Starting With the Unexpected

Toni with Kimmers' Erotic Book Banter

'Starting with the Unexpected' is a quick, easy read full of depth and humour with some tension and an enjoyable tale. Andi Van paints a vivid landscape with a setting so valid and characters so real I want to visit.

I got hooked within the first 10 pages and found myself stealing pages whenever I could to progress the story - often a sign of a well written book! Even with only 200 pages, I felt I belonged and could re-visit when needing somewhere familiar to be for a short time.

Zach and Marcus’s world is one with deep feelings and an uncertain edge. While Zach has a supportive family who accept him for who he is, Marcus can’t claim the same. In fact, Marcus has the family from hell - who seem intent on causing Marcus and Zach as much pain as possible.

You may find yourself screaming warnings at the pages as the unease grows and you suspect that something awful could happen - like I may have … maybe… *ahem*.

I enjoyed the blossoming love and raw emotions Andi Van’s writing drew from me and they are firmly on my top 10 author list.

Starting with the Unexpected was clever, witty and heartfelt. A great, quick read!

What’s not to love about this book? Seriously! Aside from the crazy people, I loved all the characters. Marcus is a sweet tooth lovin', outspoken, fabulous, wonderful, amazing person who by the fates meets Zach “Ollie” in what some might call serendipity. I loved the way they met LOVED it was wickedly creative, fresh, and I was giggling through so much of this book.
One of my most favorite parts was that no matter what, Marcus and Zach communicated. Many times I was like, “Oh please don’t wait.” And sure enough as if they heard me they were ADULTS and actually talked. I found that made the relationship so strong and it made the entire story way more enjoyable.
Zach is so witty, and funny, and COTTON CANDY BLUE HAIR! Omg I die!
The ensemble in this story was outstanding. The personalities melded so well together and the dialog was phenomenal!
This is absolutely a must read!!!

Reviewed by Erin for Diverse Reader
Starting with the Unexpected was one of my sleeper favorites of 2015. I LOVED the book. The characters, the writing, the plot … all of it from beginning to end was fabulous. Zac and Marcus are so great together, and how they meet has got to be one of my favorites of any book.
Here’s what I had to say on Goodreads back in May:
This book was FUN! Sweet and adorable and melty-swoony, too! Zach is FABULOUS and Marcus is just too cute for words.I loved the way they met (so original!) I loved their personalities (Especially Zach's cotton candy blue hair!) I loved their friends and family (Well, Zach's at least. Marcus's -- well, them definitely not so much) The writing in this was flawless, tight and witty and totally captivating. This book was EXACTLY what I wanted to read and I am SO hoping there is more of Zach and Marcus in the future.
When I listened to the audio, I fell in love with Zac and Marcus all over again. Probably even more. Jonathan David did a great job with this story. The pacing was spot-on, the “voices” were even better and made the story really come to life. I laughed until I cried more than a few times, and boy are there ever so super swoony moments, too, and hearing Zac and Marcus together made them that much better. I listen to A LOT of audio books, I love them. Jonathan David is a really good narrator. He’s got a crisp, clear tone and he gives each character a distinct voice which is great. I really enjoyed Zac’s best friend, Jordan as well as Zac’s family.
I highly recommend this book, in whatever format you prefer. But if you’re a huge fan of audio books like me, or even if (especially if) you’re on the fence and wondering if you should give them a try … do it. And start with Starting with the Unexpected. You won’t be sorry.

This book was a fun, mostly lighthearted read with the two main characters Zach and Marcus finding friendship then love in one another.
It was fresh, witty, heartwarming and engaging until the end and had the perfect balance of sweet, sexy and humor.
I loved the development of Zach and Marcus's relationship and the pacing of the story was excellent.
The plot had just enough twists and turns to keep it interesting.
You will love the secondary characters as well.
I adored this book and I'm confident that everyone who reads it will love it too. - by Kylee Shelton