4.5 Stars

*ARC Review*

I've been a big fan of Dylan Newton's small town romances and this may be my favorite yet! I love the characters, the familial tension/themes, and the sweet sweet love story. The book takes something so devastating in family grief and turns it into a heartwarming tale. I loved all of the characters and the ending.

This is just a great emotional rollercoaster book that makes you feel so good inside. It is like a warm hug.

Definitely recommend for all!

This book graced my tbr pile at exactly the right time! I absolutely love the Matthews brothers and finally getting Ryker's chance at happiness. Ryker is so charmingly awkward that you can't help but love him. Bryce is every parent, mom and mom like creature in the world just trying to get through each day with a minimum of tears and bloodshed. She is doing her best to raise her nieces after the loss of their parents. Tyler working through his PTSD and ultimately getting a service dog to help him made me tear up. This book is heart wrenching in the very best way!

"Change of Plans" by Dylan Newton is a delightful romantic comedy that will make you laugh, cry and feel all the feels. The story follows chef Bryce Weatherford, who is suddenly given the responsibility of caring for her three young nieces after a family tragedy. Struggling to balance her new role as a guardian and her job, Bryce is feeling overwhelmed and hopeless when Ryker Matthews, a local hero and amputee, comes to her rescue.

As they navigate the challenges of raising three young girls, Bryce and Ryker find themselves falling for each other. But with their own personal struggles and fears, they're not sure if they're ready for a relationship.

This book is filled with humor, heart, and a touch of romance that will leave you swooning. The chemistry between Bryce and Ryker is palpable, and their journey towards each other is heartwarming. The supporting characters, including the three adorable nieces, add depth to the story and make it all the more enjoyable.

Overall, "Change of Plans" is a heartwarming, feel-good read that is perfect for anyone who loves a good romantic comedy.

Honest review in exchange for an advanced copy.
If you love Hallmark movies, this is the novel for you. Unfortunately I am not a fan of that channel or this story's hamster wheel of self pity, self blame, romantic misunderstandings that could've been solved with basic communication and the saccharine sweet overload of children behaving beastly-but-cute.
I thought the cartoon cover meant it was a romcom, my bad.

Newton does a really great job showcasing grief and the concept of made/found families. She also touches on veteran PTSD, the strain that put on relationships, as well as the person suffering. I thought this was a really beautiful story with lovable characters, good banter, a little spice, and a lot of love. Definitely check it out when it comes out on August 1st of this year!

Such a cute book and such a heartwarming story.

This was my first from the author- I will definitely be looking out for more!

Former sauté chef, Bryce Weatherford isn't living the life she dreamed. When her brother and sister-in-law suddenly die in a car accident, Bryce is left as their three daughters' sole guardian. Uprooting her life to take care of her nieces, Bryce feels like a complete failure as a "parent," just trying to make ends meet and keep the girls alive. When Ryker comes (literally) crashing into their lives, neither do a good job of ignoring the obvious sparks. The pair have to decide if the other is a good change of plans, or if their relationship is nothing more than a distraction.

I loved both Bryce and Ryker's characters. Bryce is a spit-fire. She's honest and tells it like it is. But she also has a softer side that disarms Ryker in the best ways, getting him outside of his comfort zone. Ryker is a cinnamon roll hero and is the absolute sweetest. He's amazing with children, yet avoids the everyone and everything, especially his family. Bryce was the perfect pairing to break him out of his shell, but underneath his tough exterior, he has the kindest heart. His acts of kindness for Bryce and the girls were a highlight for me. He's dealing with so much internally, yet he never bats an eye to help someone in need.

The one thing I loved about the book was how central June, Cecily, and Addison were to the story. Their personalities are so distinct and they play off each other well, adding chaos and fun into every scene they are in. They were never kept in the background, but were a important part of the development of Bryce and Ryker's relationship. They had me laughing constantly, and they made the book for me. Another treat was seeing all the past couples again and watching Kate and Imani bring Bryce into their friendship, giving her a sense of belonging and found family.

