Love Unwritten (Lakefront Billionaires, 2)

It was a marathon, not a sprint, but I had such a great time going along for the ride. This is a true S-L-O-W burn between two characters who need to battle their own demons before they have any chance of getting things right together. I loved that it was a new spin on the single dad/nanny trope, where spending time together has actually made their relationship worse. Getting to know the grumpy man has extinguished the teenage crush our heroine once had, while watching the sunshine nanny effortlessly bond with his son has made this single dad jealous and resentful. It takes some time before they can build up a level of trust - or even like - and I loved seeing them slowly make their way together. It’s tender and emotional with plenty of darkness in both characters’ pasts, so watching them grow stronger and brighter together was immensely satisfying. It’s the kind of love story that requires some patience, but there was never a dull moment for me - I loved it! The story follows Ellie, a songwriter who is working as a nanny while her music career is in shambles. She’s been working for the man she used to crush on as a teenager, but living with the closed off, jaded and depressed dad has changed her feelings about him. Rafael has shut down since his messy divorce, so he has all kinds of trust issues. But once the two are able to let down their walls a little bit, they quickly realize how much they have in common - and that their broken pieces might just fit together. Asher likes to write beefy books - sometimes too beefy - so I was a little nervous to see that this is even longer than the first book in the series. However, this took no time at all to draw me in, and I was never bored with it. I loved the slow burn, actually. It was important for these characters to build trust with each other before becoming something more, and it was still easy to see the undercurrent of connection and chemistry beneath the surface. They’ve both gone through a lot in their lives, and it was only by opening up about those experiences that they were able to grow together. Rafael was such a great guy - imperfect and vulnerable, yet loving and steady. He’s the perfect counterpart to Ellie, and I also loved the side she brought out in him. It’s such a quiet love story in so many ways, but their connection shone throughout. And when they finally made their way together? It felt so, so good. Audio note: The audio is excellent, highly recommended! It’s duet-style, which I love, and so well done. Vanessa Edwin is a talented narrator, and her performance was very good. I was nervous about Noah B. Perez because I’ve only listened to one other audiobook from him and he really played up his accent in that one in a bad way - I’ll forever be haunted by the way he said “Lucas” in The American Roommate Experiment. That was not the case this time; I actually loved his accent and had no trouble with it. The audiobook is nearly 15 hours long, so I listened over the course of three days, but I was never bored or disinterested. I was excited to pick it back up each time. It’s also a super slow burn with just a bit of spice, so it made a great workday listen. All in all, very pleased that I chose this format.

Book Title: Love Unwritten Author: Lauren Asher Tropes: Grumpy x Sunshine, Single Dad, Nanny Romance, Slow Burn, Found Family, Healing & Growth Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ 🌶️ ⸻ 🤩 The Vibe: Heartfelt, emotional, and beautifully slow-burn. Love Unwritten takes all the family-centered warmth from book one and layers in even deeper emotional stakes. With a grumpy single dad, his sunshine nanny, and a son who ties them together, this story is equal parts tender, raw, and swoony. At over 600 pages, it’s a hefty read, but the emotional payoff makes the journey worth it. ⸻ 👩‍❤️‍👨 Main Characters: Ellie Sinclair – Gentle, kind, and quietly resilient. Watching her rediscover her confidence as a songwriter—and finally go after the recognition she deserved—was incredibly rewarding. Her compassion and warmth with Nico made her shine. Rafael Lopez – Broody, overworked, and carrying his share of baggage. But beneath the grumpiness, he’s fiercely devoted—not only to his son but to Ellie once he lets her in. The way he showed Ellie her beauty, scars and all, had me melting. ⸻ 💕 What I Loved: • The perfect grump/sunshine dynamic between Rafael and Ellie ✨ • The family vibes—especially Ellie’s bond with Nico, which was so pure and sweet 🥹 • Ellie’s growth in confidence and pursuit of her music dreams • Rafael’s quiet but powerful devotion (and the way he made Ellie feel truly seen) • The emotional depth and healing woven into the romance • Another win: no third-act breakup 🙌 She is 2/2 for this series!! ⸻ 🚫 What Didn’t Work For Me: • The length—over 600 pages felt too drawn out and could have been trimmed. • The heavy use of Spanish was tough on audio since I couldn’t look up translations, and at times it pulled me out of the story. ⸻ 🤔 Final Thoughts: Lauren Asher delivers another emotional, slow-burn romance that blends family, healing, and love in a way that sticks with you. While it was long, the grumpy x sunshine dynamic and found-family heart made this a standout. Rafael and Ellie’s story felt raw, tender, and beautifully human, with a romance rooted in choice and devotion. If you love nanny romances, grumpy heroes with soft centers, and stories that make you both swoon and tear up, Love Unwritten is one to add to your list.

