An Unexpected Encounter by Robin Shaw

Entrepreneur Zachary Wilkins doesn’t see himself as a brother to his younger cousins, like they have considered him to be. He feels indebted to his aunt and uncle for adopting him and officially making him a member of their family. When he encounters Shaina Hayes, he wants her just as much as she wants him. Seeing her, for a second time, at his cousin, Aaron’s wedding, stirs emotions in him that he can’t shake and further fuels his desire for her.

Shaina Hayes has had two rules since moving into Bloomfield Township, Ohio; work hard and keep to herself. One night, however, she goes out to celebrate her new job. A tall, handsome man catches her eye and the attraction between them unravels into an explosive night of passion. A night that she relives in her mind and vows to herself to never repeat again.

GUEST REVIEWED BY Cyndi from The Book Enthusiast

4 STARS

The Wilkins family is tight. They work together and play together. An Unexpected Encounter is book 2 of the Wilkins series by Robin Shaw and centers around the eldest “Wilkins” child, Zachary. This is the story of how Zachary comes to find himself paired up with one Shaina Hayes. Told from the 3rd person POV but mostly through Shaina’s perspective, it’s a steamy romance that starts with a one night stand instigated by Shaina.

Shaina character is a hard nut to crack. She’s likable as she is honest about who she is and what she “thinks” she wants. You will find yourself rooting for her as she is tested by a co-worker and she does her best to keep her distance with Zachary. But Zachery is a force and makes it impossible for Shaina to ignore him. She wants intimacy but very much on her own terms and is unapologetic with her sexuality. She seemingly doesn’t want a husband, at least not yet, and she struggles to let anyone in on her emotions and boy does she talk a good game.

The story is set up to be a standalone, but I found that at times I felt like I needed more context on the other family members. There are many sub-plots centered on the other Wilkins children and I felt that there was some backstory that I was missing. Since I had book 1, I did a quick read through some initial chapters so that I could try to understand who was who more clearly. My suggestion is to read these in order, regardless of how they are positioned as standalone.

The story is steamy and the sex scenes are well done, very well done in fact. There was the promise of some angst but it was never fully realized. However, Zachary and Shaina faced a few obstacles. Most of their angst is simply around them coming to terms with what they want from each other. It is a quick read and perfect company for a long afternoon on the beach.

I am Robin Shaw, a hopeless romantic who loves to read and write about romance. Life is filled with enough unhappy endings, so I enjoy penning tales with a HFN or HEA.