Change of Plans by Dylan Newton
Contemporary Romance
August 1, 2023- Forever
ARC

Review by Angela

This isn’t a named series, but the last three releases by this author are connected. How Sweet It Is features the oldest Matthews brother, horror writer Drake, and event planner, Kate Sweet. I enjoyed their story quite a bit. The main characters of the second book, All Fired Up, are Zander Matthews and his love, book publicist, Imani Lewis. I didn’t love this one, but I think it was mainly because of the pacing. Change of Plans is Ryker’s book and he is paired with a woman who finds herself suddenly the guardian of her three young nieces after the death of her brother and his wife, Bryce Weatherford.

I found myself zipping through this romance. Don’t get me wrong, there is a heck of a lot of angst and drama, mainly due to Bryce’s new circumstances as guardian to her nieces and Ryker’s PTSD and below-the-knee amputation. But nevertheless, I couldn’t stop flipping pages. These characters were charming and funny, and their chemistry was apparent right from their first meeting in the grocery store when one of Bryce’s nieces accidentally smacks Ryker in the nuts with her sword.

I really enjoyed the way these two were on the same wavelength humor wise, it’s like they just “got” each other right from the start. This makes their growing relationship rather easy, despite Bryce’s struggles in her new parental role and Ryker’s desire to stay to himself. And let’s face it, each of them is in a place in their lives where a casual relationship won’t work. I kind of felt like both of them were pretty much all in from the beginning. The miscommunication trope is heavily leaned on in the last 25% or so, and it frustrated me, but I did kind of get why the author chose to use it to bring this couple together.

This story felt balanced between the challenges each character faced- PTSD, limb amputation, and caregiver rep- and the lighter scenes. Each main character handles the other’s struggles wonderfully- with empathy, kindness, and understanding. I really liked the ending and the found family aspect. Especially, when Bryce and the grandparents finally make a choice to work together. I can’t finish without mentioning Bryce’s nieces, who were a joy, and each of their personalities so well-crafted.

Change of Plans is a sweet, heartwarming romance and you’ll want to put it on your TBR.

Grade- B+