3 stars, only because I didn’t enjoy this book as much as other Lauren Asher stories and those usually get around 4 stars. This story was a cute and fast read for me. I enjoyed it overall, but it wasn’t anything that super wowed me. Would I still recommend this to others? Heck yeah. If you are like me and love reading what I like to call romance filler books, where the book isn’t mind blowing, but still hits that entertainment factor.

This was a fantastic story with wonderful characters. Rafael and Ellie had so much sexual tension that it was only a matter of time before they acted on their attraction. They both tried to keep it professional, because they didn’t want to affect her relationship with his son, who she was a nanny for. He came across as unfriendly and untrusting, which was due to his childhood trauma. Now, his son is facing a disease that will have him go blind sooner rather than later, and his ex is flaky as all get out. When he learns that Ellie kept something from him about his son, he overreacts and fires her. Ellie is loving her job as a nanny, even if working for her high school crush is difficult. She loves his son and tries to give him time to tell Rafa about his eyesight (he doesn’t want to ruin his birthday), but an accident happens. When she is fires she decides she is no longer going to let people walk all over her, so she doesn’t readily accept when he offers her her job back. I loved the progression of their relationship and how he grew as a character. It was also nice to see her grow stronger in her self esteem and go after her dreams. The outcome of the lawsuit was surprising but I really liked her response. His son was the cutest and I loved his relationship with both Rafa and Ellie. Duet narration is my favorite and Noah and Vanessa did wonderful jobs of bringing emotion, depth and realism to the characters. I enjoyed the slight accent of Noah, especially when he spoke in his native language. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what happens next. I would also listen to these narrators again. Fantastic. I received an ARC, ALC, and bought my own copy of this book, and this is my honest, voluntary review.

This was such a cute book. You had fluffy scenes and heavy ones, which I don't see too much. There was talk of cutting, abuse and anxiety. I enjoy a book that has some good heavier topics mixed in. I thought the communication between the two MCs was pretty well and you could see the growth in their communication. I feel that I'm not a miscommunication trope girlie and this one didn't hit me in that aspect which was so pleasing. This book gravitated more to a slow burn for me, but I enjoyed it. I feel that I rated it 4 instead of something higher because it felt very long, where would I cut anything out? I have no idea but at the 75% mark I was ready for it to be closer to the ending. All in all, I fully enjoyed this book and would recommend this book if you like a romance book that have some more deeper topics in it.

Audiobook: Narrated by Noah B. Perez and Vanessa Edwin Single Dad / Nanny Billionaire romance This was such a heart warming story, not only between the two main characters, but also between father and son. The writing was so beautiful and really painted a picture of the difficulties this small family was navigating. Rafael’s character progression through this story was so fulfilling. Elenor also grew so much and I truly appreciated the emphasis on mental health and dealing with difficult emotions in healthy way, not only for themselves but also as a legacy for Nico. The banter between Rafael and Elenor was so fun and a pleasure to experience, especially on audio. Great characters, interesting plot and epic chemistry! This is the first time I’ve listened to a book narrated by Noah B. Perez but I will be looking for him in the future. He has the perfect tone to voice a broody alpha male character. Not only that, his vocal dexterity in playing multiple characters was impressive, particularly when voicing Nico’s young character. I literally forgot until near the end that this was the same person. Vanessa Edwin was also a wonderful choice. She has such a beautiful lyrical tone to her voice that was so pleasing to listen to for long periods of time. The emotions came through in spades in this audiobook.

