When You Least Expect It Review — Is It Worth Reading?

Verdict: A hugely popular, much-reread sapphic romance: a Christmas-hating Boston divorce lawyer takes on a client who happens to be the gorgeous, supposedly straight wife of her work rival — and falls for her and her little girl over the course of a year. Readers reread it again and again for the pining, warmth and healthy communication.

Best for: Anyone who loves a slow burn, a late-awakening love interest and an adorable kid.

Heat level: L3 · Open door (3/5)

Rating: ★★★★★ (4.5/5 — a 4.25 Goodreads average across 20,859 ratings, 4.13 on StoryGraph from 5,176 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 6,088 Amazon ratings)

Tropes: Slow burn, friends to lovers, late awakening (“toaster oven”), single mom, holiday romance, lawyer/client.

When You Least Expect It is Haley Cass’s 2020 contemporary lesbian romance and her second novel after Those Who Wait. Caroline Parker knows three things: she’ll be Boston’s most sought-after divorce attorney by thirty-five, love isn’t in the cards, and Christmas only brings her bad luck.

It holds a 4.25 average across 20,859 Goodreads ratings, with 83% of them four or five stars, 4.13 on StoryGraph from 5,176 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 6,088 Amazon ratings.

What Is When You Least Expect It About?

On Christmas Eve, Caroline runs into Hannah Dalton — the most gorgeous woman she’s ever seen, straight, and married to Caroline’s work rival. When Hannah later hires her for her divorce, winning the case should be thrill enough.

But as months pass, bringing Caroline closer to Hannah and her daughter Abbie, the lines between attorney and client begin to blur.

What Works in This Book

The pining: Readers call the slow burn and yearning perfect.
Healthy dynamics: Fans praise the communication, with only realistic misunderstandings.
Abbie: Hannah’s daughter is widely loved.
Re-read value: Reviewers report rereading it many times, and the Lori Prince audiobook is a favourite.

Book Synopsis

A lawyer who hates Christmas. A client who shouldn’t be falling for her lawyer.

A year of friendship, and the love neither saw coming.

My Review

Cass makes an ordinary setup feel extraordinary through character and warmth. Caroline’s voice is funny and vulnerable, Hannah’s awakening is gentle and believable, and the domestic moments with Abbie give the romance real heart.

The few reservations: the single, first-person present-tense POV takes some getting used to, the year-long timeline can feel slow at first, and some readers prefer Those Who Wait. One admits there is nothing especially original here — just very well done.

My honest note: If you haven’t read it, start here.

Element	In When You Least Expect It
Central relationship	Caroline Parker (divorce attorney) & Hannah Dalton (newly single mom)
Core tropes	Slow burn, friends to lovers, late awakening
Setting	Boston, across more than a year
Heat level	L3 · Open door (3/5)
Length	248 pages (Kindle edition)
Series	Followed by Better Than Expected
Content notes	Homophobia, a toxic or emotionally abusive relationship

How Spicy Is When You Least Expect It?

Moderate — on-page intimacy after a long, sweet build.

StoryGraph readers flag sexual content, homophobia and lesbophobia, and a toxic, emotionally abusive relationship.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you want a cosy, yearning single-mom romance. It is on our single mom lesbian romance list.

You may want to skip it if: you want high drama or fast pacing.

In short: A modern classic.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

On Goodreads the split is 46% five stars, 37% four, 15% three, 2% two and 1% one. On StoryGraph, 79% tagged it lighthearted and 93% found the characters loveable.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The slow burn first. Second, warmth. Third, Abbie. Fourth, rereadability.

What readers argue about and complain about: Present-tense POV, above everything. Second, the slow start. Third, comparisons to Those Who Wait.

The comparison worth making first: Those Who Wait, Cass’s debut. For more like it, see our books like When You Least Expect It list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is When You Least Expect It a slow burn?

Very. The story spans more than a year, moving from attorney and client to friends to something more, and readers love the pining.

Is Hannah straight?

She believes she is at the start — readers describe it as a “toaster oven” late-awakening romance.

Is there a sequel?

Yes: Better Than Expected continues Caroline and Hannah’s story.

How spicy is it?

Moderate — there is on-page intimacy once the slow burn pays off, but it is mostly a warm, low-angst romance.

Is When You Least Expect It on Kindle Unlimited?

Yes, when we checked — or $7.99 to buy on Kindle. The audiobook, narrated by Lori Prince, is a reader favourite.

If You Loved When You Least Expect It, Read These Next

Try Those Who Wait or In the Event of Love. Browse our single mom list or the full Book Reviews archive.

The Bottom Line

When You Least Expect It sets out to be a warm, yearning holiday slow burn, and it has become a reader favourite for good reason. What holds it back is little more than a tense choice. Essential reading. Check When You Least Expect It on Amazon →