"An Unexpected Love"

I took this book, An Unexpected Love by Michele Ashman Bell, with me on a road trip a week ago to pass the time in the car.  I got it for Christmas a year and a half ago, but it's just been sitting on my bookshelf - until now!

An Unexpected Love tells the story of Alex McCarty, a star in the fitness world.  She lives in California and makes a living by speaking at conventions all around the country and by filming workout videos.  Alex has had problems with an eating disorder in the past and her manager is concerned with her current weight.  So when her sister, Jamie, is pregnant, Alex's manager forces her to go spend a couple of weeks in Idaho with Jamie and her husband, Steve, to take a break and hopefully gain several pounds.  She isn't thrilled with the idea, mainly because Jamie and Steve are both Mormon, and she wants nothing to do with the "crazy" religion.  While in the small town of Island Park, Idaho, Alex meets Rich Greenwood, a good friend of Jamie and Steve.  They enjoy spending time with one another and there are possibilities of their budding friendship turning into something more.  With many trials and hardships coming her way, Alex must face important decisions and learn how to deal with hard situations. 

Overall, I liked reading An Unexpected Love. (It is another LDS romance, so of course I liked it!) I love Rich - he has really admirable qualities and a great personality.  I struggled to connect with Alex, the main character, because she's anorexic.  I'm basically the opposite of anorexic - I LOVE food! :) It was also a little strange for me to envision Rich finding her attractive because she was so deathly skinny.  However, I love Rich for loving Alex, despite her eating disorder.  This book was a little heavier than some of the other LDS romance novels I've read, but it's still a pretty good read.  I liked that the author wrote a lot about Alex's struggle with religion - it helped me to ponder more on my beliefs and was a good reminder of why I believe what I do.  I've definitely liked other LDS romances better than this one, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't read it!

The Last Word:  Interesting new perspective, above average read