The Unexpected Inn by Rachael Bloome Review

 Happy Monday Sweet Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've decided to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess today for another book review.

I am still officially on hiatus from posting for a few more weeks, but I decided to make one exception. Rachael Bloome is an author that I've had the privilege of being on her ARC team right from the very beginning, and when I discovered her much anticipated new release was releasing during my hiatus, I decided to go ahead and make one small exception.

After today's post however, you won't see me back until May 13th, as I am still dealing with health complications, and just don't have the time or energy to post right now.

I am very excited to jump right into today's post though, as this book was truly delightful, and was the perfect story to curl up with while going through everything I've been dealing with.

If you'd like to read my review of the first title in the series, you can do so using the link below:

Blessings on State Street

Otherwise, keep on reading down below for today's full review.

The Unexpected Inn by Rachael Bloome:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Author as Part of Her ARC Team

Publisher: Secret Garden Press

Publication Date: May 1st, 2024

Genre: Small Town Romance/Clean Romance

Series: Blessings Bay

Synopsis:

Sometimes the unexpected leads us to where we belong… An emotionally riveting new series by the USA Today bestselling author of the beloved Poppy Creek novels.

Abigail Preston never expected to own an inn. Then again, she never thought she’d become a foster mom or fall for her late husband’s best friend, either. As soon as the pieces of her complicated life start falling into place, two unexpected visitors arrive, threatening to undo everything. The only guest at the inn she’s happy to see is her best friend, Nadia. Fresh off a public breakup, Nadia Chopra can’t wait to move on. Only this time, she’ll do it right. By enlisting the help of her matchmaker aunt. With so many eligible men, why can’t she stop thinking about Evan Blake—a man who loves to surf and make sweets, but who’s the furthest thing from a perfect match?

Evan Blake is too focused on continuing his mother’s saltwater taffy legacy to date. And after what happened the last time he tried, he doesn’t have much interest, anyway. But a confident, dark-haired beauty who always speaks her mind has his heart racing more than a twenty-foot wave. Can love overcome the odds and lead our new friends to their happily ever afters? Welcome to Blessings Bay, an idyllic seaside town where everyone knows your name and is always willing to lend a hand.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

The Poppy Creek series is one of my all time favorites, so I was excited to get to see how beloved author Rachael Bloome was going to tackle a brand new series. The Unexpected Inn is the second title in the small town Blessings Bay series, and continues the story introduced in Blessings on State Street, while also introducing some new characters, and corresponding storylines. I went into this one with high hopes, and I can say without a doubt that they were met. Rachael's immense talent for storytelling shines through once again, and I loved how authentic and realistic all the characters and their journey's came across to the reader.

The story has an added blessing that readers get to follow two different couples alongside their journeys towards happily ever after. Logan and Abby were of course the couple introduced in the first title, and I adored them even more in this one. So many hardships and insecurities have played a part in where they now find themselves, and when unexpected circumstances thrown them into a tail spin, they'll find themselves having to trust even more that there is a way through all the devastation. As Abby is preparing to welcome a well known influencer to her charming inn, she first enlists the help of her best friend Nadia to help her navigate all the ins and outs of the inn's opening. Nadia finds herself off on the wrong foot with Blessings Bay resident Evan Blake, but soon starts to see the potential in the amazing man that appears to be simmering below the surface. As both couples deal with hardships and realities, Blessings Bay truly seems to be a place where miracles can come true.

Whether you also loved Rachael's Poppy Creek series, or if Blessings Bay is your first introduction to her beautiful stories, I can guarantee this is one you're not going to want to miss. The writing is immersive and idyllic, the characters come to feel like old friends that you want nothing more than to see them succeed, and Blessings Bay truly feels like the type of place where anyone would be warmly welcomed into its fold. While so many things were loveable about this heartwarming story, my favorite bits were the reminders that God can take broken and turn it into beautiful, and the mystery tidbits that continue from book one around Max's dad, introduce a new sideline that kept me guessing, and hinted at the next story coming that I already can't wait to read.

If you enjoy clean and heartwarming small town romances that feel authentic and realistic, then The Unexpected Inn is definitely the book for you.

Final Rating: 5/5.

I loved this one every bit as much as I was hoping to, and it's definitely one of my favorite reads of 2024. I can't possibly recommend it enough.

Thanks so much to Rachael Bloome for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the author as part of her ARC team. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Have a great rest of your day guys! I look forward to sharing more reviews with you all when I'm back to regular blogging next month.