So much love for this book. Even though there are no twists per se, this book kept me on my toes; it doesn't follow the typical summer contemporary formula, which made it feel even more real. The character development is just really well done - slow and steady FTW. Read this!!!

A fun summer romp, with meaningful exploration of family dynamics lightened by summer YA adventures. Nice writing, very fun tone.

Any Morgan Matson is a must read for me and this was no different. I really enjoyed the character of Andie and reading about her journey and who could dislike a book with so many cute dogs on the cover!

It's no secret that Morgan Matson is 110% one of my top three favorite contemporary authors. I legit love her books more than I could ever possibly convey in a tiny review, so I was pretty darn stoked when I got the chance to read an early copy of her newest book, The Unexpected Everything.

Three things immediately grabbed my attention (besides the fact that it's MM):

1. The cover. I really loved the design of her last book, Since You've Been Gone (which I also HIGHLY recommend if you haven't read it!!), and I am so happy they decided to kind of stick with the same scheme with The Unexpected Everything. Plus the colors just POP beautifully! Oh, and the fact that there is a bunch of dogs on it? YES YES YES ALL THE YESES I LOVE DOGS

2. The dogs. I adore any and all dogs, and I have always been a dog person. I can honestly say I've never read a book about a girl who walks dogs, and it was a major point in why I was so excited to get my hands on it. As expected, Morgan Matson delivers individual, amazing personalities to each dog that makes an appearance in the story. I loved the dogs probably as much as I love the ship, which I'll get to shortly.

3. The synopsis. It screams summer read, which with summer right around the corner, ended up being the perfect way to summarize Andie's story. (Also the fact that the main character is named Andie - even if it's spelled different than Andye) AND CLARK. I LOVE THAT NAME AND ALL I CAN THINK OF IS SUPERMAN WITH HIS CUTIE BLACK FRAMED DISGUISE GLASSES AND I'M FANGIRLING WAY TOO EARLY IN THIS REVIEW SO MOVING ON....

If you're considering jumping into the Morgan Matson book character universe, you must know a few things. She's a phenomenal writer. She brings so much 'realness' to each character that I feel like they are each a real, living person. I care about all of them SO DARN MUCH. For me to say that about a contemporary novel, means quite a bit. It takes a lot to accomplish that (in my case). Not only that, but she also sneaks old main characters into tiny places in her new books, and I absolutely adore seeing them again!! Then the relationships. Not just the romance-ship. They are so well-crafted, deeply thought out, and completely relatable. I grew to care about all of Andie's best friends, her father, etc. because they are so relatable and complex. Watching their relationships go through the everyday ups and downs of life reminded me that everyone goes through them, and maybe my ups and downs aren't so bad.

Back to THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING... Andie thought she had this whole summer figured out. She planned everything. That's Andie. The planner. But all her summer plans fly out the window when her politician father gets involved with a political scandal, effectively ruining what she considered her dream internship. Now, with absolutely no plans, Andie must figure out how to fix it, and fast. Unfortunately, with it being the end of the school year, not only are all the good internships snatched up, but pretty much every single internship you could think of is as well. Just when Andie thinks she's doomed to utter boredom, on top of being stuck under her usually absent father's eye, she unexpectedly meets Clark, who just might turn out to be everything Andie was hoping for.

I SHIP THIS SHIP SO HARD, YOU GUYS. CLARK & ANDIE ARE MY OTP. THEY ARE BAE. THEY ARE PERFECTION. Okay, really though, I'd be totes cool if Andie ditched Clark so he can be with who he truly belongs with (cough, me, cough), but let's be real, that probably won't ever happen unfortunately (because he's fictional and all, ya know).

Without a doubt, this is Morgan Matson's best novel yet. It's been a little bit since I finished reading it, and I still can't get it off my mind. I went and bought a finished copy from Target today JUST so I could read the exclusive bonus content, because I'm obsessed and I never want this story to end. One other thing that made me love this book even more, was the snippets of pages from this book series that were interspersed throughout the novel. They were one of my favorite parts! I can't appropriately squeal and flail about how much I adored them and/or why, because SPOILERS and I don't mess with those! So just take my word for it, and pick up THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING by Morgan Matson today, whether it's your first Matson book or second or third...well, you get the picture. You won't be disappointed! I guarantee it!

-Becca

Andie is a Congressman’s daughter. Her mother died 5 years earlier and her father is obsessed with his job, basically absent from her life. Andie relies on her 3 best friends to provide a network of stability and security. The foursome do everything together, sharing all their inner hopes and desires. Andie keeps her emotions reigned in, always casually dating for a few months and then moving on. But when her dreams of a summer spent at Johns Hopkins come to a screeching halt, she takes a job as a dog walker. It’s surprising how comfortable she is with the animals, given that she’s never had a pet. But with the new job comes an assignment to walk the dog of one very cute guy named Clark. Clark is two years older than Andie and lives on his own in his publisher’s house, a sanctuary where he is supposed to overcome his writer’s block and write the next book in his famous fantasy series. Clark is a homeschooled boy who was a published author at age 14, reminiscent of the real Christopher Paolini, the young author of the Eragon series. Somehow Clark breaks through Andie’s barriers and gets close to her. All seems to go swimmingly but there are bumps in the road – friendships collide, old fears surface and Andie’s father who has been re-establishing their relationship, may be returning to his distant ways. Matson’s characters are delightful and interesting and the friendships are amazing. Clark is adorable with his dimples and glasses, totally irresistible. The fact that Clark is a famous published author in his teens is an interesting factor and his writer’s block makes for an engaging situation as bits of his fantasy story surface. Andie’s fondness for the pets under her charge will warm the hearts of dog lovers and the romance is sweet and endearing, sure to captivate readers.