This was my first Lisa Jackson and I was really excited about the book from the synopsis on the back cover. I like when romance books have some mystery behind it. So, I picked it up but I feel like this book went in chunks or a bar graph for me. At the beginning, the opening sequence was brilliant. I was intrigued by what had happened between Ross and Shelby but wasn't given too much info and while reading it I was wondering if perhaps Ross was indeed innocent. From that point on the book was really enjoyable. I loved the characters and while Bad Luck, Texas definitely seemed a bit cliche and tacky name wise I was ok with just excusing that. (what is with author naming towns HORRIBLY??) I liked that Shelby was her own person and while there were moments that she showed affection and softness towards her over dominate father, she refused to be railroaded by him. I do wish that we got a more complete view of their relationship and why he was such a jerk. We heard about him bullying others but never were we shown, more told. Yes, he wasn't giving the full story about Shelby and her child but I didn't feel like that was enough for how everyone felt about him and his family. I wasn't originally a big fan of Nevada, and thought he seemed... icky? How horrible is that to feel about the lead male, thankfully as the book progress that initial reaction was dismissed and I did enjoy his character.Where this book turned for the non-good was during a pivotal information part. I don't wanna say too much due to spoilers, but we were lead to believe one thing and it was like Jackson decided to just flip the 'verse upside down and act as if nothing had happened. It changed my view on so many of the characters and the history that I felt (up until that point) like I was reading a whole new book.I wish Jackson hadn't tried to fit quite so much stuff into this book. There were too many lose ends or pieces that I felt needed a little more tying up that in a way it felt incomplete. After the book I still wanted to know more information and had questions about certain events and such.My actual rating would be 2.5. I think if Jackson hadn't flipped the world so abruptly and didn't try to jam so much into it I would've given it more stars. Still, a good fast read and a good romance/suspense or beach read.
Unspoken is a really, really good mystery peppered with some known suspects and a lot of unknown. Very well written suspense and very hot romance.Shelby was 17 when she got pregnant and the father was the man she loved, Neveda, or the man who raped her, Ross. Soon after Ramon Estevan is murdered and Ross is convicted of the crime. Shelby has a baby girl who dies at birth, or did she. Shelby leaves town, vowing never to return. 10 years later the old drunk who claimed he saw Ross in Estevan's Market just before the murder recants his story on his near death bed. Ross is freed. In the same week, Shelby receives a picture of a young child who has a striking resemblance to Shelby along with copies of the Birth and Death Certificates for Shelby's baby, Elizabeth. Shelby returns to Bad Luck, Texas and confronts her rich daddy and hooks up with Nevada to find Elizabeth.Someone is pulling everyone's strings, there are a lot of secrets and two very big questions: Who killed Ramon Estevan and where is baby Elizabeth.
What do You think about Unspoken (2012)?
When I first started this one I was really loving it... but it started to fizzle out in the middle and by the end I was just glad to be done... the plot line would have been really good if it stayed on the suspense part...but it turned into who else was related to who by the end. Along with how many more people would be tied to this very busy judge! The way it all came to light was (at the very least) weak as hell, suddenly the judge wanted to spill his guts, and he (of course) is dieing.... the end is a cliche' of half baked crapolio....lmao... and sorry for the spoiler but did I miss something along the way cuz if not by my calculation she married her half brother in the end?!?!
—Tami Urbanek
This is he best romance novel I've ever read. It is about a girl who got pregnant had her baby, but had to put it up for adoption because her father was the town judge and she was only a teen when she got pregnant. The night she got pregnant was also the night she was raped... She never knew if her daughter she searched for was the man she feel in love withs daughter or the man who raped her. Eventually she found her old summer love and they patched things up again she found her daughter and everything was normal again for her.
—Shelbyflinchum
I have read a number of Lisa Jackson stories and have really liked them. Not so much this one. It is a mish-mash of romance, suspense and the character's history. Any one of these themes would have made a great story but the way they were put together doesn't work very well.The "scary" character is not necessary to the story, the romance is so trite - rich girl, poor guy, neither feeling like they want to become involved for all the worst reasons but "love" gets them. The mean, controlling father who isn't really in the story but takes up a lot of space.I am not even certain I can say I read the whole book, I breezed past a number of pages without reading them thoroughly.
—Beth
