The beginning felt a little bit flat and I didn’t find much invested myself. But after a few chapters in, it picked up the pace and I flew over by!
I read a few great reviews of the book, and found myself reading it the next day. Though it comes as the 4th book in a series, anyone can pick the book and enjoy it. Trust me I didn’t even knew that it’s a series!
The female protagonist is a book nerd, mom with 2 kids who recently left her husband, struggling with her job as a librarian. The male protagonist lives in a world of his because he thinks the world’s showering him pity and sympathy because of his illness.
Beautifully written and dramatically taken over! Would definitely be reading the other books in the series.

As I started this book, I thought it would be a light read. And that’s the way it starts.
Then ... hang on! It goes deep! I really liked that surprise.
The main characters are terrific. In fact, I need to read the rest of this series. LOL
One big turn-off for me was having her parents back her cheating ex husband. They kept waiting for her to “go home”. That just made me angry and stopped it from being a 4 star read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely not my usual read, but for someone who really enjoys a low angst read, I’d definitely recommend.
I really enjoyed the fact that these characters are older, more settled in their lives, even if things were in the process of uprooting and changing all around them.
I also really liked that even though Starla’s ex was kind of a jerk in their relationship, he was an excellent dad. That’s the kind of maturity I love to see. No pawns, just two rational adults understanding that their relationship was not endgame and continuing to be good parents despite that fact.
Sawyer & Starla were very much low drama, and I loved the friends to lovers/almost unrequited feel.

Thank you NetGalley, Tempest and Kite Publishing and Fiona West for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Ok first? This cover was so cute and fits perfectly with recent best selling contemporary romances! I've been loving the cover art lately!
This was a quick read that sucked me in from the beginning. Fiona West writes easy to relate to main characters (except Charlie. Yuck!) that made putting the book down hard! I started this on in the morning and by the afternoon I was flipping the last page with a full heart.
Starla is in the middle of a divorce from her cheating, slimey husband Charlie. She has her plate full as a newly single mom with a new home trying to run the local library. She looks forward to Thursdays when library patron and fellowTimber Falls local, Sawyer, comes in to swap his books. He’s mysterious but kind and Starla definitely has a little crush. What she doesn't know is that Sawyer has pined for Starla for years. When Starla’s plate gets too full to handle, it’s Sawyer who swoops in to save the day and help her get back on her feet.
While this book felt quick and the romance was light, Fiona West still gave her characters depth and they all showed growth by the end which can be hard to balance in romances! She did a great job of giving each character multiple sides to them which made them not only more relatable, but also more believable. Charlie was so unlikeable at the beginning of the book that I HATED him, but his character really grew throughout the book and I was really happy with how his relationship with Starla was at the end of the book. I feel like the way everything went down is probably something a lot of women who are going through a divorce/have been through a divorce can relate to! This felt like so much more than a romance and I think it will be popular across the board!

I'm thankful to the author and publishers for providing an ARC via Netgalley. I did get very invested in the book. So I had a LOT of feelings while reading. I've got to say, Sawyer is the perfect man! Maybe that's why I hated Starla at a lot of moments, in comparison. What's with authors writing flawless men and oblivious, messy women?? I mean, he is a medically trained professional, he is good with his hands both in that way and with fixing stuff, rides a motorcycle, owns property on a mountain without pesky neighbours, and reads a LOT!

I think it's worth reading if you enjoy cute small town settings and colourful world building. I haven't read the other books in the series, but it was still fun to see the various characters who clearly have their own cute stories pop up. It can function as a standalone.

Spoilers ahead
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Starla honestly made me nearly DNF the book early on, but I'm so glad I did. When she FINALLY realised she's pregnant, and acted all "my life is ruined but the guilt of abortion would kill me?", it was incredibly disappointing. Especially cause Starla supposedly has feminist values as she claims later on. I hope the final book removes all these hateful aspects of Starla. I get that it was honest, and a lot of women would understand it, as was the resentment she clearly felt toward her kids, but in the protagonist of a romance in 2020, it's pretty unappealing.

