Review: An Unplanned Lesson by Beth Rinyu

An Unplanned Lesson
by Beth Rinyu
Published on: 3/8/13
Self Published
Contemporary Romance

Nicole Morgan, the new second grade teacher at Pineview Elementary school, has it all together in the classroom; it’s her personal life that she can’t find peace with. Unable to let go of the guilt that she is harboring from her past, she punishes herself by running from all potential relationships.

Her patience is put to the test when Dailan O’Maley the obnoxious but very sexy uncle of one of her students enters her life. She slowly cracks away at Dailan’s crude, crass exterior when they are forced to work together for the sake of his nephew. The two of them learn a lesson in love that neither had planned as they discover that the guilt they are hiding deep inside isn’t the only thing they have in common. Unbeknownst to her, he holds more than just the key to her heart.

My Rating: 4 Coffee Cups

A copy of this book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

After reading The Exception to the Rule by Ms. Rinyu I pretty much was convinced that I would read anything that came from this awesome woman's fingertips. She just hits all the right chords for me. This was a much lighter read than Exception, but still had a deep undertone. 

Nicole Morgan can't seem to enjoy happiness. She loves, but the guilt she harbors for something that occurred when she was a teenager makes her question whether she should be allowed to be happy and in love. She ruins relationships with her fear of commitment for this reason. The guilt she feels and the guilt her parents still heap onto her lingers in the back of her head, making it impossible to let go. The only people in her life that she is really close with are her best friend Donna and her Marine baby brother Justin. Enter Dailan O'Maley. Dailan is in slightly over his head trying to raise the son of his beloved brother after a car accident took both of little Ryan's parents from him. Nicole is Ryan's second grade teacher and in addition to trying to teach the spoiled, over-privileged children of the haughty elementary school, she is trying to stop Ryan from cursing like a drunken sailor and looking up girls' skirts (both traits he seemed to have picked up from his uncle). After learning about the accident Ryan carves a little corner of Nicole's heart and she does everything she can to try to get him back on track. Including meeting with his uncle to try and see where he's at at home. Dailan is hilarious. He's crass, vulgar, flirtatious and even somewhat rude to Nicole. He wants in her pants. And he's not at all shy in letting her know. After their first pretty disastrous, but ultimately humorous first meeting, Nicole tries everything she can to get him to back off and their back and forth banter had me laughing out loud (which made me look like a fool when I was reading this in public). But needless to say, you can't fight chemistry- and they had it. Once you get past the crass exterior Dailan is a pretty amazing guy. You see how much he loves Ryan and how much he misses his older brother. He's a little lost with raising Ryan, but he's trying his best to make things better for him. 

Nicole and Dailan enter into a no strings, nothing serious type of relationship. She still can't commit and he's trying to move back home to Dublin with Ryan once the paperwork is settled, so that's all they are both willing to give. Oh and on a sidenote: since he is Irish I kept trying my darndest to visualize his parts being read in an accent, because- come on- accents make everything better.  But, of course, nothing is ever simple and they begin to get closer and begin to fall for one another. It happens slowly and gradually to the point where it pretty much sneaks up on the both of them. So, insert a gross misunderstanding, a fear of raw poultry, a biotch of a soccer mom and a horribly sad (definitely had tears in my eyes) tragedy and you get to the last 5% of the book still unaware of Nicole's secret. I was a little concerned with this at first, I won't lie. I was nervous that so much had happened in the story that this was going to wind up being an afterthought. But shame on me for doubting Ms. Rinyu. This ending threw me for a complete and total loop. Did not see it coming at all. So, I will stick by my earlier edict to read anything that this author comes out with.