I loved this book so much. Ryker is such a great character and I loved how he took care of Bryce and helped her out. One of my favorite scenes in the book was when he bought all of the pads and tampons for June, it was hilarious. Bryce is also a great character and I loved how she didn't hesitate to step and take care of her nieces after their parents died. That's why I liked Ryker so much, because she had someone to help take care of her too, and in turn she took care of him too. This was a great book and I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This is the first Dylan newton novel I’ve read and now I’m just wondering how I’ve missed out on reading her first two novels. Change of Plans was an absolute delight. There was little wait for everything to get started between Bryce and Ryker—no extended backstory or build up, instead we got to meet them as they met each other and just as they learned each other’s history, we mostly did too. We learn how Bryce has become the guardian to her three adorable and hilarious nieces and how much her life has shifted, as anyone who has kids know—3 can be a handful, especially if you’re thrown into parenting deep end of the pool without any floaties. And we also learn about Ryker and how he came to having a prosthetic and his history with PTSD, his family, and his general grumpiness (grumpiness that’s just a cover for fear of being hurt).


I adore these characters and how they complement each other and, really just everything about them. These are two stellar human beings who found their perfect match at just the right moment and their romance is one of kindness and hilarity and just such heartfelt emotion; I’m sad to see them go but so glad I have two other novels with associated characters I can backtrack and read.

I’ve absolutely loved @authordylannewton Matthew Brothers series and the third book, Change of Plans was a great ending! This book follows the middle brother, Ryker. You could read this novel alone, but there’s definitely a lot of mentions of the other brothers so I would recommend reading in order.

Ryker is a former marine who was wounded in battle and lost his leg to an IED. He’s suffering from PTSD and he has pulled away from a lot of people to protect them from his truth. Until her meets Bryce and her 3 rambunctious, but sweet nieces. Bryce’s brother and SIL were recently killed in a car accident and she has sole custody of June, Cecily, and Addison. She’s learning to balance life, work, and school when she meets Ryker. Neither of them are in a place to start a romantic relationship, but you can’t help chemistry!

Both of the main characters have so much to handle at once, it’s incredible how they balance everything. I was heartbroken for Bryce trying to help her nieces go through this emotional stage not just with the death of their parents, but just those hard grade school years. I have twin nieces I would do anything for and I really admire Bryce for stepping in and being the parental figure the girls needed. I was also in awe of her cooking skills and I wanted to eat everything she made! 🥘👩🏻‍🍳

This book deals a lot of big emotions and you will definitely have some! I laughed, cried, and gasped my way through the book. That scene at Easter had me absolutely hysterical! It’s a wonderful story and I’m looking forward to reading other reviews. Thank you to @bookmom22 who had me on her Traveling Arc team!

Change of Plans is out August 1 from @readforeverpub.

I’ve been of fan of this series since book one and Ryker’s story has always intrigued me. This book delivers. It’s touching and entertaining. Bryce the fmc is strong, beautiful and a powerhouse. She might be my favorite out of the trio stories. Her story of her struggle and her nieces is such a heart string pull.

The cameos of the brothers were fun to tie everything together.

The only huge eye roll that came about was the miscommunication towards the end. Enough to knock down a star. Miscommunication tropes are the worst. Authors please take note.

I picked this one up when it was available as Read Now and found the middling reviews instantly disheartening. Having only finished a few chapters, I can safely say this is not the romance for me.

I first thought that this was going to be a “single mom”, second chance at love, romance. However, what I found was so much more. Bryce has become the temporary guardian to her three nieces after the death of her brother and sister-in-law. She moves from Florida to New York, takes on a new job, finds a small apartment, and does her best to get the four of them through each day, despite all of the additional struggles they all go through having just experienced a devastating loss. She meets Ryker, a retired Marine dealing with the loss of his leg and recurring night terrors from PTSD. The loss and trauma that all the characters dealt with was written in such an empathetic way. While so much could have been brushed aside, I feel that Dylan Newton delved in and told their story with heart. The connection between Bryce and Ryker, and Ryker and the three girls, was wonderfully written that I was rooting for them from their first meeting.

Oh my gosh!! I loved Change of Plans so freaking much!

