. It’s hard not to like both leads and not to root for them to get together.
For some strange reason, this book is told in present tense. I’m not sure the purpose behind this choice, maybe to make it sound like a chronicle of events that happen within a calendar year. It took me a bit to get used to it but once I did, I had no issue in enjoying the story. As the novel is written in third person only from the point of view of Caroline, Hannah is a bit of a mystery to the reader as she is to Caroline herself and makes Caroline’s search for true love more enjoyable.
Ms. Cass knows how to write the “will they, won’t they” push/pull of a romance, as this is a coming out story, there is a lot a little moments that slowly build the chemistry between the leads until it inexorably explodes. The sexually charged moments were so well done that I will remember a particular scene during Columbus weekend for a very long time. An incredible sex scene without sex.
Lori Prince narrated the audio version and did a spectacular job. The emotions and feelings in this book are very raw and Ms. Prince absolutely nailed them. Both main characters were brought to life with such intensity that I could see the story in my mind’s eye. It was absolutely worth the wait.
If you are looking for a romance story with fantastic chemistry, sweet characters, and a great narration to top it all, then this one is for you. 5 stars.
Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
Available in Scribd
Haley Cass quickly became an automatic read for me after her debut novel Those who wait was one of the big surprises of the 2020 lesfic year and one of my favourites too. Soon after, I read When You Least Expect it and I loved it too, so when I saw that it was going to be released on audio narrated by Lori Prince it turned into my most expected audiobook of the year. I’m happy to say that it was worth the wait.
Caroline Parker is a divorce lawyer who doesn’t believe in love and hates Christmas because she was dumped 3 times during the holiday season. So when gorgeous Hannah Dalton, the wife of one of her colleagues approaches her on Christmas Eve, she doesn’t think her luck will change…
This was another fantastic story by Haley Cass, who writes gorgeous love stories and endearing characters. Both Caroline and Hannah are fleshed out realistically in their strengths and shortcomings. It’s hard not to like both leads and not to root for them to get together.
For some strange reason, this book is told in present tense. I’m not sure the purpose behind this choice, maybe to make it sound like a chronicle of events that happen within a calendar year. It took me a bit to get used to it but once I did, I had no issue in enjoying the story. As the novel is written in third person only from the point of view of Caroline, Hannah is a bit of a mystery to the reader as she is to Caroline herself and makes Caroline’s search for true love more enjoyable.
Ms. Cass knows how to write the “will they, won’t they” push/pull of a romance, as this is a coming out story, there is a lot a little moments that slowly build the chemistry between the leads until it inexorably explodes. The sexually charged moments were so well done that I will remember a particular scene during Columbus weekend for a very long time. An incredible sex scene without sex.
Lori Prince narrated the audio version and did a spectacular job. The emotions and feelings in this book are very raw and Ms. Prince absolutely nailed them. Both main characters were brought to life with such intensity that I could see the story in my mind’s eye. It was absolutely worth the wait.
If you are looking for a romance story with fantastic chemistry, sweet characters, and a great narration to top it all, then this one is for you. 5 stars.
Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
Available in Scribd
March 2, 2024
I LOVE THIS BOOK. It is perfect. Haley Cass is a genius. That is all. 💘
December 25, 2020
Haley Cass debut novel ‘Those who wait‘ was one of the big surprises of the 2020 lesfic year and one of my favourites too. So when this holiday novel was out, I jumped to read it and wasn’t disappointed.
Caroline Parker is a divorce lawyer who doesn’t believe in love and hates Christmas because she was dumped 3 times during the holiday season. So when gorgeous Hannah Dalton, the wife of one of her colleagues approaches her on Christmas Eve, she doesn’t think her luck will change…
This was another fantastic book by Haley Cass, who writes gorgeous love stories and endearing characters. Both Caroline and Hannah are fleshed out realistically in their strengths and shortcomings. It’s hard not to like both leads and not to root for them to get together.
