G. Benson

Who'd Have Thought

Lucia Correa

Edit for a re-read May 2018 - Ever hit a reading funk and none of the half- dozen (or more) books waiting to be read only NONE of them are appealing to you? So a possible cure - re-read a favorite. I’m so glad I decided on this book. Cures all what ails you. I think I liked it better the second time around. I’m sure it will become a annual read. 

It’s still
5 SOLID GOLD STARS. 

The plot of this story isn’t that unusual A marriage of convenance and not love but eventually turns into love - I’m sure a lot of arranged marriages in real life, Older movies such as 7 Brides 4 Seven Brothers and more recently The Proposal with Bullock & Reynolds.

In this case it is between Samantha Thompson, a brilliant, focused neurosurgeon but socially awkward and Hayden Perez, an ER nurse. Sam reminds me of Nora in Between the lines and Isles of Rizzoli & Isles. Sam needs to get married quickly and Hayden needs the money Sam is offering. Sam won’t reveal why and because she is desperate Hayden accepts the deal. The problem - Hayden really dislikes Sam so it proves to be difficult to convince their colleagues that they are in love & after one month of “dating” they marry. Especially Hayden’s BFF, Luce and Hayden’s family. It doesn’t help that Hayden is a terrible liar & Sam’s awkwardness. It is told via Hayden so we get to know Sam along with Hayden.

This is a very satisfying slow tolerance to friendship to romance. There are great side characters that are well developed. Such as Jon, Sam’s Brother and skeptical Luce. 

I loved Sam’s family. From her pulls no punches, strong Grandmother and sister and her cute young nephew. Slight spoiler. (view spoiler)[ I could really relate to the struggles that they were going through with her mother suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s. It was well written and on point. Both my brother & sister suffer from the disease. My brother is now in assisted living facility & my brother-in-law takes care of my sister with help from his daughter-in-law & son. In fact they just built a small house on their property so my sister & Bro-in-law will be close. I could relate when my brother wandered off when he was in my care. No harm, but scary. A bit off topic, but it resonated with me.  (hide spoiler)]

Don’t get me wrong this is not a downer of a book! There is humor - especially in the banter. There is Luce (great name!) usually giving Hayden a hard time - this cracked me up.
“You’re staring at your wife with moon eyes.” “You really, really were. Like, I expected a breeze to waft through and wave your hair gently around while violins started up.” 

There is so much more that I liked but read it and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I just might do a reread tomorrow!

Who'd Have Thought

Reviews