The book follows Bryce, a chef who becomes the guardian of her three nieces after her brother's unexpected passing, and Ryker, a Marine with PTSD who is just trying to piece his life back together. Their story is so sweet despite the tragedies life has heaped on them, and I loved them so much. Ryker is book boyfriend goals!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This one sounded really cute. The adult characters were quirky, and the children’s characters were silly and fun. I enjoyed auntie Beamer especially. I also appreciated the PTSD, veteran, and body positivity representation.

Unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. I wanted more from the plot and characters. I was hoping for more romance in the story, but I think this book is more about found family.

I really enjoy a good romance every so often. Even more when there's an adorable meet-cute. Bryce Weatherford and Ryker Matthews have each had their own major "change of plans." Bryce is a professional chef and was fully committed to her career when tragedy struck and left her to care for her three young nieces. Ryker had planned on a long career in the Marine Corps but sadly an IED attack while on deployment left him without part of one leg and the future he had seen for himself. After they meet and there's instant attraction, neither are sure if they're able to commit with so much going on in their lives. But they also aren't sure if their happiness together isn't exactly what they've been missing.

I realized while typing that last paragraph that I made the story sounds a little bleak. Well, it isn't! The author does a really great job of making serious things feel lighter. Like when Bryce's niece asks if Ryker is a pirate when she sees his prosthetic. Ryker embraces this and fully commits to his pirate role later in the story. PTSD is another topic and as an Army spouse this is something I take very seriously. I loved that Ryker is regarded as strong and resilient for seeking help. In addition to the romance, I also loved the relationship between Bryce and her nieces.

I highly recommend for lovers of wholesome rom-coms. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me access to the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I started this series, I could feel it in my bones, Ryker was gonna be my favorite.

I was right.

Gimme all the gruff grumpy, who seems too stoic to be human but secretly has BIG FEELS. The shy, secret smiles. The acts of service to help. The hug emergencies. *Makes grabby hands* Gimme.

I really enjoyed Bryce and her really trying her best in a shit situation. It was nice to see a parent-like creature not have it all together, as real life parents rarely do. I personally, never do.

Forever ago, I said Drake's book How Sweet It It, was crafted to hold a lot of nostalgia feelings of early aughts romance, and I think Change of Plans brings back those same feelings.

Absolutely adorable. Plenty of hilarious parts but romantic and heartfelt while characters work through real emotions and situations.

Change of Plans.
By Dylan Newton
Pub Date: 01 Aug 2023
Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever
Romance
Rating: 5/5

Let me start by saying that before I was even 4% into Change of Plans the author Dylan Newton had me laughing so hard I had happy tears rolling down my face. Every page I read only added to the hilarity, and I couldn't help but be impressed once again by Newton's sense of humor and cleverness. Change of Plans is quick-witted and well-timed, making it a delightfully entertaining read.

Although Change of Plans is my third book in the Matthew Brother's series, they are all heartwarming. (If you have not read the others, they each work standalone.) Having read the entire series it was enjoyable to see the characters from the first two books carried into the conclusion. I found the culmination of the Matthew Brother's saga to be both exciting and comforting. I am sorry to see this series end, but I look forward to thrilling upcoming material. The books in this series have been well-received, and I can't wait to discover what creative ideas and stories Newton can bring to life in her next project.

I'm so grateful to have experienced Dylan Newton's work. It's like reading pure sunshine in a book. Change of Plans was a light-hearted read that dealt with serious topics with heart and compassion. I highly recommend this book. It's ideal for a cozy night in.

It has been my honor to review Change of Plans thanks to NetGalley, Dylan Newton and Forever (Grand Central Publishing). Reading Change of Plans was pure joy and pleasure -

You can purchase Change of Plans in paperback and ebook formats. Pre-order now to ensure your copy on the release date.