For some strange reason, this book is written in present tense. I’m not sure the purpose behind this choice, maybe to make it sound like a chronicle of events that happen within a calendar year. It took me a bit to get used to it but once I did, I had no issue in enjoying the story. As the novel is written in third person only from the point of view of Caroline, Hannah is a bit of a mystery to the reader as she is to Caroline herself and makes Caroline’s search for true love more enjoyable.
Ms. Cass knows how to write the “will they, won’t they” push/pull of a romance, as this is a coming out story, there is a lot of little moments that slowly build the chemistry between the leads until it inexorably explodes. The sexually charged moments were so well done that I will remember a particular scene during Columbus weekend for a very long time. An incredible sex scene without sex.
If you are looking for a holiday romance story with fantastic chemistry and sweet characters, then this one is for you. 4.5 stars.
Caroline Parker is a divorce lawyer who doesn’t believe in love and hates Christmas because she was dumped 3 times during the holiday season. So when gorgeous Hannah Dalton, the wife of one of her colleagues approaches her on Christmas Eve, she doesn’t think her luck will change…
This was another fantastic book by Haley Cass, who writes gorgeous love stories and endearing characters. Both Caroline and Hannah are fleshed out realistically in their strengths and shortcomings. It’s hard not to like both leads and not to root for them to get together.
For some strange reason, this book is written in present tense. I’m not sure the purpose behind this choice, maybe to make it sound like a chronicle of events that happen within a calendar year. It took me a bit to get used to it but once I did, I had no issue in enjoying the story. As the novel is written in third person only from the point of view of Caroline, Hannah is a bit of a mystery to the reader as she is to Caroline herself and makes Caroline’s search for true love more enjoyable.
Ms. Cass knows how to write the “will they, won’t they” push/pull of a romance, as this is a coming out story, there is a lot of little moments that slowly build the chemistry between the leads until it inexorably explodes. The sexually charged moments were so well done that I will remember a particular scene during Columbus weekend for a very long time. An incredible sex scene without sex.
If you are looking for a holiday romance story with fantastic chemistry and sweet characters, then this one is for you. 4.5 stars.
November 3, 2022
When Caroline first saw Hannah, she couldn’t help but approach the beautiful woman. Until she discovered she was married and her husband was the idiot determined to spread gossip about her at work.
Caroline never thought they’d talk again but, a few years later, Hannah reappears in her life with a pact she won’t be able to resist. She’s getting a divorce and wants Caroline, the lawyer who drove her husband crazy, to take care of her case and win her daughter’s custody. But when the more their relationship progresses into friendship, the more Caroline fears she won’t be able to survive it without a broken heart.
She didn’t mean to fall in love with Hannah at all. But here she is, curled up with a family that isn’t quite hers, and she’s never wanted anything more.
When You Least Expect It is a comfort FF romance between a kid-lover lawyer with a heart made of gold and a soon-to-be single mom who is tired to put her dreams aside to be the perfect wife of a cheating man. It’s a love story to savour slowly, seeing Hannah and Caroline going from strangers to best friends, becoming each other’s family.
There were a lot of things to enjoy about this book: Caroline’s selflessness, always ready to jump in Hannah’s aid; the bond between Hannah’s children and Caroline’s niece, who become friends even faster than their mom and aunt; the relationship based on respect and quiet understanding… There was only one thing missing: the angst, the spark between them that made it painful to keep going as nothing was happening between them. Caroline was not only in love with Hannah, she was in love with the little family Hannah’s has, and that had become part of her own, but not really. Not really, because she thinks her feelings are not reciprocated and knows that some day, Hannah would find another man and Caroline won’t be part of their lives anymore.
I missed the yearning, the needing to kiss Hannah, the pain of not being able to. It made me feel sometimes their love was completely platonic, especially I also couldn’t see the chemistry in the little conversations they shared.
