Unwrapping: Review of UNSPOKEN BONDS by Michelle Grey

I’m always interested in the next book in a series especially if I’ve already gotten a sneak peek into what’s coming next. So after reading DANGEROUS ALLY by Michelle Grey, I was very intrigued to read Rachel’s story in UNSPOKEN BONDS. Thank you, Michelle.

***eCopy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for UNSPOKEN BONDS:

Being summoned to the emergency room to interpret for deaf patients is nothing new for Rachel Mansfield. But finding herself interpreting for a scared, abandoned little girl with nothing but a note pinned to her shirt?

Well, that’s a first.

An instant bond forms between them, and Rachel’s protective instincts kick into high gear as Lily’s mysterious past meets an uncertain future. As hours turn into days, Rachel’s biggest worry is that they won’t find Lily’s family. Until she meets Lily’s uncle, Garrett. Then he becomes her biggest worry.

Betrayed by his family, Garrett Staker knows his path. He’s plotted every step. And as he closes in on his most important business goal, one thing is certain -- his plan doesn’t include assuming responsibility for a niece who was presumed dead after his sister’s murder.

Despite the undercurrent of attraction, Rachel and Garrett are at odds over Lily’s future. But as Garrett’s business comes under attack from within, and the questions about Lily’s past loom larger, they must find a way to work together. Their lives, and Lily’s, depend on it.

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Rachel Mansfield has spent her life taking care of others including her many siblings so when a little girl named Lily is left at the hospital with a note pinned to her shirt, she opens her heart to yet one more child. What Rachel doesn’t expect is how attached she would become to Lily and how her life would change when she meets Lily’s uncle – Garrett Staker.

Garrett Staker is all business even when it comes to his personal life. He loved his sister dearly and with her death, he pushed himself into his business world further so he is shocked when he's notified that his niece, Lily, is alive after having been believed murdered alongside her mother. His world is turned upside down, first by disbelief, and then the way a little green-eyed sweetheart wiggles her way into his heart and how her champion, Rachel, captures it.

UNSPOKEN BONDS by Michelle Grey starts out slow but once the relationship between Garrett, Rachel, and Lily starts to grow as a family, the story picks up. I appreciated Lily’s deafness as part of the story but I feel that Michelle tends to get bogged down in the details and dwells far too much on aspects of her stories that while endearing tend to slow the pace of the plot. The true story exists within the growing family relationship that builds between the three main characters and the underlying mystery of the murder of Lily’s mother and her subsequent disappearance, as well as the question of who is trying to sabotage Garrett’s business. Michelle did well with all of those connections.

Michelle Grey has a talent for creating realistic characters with whom we can connect. It took me a long while to warm up to Garrett because he was so very distant but as he began to let his guard down, he became more amenable. His brother, Jack, is a much more likable hero but eventually Garrett had my full attention. Rachel is wonderful, caring, and bighearted and Lily couldn’t be more adorable and more real than if she’d been an actual little girl sitting with me while I read.

Whereas I wouldn’t say that UNSPOKEN BONDS is a one of the year’s best, I will recommend it to anyone who loves good characters, strong family bonding, less heat sexually, and a story that might just have you reaching for a tissue occasionally. It’s heart touching and sweet even as you wish to smack Garrett for his selfishness. But before long, you’ll find yourself cheering Garrett on as he begins to realize that with Lily and Rachel, he really does have it all.

About the Author:

Romantic Suspense and Mystery author Michelle Grey is an ovarian cancer survivor and a happily married mother of four. She enjoys every day to the fullest and is an avid reader, an addicted author, and one blessed and thankful human being.

Happy Reading Everyone!

UNSPOKEN BONDS by Michelle Grey, Lucky 13 Unlimited, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on links or cover below for purchasing information