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.

I love newtons writing. its light and fluffy while still having depth. her character development is unmatched and the love story is super cute. highly recommend for this time of year.

Although Change of Plans is the third in a series it can be read out of order. It’s a cute story about an aunt that has the task of being a mom figure to her three rambunctious nieces and a mechanic who just happens to know how to help.

It’s a quick and wholesome story about chosen family and just simply falling in love.

After a tragic accident that killed Bryce’s brother and his wife, Bryce leaves her life as a successful chef to care for her three nieces. It is definitely not smooth sailing between finances, a custody fight, and navigating grief but she finds some help from an unexpected person. Ryker has struggled to care for himself after his military career ended abruptly, leaving him with a below knee amputation and PTSD. Yet caring for Bryce and her nieces comes easily to him- is this the change of plans they both need?

Ok I don’t say books are “must reads” often but here we have it! This was a beautiful, heartfelt book that was truly special. I can’t recommend this highly enough!

What I loved:
-dual POV
-evolution of Bryce’s relationship with her nieces
-content around grief/PTSD/amputations/caregiving
-SO. MUCH. HEART.
-Ryker and his family!
-the characters of the children. I thought they were very well portrayed and complex characters

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced reading copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book I have read by the author and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Change of Plans follows Bryce, a talented chef, who becomes guardian of her three nieces, upon her brother’s sudden passing. Bryce meets former Marine, Ryker Matthews, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and is trying to rebuild his life. Ryker is introverted and emotionally closed off. Ryker literally sweeps Bryce off her feet in the grocery store’s baby aisle and sparks begin to fly.

Change of Plans is a heartwarming story about two people finding themselves again after tragedy. This is a romance book but with many layers to the story. I loved the characters the author developed in Bryce, the girls and Ryker. This book was sweet with plenty of fun banter, a bit of spice but overall a heartwarming story of family, grief, growth and love. This book will definitely tug at your heartstrings.

4/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My review will be posted 4//24//23 to Goodreads, Pinterest, and BookBub. I will post my review to Amazon on publication day.

Fans of Dylan Newton will enjoy this addition to this small-town world of quirky characters. Will appeal to readers who like more emotional Hallarkesque romances, and definitely readers who are into kid-centric stories. There is a lot to enjoy here, but I personally the chemistry and tension was a bit more subtle than I prefer.

Change of Plans has a fun premise with a large cast of characters, including multiple kids who are cute and charming.

While I enjoyed the banter, unfortunately some of the humor didn’t hit for me and it took me out of the story.

FYI: If kid-centric romances aren’t your jam, this might not be the read for you.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This post may contain minor spoilers.

This was such a good book, I ran to the bookstore and bought the first two in the series. (It is an interconnected standalone series so you can read them in any order)

This book is the perfect blend of romantic and emotional. Our leading lady Bryce is struggling to take care of her three nieces after her brother and sister-in-law pass away. Meanwhile, Ryker is struggling with PTSD and health issues with his leg following his latest deployment. The two meet in a supermarket and become friends.

Ryker is amazing. He’s the definition of “looks like he could kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll.” Yeah he was deployed overseas in the military and knows how to use weapons and whatnot, but he also dresses up in an Easter bunny costume so that Bryce’s nieces aren’t disappointed.

Bryce is so strong and I’m in awe of her character development. She went from a top chef to a guardian overnight and was really struggling in the beginning of the book. With a lot of determination (and a little help from Ryker) she was able to stand up to her niece’s grandparents and prove she deserved custody. Her growth was so natural and perfectly paced.

This is such a great book if you’re looking for romance with a side of found family and healing. I can’t recommend it enough.

This one was… fine. I liked elements of it… I thought the PTSD and “inherited kids” were both interesting especially in this genre. Some of the characters were pretty insufferable, and the main male character was pretty closed off, and not in a way I understood. It was also kind of an insta-love situation which always sort of bores me. But it was entertaining, and I was invested in Bryce for sure. I also may have benefitted from reading the first two books— I didn’t realize it was a series. However, it wasn’t necessary for the plot, though might have benefitted my understanding of the secondary character development. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced copy.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Bryce, a young check figuring out how to be the guardian to her three young nieces after the loss of her brother and sister-in-law.

Riker, a mechanic Vet with Chronic PTSD, keeps to himself and family until he saves one of Bryce’s nieces in an awkward position in a grocery store.

Just the right amount of cute, sweet, and bittersweet book I needed. Also nice to see a continuation of Newton’s other characters.

When Bryce is given guardianship over her three young nieces, she uproots her life to become a full-time caretaker. Going from an independent, single, career woman to a "mom" of three in a new town with little support is a life-altering experience - for all of the girls. Ryker is dealing with residual effects of PTSD from his time overseas and some unexpected health issues that have come with the loss of his leg. Bryce and Ryker meet at the most inopportune time, in the midst of chaos, and with every reason NOT to invest in a relationship... BUT. A relationship with each other may be just what they need.
Dylan Newton did a wonderful job of intertwining the nuances of grief and loss and the unique ways they can impact each person. The girls were grieving their parents, Bryce her brother and her "old life", Ryker was grieving his friend and the loss of his pre-service self. There were many intricate parts and feelings that Newton did a great job of including. I never felt like the heavy emotions were minimized or glossed over. Bryce dealt with some really heavy and hard feelings and they were faced head on. There were moments of humor, sadness, and hope - a great book that I would definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rounded up from 3.5

Change of Plans by Dylan Newton will be published on August 1, 2023.

Change of Plans is the story of Bryce Weatherford, whose brother Bentley and his wife die in a car accident, leaving Bryce as legal guardian to her three rambunctious and grief-stricken nieces. It’s also the story of Ryker Matthews, a war veteran who lost part of his leg in an IED explosion and suffers from PTSD. The two are an unlikely match, but fate - and one of Bryce’s nieces getting stuck under a grocery store aisle - brings them together.

Change of Plans is a heartwarming and funny tale of two people finding themselves again after tragedy. There were hilarious moments, parts where I cried, and there were some spicy moments too. A “mom-like creature” myself, I relate to a story of a woman trying to balance work, life, and raising kids in chaos.

I wished we had seen more of the conversations between Bryce and Ryker. The miscommunication and anxiety about that situation were kind of glossed over. I wish more time had been spent there considering that Ryker was worried about it from essentially the start of the book.

Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read that I finished quickly. I hadn’t read any of Newton’s previous books, and I didn’t know this was the third in a series before reading it. The book works well as a standalone. I’m definitely going to read the others in the series, though, because I think they’ll be enjoyable knowing how the characters were featured in this book.

TW: PTSD, military service, grief, fertility worries

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.