She had a comeback moment for me, when she handled the incontinence incident so well at the hospital. But then she made me hate her again with her reactionary behaviour when she decided to leave the town. The town was not the problem, she had people there who cared about her and she apparently needed to move away just to realise how much nicer her life could be while surrounded by those people. What a shocker. I feel like this was an incrediblt done-to-death plot line, and really unnecessary to the story. It just seemed like obstinacy on her part, when she didn't want to move and hurt everyone with it, including herself!

Her reason is to avoid speculation and presumably judgement, but it seemed like she judged people the MOST in this entire book, especially herself. I understood her, but she was so incredibly annoying.

More Than We Bargained For was engaging, sweet, and gave me all the feels!

This book handled some very touchy subjects wonderfully. First, it was beyond refreshing to see divorced adults act like adults. Yes, Charlie cheated on Starla and she rightly left him, but he's not made out to be a villain. He's a good dad who loves his kids, cares about his ex, and wants the best for her and their kids. This is certainly not a norm in fiction, and should be more common place in real life as well.. Second, I love how Sawyer's illness was approached. The realities of living with his particular diagnosis weren't glossed over or sugarcoated, but it also didn't define Sawyer as a character. I adored Sawyer and Starla and my only complaint was that the book wasn't longer so we could see more of them.

More Than We Bargained For is part of a series, but I have not read the previous books, and it did not hinder my understanding or enjoyment of this book in the slightest. I will, however, be adding the other books to my TBR list.

Loved Starla and Sawyer’s story and thought the secondary character were amazing as well. The family dynamics was great and really worked out in the end.

I did not love this book at all. I couldn't get behind her sleeping with her ex and then falling for the new guy. I was expecting something more along the lines of Penny Reid/Smartypants Romance and this book definitely wasn't it.

What a fabulous read!! Usually I don't give a synopsis of the book because the publishers blurb seems to to a way better job then I ever could. But this time, while the description is completely accurate; the story is way more than that. They must be trying to give you more than you bargained for!

I loved the way the story and characters didn't seem to follow a set pattern or theme. It was a very lovely change to read this story. And it was funny! Laughed & kept giggling several times.

I know have to go back and read the first four books because this was worth it!!

I received and ARC from NetGalley to prepare this honest review.

Den Verlauf der Geschichte muss man mögen

Im Rückblick muss ich gestehen, dass ich beim Lesen der Synopsis nicht gut genug aufgepasst habe, denn sonst wäre mir etwas aufgefallen, was ich in Liebesromanen nicht mag. Und zwar wenn ein Ex noch zu sehr mit in die Geschichte involviert ist.

Genau das ist der Fall in "More than we bargained for" und für mich hat dieser Bestandteil der Geschichte nicht funktioniert. Hätte ich den Rest des Buches absolut umwerfend gefunden, hätte ich damit vielleicht leben können. Da ich die Charaktere und ihre Geschichte aber nur als gutes Mittelmaß empfand, konnte ich darüber nicht hinwegsehen.

Vor dem Lesen sollte man sich die Synopsis wirklich genau anschauen und überlegen, ob das, was angedeutet wird, für einen passt. Wenn ja, erwartet einen ein Liebesroman, in den eine Menge gepackt wurde (vielleicht etwas zu viel) und der keine 08/15 - Geschichte beinhaltet.

With perfect banter and writing, West’s fourth novel in the Timber Falls series, More Than We Bargained for, pulls you right in.
For a person who has recently found discovered a love for adult romances, More Than We Bargained For, was a welcome surprise. I loved the small town setting, the meddling neighbours, clingy ex, and the temperamental children! It was their loveliness (and annoying nature, at times), that truly made the difference and gave this book such a a heartwarming vibe.
Starla is a recently divorced mom of two young kids. Unfortunately, she is now down on her luck. As such, all of the difficulties she faces, and the way she reacts to them, makes her so real. As I read on, I couldn’t help but chuckle remembering the impulsive decisions I have made in my life, all the meddling I’ve had to face from my relatives and friends. And it made me feel so close to Starla!

Sawyer and depiction of a chronic illness
As for Sawyer, he is a lovely man. I think More Than We Bargained For has to be the second book I have read, which features a protagonist with a chronic illness, the first being in The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. There are so many layers to him and I loved getting to know him more and more, as I read on. Well, to be perfectly honest, I was moping and indulging in self-pity, totally jealous of Starla for landing this wonderful man, hah!

