I adored this incredibly charming story. Chef Bryce Weatherford becomes guardian to her three nieces June, 12; Cecily, 8; and Addison, 5, after the death of her brother and sister-in-law. If suddenly leaving her job and moving to a small town to care for these spunky girls isn't enough, Bryce has to fight off guardianship overtures from the girls' maternal grandparents. She finds an unlikely ally in Ryker Matthews, who rescues the group at the grocery store. The former Marine is struggling with own demons, though.

This is a delightful romance filled with fun and serious moments. I'm a total sucker for stories with kids, and Bryce's nieces are silly but very touching as they grapple with the death of their parents. Ryker is a guarded Marine dealing with PTSD; he has a below-the-knee amputation and phantom pain from his missing limb. It's rare to read a book that handles the military, PTSD, and amputation so well--and with the respect these topics deserve. I adored the stoic Ryker and his introverted ways.

CHANGE is still a really funny and cute story even if it touches on some tough subjects. Both Ryker and Bryce have hang ups, between his PTSD and her trying to keep the girls and figure out her life, but the instant attraction between the two crackles. Their banter is witty and sexy. Bryce is a tough cookie, and both main characters are more unique than you see in your usual romance. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I didn't realize it when I read it, but it's the third in a series about the Matthews brothers, but can be read as a stand-alone. Looking forward to catching up on the first two!

Oh my gosh, I loved this book so much. All three Matthews brothers' stories have been fun but Ryker's story, in this third book of the trilogy, is my favorite.

These characters - Ryker, Bryce, and all three girls - will not leave me anytime soon. Newton absolutely nailed all five of them. They are so vividly depicted, and wonderfully developed, that by the time I was halfway through the book I had totally forgotten that they were fictional. They had me laughing out loud, cringing with embarrassment, aching for all of their hurting hearts, and cheering them on to a happy ending.

I loved how Bryce responded to Ryker's war wounds, both physical and emotional, helping him deal with them better instead of burrowing into his previous hermit life. These two developed a strong connection in addition to deepening romantic feelings. The scenes between Ryker and the girls and Bryce and the girls were especially heart-tugging and had me both laughing and crying, sometimes at the same time. Newton guided them through grief, fear, anger, growth, acceptance, and love as they slowly rediscovered their joy and came together to form a solid, united, family unit looking forward to the future. Even the disapproving parents of Bryce's late sister-in-law had enough growth for me to actually like them by the end of the book. Nothing like a full week with the grandkids to alter those feelings of superiority. ;-)

The other members of the Matthews family weave in and out of this book, giving fans of the series a chance to catch up with their favorite couples. However, if you haven't started the series yet you really can jump in at any point without feeling lost or confused. If you enjoy emotional stories brimming with plenty of humor, meddling family members, charming small towns, and heartwarming romance, I enthusiastically recommend Change of Plans as well as the first two books in this series, How Sweet it Is and All Fired Up.

*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I’ve read all of Dylan Newton’s books.
How sweet it is is my most favorite.

Change of plans was good. I love books with children. I enjoyed the story and the characters.
I liked the characters development and seeing them grow and find ways to deal with their issues.
The romance was good. Perfect amount of sexy times.

Change of Plans is a standalone story and the third book in Dylan Newton’s Matthews Brothers series. The first book dealt with eldest brother Drake, while the second one was youngest brother Zander’s story. Middle brother Ryker is a decorated wounded warrior who lost both friends and his lower left leg in Afghanistan. Since his recovery and return home several years back, Ryker has kept pretty much to himself, running his garage business, and dealing with his demons.

Bryce Weatherford had worked as a sauté chef for an exclusive restaurant in Tampa six months ago. Now, in upstate New York, she was serving as a mom-like creature for her three young nieces since her brother Bentley and sister-in-law Heather were lost in a tragic car accident. No one was more surprised than Bryce that Bentley and Heather had named her as guardian in their will, and now Heather’s parents Adele and Harvey are contesting the will. As hard as Bryce is trying, she never feels up to the job of raising June, a sullen 11 year old, Cecily, an angry 8 year old, and Addison, a 5 year old who twirls in fairy wings and tries to fly. But heaven knows Bryce adores these girls and will fight to keep them with her.

When a distraught Cecily gets stuck beneath a grocery store shelf trying to retrieve her special rock, a man in the next aisle with a baby girl comes to their assistance. From conversation, Bryce assumes he is a single father, at least on weekends, but is so thankful for his help. Socially awkward, Ryker doesn’t correct her that he is caring for his niece after all he won’t be seeing her again, except she is the new impetus for his mother adding lunch at her bakery cafe and becoming a beloved friend. This chance meeting is the opening for much to come.