Overall, it was a cute, heartwarming story to read. I was more in love with the affection, the idea of being with someone who made the silence comfortable and having a family of your own than the romance itself between them. But I’m glad this one was the first FF romance I’ve ever read.
thank you so much, Roz, for the rec! I'm so excited to keep trying the others ✨
Rating: 3.5/5
Caroline never thought they’d talk again but, a few years later, Hannah reappears in her life with a pact she won’t be able to resist. She’s getting a divorce and wants Caroline, the lawyer who drove her husband crazy, to take care of her case and win her daughter’s custody. But when the more their relationship progresses into friendship, the more Caroline fears she won’t be able to survive it without a broken heart.
She didn’t mean to fall in love with Hannah at all. But here she is, curled up with a family that isn’t quite hers, and she’s never wanted anything more.
When You Least Expect It is a comfort FF romance between a kid-lover lawyer with a heart made of gold and a soon-to-be single mom who is tired to put her dreams aside to be the perfect wife of a cheating man. It’s a love story to savour slowly, seeing Hannah and Caroline going from strangers to best friends, becoming each other’s family.
There were a lot of things to enjoy about this book: Caroline’s selflessness, always ready to jump in Hannah’s aid; the bond between Hannah’s children and Caroline’s niece, who become friends even faster than their mom and aunt; the relationship based on respect and quiet understanding… There was only one thing missing: the angst, the spark between them that made it painful to keep going as nothing was happening between them. Caroline was not only in love with Hannah, she was in love with the little family Hannah’s has, and that had become part of her own, but not really. Not really, because she thinks her feelings are not reciprocated and knows that some day, Hannah would find another man and Caroline won’t be part of their lives anymore.
I missed the yearning, the needing to kiss Hannah, the pain of not being able to. It made me feel sometimes their love was completely platonic, especially I also couldn’t see the chemistry in the little conversations they shared.
Overall, it was a cute, heartwarming story to read. I was more in love with the affection, the idea of being with someone who made the silence comfortable and having a family of your own than the romance itself between them. But I’m glad this one was the first FF romance I’ve ever read.
thank you so much, Roz, for the rec! I'm so excited to keep trying the others ✨
Rating: 3.5/5
January 14, 2022
5⭐️
Haley Cass did it again. I'm totally impressed with Haley, who follows up her stunning debut novel, «Those Who Wait», with an equally good second, «When You Least Expect It». Congratulations, Haley, you are doing an outstanding job.
Haley creates interesting, lovable, sometimes insecure, and charming characters with little quirks that you can't help but love. The dialogue is serious, funny, confrontational, flirtatious, and everything in between. The attraction and chemistry between Caroline and Hanna are palpable and one scene, in particular, is super hot, even though nothing happens - wow - you just have to read or better yet listen to this book. The whole atmosphere of the story is engaging from A to Z and wraps us like in a warm blanket on a cold winter evening. A wonderful, slow-burn romance with small obstacles, no big dramas, but all the more emotion, and a cute little girl named Abbie.
Lori Prince, the narrator, interprets the characters and their feelings and moods perfectly and breathes life into them. Bravo.
I love it when an author and also the narrator can convey people's emotions in such a way that it feels like they are real people. Haley Cass and Lori Prince make a great team.
A heartwarming feel-good love story.
Haley Cass did it again. I'm totally impressed with Haley, who follows up her stunning debut novel, «Those Who Wait», with an equally good second, «When You Least Expect It». Congratulations, Haley, you are doing an outstanding job.
Haley creates interesting, lovable, sometimes insecure, and charming characters with little quirks that you can't help but love. The dialogue is serious, funny, confrontational, flirtatious, and everything in between. The attraction and chemistry between Caroline and Hanna are palpable and one scene, in particular, is super hot, even though nothing happens - wow - you just have to read or better yet listen to this book. The whole atmosphere of the story is engaging from A to Z and wraps us like in a warm blanket on a cold winter evening. A wonderful, slow-burn romance with small obstacles, no big dramas, but all the more emotion, and a cute little girl named Abbie.
Lori Prince, the narrator, interprets the characters and their feelings and moods perfectly and breathes life into them. Bravo.