Let’s talk about another aspect – the kids. In many books, the kids are either too obedient and hardly ever cause any trouble (so not realistic), or not in the picture at all! I was quite happy with the way they were portrayed in this book – sweet, often surly, and naughty. Having raised almost 10 cousins and a sibling, I should know! I quite enjoyed their bantering too. And their relationship with Sawyer – oh my my! My ovaries were cooing.

Verdict:
Before I turn this blog post into a love letter for Sawyer, I shall take my leave. But not before stressing on how much I enjoyed reading More Than We Bargained For! I am thinking of picking up the first book in this series so stay tuned for that one too! I rather More Than We bargained For a 4/5 stars.

2.5 to 3 stars

This wasn't a win for me. I mean, I liked some things in the story like the talk about disabilities and how it affects them in every aspect of their lives and their families was amazing. It shows the author did their work and learned about this subjects before writing it and I really appreciate it. I also enjoyed how everyone interact with Starla's children; it was wonderful to see adults not treating kids like they don't matter but actually taking time to be and listen. Now, it's with the children that I had an issue with because I felt everyone had a great relationship with them but their mother. It felt like it was a struggle for her and I didn't like that; having said that I didn't like Starla character. And usually thats a problem with me because if I don't enjoy the main character, it's probable that I won't enjoy the book.
My other issue was the time frame or the continuity, it felt messy. Like some scenes felt weird or choppy. I didn't like it. It took me out of the book.

Overall the idea of the plot was interesting (I love the cover!) But I didn't enjoy the execution.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really good romcom. A basic plot with really good characters and without unnecessary drama. I liked the main characters who were both shy and needed help but didn't want to be a burden to their loved ones. Sawyer's illness broke my heart because someone close to me has MS too which was kind of unexpected. But this made the characters even more special. Starla is a super cute mom and you can tell that she really loves her job.
The only thing that bothered me bit was that all the friends and relatives were introduced way too fast. I couldn't follow and keep up who is friends with whom and at the same time someone else's cousin. Maybe this is because I haven't read the other novels but this shouldn't be a problem in these kind of series'.
All I all I enjoyed reading this book.

content warnings: mentions of abortion and ableism, unplanned pregnancy, divorce, adultery, emotional manipulation

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More Than We Bargained For is the fourth installment in the Timber Falls series by Fiona West but the first book of the series that I’ve had the opportunity to read. Told from two different point-of-views, this novel follows Starla, mother of two (or, make that three), who is in the midst of a divorce from a cheating husband and Sawyer, the town recluse with a chronic illness that keeps him from pursuing relationships. The pair have been through it, with life knocking them around time after time. Will they be able to move past the baggage they bring to the table, their trust issues and any misgivings, in order to be happy again?

Without skipping over the hard emotions of a divorce with children and how a chronic illness affects someone, More Than We Bargained For was raw and real. The characters had depth and emotional maturity. Reading as Starla found herself after her divorce and Sawyer realized that having a chronic illness didn’t make him unloveable was heart-wrenching.

This slow burn, small town romance was more than worth the read. I finished it in less than two days and can’t wait to read more of Fiona West’s work in the future.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from Netgalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

~4.5⭐Rating~

“She’d gotten more than she’d bargained for, and she wouldn’t give it up for anything.”

Starla has a lot going on right now with her divorce almost finalized and having to look for a new place for her and her kids to live the last thing she was expecting to find was love in the form of one handsome reclusive doctor Sawyer. Every week Thursday like clockwork Sawyer pops into her library the same day that a mystery books of new books is donated, not being one to like a mystery go unsolved Starla finds herself more and more intriguing by Sawyer.

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Sawyer has had a crush on Starla for a good while now, tired if having to watch her being mistreated by her no good ex husband, Sawyer is ever to thrilled that she is about to be a single lady again. But in the mean time wanting to put a smile on her face Sawyer drops off an anonymous box of book to brighten Starla's week. However things take a shocking turn when Sawyer suffers a MS seizure in front of Starla, which leaves him unable to drive himself any longer, thinking fast Sawyer offers Starla and the kids his spare cabin in exchange that she drive him when need be. As the two get to know each other better and grow closer Starla soon begins to realise that not all guys are like her ex.