I have been patiently awaiting Ryker's story and it did not disappoint. From the hilarious meet cute to all the shenanigans in between, I was smiling and laughing throughout this entire book. While it did cover some heavier topics and themes, they were done with care. There is a grief undertone, along with military and PTSD rep. Yet through these struggles, Bryce and Ryker find an amazing happily ever after.

Change of Plans is an open door romance with tons of heart and just as many laughs. It publishes August 1.

I'll start this by saying that after finishing All Fired Up last year, I was very excited to read Rykers book, and somehow this book was a complete miss for me. I started book enjoying it a bit but halfway I was just bored and wanted it to end.

Mostly, I think it's that every time something good happened with the girls, the grandparents would come in and interrupt, judge or make a big deal out of nothing and Bryce would freak out and lash out at everyone. I get the situation isn't idea, they are all grieving in different ways. Most of I think I would've liked it if the Grandparent's weren't treated as the enemy.

Now Ryker on the other had, I did not like that he decided to work on his PTSD cause he liked a girl. Fine, he did sign up for the emotional support dog before he met Bryce, but I think I would've liked it more if he had started working on the PTSD and other medical issue BEFORE the relationship happened.

The whole third act was AWFUL (to me). It's 2.5 starts to me.

A huge thank you to Dylan Newton, Forever Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Change of Plans comes out August 1, 2023!!

I absolutely adore the single parent and found family trope in books, and I was not disappointed at all when it came to these tropes in Change of Plans. Bryce, a chef, is given guardianship of her three nieces after the death of her brother and sister-in-law. Ryker is a Marine vet who is trying to cope with his below-the-knee amputation, phantom leg pain, and PTSD. After a chance and hilarious meeting in a grocery store the two can't help feeling drawn to one another. Honestly the way that they were able to be there for one another was beautiful. I felt like Ryker was a source of support and comfort while Bryce is learning to be a mother like creature and also dealing with a custody battle. I also thought Byce and her three adorable nieces were paramount in Ryker starting to emotionally heal. Change of Plans was an enjoyable novel filled with healing, love, found family and romance and I highly suggest it to anyone looking to have their hearts warmed.

It’s official - Ryker is my favorite Matthews brother and his story has become my new favorite of the series. This story was emotional, beautiful and heartfelt - I found myself both laughing and crying throughout and it just really hit me in the feels.

I hard been going through a horrible book slump, and thought I’d give this one a try since it was a highly anticipated read for me…I’ve been waiting for Ryker’s story. It did not disappoint- I could not put it down and finished the entire book in a day.

I think it goes without saying that I loved Ryker as a hero, I loved seeing a book representing his type of story / experience. He felt real, authentic and relatable- I loved his journey and was so happy to see him find Bryce.

Bryce gad get own harrowing journey in this story. A single woman suddenly the guardian of her three grieving nieces, trying yo start over and help them build a new life. I thought she was warm and relatable too - as with Ryker, I couldn’t help rooting for her (and her new family).

I adored Bryce and Ryker together and the story flew by for me. I really enjoyed it, but wasn’t ready to say goodbye - though I will say I was very satisfied with the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Read Forever Pub for the opportunity to read an copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely offered.

Sweet and fun romance novel. The characters each had their own struggles to deal with, but there wasn't too much drama or conflict in the book. Great read for someone who enjoys patriotic books with a sweet love story (that's not too spicy!).

I loved this so much!! In my top ten favorite romance books of the year!! I could not get enough of Bryce and Ryker!! This was absolutely stunning!
I just reviewed Change of Plans by Dylan Newton. #ChangeofPlans #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Bryce, an up-and-coming chef, is unexpectedly thrown into a “mom-like creature” role to her three nieces when her brother and sister-in-law die.  Most of the time, she feels like she is drowning and failing at this new role/life and doesn’t feel as if she could balance even one more thing. 

Enter Ryker, a wounded war vet who is secretly struggling with PTSD and adjusting to civilian life again.  After he saves the day at the grocery store and she starts spending more time with him, she begins to see how this ‘pirate’ is a secret softie and just might be their very own real-life ‘superhero’.