This is such a lovely story of two people trying to find their ways when faced with adversity and lives that certainly didn’t go according to their original life plans. While heartwarming and having many humorous moments, this story also highlights some very serious topics as it delves into the aftermath of war with PTSD and loss of limb, as well as the trials and intricacies involved with guardianship and dealing with one’s own grief while helping three grieving girls. There were moments of laughing aloud and moments that brought tears in this well told tale. I very much enjoyed this book and wholeheartedly recommend it!

A great read, the story of Bryce and Ryker. Neither of them is looking for love but they find it anyway. Things aren't easy so will they stay together? I liked how it was told from both points of view and also that characters from the first two books made an appearance too.

CAN WE PLEASE STOP WITH THE MISCOMMUNICATION PLOT? Please, I’m begging here.

Other than that this was an adorable romcom. If you liked the movie Life as We Know It you’ll like this. Ryker might just be my new book boyfriend and I loved his chemistry with Bryce.

I really tried but this was so boring that at 70% I did not care about any of the characters and moved on. Maybe it would have been better if I had started with the first in the series.

Book Review
Change of Plans- Dylann Newton

Tropes
Miltary
PTSD
Found family
Child custody
Child trauma
Loss of parents

Thoughts
- Fairy wings, Peter Pan, a pirate and a dog….a Wendy Darling who wants to take care of them all while trying not to lose herself or her own dreams
- Loved the emotional depth of the characters and overall storyline, life is messy, its not straightforward
- I admire Bryce and her love for her nieces, her dedication to creating a loving home and security for them
- The author provided a glimpse into PTSD -I think this was well done, Ryker’s flashbacks, his ongoing healing, the military references and language all added to the authenticity of this characters journey
- I easily connected to these characters and the pages flew by

Overall
A heartwarming book with a guaranteed happily ever after


Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the first scene in this book. It was drawn out, convoluted and unenjoyable for me. On a different note - I was puzzled by there being three kids in the book and only two on the cover.

I will not be rating this book (except here, where I can't submit without a rating,) or reviewing anywhere, as I feel this book just is not to my taste. It doesn't mean other people won't like it.

I think my time with this author has come to an end. I really liked HOW SWEET IT IS, but I DNF Fired Up. I had a hard time finishing this. So many of the antics and situations felt forced for the sake of causing tension and showing us how overworked Bryce was. I didn't really care for Ryker, either. A lot of the dialogue was forced, and the information that was released through the dialogue was chunky and TOO detailed to where it wasn't believable.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Sweetest book of an aunt who is figuring out how to unexpectedly parent her three nieces, and a Marine veteran who is mourning the loss of his military career and leg. Both are trying to find balance and their way forward.

Apparently the third of a series, I didn't miss anything reading it as a standalone. Though the story was so great I'll be going back to read her others.

#arc
#netgalley
#changeofplans

This is the final book in the Matthews brothers trilogy, and it was my favorite!

From the meet cute in the first chapter to the epilogue at the end, the chemistry between Bryce and Ryker was captivating. Beyond that, the story featured themes of grief, trauma, and disability in realistic and respectful ways.

This is the third in a companion series that follows each of the Matthews brothers. While they technically can be read in any order, I do suggest reading them chronologically since there may mild spoilers for certain events that come before.

I absolutely adored reading Newton’s companion series, finishing it out with Change of Plans. If you're looking for a lovely contemporary romance that is both heartwarming and a little steamy, these books are for you. They have all the small-town vibes and a romance that will have you smiling from ear to ear.

While the small-town vibes certainly brings some added coziness and charm, Change of Plans is also filled with serious and even tear jerker elements. The book follows Bryce and Ryker. Bryce is struggling to find balance ever since her brother and his wife passed, leaving three lovely girls in her care. The elements of grief in this felt raw and emotional. Though readers of the rest of the series have met him before, Ryker reveals sides of his character we have only ever gotten a glimpse of in the previous books. As a veteran, Ryker is still trying to accumulate to life after being at war. He suffers from PTSD and night terrors. For a cute contemporary romance, Newton got serious by adding more difficult and hard-hitting topics. While it was a bit darker than her other two Matthews books, I'm glad she didn't shy away from these two characters’ authentic stories.

I found that I was taking my time with reading this book, because I just didn't want it to end. Every chapter, every page had me feeling all the feels - ready to cry one minute, while laughing out loud the next.