“Can’t be. I wasn’t going to fall in love again.”
“You say that like you had a choice.”
“Love is always a choice.”

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This was a cute small town romance that packed a punch in the emotions department. I have to say I was not a huge fan of Starla's ex he was kind of annoying. As for Starla herself again not a major fan. But I will say that I did love Sawyer! Now he was a great guy that was having to face his entire life change.

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Overall this was a cute clean read,West has definitely created a cute romance with very lifelike characters. Definitely check out the rest of the books in this series

Another triumph from Fiona West! The latest in the Timber Falls series focuses on single working mother Starla and the mysterious Sawyer. The two begin to help each other out and sparks fly!

I loved Starla, seeing her break free from a toxic relationship and come into her own despite the struggles she faced. I think she is a favourite of all the characters in this series, and I was disappointed when I finished the book that there wasn't more!

The plot starts a little slow but soon picks up, and in no time at all I was staying up late to finish!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Fiona West and it will not be my last!
More Than We Bargained For is part of the Timber Falls series and tells the love story between Sawyer and Starla. Sawyer is the local recluse and former surgeon who is dealing with a diagnosis of MS. Starla is the single mom/librarian/recently single woman who is just trying to figure out who she is. Let me stop here and just tell you that I appreciated the accurate portrayal of a single mom. Starla's flaws and insecurities were refreshing and worked for me. Anyway, Starla and Sawyer both have crushes on each other, and though it took them a while to finally share that information with each other, the ending is satisfying. I love the journey that both of these characters take to get past themselves and find each other. This book will make you laugh, break your heart, and then put it back together again.

A cute read, it’s always lovely to read about book addicts because obviously it’s relatable, but this was a joy to read, a great distraction, great characters, lovely story, not all light and fluffy, book 4 in a series but I read as a stand-alone and I wasn’t lost , definitely going to read the others now

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

3 out of 5 stars for More Than We Bargained For. This is the fourth in the Timber Falls series, but you can also read them as standalone!!! Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. It didn't grab me and I wasn't super invested in the story.
The main character, Starla, is a real bookworm (and a librarian), which was nice and very relatable. Sawyer (the love interest) is just adorable, a real southern sweetheart. One of the main characters has a chronic illness (I won't give details because of spoilers), but I enjoyed the discussion that led from it about ableism and lovability when ill.

What I didn't like about this book is that the timeline felt weird. At times certain events were named to happen in the near future (like a doctor's appointment), but then the reader never gets told about the event happening and then there is a time jump. It, therefore, isn't always clear how much time has passed.
Moreover, the romance felt a bit rushed. Now rushed isn't exactly the right word but let me explain. From the start it is very clear that one of the characters is in love with the other, but not (yet) the other way around. They become good friends and there are hints of mutual love. And then, quite suddenly, they decide they are in love. This is spurred on by an event, but it still felt weird. Maybe because I wasn't rooting for them as much, but I guess that's part of the downfall of reading a romance that feels predictable.

Diversity wise, this was also not the best. There weren't many BIPOC or otherwise characters of colours in the book, or LGBT ones. It was quite white. The only obvious rep in it was for chronic illness.

If you want an easy, low-ish stakes romance and like things like Gilmore Girls, you might enjoy this.

***SYNOPSIS***
Starla Moore despises a mystery, and there's no bigger mystery than Sawyer Devereaux. He comes into the library on Thursdays like clockwork, but rarely talks to anyone else. Not that she despises him; after all, he's easy on the eyes, quick-witted, and that Southern accent makes her swoon. But in the midst of a divorce, her only romance is the bookish kind. Worst of all, crashing with her bestie won't be an option soon, especially since her final fling with her husband had one very specific unintended consequence...


With all the craziness going on in the world right now this was the perfect book to read. It was a relaxing go with the flow don’t have to think hard book. It all just made sense and made me happy.
I love all the characters in the Timber Falls series and I enjoy getting to know them. But I do believe that Sawyer just might be my new favorite!
Overall this is a great love story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

More Than We Bargained For is the fourth book in the Timber Falls romantic comedy series. If you like town meeting rants, neighborly concerns that become something more, and water fights that heat things up instead of cooling them down, buy this book now. This book contains no open-door sex scenes, no cheating, and a happily ever after.

BOOK RATING
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