Kicking off this blog with a review of a book I recently finished: Beautifully Unexpected by Lily Morton.
However, before jumping into the review, I wanted to state upfront that I did not receive any compensation for this review. I was not provided a complimentary copy of the book, nor do I have any connection to the author or copyright holder. Furthermore, I am not currently a member of any affiliate programs. I do not receive compensation if you decide to purchase the book or join the Kindle Unlimited service via Amazon. Any use of copyrighted material, such as character names, book title, and book cover, are used only in the service of providing literary critique.
Additionally — This review may contain spoilers within this review, but I will endeavor to identify them ahead of time and obfuscate them when I can.
Overall Score:
Overall Recommendation: Read it!
Book Summary
Two older gentlemen fall in love one summer in London.
That’s it! It’s that simple and that brilliant.
Usually, books I read tend to be genre pieces rather than slice-of-life, or they have some form of intense drama pulling along a scintillating plot. Still, Beautifully Unexpected‘s entire plot revolves around Magnus Carlsen, a far too charming for his own good barrister with a penchant for young, pretty things, falling into a friendship and then a more-ship with the shockingly (delightfully) ragamuffin artist Laurie Gentry as Laurie house sits the flat across the hall from Magnus one summer.
Laurie is about twice the age of anyone Magnus has slept with in the last decade and just not really his ‘type,’ and Laurie is more amused by Magnus’ job and accomplishments than impressed but still finds the man irrepressibly charming.
Writing Style
Characters
The characters in this book are delightful.
Whereas many books like to lean on making someone like Magnus rather unpleasant but ‘secretly’ a good guy, Magnus is a good guy who just protects himself emotionally by keeping romance out of his life. He’s a fully realized human being with complex motivations and experiences that have shaped who he grew into. Laurie honestly seems a stranger character, but even with his at times poor decision-making, there’s still a logic to him.
More impressively, in my opinion, characters in the periphery feel just as realized as the main characters. No one is a one-note caricature who only exists to spout X cliche to either main character. These are all people who have history together; a fact conveyed in the story without paragraphs upon paragraphs of exposition.
Plot
While I adore political intrigue and high stakes, world-ending threats, sometimes reading something grounded is deeply satisfying. The short time period the book crosses (a single summer) helps focus the story so that everything feels important. There is no meandering, no wondering when you’re going to get back to the “main plot.”
Beautifully Unexpected manages to maintain a hyper-focused A-plot and even slip in a bit of mystery and extra drama (but not too much drama) with a pretty natural B-plot that goes a long way in developing who these characters are at this specific point in their lives and why they’re able to fall together.
Setting
The book takes place in London, a place I have personally never been to! That said, the setting was present enough to provide a vivid enough backdrop to Magnus and Laurie’s summer adventures without being overwhelming.
Aside from the physical setting, the book is set in the modern era and has no supernatural elements. Despite lacking fantastical features, however, the places described in the book are vibrant enough to create pleasant visuals.
Point-of-View/POV Used
First-person, alternating between Magnus and Laurie at different points.
Word Choice
This is where Lily Morton shines as an author.
Too often, I read books where characters are talking to one another and what they’re saying is supposed to be witty and charming, but just… Isn’t. Not so with Beautifully Unexpected! Magnus and Laurie are both incredibly clever individuals, and their banter is top-notch! The entire time I read this book, I had a smile on my face because Magnus and Laurie were just adorable.
I believe that the height of romance is being able to be ridiculous with a partner. There’s a spark of joy at knowing that you’re in this groove, just the pair of you, being on the same ‘wavelength.’ Lily Morton has managed to bottle that same romantic magic and put it on the page, and I loved every second of it.
From a more technical standpoint, the voices of each character were exemplified in the speech patterns used.
Magnus Carlsen is originally from Denmark. As such, even his internal monologue has variances in English which feel natural to someone who has been speaking the language fluently for decades but who learned it secondarily.
Laurie grew up in a fairly well-to-do household once his mother married a prominent judge, and he has the general tone and attitudes of someone with that upbringing.
Smut
Overall Smut Rating:
Is there any?
There is!
How explicit?
It varies by scene and tone. The first sex scene is incredibly steamy and explicit, and it was done very spur-of-the-moment. The word choice and behavior reflected that frenetic energy well. Later on, as feelings get involved, the sex scenes are less about explicit details of the physical actions and more about the emotional impact.
How much is there?
Not a great deal. The first sex scene takes place in Chapter 9, and the entire book is only 17 chapters long. However, what the book lacks in frequency of smut, I feel it makes up for in efficacy. Each time they have sex it’s for a reason that makes sense in the context of the story.
Word Choice
Nothing cringe-y or offensive, really. (Aside from one instance of using the phrase “cream” to refer to ejaculate, which makes me cringe personally, but in the grand scheme of things isn’t terrible. Definitely not the worst thing I’ve read.)
Lily Morton somehow manages to walk this line between steamy and clinical. She avoids most slang except for “cock”, and uses “come” instead of “cum” and “climax” instead of any euphemism. Even so, the sex scenes are effective and the word choice was never disruptive to the experience.
Formats Available
I have only been able to locate this book on Amazon. I read it as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription (I do not receive any kickbacks if you sign up for Kindle Unlimited). It seems it’s available for purchase as an eBook or as a physical book via Amazon.
Final Thoughts
As someone who is not a 20-something (and hasn’t been for some time), I love stories about older queer folks finding each other and falling in love. This book was pure feel-good queer content and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Even if you’re usually more into magic, fantasy, or action-packed adventures, give Beautifully Unexpected a shot. I promise it will surprise you with how much you enjoy it!
Check out Lily Morton’s website for more of her work.
For more reviews, hit up the home page: https://twoknightskissing.com/