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.

Very cute book! I enjoyed “Aunt Beamed” and Ryker from the very beginning! I love the emphasis placed on the mental health and well-being of the girls, plus Ryker being aware of his PTSD and wanting to work on himself for him and for Bryce! I love that at the heart of it, this was a story of family romance and this forever family that was created.

*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and my reviews are my own*

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

I have read the other Dylan Newton books and knew about these characters from them. I liked the relationship of Bryce and Ryker.

The book was was good and sweet but very predictable.

Change of Plans is a good hearted, sweet romance story. Bryce is a chef that gets custody of her three nieces after her brother and sister-in-law pass away in a car accident. Ryder is ex-military, suffering from PTSD. A meet cute encounter at the grocery store causes these two to form a friendship and feelings start to fly. I loved the characters and the chemistry between Bryce and Ryder. The three nieces were adorable and the scenes with them were heartwarming.

Chef Bryce left her big city life in Florida for small town New York when her brother and sister in law were tragically killed, leaving her in charge of her three nieces. Enter former Marine and amputee Ryker (sorry, I just hate the name) to the rescue. He has his own PTSD issues to deal with, but sparks fly from the beginning with these two. Maybe together they can heal their own traumas and find their person along the way.

This romance grabbed me from the beginning, and that’s not easy! The author has created real and relatable character and we can just feel their connection leaping off the page. There is one open door spicy scene, but if it isn’t for you, you can easily skip past that section.

Bryce and Ryker have many misunderstandings and miscommunications along the way, which honestly seem a little unrealistic and childish for two grown and responsible adults. But if you take into account they both have experienced trauma in their adult lives, I guess it can be an explanation to them both leaping to conclusions.

This is apparently the 3rd in a series about the Matthews brothers, but it perfectly functions as a stand alone. And now I need to go read the other two stories! If you are a fan of Abby Jimenez and Tess Bailey, this author is one you should check out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was so cute and also had a lot of solid representation - disability, PTSD, grief, etc. Ryker was so immediately infatuated with not only Bryce but her whole little family, and it was adorable.

The miscommunication trope is heavy in this, so if that’s your go-to, this is the book for you. Because if there is one thing Bryce and Ryker have down right from the start, it is getting their wires crossed or just not even having wires in the first place. Get it together you two.

I also liked the juxtaposition of all the different kinds of family and how valid each form is. It wasn’t stated outright, but it was definitely made clear that each different cluster was just as important and real in their own way.

Bryce is the legal guardian of her three nieces after her brother and sister-in-law died in a car accident. Ryker is a war veteran amputee dealing with PTSD. The author dealt with grief and loss in a great way. Bryce's nieces were all dealing with the death of their parents in different ways and each way is given balance and credulity here. The amputee representation was done well and not shied away. This is the third book in the Matthews brothers series, but can be read as a stand alone.

Swoony and fun! I absolutely loved Dylan Newton's Change of Plans. There's a lot of great banter, romance, and good character development. I think this is a new author to watch.

Ryker 😍 this man is amazing! When he gets Bryce and the girls, he takes to being a man they can count on so well! He has a hard time often saying what he means to say (um.. This is me in this character form!) and he does have PTSD to deal with so that might also be a factor.... But he's great!

Bryce is just such a special person! She has it in her head that she's not doing a good job with her nieces but I beg to differ. She's tough where she needs to be, kind and forgiving when she needs to be, and there are just some things that even moms have trouble with in relation their own kids.. She's not doing anything wrong because she's an aunt... It's life and bad this can happen but it's all in how we face it and keep trying and she does it well even with self doubt.

Now the girls are so precocious and funny and moody and give Bryce a run for her money at all times, but they are a tragedy made family who has to figure this life out together.

I loved this series so much!

What a cute story with such a sweet love connection!! The book was a little slow in the middle, but picked up again in the second half of the book