All the feels with this one!  I binged this heartwarming story about family, grief, and love in one day because I just couldn’t get enough of it.  And now I have a book hangover and wish I could keep reading and living in this story.  And the pint-sized characters and their related shenanigans just may even have been my favorite.

When I started this story, I had no idea it was the third in a series…luckily it isn’t necessary to read them in order.  However, I am now excited to go back and read the other two!  Though it will be tough to beat Bryce and Ryker and the girls!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Dylan Newton Read Forever Pub and NetGalley for offering this as a READ NOW a few weeks back, allowing me to snag it to enjoy for my honest review.

Pub Date: August 1, 2023---mark those calendars and make sure to add it to your TBR, trust me!

I just couldn’t get into this. The characters were introduced super fast and somewhat disorganized and the writing just had a disconnect with me. There’s a chance an avid romance reader might be keen on this kind of story though and the disability rep is important.

Bryce Weatherford is in a fight she never saw coming. After the tragic loss of her brother and his wife, Bryce is granted custody of her three nieces. However, their mother's parents are determined to prove to the courts and the world that Bryce is unfit to care for three children, much less herself. Ryker Matthews is still dealing with the emotional and physical trauma that ended his military career. Determined to stay out of everyone's way, and not be a bother he hides the seriousness of his health from his family. Yet a chance encounter in a grocery store brings him face-to-face with a feisty family of survivors. Whether it is the universe or his mother, plotting things, somehow Ryker and Bryce keep finding each other, during their most desperate times. Will these two be able to accept their new realities or will the plans of lost dreams be too much for them?

Dylan Newton does a fantastic job at writing relatable characters. Readers will love these characters and root for each of them, as though they were cheering on their friends. The author touches on subjects of grief, PTSD, service dogs for Vets, custody battles, and other difficult realities of life. While each of these topics can be intense and overwhelming, the author keeps things balanced with the antics of three girls and small-town gossip. It highlights the importance of never giving up, and always finding laughter through the chaos.

I have to say, I read this book at the perfect time for me. I was feeling blue from still being sick and not getting any progress. This book made me smile, and chuckle. (Little Addison was a hoot!) This was the first book in over a year that I finished it on the same day that I started reading it. I look forward to reading the other two books in the series, though I did not feel like I missed anything by starting with the third book. I loved how it touched on rescued animals that are trained to help our veterans. This was the perfect pick-me-up read!

Notes:

I signed up to honestly review an advanced e-copy, through Netgalley and the publisher Forever. This review was originally posted on the Ariesgrl Book Reviews website.

This was a heartwarming romance. I especially liked the grocery store meet cute. This was a quick, enjoyable read.

A very cute story that incorporated a lot of elements I love to see and don’t read often enough in rom-com, notably kids that feel realistic and play more than a one-odd scene/roll in the plot. My one hesitancy is the miscommunication trope is rampant here, but honestly forgiven for executing some lesser-utilized tropes SO well

This book was so much more than I expected. Absolutely heartwarming and at times completely heartbreaking. Ryker is, by far, my favorite of the three Matthews brothers. I just want to give him a huge hug. The book deals with some pretty hard themes, including PTSD, loss/grieving and difficult family dynamics, but the author handles them all beautifully. Seeing Ryker, Bryce and her three neices get their happily ever after was all my heart could take.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
You can get a copy for yourself on August 1st!

This book was such a cute and heartwarming read 💙 The main characters, Bryce and Ryker, found one another at the perfect time, and I loved how supportive they were of each other.

This book has:
• Strangers to lovers and a hilariously chaotic meet cute in a grocery store
• He falls first!!
• The found family trope 💞 My heart melted every time Ryker interacted with Bryce’s nieces
• The miscommunication trope: I dislike this trope SO much, and this book relied heavily on it, especially in the third act

Overall, this was a heartwarming, uplifting, and quick read! I’m excited to read the first two books in this series.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this story! It was my first title from this author and I was excited to be able to read this early. This was a lot more emotional than the cartoon cover suggested and there were some heavy topics. However, I was able to read through and enjoy the journey the characters went on, I felt grief was handled well and there was some levity in the humor.