I love it when an author and also the narrator can convey people's emotions in such a way that it feels like they are real people. Haley Cass and Lori Prince make a great team.
A heartwarming feel-good love story.
August 25, 2021
This is a really slow burn single PoV romance. The story is spread out over more than a year and takes some getting used to at the start. Part of that is the first person present tense* that made me cringe a lot to start. I'm not a fan of that choice and felt it hampered the story more than a little. I'm not sure why authors do this, but it feels unnatural to me. But part of it, too, is that we're deep inside Caroline's head and she's thoughtful and deliberate (as a lawyer should be).
At least Caroline was fun to spend time with. I liked how engaged she is with her family and that her nieces and nephews had prepared her to step in with Hannah's Abbie. Those interactions felt natural and organic and I loved how Hannah couldn't help becoming engaged with Caroline as a result. The story needed something to pull them out of their professional interactions and that was a good choice and one that gained layers as the story progressed.
But my favorite part is how self-aware Caroline is. She finds herself falling for Hannah and we get that whole flight of hope and despair as they become closer. Hannah isn't really in a place for a relationship. Plus, she's straight. So I love how Caroline has to find the value in putting herself in a place where she can't have what she wants but choosing to continue because she has decided that it's worth what she can get. I love how realistic that felt. Cass is a talented writer, even if she chooses obscure narrative tenses.
This culminates more-or-less perfectly, too. So I'm going to go with all five stars and hope Cass has more good work for me to look forward to.
* It's actually third person present tense (as a friend updated me in comments). I got caught on the third person and forgot (at review time) it had been third person.
A note about Steamy: There's an explicit sex scenes and two halves after, so they're collectively short enough that this is the low end of my steam tolerance. Plus, I loved how well they worked as an expression of their relationship and the reward for all that yummy slow burn.
At least Caroline was fun to spend time with. I liked how engaged she is with her family and that her nieces and nephews had prepared her to step in with Hannah's Abbie. Those interactions felt natural and organic and I loved how Hannah couldn't help becoming engaged with Caroline as a result. The story needed something to pull them out of their professional interactions and that was a good choice and one that gained layers as the story progressed.
But my favorite part is how self-aware Caroline is. She finds herself falling for Hannah and we get that whole flight of hope and despair as they become closer. Hannah isn't really in a place for a relationship. Plus, she's straight. So I love how Caroline has to find the value in putting herself in a place where she can't have what she wants but choosing to continue because she has decided that it's worth what she can get. I love how realistic that felt. Cass is a talented writer, even if she chooses obscure narrative tenses.
This culminates more-or-less perfectly, too. So I'm going to go with all five stars and hope Cass has more good work for me to look forward to.
* It's actually third person present tense (as a friend updated me in comments). I got caught on the third person and forgot (at review time) it had been third person.
A note about Steamy: There's an explicit sex scenes and two halves after, so they're collectively short enough that this is the low end of my steam tolerance. Plus, I loved how well they worked as an expression of their relationship and the reward for all that yummy slow burn.
November 26, 2022
It's a slow burn romance, cute and fluffy, with no angst, a great kid, some good secondary characters, and a lovely ending. This is definitely an author to follow.
September 5, 2022
[2022] - I loved it the first time, and I love it more today. Amazing work by Cass!
[2020] - Oh yeah... the slow burn, the yearning and ache for the love of a lady. *chefs kiss*
[2020] - Oh yeah... the slow burn, the yearning and ache for the love of a lady. *chefs kiss*
November 11, 2022
EDIT FROM AUDIOBOOK RE-READ:
I loved this book when I read it months ago (and also adored her other book, Those Who Wait) and Haley Cass is becoming an author that I want to read EVERYTHING from. I listened to the audiobook of that book too, and it was my introduction to Lori Prince as a narrator, and honestly the audiobook that kinda finally made audiobooks click for me. Since then, I’ve done my level best to listen to nearly every audiobook that she’s narrated! (Minus the ones that are het romances, because at this point in my life, I know what I want to have in my media and what I don’t unless it’s Top Tier Amazing). So I was SO EXCITED when I saw that this audiobook was also narrated by her, and it feels like such a lovely treat for a story that i already adored. She brought this story alive WONDERFULLY. God I fell in love with Hannah so hard when I read this initially, and that love only grew even more so with Lori Price narrating her. This is a fantastic book written by an amazing author and brought to life by a narrator that I can’t recommend enough.
