Cover Image: Unflappable

Unflappable

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Member Reviews

DNF 60&
I really did try to finish this. But it was so many unessesary characters - that was half made. Why did we really need the start with Luna`s husband? like i don`t know. Alot of words, and writing...but not alot of things happend. I did not feel the suspence of being on the run, it was alot hanging out with characters i`ve forgotten the name of..

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Absolutely loved the subject matter, but this book needed a serious read through by at least one more editor. The story lacked a lot of foundation and it was easy to confuse bits of the book or characters who didn’t have enough meat to them. With some polish I think this should be a fantastic read both witty and even a little informative, but as is it’s so so.

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This was a fun read, albeit weird and unrealistic. I loved the animal facts and I enjoyed following Luna and Ned's journey. The writing was great but it did need some tweaks but overall, it was fast-paced and really entertaining! I definitely recommend it if you're looking for something light and fast to read.

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This novel is part adventure, part thriller and part comedy romance all wrapped together with a liberal dose of animal conservation education.

It was well written and I enjoyed waiting to find out what happened next. The author obviously knows her subject very well, and I know that because at some points I felt a bit like I was being given a lecture disguised as a conversation. Sometimes the educational aspect of the novel went on a bit too long. It could have been trimmed a bit without detracting from my understanding of what was going on.

I felt there were way too many characters; I kept losing track of who they were and where they fit into everything, and the story went on just a bit too long. About 15-20% could have been cut out and made the story much snappier and easier to follow. There was perhaps one to many stops on their road trip, one too many sets of rehabbers to get to know and one too many narrow escapes.

But apart from that this was a good story and the topic was one that doesn’t come around that often, which made a nice change.

3.5 stars.

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I can't make up my mind what I think of this really. This is classed on Good Reads under chick lit and romantic comedy but I actually think it's trying to be an adventure caper - there's certainly not a lot of romance in it - and I never felt like I got to know what made Luna tick. But hand a heist caper featuring wildlife rescuers is perfectly timed at the moment given the mania for Tiger King. On the other hand, I struggled while reading this to keep my head around who everyone was. But because of the Tiger King situation, it didn't seem quite as farfetched as it otherwise might have done. Good idea, not as good in the execution.

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https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/185430

'Unflappable' is a fun read about a young woman, Luna, who realizes her new marriage to one of Florida's wealthiest businessmen is not what she wants. She pulls away and her super-powerful husband is not pleased. In an ill-conceived effort to woo her back, he breaks up a pair of mated eagles to keep in his private zoo for her. She, a staunch wildlife enthusiast, is horrified and it sets off a chain of events as she bird-knaps the eagle and tries to get he and his mate to a place they can be safe forever. A new volunteer, Ned, who is no as enthusiastic as she, gets dragged into the mix.

This is the kind of book that would make an endearing and quirky movie. The best parts involve the rescue and rehabilitation community as it is a fun peek behind the scenes of these types of communities.

There are a lot of characters and overall I did not click with the main characters. By chapter five I did not really care what happened and the story seemed to be on a fairly predictable quest/ romance ark. I skimmed a lot and read the last few chapters to make sure I did not just write it off a book that others have really enjoyed. It finishes as expected with some nice character growth and a sweet ending.

If you are looking for a book to throw in your pool bag this is it. The writing is well done and if you like road trips, quests, and everyone working for a good cause this is your book!

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Received from Netgalley

I loved the concept of this story and was delighted when I got accepted to read this!

I think I must've read something different to the many other reviews as I just didn't click with this at all.

There were far too many characters so rather than concentrating on the storyline I found myself trying to figure out who everyone was!

In honesty I ended up skim reading the last 70% of this book.

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'Unflappable' is a wild ride - literally. In this road-trip-meets-nature-conservation tale, Luna Burke is on a mission to reunite a kidnapped Bald Eagle with its mate and smuggle them both into Canada before her psychotic billionaire husband and his various armed forces can catch her. It's the adventure you didn't know you needed, complete with an underground railroad of wildlife rescuers, one homicidal bird, a panther advocate armed to his teeth, a smitten young volunteer, and a badass heroine determined to escape her own entrapment in an unfulfilling marriage.

If nothing else, it's unique. By far the most compelling aspect of Suzie Gilbert's second novel is its bizarre cast of characters, each more endearing than the last. Gilbert showcases humanity at its battiest, its strangest, its nastiest, but also at its best: she peels away layers of personal strife and trauma to reveal an inherent core of compassion that entangles us with the natural world. A number of intertwined love stories guide the plot, including the tragic separation of Mars (the eagle) and his mate, the blooming infatuation between Luna and Ned, and the commitment of conservationists to a world that has lost its trust in a violent and selfish human race.

Unfortunately the suspense and intrigue at the heart of 'Unflappable' are disrupted by some issues in pacing. Juggling such a large cast of characters comes with the added challenge of writing ultra-smooth transitions from one point of view to the next, and Gilbert might have fared better by limiting the narrative to two or three key perspectives. The storyline felt disjointed and jumpy for a large chunk of the novel, giving the reader mild whiplash rather than an adrenaline-fuelled race to the novel's climax.

