by Becky (link)
Genre het, romance, angst
Pairings Isaac/Nikki, Taylor/Kate, Taylor/Natalie, Taylor/OFC, Zac/Kate
Length 20 chapters (in parts, with alternate ending)
Status Completed
Unexpected Beautiful is another one of many fics I read because the plot seemed unique. Being told after the end of a relationship.
Which it was unique but I’m not sure I was totally in love with the story at times. I just was not a fan of Palace/Taylor at all. They both seemed to make each other horrible people even if we the audience were being told they were supposed to be in love.
There was just too much telling and not enough actually showing how much they loved each other. Instead Taylor came off as an asshole who only really loved himself and stalking women and Palace when she was with Taylor was like this shallow shell of herself.
She was more likable when she was with Ryan the original character whom I came to love and also when she was interacting with Kate and Zac.
But despite my issues with Taylor/Palace I did like the story well enough. Enough to keep reading through all the chapters that were dedicated to their toxic relationship. Which in the end I’m glad I did because the story ended with them not being endgame which was probably how it should have always been and would probably go in real life.
Palace needed someone who wasn’t a crazy asshole and Taylor well he deserved loneliness. I may have also really loved the alternate ending because in it she ended up with Ryan.
Besides my not liking Palace/Taylor there were a few timeline errors which got better once Becky got a beta. So I’m glad that was fixed. There was also one chapter that mentioned suicide and I kind of wish that I had a warning on it as content like that can sometimes be triggering to readers who suffer with suicidal tendencies or depression.
Overall though I maybe would probably re-read this story at least to just see Ryan and Palace again. Ryan especially because Becky really did Ryan well. She also wrote Zac well too and I really loved loved loved one of the chapters towards the end where Zac told Taylor off.
Which makes me hope and wish that some day Becky will do a Zac-centric story but I think that’s just the Zac girl in me speaking.
To end this though I’d say I’d probably recommend this story to people who want to read Taylor fics were Taylor isn’t so squeaky clean or a nice guy like he sometimes is in fics. It’d probably be right up their alley.
Review by Elizabeth (tumblr)