One of my favorite things of this whole companion series has been the mention of real-life places that readers can actually go and experience. Change of Plans, like the rest of the books, is primarily set in Wellsville, New York, which is very real place. Newton also mentions Rochester, New York’s Nick Tahou Hots, a restaurant that I would love to visit in real life to feel even more connected to these characters. Customers of the restaurant can even order a garbage plate just like Ryker and Bryce did in the book! The books are written so well that readers feel like they are walking down the street of Wellsville. It's wildly immersive!

Dylan Newton writes incredibly well. The contemporary romances I've read from her have been so honest and lovely. Newton has quickly become an auto-buy author for me. I'm looking forward to reading more from her.

Change of Plans by Dylan Newton has the best ingredients for a great romance, including an equal balance of heart wrenching and swoonworthy elements. This definitely needs to be your next read.

Dylan Newton is such a fantastic author!
Her writing is engaging and inviting, her romances are so satisfying and her character are so personable!

If you want found family gold and a book with a lot of heart, this is definitely for you!

Third in a series that I accidentally read out of order.

After a car accident, Bryce finds herself the guardian of her three nieces. She moves to the same town as the previous two novels, so it's also the story of the third Matthews brother. Ryker lost the lower part of his leg while on deployment and is adjusting to life back home, even all of these years later. He's plagued by a wicked combination of PTSD and phantom limb syndrome. He totally saves her butt while she's wrangling her nieces in the grocery store, and they try to figure their stuff out.

I saw the third act drama coming from a mile away, which was disappointing, but probably also means I've been reading too many romance novels lately. Still a cute read.

Thanks, NetGalley!

- 4.5 Stars -

This book was so sweet! I could not help myself from falling absolutely in love with Bryce and Ryker. The two of them were a match made in heaven! I really loved the way that they chose to support one another in a lot of different areas. However, the miscommunication trope came into play with this and that always gives me the ick, but I chose to forgive it because these two were so freaking sweet together!

I really liked the way that we got to see the relationship between Bryce and her nieces grow throughout the book, and Addison was the cutest of them all and will forever have my heart in her little fairy hands. The portrayal of grief and feeling like you need to hold it all together while falling apart was really well done. Even Rykers grief was portrayed very real and raw, which made it easier to connect with the characters in my own opinion.

Overall, this book was exactly what I needed and I would definitely recommend it! Please read this cutie romance. Please.

🤍 Thank you so much to the publisher @readforeverpub & @netgalley for this physical advanced reader copy!

⚠️TW: grief, war, death, death of parent, car accident, sexism, violence

This book has to have one of the cutest meetcutes ever. Loved the writing and the characters. Will definitely go back and check out the first 2 books though the stories were spoiled somewhat coming in at the 3rd brother. I do wish the communication trope wasn't used as much but I can kind of understand why. Definitely recommend for a sweet story with some heavy themes.

I really enjoyed this book, the third and final book in a trilogy.
The book definitely touches on some serious issues, so readers should be aware. These include: off-page deaths of parents leaving kids orphaned and injury and death sustained in military conflict.

I loved the meet-cute for Bryce and Ryker; it was more of a meet-disaster and really clued us in early on to the struggles Bryce is going through as the guardian to her nieces, and also brought a new perspective on Ryker (to whom we were previously introduced in the previous two books in the series) through the eyes of a five-year-old.

While I am not a parent (I do have nephews), I did lose a parent at a young age and I really identified a lot with what the three kids are going through; the uncertainty, the feeling of permanent loss, the grief. I think the author handled these really well, showing that grief can be different for everyone, is not linear, and has no set timeline. We also see this with Ryker as he continues to heal from his trauma.

Over the course of the book, we see how both Bryce and Ryker grow into their roles in their respective families, and also become support for one another, finding time to be together when they can, bonding over shared interests, and slowly building a family.

Really appreciate the opportunity from the author, NetGalley and Forever to read an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Change of Plans is the latest romance by Dylan Newton. Change of Plans is a sweet and moving story about loss, grief, PTSD, and family. I loved reading Bryce and Ryker’s story and was rooting for the two them from the very beginning.
I highly recommend Change of Plans to anyone who is looking for an emotional romance filled with realistic characters that are unforgettable. I can’t wait to read more by this very talented author.

Thanks to Netgalley on this E-Book. I looveed looveed this book it melted my black heart so much. This is part of a series which I read the first and not the second but it can be read as a completely stand alone. If you think this is a rom com its not It is so much more. Its about the aftermath of loosing loved ones, PTSD, and what finding your happily ever after means. Go in blind like I did or go in however but read this book you wont regret it.