Despite some other minor nitpicks, I absolutely loved all of Unflappable's eccentricities. The novel has a strong gravitational pull towards conservational ethics, but its lessons are integrated effortlessly into the storyline (providing "incidental learning at its best," to use Debbie Lefebre's words). Hope and hilarity resonate throughout this marvellous, crazy story of love and escape.

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Completely unbelievable yet somehow still believable story(honestly it is) this book is unique and fresh. I was charmed from the start, it will engross you, it is witty, full of lovely realistic characters, fast paced and great writing. What a wonderful read, left me smiling which we really need at the moment.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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This was a very original, cute story. I learned a lot about animals, and conservation measures and really enjoyed myself while reading. The storyline is very unique and original, honestly I have never read anything like it.

However, I think I would have enjoyed the book a bit more if it was just focused on our two main characters, Ned and Luna. I felt like there was so many characters that at the beginning, I was really confused on who is who. Even later in the book when I was able to remember more of the characters there was still times when I would have to stop and think before I remembered who the specific character was. If the story had focused solely on Ned and Luna's point of view while still introducing the other characters (especially the rehabbers), in my opinion, it would have been a bit stronger.

Another small thing, is when flashbacks would occur in the story, I wouldn't know. The transition wasn't always clear to me so I would be half a page in before realizing this was occurred at a different time. This only happened a couple of times throughout the book but it was a bit jarring when it did occur.

Honestly though, besides me being picky on a few points, it was a strong book. It did its job of distracting me from everything occurring around the world right now and made me laugh and smile at times. If you enjoy a fast paced novel with a whole cast of characters, I highly recommend picking this one up.

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Suzie Gilbert captures emotions between an animal and a human in this witty, comical novel. There are a lot of laugh out loud, emotional and lovely moments. The characters in the story are loveable and are well developed. Fast paced, Light hearted, contemporary romance novel.
Thank you NetGalley, Suzie Gilbert and Perch Press for reader’s copy of this book. The review is based on my opinion and was not influenced.

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"Find and arrest Luna Burke"
I loved every page of UNFLAPPABLE by author Suzie Gilbert! While reading this book I laughed, shed a tear or two, and cheered for the heroes! The author takes a serious situation and weaves in witty and suspenseful scenes that kept me engrossed in the story. Luna Burke has been married only six months to Adam, a very wealthy and possessive businessman. Luna was first hired at Adams luxurious Florida mansion to keep the private zoo which had belonged to one of Adam's previous wives. Luna had thought it would be the perfect job until Adam begins to pressure her to marry him. He finally won her over by offering Luna the financial ability to support wildlife rehabbers all over the US. The social life of parties, business gatherings, and making appearances as Adam's beautiful wife takes its toll on her. Luna tells Adam to have their marriage annulled, she wants to go back to her life as an animal rehabber. After Adam has her locked in the house, Luna escapes and flees to her friends at the Starfish Key Wildlife Center. A few days later she receives a phone call from Harper, her intern at Adam's private zoo. Harper tells Luna that Adam has sent some of his bodyguards and taken Mars, one of the unreleasable mature bald eagles from the Western Pennsylvania Wildlife Center. Adam thinks if Luna has a bald eagle in her zoo, she will stay at the mansion. Luna enlists the help of Ned, a new volunteer, to drive her to the mansion and the hectic shenanigans begin! Luna plans to steal the protected eagle from Adam's zoo and take him all the way to famous wildlife rehabber, Helene de la Croix in Canada. The colorful characters who are involved in the cross-country chase to aid Luna and Ned from capture by Adam's goons, officers from the Department of Wildlife and Fishers, and local police are a wonderful cast of rehabbers who close ranks and help protect this rescue effort. Luna is a warrior in the fight to succeed in getting the bonded pair of eagles to safety from bureaucratic entanglements. While reading this book I laughed, shed a tear or two, and cheered for the heroes! * Some strong Language
Publication Date: March 24, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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This is a well written book that holds your attention. It was a different, but fun read. Thank you Perch Press / Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

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This is a thoroughly enjoyable read about Luna Burke, a young woman on the run, trying to save herself and a pair of beloved Bald Eagles. Luna is joined in her quest by a lovable cast of characters, who were all easy to root for.

While at times laugh-out-loud funny, this touching novel hinted at deeper issues and had me reading late into the night to find out what would happen next. There were a few too many characters and it was a bit too long, however, I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a fun, easy read that contains a bit of substance.

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Unflappable was fun, fast-paced, and hilarious. I mean come on, road trip, crazy husband, loyal friends, flirting and an eagle. What more could I ask for? I enjoyed the pace of the book and the development of characters and there are so many characters but not too many to forget who was who. I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to someone who likes light-hearted romance and friendships.

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I literally cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book. Unflappable is everything you could want in a novel - witty, hilarious, heartfelt, passionate about its cause, and so very magical. Suzie Gilbert is a modern great in the making.

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This book was so captivating and enthralling. Unflappable is about 25-year-old Luna Burke who is on the run for smuggling a Bald Eagle from her husband's zoo to reunite the Bald Eagle with its mate. This has caused her husband, the police and various others to chase after her. Helping her is a young guy who is a Navy Seal. This story was hilarious and suspenseful. The story will captivate you from page one.

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This book isn’t like anything I’ve read before. It was both far-fetched and totally believable. I feel like I still don’t quite have a handle on Luna but it was interesting to follow on her journey.

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