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GOSH, THIS WAS SO SWEET AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
i, too, am in love with hannah.
I loved this book when I read it months ago (and also adored her other book, Those Who Wait) and Haley Cass is becoming an author that I want to read EVERYTHING from. I listened to the audiobook of that book too, and it was my introduction to Lori Prince as a narrator, and honestly the audiobook that kinda finally made audiobooks click for me. Since then, I’ve done my level best to listen to nearly every audiobook that she’s narrated! (Minus the ones that are het romances, because at this point in my life, I know what I want to have in my media and what I don’t unless it’s Top Tier Amazing). So I was SO EXCITED when I saw that this audiobook was also narrated by her, and it feels like such a lovely treat for a story that i already adored. She brought this story alive WONDERFULLY. God I fell in love with Hannah so hard when I read this initially, and that love only grew even more so with Lori Price narrating her. This is a fantastic book written by an amazing author and brought to life by a narrator that I can’t recommend enough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GOSH, THIS WAS SO SWEET AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
i, too, am in love with hannah.
August 3, 2021
Goodness me! I so loved the story! It had everything - the push and pull factor, angst, the sweetness, hotness. Seriously, When You Least Expect It, IS really one fantastic very well-written read. Period!
My only wish is that the story goes a bit longer.. Perhaps we can have another long epilogue coming our way? Yes?
Solid 5 ⭐️
My only wish is that the story goes a bit longer.. Perhaps we can have another long epilogue coming our way? Yes?
Solid 5 ⭐️
May 7, 2021
I love how this author builds her romances. Loved this audiobook. If you have a Scribd account grab it there. I can't add anything new to her glowing reviews by others. Read it.
December 1, 2022
Update 30/11/2022: just reread to refresh my memory before reading Better Than Expected and it’s still as lovely as ever. Maybe it got even better?
This was my first book by Haley Cass and it won’t be my last. This is such a warm and lovely story.
Caroline is a very successful divorce attorney and hates the holidays. Nothing good ever happens after Veteran’s Day comes around. When she sees Hannah working at a coffee shop she is confused. The wife of her nemesis I working in a coffee shop on Christmas Eve, it doesn’t make sense. When Hannah writes down her number on one of the coffee cups. Hannah needs a divorce attorney to finally get away from her scumbag husband. Caroline is all to happy to help, but ever since she’s met Hannah she has had a crush on her. Her attraction only grows over the year they work on the divorce. Especially since Caroline watches Hannah’s daughter Abbie a lot. Caroline loves kids, she’s Super Aunt, and Abbie quickly finds a special place in her heart, right next to Hannah.
For all Caroline knows Hannah is straight so she tries and tries to bury the feelings she has, only for them to become bigger.
This is a super sweet friends to lovers romance and a slow burn, the events in this book take place over a year. Both mains are very well rounded characters and have different personalities that are both wonderful. But for me the star is Abbie, what a cute little supporting character. And the ending, you know the emoji with the hearts for eyes? If it was created for something it must be this ending, it’s super cute.
It is marked as a holiday romance, but as a lot of the story takes places over a full year it’s not necessarily a Christmas romance, it just happens to begin and end there. And all other events in the book are outlined referencing time with a certain holiday. It was just super cute and I can’t wait to read another Haley Cass book, if it is anywhere near as good as this one someone has just shot up on my list of favourite authors.
This was my first book by Haley Cass and it won’t be my last. This is such a warm and lovely story.