Other books in the series:
How Sweet It Is
All Fired Up


#ChangeOfPlans #DylanNewton # @ReadForeverPub
#netgalleyapproval

***Thank you Dylan Newton, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever Romance and NetGalley for the ARC***
Publish Date: 08.01.2023
Summary: Bryce Weatherford's life changed with one phone call - her brother and sister in law are dead. She left the life she had known and moved to care for her three young nieces. Bryce does not really know the first thing about handling these growing girls and one day in a grocery store, shit hits the fan. Luckily, Ryker happened to see what was unfolding in the grocery store and helped make a bad situation - better. Ryker is a veteran battling with PTSD and medical issues that come from having an amputation. The two fall for each other but have enough baggage that getting together seems impossible - until it's not.
Review: Another story I couldn't put down! This is a great small town romance / found family / friends to lovers. I felt this plot was very unique. I love Bryce, I feel like her storyline was realistic. I felt like the nieces dealing with their own grief and family changes were realistic. The battle between Bryce and the girls grandparents were realistic. I was afraid she would lose the girls.
Bryce and Ryker are perfect for each other. Bryce needed stability and Ryker needed someone to remind him that he's alive. They gave me all the warm feels.
The only thing I struggled with, was the amount of names from the gate. I know it wouldn't have worked with the plot but it was hard to start a new story and now have to remember 5 names / who they are / what they bring to the plot.

This was my favorite of the 3 books, which says a lot because I loved all of them so much. But there's something about Ryker that just instantly pulled me in. Dylan did such an amazing job of describing his PTSD and everything he thinks and feels. He is such a well-rounded character and I spent the whole book rooting for him and looking forward to what he'd do next.

Bryce is also so well-written. Watching someone grapple with such a huge loss along with having their life completely turned upside down and seeing her dreams dashed - and then seeing her realize new dreams and goals was so rewarding. It's so understandable that she wouldn't want to risk her heart or deal with the demands and time requirements of love during such a period of turmoil. So to see her get to a place where she could allow love into her life was so rewarding.

It was so nice to see the characters from the first two books and see how those couples were doing and see what the side characters were up to. It was a bit like going home to visit your friends. And the 3 girls were so realistic and felt like she'd plucked them right out of real life. I got some vibes of the girls from Despicable Me, which is a good thing because those characters were so endearing.

Overall this was a really good story and a perfect way to wrap up these Matthews brothers stories.

I almost didnt make it through Change of Plans. The bulk of my review will focus on a very small scene that nearly tanked my reading experience. Fortunately, I was invested in our main characters and wanted to see them through until the end.

The thing I liked most? These characters.

Ryker was career military until an IED caused him an amputation-necessary injury. Bryce was a up-and-coming chef in the Tampa Bay food scene when she moved north to be guardian to her deceased brother's 3 daughters.

Ryker and Bryce have lives that they never thought would be theirs. This books shows them though that a change of plans isn't always a bad thing.

The nieces are the stars and scene stealers. Face value, they may seem like clichés - the moody tween & oldest, the misunderstood middle child, and the manic fairy dream baby sister - but then you hear their voices, their worries, their joy, and theres so much to love. I cried for them and with them. I was just as distraught when Bryce felt she wasn't doing best by them. I was definitely more invested in their HEA.

The chemistry between Ryker & Bryce was definitely there. A major appreciation note is how Ryker was so turned on by all things Bryce, bits theres a special note fornher passion and knowledge of cars. More importantly, we never get the put down of 'shes not like other girls' or any language of the sort. We simply get Ryker completely fall for Bryce for exactly who she is. As if she was made just for him. And never is there a put down of women in general.

*

The scene that almost had me quit reading was also about choice of words, but this one was so very bad.

Ryker is home from babysitting the nieces. They gave him a beautiful makeover - eyeshadow, blush, hair clips, the works. His brother meets up with him the sameday (?) or in time that the makeup hadn't been thoroughly washed off. The brother invokes queer/trans accusations/insinuations as attempted humor. And even if the brother's words are supportive as is, the context and tone reads as sarcastic. In response, Ryker calls his brother a 'dick' reinforcing the queer accusation was a insult. The moment is capped off with the brother then using drag performance as his next joke accusation.

As far as I could tell, the scene was meant to establish the brothers' relationship and their brand of communication. Did the brothers not notice the pirate ship was right there in the shop? How about using that to connect Ryker to the nieces and use it to tease him? Of course not, so lets be lazy and use the outdated 'makeup on a man is something to laugh at' zinger.

