Review: Unlikely by Sylvie Fox

3.5 stars

This book is so full of surprises. It started out as a feel-good, chic-lit read that you can consume in one sitting. Then it became a little angsty with family issues and the mistaken need to adhere to social norms. Then things took a more serious turn with a battle between unions and execs, and our main characters sitting on opposite sides of the table.

The feel-good part:
The story started with our main characters scrambling through a traffic jam, trying to save a frightened puppy. They both end up going to a vet and then a pound to turn over the puppy. Days later, both turn up at the pound with the intention of adopting her

Sophie Reed, a tattooed and hair-dyed makeup artist, became the official lucky owner of Sasha the dog. She has an average lifestyle and is dependent on her average salary as a makeup artist for television and film studios. In truth, she comes from a wealthy family and her father is a judge. She grew up with unpleasant memories of her father making decisions that had hurt her as a little girl, and that became the main reason why she had vowed not to get involved with lawyers--EVER.

Enter Ryan Becker. His life is opposite from Sophie's. He and his brother were raised by his mother who cleaned houses and did all sorts of odd jobs just to give a good live for her sons. Her efforts paid off. Ryan is now a successful corporate lawyer, and his brother a cop. Upon meeting Sophie, he was immediately taken by her. Unfortunately, she had that rule about not dating lawyers.

She may have been resistant at first, but luckily for Sophie, Ryan persisted on pursuing her!

Their relationship didn't proceed smoothly, though. Because of her hang-up about lawyers (she believed them to be controlling people, like her impression of her father), Sophie tried to convince herself that all she and Ryan can have is a physical relationship.

A sex buddy without commitment was just what she had needed to boost her confidence in the bedroom.

Sophie also had a problem in the bedroom department. Her previous relationships had sucked ass. Unsurprisingly, so had her experience with sex. Girl didn't need to worry though. Lawyer boy he may be, but Ryan is definitely not shabby in the physique and technique department!

This is the second book I read in a row wherein the hero is the one who's honest about his feelings and isn't hiding from love and commitment. I was really happy with Ryan because of that! Because of his upbringing, he is not a snob and he understands the value of work and money. He keeps telling Sophie that they can have so much more than a physical relationship, and that he is more than willing to take that next step with her.

I love you, Sophie Constance Reid--no matter how you look or what you do. I want to marry you someday. Mostly I want you to give us a chance--even if I am a suit.

I just love him. He is an ideal guy: hardworking, successful, has money (very much deserved too), loving towards his family, kindhearted, sweet, romantic, smart, sexy... oh, you get it, he is wonderful!
He cracks me up too. He has a habit of taking out his yellow paper and writing down the pros and cons when he's about to make a big decision. I really like that he's a mixture of cute and hot, lol! Oh, and speaking of hot, there are several smoking scenes in Unlikely! They are well-written and the emotions were conveyed beautifully in my opinion.

Even though got annoyed by Sophie A LOT, I really liked watching her evolve. She maintained a certain image that sets her apart from her Ivy league family. It started when she was a teenager, and it carried over to adulthood. However, seems like she's getting tired of her show. She is changing, in the way she changes and the way she looks at things... but she doesn't want to succumb to it.

What in the heck was she doing? She hated that she was changing into the person she'd tried to escape for years. She was not going to change for anyone but herself.

I like that this part of the story tells readers that liking what the rest likes, dressing up appropriately for the occasion, is not necessarily a bad thing. You don't lose your individuality by doing that.

"I'm not asking you to change a thing, Sophie. I love you no matter what your hair color is and no matter how much sliver you wear.I love you no matter what."

Now, what drove me to give this a 3.5? Well... it's actually how things ended. It felt so, so sudden! It was as though the book ran out of pages so the story had to be wrapped up in the last three pages or so. I was also left with questions. What did the union and exces agree on? How will Sophie's colleagues treat her once they find out she is in a relationship with one of the lawyers of the production companies? What about her relationship with her parents? There wasn't even an epilogue to give us a glimpse of how things are years, months, or even just days later. I was honestly on the verge of thinking, hey I might just give this 5 stars! Then the ending happened. =(

I'm sure readers will find many things to like about Unlikely, though. The hero is very likable, the heroine is spunky, the sexy scenes are hottt, and there's an adorable puppy that you'd want to grab and hug in real life!