Caroline is a very successful divorce attorney and hates the holidays. Nothing good ever happens after Veteran’s Day comes around. When she sees Hannah working at a coffee shop she is confused. The wife of her nemesis I working in a coffee shop on Christmas Eve, it doesn’t make sense. When Hannah writes down her number on one of the coffee cups. Hannah needs a divorce attorney to finally get away from her scumbag husband. Caroline is all to happy to help, but ever since she’s met Hannah she has had a crush on her. Her attraction only grows over the year they work on the divorce. Especially since Caroline watches Hannah’s daughter Abbie a lot. Caroline loves kids, she’s Super Aunt, and Abbie quickly finds a special place in her heart, right next to Hannah.
For all Caroline knows Hannah is straight so she tries and tries to bury the feelings she has, only for them to become bigger.
This is a super sweet friends to lovers romance and a slow burn, the events in this book take place over a year. Both mains are very well rounded characters and have different personalities that are both wonderful. But for me the star is Abbie, what a cute little supporting character. And the ending, you know the emoji with the hearts for eyes? If it was created for something it must be this ending, it’s super cute.
It is marked as a holiday romance, but as a lot of the story takes places over a full year it’s not necessarily a Christmas romance, it just happens to begin and end there. And all other events in the book are outlined referencing time with a certain holiday. It was just super cute and I can’t wait to read another Haley Cass book, if it is anywhere near as good as this one someone has just shot up on my list of favourite authors.
September 15, 2022
This is the second novel by Haley Cass that I’ve read. Like the first it had good writing, nice humour and lovely characters. I enjoyed it, but not as much as Those Who Wait. But this was still a full 4 stars book for me. Those Who Wait was followed by a lovely short story Forever and A Day. I would very much like a follow up to When You Least expect it too and look forward to Cass’s next book.
Want to read
December 24, 2023this is giving “girl falls in love with straight girl with boyfriend” and what do you know, someone wrote a story about me 😻
March 27, 2022
I adored this book
December 15, 2020
If you haven't read anything by Haley Cass yet, my heavens are you in for a treat. Goodness gracious, this woman can write. I am absolutely stunned by everything I have read by this author. It is just so damn good. With her second full length novel, yup you read that right, second. She has written a masterful story of friendship, angst and love.
Caroline Parker is a badass mofo divorce attorney. She is who you want on your side if you are exiting your marriage. As successful as she is in the courtroom, love has been a bust thus far. Did I mention she hates Christmas? Apparently all of her girlfriends have broken her heart over the holidays. Leaving Caroline with a bitter distaste for the season. Then low and behold on Christmas Eve she runs into the most beautiful women she has ever seen,, her former colleagues soon to be ex-wife, Hannah Dalton.
Hannah's ex is a skilled lawyer. He plans to fight dirty and all she wants is to be done with her marriage and custody of her young daughter. She doesn't care about the money, the house of his extravagant lifestyle, she just wants to be done with him. Hannah, desperate turns to the one person who is a better lawyer than him, his rival, Caroline Parker.
Caroline helps Hannah with her divorce. She knows what an ass her husband has been. She goes above and beyond to help Hannah and her daughter, Abbie weather this storm. From the first few interactions between our two leading ladies, one thing is for sure, the chemistry is magnetic. For Caroline, it is terrifying to feel this way about a “straight” woman. No matter how much she resists she cannot help but want to be in Hannah presence. Hannah needs more than anything to stand on her own two feet, make her own decisions, and her won money. She has to prove to herself that she can be independent and strong. So what you have is a long, delicious, slow burn romance that just will not quit. Good night the build-up is amazing. Then boom, fireworks!
I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is by far one of the best books of the year. Oh, and Haley Cass's other book, When You Least Expect It, also one of the best books of the year. They both can easily be put in my top ten of 2020. So if you have time and you need an escape this winter. Grab everything this author has written and enjoy.
