Review: 3 stars = I liked it and it was a GOOD read
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2014
Unrequited love sucks and no one knows that better than Audree. She has been in love with Gavin since she was a child, but he only saw her as his best friend’s little sister and that made her off-limits. In the beginning of the book, Ms. Benson provides us with snapshots of their interactions over the years and lays a nice foundation for the story without bogging us down in an unnecessary retelling of their lives. The scene in which Audree gives Gavin her virginity on her eighteenth birthday was an emotionally intense scene that was quite moving.As the trip down memory lane progresses, we learn much about Audree and Gavin’s lives up to the present and I must admit that I found their “friends with benefit” situation oddly disconcerting. Audree is such a strong and independent character that it seems contradictory for her to allow herself to be used by Gavin over and over … and let’s face it, that’s what he was doing. She agreed to the arrangement in hopes that he would change his mind and begin to see her in a romantic light. While I might understand letting the situation continue for a while, my take from the book was that it occurred for almost a decade and that’s practically masochistic.Just as odd, for me, was Gavin’s belief that he wasn’t good enough for Audree. That’s the kind of attitude you expect from a character who grows up on the “wrong side of the tracks,” not a character whose family was one of the more affluent in the area and someone who ends up building an extremely successful company on his own. But my biggest sticking point with the book was that I never understood why Gavin’s father hated Audree so much. I kept waiting for an explanation and I never read it – I suppose I could have missed it but I don’t think I did.While I enjoyed Gavin and Audree’s interactions as the nature of their relationship changed and underwent some serious growing pains, my favorite part of the book was Travis, Gavin’s younger brother. Travis’s antics were quick to make me laugh; he loved his brother and Audree and did what he could to help them both out; and his loyalty is astounding considering the compromising position he found his fiancé in with Gavin. I really hope that the next book in the series is about Travis because that boy deserves a shot at love after what his father’s machinations subjected him to. Love Unclaimed is a good read. It’s a little sappy in parts, but that’s what makes it a fun and light read when you just want to be entertained.I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!