The previous scene which revealed the nieces had played makeover with Ryker has its sweetness undermined the moment its revised by the toxic heteronormative attempt at humor. Can we please not do this. Can we please stop using Queer life as a punchline or in a derogatory connotation.

Further, I'm reading this book 'out of order' in that Ryker's brothers are the main characters of their own books that I have not read. But if this is their humor, and seeing how they proceed to gaslight Ryker (this whole brother sceen was painful to read) I don't want to know them.

*

To many readers, Queer life as a punchline, will be a deal breaker. I would not be surprised when this book gets marked DNF on end-of-year reviews. And again, if that language or toxic humor is a feature of these side characters or the author, I want nothing to do with them.

I ultimately continued reading. I wanted to know more about Ryker, Bryce and her nieces. The idea that love can find you when you're not looking or even not believing you're worthy of it makes me weak. Its how they grow their lives to include joy along side their struggles that kept me turning pages.

A cute insta-love Hallmark-esque romance. Bryce and Ryker meet in a grocery store - she’s struggling as the new guardian of her three nieces while he’s battling PTSD. Neither of them seem ready for a relationship but they find themselves increasingly attracted to one another.

Ryker was the highlight of the book for me - he has largely withdrawn from his friends and family and is trying to make more of an effort to be out in public and socializing. I’m not usually a fan of the insta-love trope and here, there wasn’t a lot of tension or build up of the relationship. Ryker and Bryce are suited for one another but they aren’t very exciting as a couple. Would recommend this to fans of All Fired Up and How Sweet It Is or insta-love, small town romance tropes. 2.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

From start to finish this book had me hooked. I loved Bryce as a parent like creature and amazing chef. Ryker was the ultimate cinnamon role hero but with PTSD and communication issues. He comes to her rescue more then once as Bryce tries to figure out how to balance the care of her three nieces after her brother dies with work. She meets Ryker in a grocery store when one of her nieces needs rescuing and the chemistry between them is instant. Not only that but there is a comfort that they don’t feel with anyone else. Now the challenge for Bryce will be to find a place for him in her busy life and not loosing the kids in a custody battle with their grand parents. For Ryker the challenge will be to not scare or push her away. Can they make this new found trust and passion last or was it doomed before it really began? Such a good book, I wanted them to work from the start and rooted for them all throughout. This book made me want to read the entire series!

I can't wait for Dylan Newton to write another book, the writing had an easy flow to it that made it fun to read. Her characters and scenes were like watching a movie play out and I loved the witty personality of our female MC.
Having said that, there was a lot going on in both of the MC's lives and I would have liked to get to know them better and peel away some of their drama.
I also am not a huge fan of miscommunication, and while it didn't last long, it was annoying.
After her brother and sister in law both died, she was named guardian of their 3 children. While she tries to reestablish her life as a mom-like figure, the kids maternal grandparents are fighting her for custody of them, despite the parent's wishes.
When she meets a sexy guy at the grocery store that helps her get one of the girls out of a sticky situation, she realizes shed like to see him again.
Mr. Sexy grocery store guy has PTSD and was badly injured in the war. He also happens to own his own car mechanic shop and has very sexy forearms.
She just so happens to work as a chef in his mom's restaurant and the small town romance trope abounds.
Overall, super cute, but less drama and more character development would have been great.
Thank you to netgalley for an eARC to review.

"Change of Plans" by Dylan Newton is a heartwarming and delightful contemporary romance that takes readers on a journey of unexpected twists, second chances, and the transformative power of love. With its endearing characters, charming small-town setting, and emotionally satisfying storyline, this novel is sure to captivate fans of the genre.

Review: Change of Plans
Author: Dylan Newton

Rating: ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ 3/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

I struggled my way through this book. The plot was tired. A story we’ve heard many times. With the most compelling potential moments left out.

But the worst part for me was the chemistry between Bryce and Ryker- it was just not there. It felt forced and awkward.

The one redeeming part was the kids characters in this book June, Cecily and Addison were super cute and funny.

I think I just struggled to find this story as believable and I struggled to root for Bryce and Ryker :/