A big 5 out of 5 stars
Caroline Parker is a badass mofo divorce attorney. She is who you want on your side if you are exiting your marriage. As successful as she is in the courtroom, love has been a bust thus far. Did I mention she hates Christmas? Apparently all of her girlfriends have broken her heart over the holidays. Leaving Caroline with a bitter distaste for the season. Then low and behold on Christmas Eve she runs into the most beautiful women she has ever seen,, her former colleagues soon to be ex-wife, Hannah Dalton.
Hannah's ex is a skilled lawyer. He plans to fight dirty and all she wants is to be done with her marriage and custody of her young daughter. She doesn't care about the money, the house of his extravagant lifestyle, she just wants to be done with him. Hannah, desperate turns to the one person who is a better lawyer than him, his rival, Caroline Parker.
Caroline helps Hannah with her divorce. She knows what an ass her husband has been. She goes above and beyond to help Hannah and her daughter, Abbie weather this storm. From the first few interactions between our two leading ladies, one thing is for sure, the chemistry is magnetic. For Caroline, it is terrifying to feel this way about a “straight” woman. No matter how much she resists she cannot help but want to be in Hannah presence. Hannah needs more than anything to stand on her own two feet, make her own decisions, and her won money. She has to prove to herself that she can be independent and strong. So what you have is a long, delicious, slow burn romance that just will not quit. Good night the build-up is amazing. Then boom, fireworks!
I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is by far one of the best books of the year. Oh, and Haley Cass's other book, When You Least Expect It, also one of the best books of the year. They both can easily be put in my top ten of 2020. So if you have time and you need an escape this winter. Grab everything this author has written and enjoy.
A big 5 out of 5 stars
December 5, 2020
Haley Cass is the reason I keep renewing my Kindle Unlimited subscription! I’ve read all three of her books now and I love them - I feel she has a unique writing style that never makes a story boring in parts or lose its pace halfway through.
Rather than give a synopsis, i’ll just jump right in with what I thought!
Big pros:
- The slow burn was so good - it just kept building and building and it was easy to remain invested to see how the relationship between Caroline and Hannah would unfold.
- Cass never seems to over(or under) do it with the sex scenes - I find they have the perfect amount of heat and aren’t just added in for no reason.
- I read in someone else’s review that it’s not really just a Christmas story - I wholeheartedly agree! It’s got more guts than a novella and is just right for any time of the year since we see the relationship develop over a 12-month period.
Cons:
- Told in the third person from only Caroline’s perspective, I wanted to know what Hannah was thinking at all times - especially considering she wasn’t great at voicing her feelings. I think this would have added to the story because she’s the supposedly ‘straight’ one coming to terms with her feelings for another woman. (This is the main reason I didn’t give it 5 stars.)
- No epilogue… I’m normally OK without epilogues, but in this case, I just felt that it was missing. I kept thinking afterwards that it would have been great to have one from Hannah’s POV - but that’s me just being selfish, I guess.
So, overall, 4.25 stars - I really look forward to reading more stories from Cass in the future.
Rather than give a synopsis, i’ll just jump right in with what I thought!
Big pros:
- The slow burn was so good - it just kept building and building and it was easy to remain invested to see how the relationship between Caroline and Hannah would unfold.
- Cass never seems to over(or under) do it with the sex scenes - I find they have the perfect amount of heat and aren’t just added in for no reason.
- I read in someone else’s review that it’s not really just a Christmas story - I wholeheartedly agree! It’s got more guts than a novella and is just right for any time of the year since we see the relationship develop over a 12-month period.
Cons:
- Told in the third person from only Caroline’s perspective, I wanted to know what Hannah was thinking at all times - especially considering she wasn’t great at voicing her feelings. I think this would have added to the story because she’s the supposedly ‘straight’ one coming to terms with her feelings for another woman. (This is the main reason I didn’t give it 5 stars.)
- No epilogue… I’m normally OK without epilogues, but in this case, I just felt that it was missing. I kept thinking afterwards that it would have been great to have one from Hannah’s POV - but that’s me just being selfish, I guess.
So, overall, 4.25 stars - I really look forward to reading more stories from Cass in the future.
December 24, 2023
On my knees for them
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