Book Review – Unconditionally by Erin Lyon

In the sequel to her hilariously relateable romance debut, Erin Lyon captures the heart of milennial relationships, in all its angst and glory.

In a world where marriage doesn’t exist—only seven-year contracts—you don’t marry, you sign. You don’t divorce, you breach. And sometimes, you just expire.

In this hilarious sequel to Erin Lyon’s debut, Kate has accepted a job practicing contract law, the one type of law she swore she’d never do. Especially since what she thought was her very own happily ever after turned into another breached contract. But with fists flying, sobbing exes, and her very first stalker, at least she’s never bored at the office.

But while Kate finally has a handle on her career, her love life is still, well, complicated. Her ex Jonathan wants her back. Her current main squeeze Dave wants to take things to the next level. And then there’s Adam, the one man determined to remain just her friend. But he’s sexy, smart, complex. If things get a little heated, hey, she’s only human.

With biting wit and charm, Unconditionally is both an enthralling romantic comedy and a hilariously relatable look at modern-day relationships.

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• Purchase Book #1: I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions 
• Purchase Book #2: Unconditionally

UNCONDITIONALLY is the follow-up to last year’s I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions (Read my review), which was one of my favorite reads of 2017!

Erin Lyon’s funny, romantic, and unique duet is a contemporary romance junkie’s dream. The two main leads communicate openly with each other and have a great friendship. Kate says exactly what’s on her mind. I love the way Adam cares for her and how he shows it. If you’re a lover of romantic comedies like me, then these are the books for you.

For the last 11 months, I’ve been slowly dying inside because I haven’t had this book in my hands. You guys, I DEVOURED Unconditionally in a matter of hours. I tore open the package upon arrival and didn’t put the book down until I was finished! This book picks up right where I Love You leaves off, so if you’ve read it then you understand the weight of that statement (Read: it ends in a delicious cliffhanger). In I Love You, I fell in a disgusting kind of love with Kate and Adam. There is just something about them that makes me happy when they’re together, even if it’s just as friends (*sad face*).

In Unconditionally, we see Kate navigating her new life as an associate in her uncle’s signing law firm and her single status. She’s no longer with her partner Jonathan, and she’s not really sure about Dave either. Her heart really belongs to Adam (*swoon*), but he’s somewhat emotionally unavailable to her.

I love Kate, you guys. I want to be her friend. I want to go over to her house and drink wine with her and Logek out of her tiger-striped wine glasses. I want to go out dancing with her. I’d even put up with her ruining dinner (#RedemptionChicken). It’s refreshing to read a book character who isn’t overly melodramatic or living a fantasy life that us lowly peasants can’t relate to. I think that’s why I like her so much—she is relatable and I could see myself being friends with her.

Of course, my favorite moments in the book involve Adam. It’s actions that often speak louder than words, right? Well, that’s what I loved about Adam. Even when he couldn’t express how much he cared for Kate, he definitely showed it by being there for her. There are some moments between these two friends that just made my heart melt. I just wanted them to be together SO MUCH! Will they or won’t they?

“I think you might be cremating the chicken.”
…The smoke detector immediately started blaring with alternate high and low tones, both equally annoying. I grabbed a bag and began trying to help Adam fan the smoke away from the alarm, but the damn thing wouldn’t turn off. Adam rushed back into the kitchen and began opening drawers until he found a couple oven mitts. After slipping them on, he grabbed the pan of chicken from the oven and took it out onto the back porch. And, for the most part, the smoke seemed to follow him. He set the pan down on the porch railing farthest from the door and came back inside. He was grinning at me when he grabbed his bag and, once again, began fanning the smoke toward the back door.
I was smiling back at him because I knew I wasn’t going to hear the end of this from him and because this was the most fun I’d ever had giving my dinner a Viking funeral.

Kate’s new landlord is Adam’s mother, which gives Kate a chance at a direct examination into the world of Adam. As Lyon promised, we are given more insight into Adam’s motivations and why he shies away from commitment. While the reason isn’t anything I didn’t see coming, it does shed some light into where he is emotionally.

If I could ask for one thing in this book it’s that I wanted more moments with Adam. This might be a selfish request from me but also one that I think the novel needed. The stories about her clients in and out of court were entertaining and hilarious but I really wanted more time with him. Even though I loved these two books, I feel like this love story might have been able to be condensed into one story and still maintain its magnetic quality. I enjoyed the “fluff” in this book (and in the last one) but some of it didn’t necessarily need to be there.

I’m already patiently awaiting whatever Erin Lyon comes up with next. Until then, I will be rereading these books. I’ve already read the ending of Unconditionally multiple times since I first finished it in November. I can’t recommend these books enough. And if you’ve read them and you loved them, share the love and tell a friend.

* Thanks to the author for providing me with an advanced copy for review. Receiving this book for free from the author did not affect my opinion. 

• Purchase Book #1: I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions 
• Purchase Book #2: Unconditionally