A four for a Lauren Asher book doesn’t feel great. In all cases, a four is a solid book - but I’m so used to finishing her books and wanting to scream about them to everyone I know… and this just wasn’t my favorite. 📕 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Love Unwritten by Lauren Asher 📙 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Lakefront Billionaires character series. Book 2. 📗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: E-book on Kindle. 🆓 on KU. 📘 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Contemporary romance 📔 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: Single dad, nanny, forbidden romance, slow burn, vacation vibes, he loves her scars, all of the feels, forced proximity. 📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Ellie has been a nanny for the closed off Rafael for about a year, and she’s no closer to figuring him out. Their relationship has had ups and downs - he fired her, then begged her to return… but as his little boy Nico begs for one last trip with his eyesight intact, the pair is forced to put their feelings under a microscope. 🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: When Lauren Asher said she was writing a single dad/nanny romance, I was so down. So I’m a little bummed I didn’t LOVE it. But I truly think it was a good book as long as you know what you’re getting into - and luckily, you have me! Ellie and Rafa’s story was ALL of the feels. Both characters were deeply broken, and there was a lot of work that had to be done to bring them to a place where they can find love. It’s absolutely a slow burn - as advertised - and the couple don’t do much more than kiss until 75%. Unfortunately, that messed with all of the pacing to me. I truly admire Lauren Asher’s proclivity to do right by her characters, but I needed this book to be 150 pages shorter and have a little more romance. I felt a little like I was trudging through the middle (it was 600+ pages). The last 10 percent was so swoony, and I wish I got more of that. All in all, I’m still up on this series… and I can’t wait for Lorenzo and Lily’s story next. 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹: 3/5 🌶🌶🌶

Too cute too sweet to real luv the book easy to read very interesting story about love life and moving forward

I absolutely love reading these billionaire series. If you like old romantic love like books, this is your go to. I finished it in a month’s time and called for another one of Lauren asher series. Must read and absolute favourite ♥️

This was good but maybe a little long. A lot was going on but somehow most of the book was filler. I wish there had been more on the Ava stuff and more of resolution to everything else. I did like Rafa and Ellies relationship once the got together. They were really cute and I do love a single dad x nanny. Nico was adorable too. Overall, it was good but not my favourite.

Came in the best condition with no damage at all. I love it!

My love for Lauren’s writing grows with each of her books. From chapter one I knew I was going to love Ellie, Rafa and Nico, and I really loved Lauren’s twist on the single dad trope, this is truly a stand out in that sub-genre. Rafa may have come across as moody and arrogant, but underneath he’s hiding an incredibly tender heart that only beats for his son, Nico, and Ellie. His dedication to his son and his business hid a wounded heart. His initial resistance to Ellie’s charm was believable, as you could see his stubbornness towards any potential healing and happiness. He had the most insane character growth from the beginning to the end of this book. Plus the ways he made Ellie feel seen with his words and actions had me swooning so hard 🥹 Ellie was such a compelling character with her vulnerability and her resilience. Her relationship with Nico was special. Her interactions with Nico as his nanny added a layer of depth to the story. She had a nurturing soul and loved him beyond measure and took care of him like he was her own. Rafa and Ellie were both deep, complex character’s who had so much hidden beneath the surface. I really enjoyed their slow burn, it made their eventual romantic connection feel earned. The way they both peeled back each other’s layers bit by bit until they bared their soul to the other. Seeing them open up, be vulnerable, and heal whilst learning to trust each other was so special. Their love was real and earned and I kept being surprised up until the very end. Their bater and chemistry was top notch and I couldn’t get enough of them. Nico was a highlight of the book for me. It’s rare to see a single parent romance where the child has so much agency within the story. His special bond with Ellie and the strained relationship he fixes with Rafa were precious to bear witness to. He was so loveable and I simply adored him. He melted my heart 🥹 Love Unwritten is a beautifully woven romance that skilfully balances emotional topics with heartfelt moments. Lauren has a craft of being able to create relatable characters with genuine flaws and strengths, making this story resonate deeply with readers. Tropes: 🍓 small town 👦🏻 singe dad x nanny ⛅️ grumpy (him) x sunshine (her) 🌺 hawaii vacation 🏡 forced proximity ❤️‍🩹 damaged hero

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ho amato alla follia questo libro. Avevo dubbi? Assolutamente no ormai anche questa Thrice sta diventando una certezza. Riordino i suoi libri a scatola chiusa. E ogni volta non mi deludono affatto. Ero curiosa di conoscere la storia di Rafael e Edo Carletto la trama di questo libro potete capire che ha totalmente catturato la mia attenzione. un single Dead crampi? Una Tata solare? Un immenso forbidden? Beh, cari miei, con volato totalmente a nozze. Rafael oltre a essere Gramsci, è arrabbiato e poco fiducioso nei confronti delle persone. Le figure femminili della sua vita che vanno alla sua madre alla sua ex moglie non hanno fatto altro che creargli dei problemi di fiducia. Quindi adesso è totalmente intenzionato a lasciare chiunque fuori, peccato che la sua Tata presente da otto mesi sta mandando all’aria tutto quanto. Per i primi otto mesi è riuscito a starle vicino in un minimo indispensabile e a mantenere per quanto possibile tutto professionale peccato che un incidente con il figlio è un segreto venuto fuori tra la Tata e il bambino manda tutto all’aria. Da questo momento in poi le cose prendono una piega totalmente diversa. La Tata si deve confrontare con la mancanza di fiducia da parte del suo capo. Che non si limita a livello lavorativo ma anche a livello personale. Ecco con l’avanzare della storia e dell’evoluzione del loro rapporto questo sarà inevitabilmente un ostacolo enorme che segnerà la loro evoluzione. Rafael lì per lì licenzia la sua Tata ma a malincuore è costretto di sentire la sua mancanza e il fatto che il figlio è deciso non parlargli arrabbiato per aver licenziato la sua data Raffaella è costretto a tornare sui suoi passi. Ciò che segna una totale svolta nel loro rapporto è la vacanza con il suo capo e suo figlio su un’isola. I confini iniziano a svanire, le emozioni a prendere il sopravvento, i problemi a venire al pettine. Provano attrazione l’uno per l’altra ma Rafael non ha intenzione di lavorare su ciò. Sono troppo diversi, togliamo cose troppo diverse. Rafael un uomo spezzato. Problematico. Che non vuole far entrare nessuno nella tua vita eppure lei riesce a entrare di sotto pelle. In un modo che non capisce. Tuttavia i suoi problemi di fiducia entrano in collisione in ostacolo con tutto ciò.egli è una persona apparentemente allegra, solare, positiva eppure scopriremo nel corso della storia insieme a Rafael, come anche lei nasconde un passato che l’ha assegnata. Un passato non ha fatto positivo. Ciò che inizialmente accomunava due era l’amore che provavano per suo figlio ma diventa sempre più difficile nascondere dell’altro. Ma riuscirà Rafael a superare le sue paure e lasciare spazio alla sua tata? Ho amato questa storia. L’ho amata alla follia. Mi hanno fatto dannare dietro di loro, la loro tensione in questo estremo slow burn. Ma entrambi ti entrano nel cuore. Con le loro paure, le loro crepe. Con il loro essere umani