Change of Plans

3.75 ⭐️

Bryce is newly parenting her three nieces and struggling from the start. When she had the cutest Meet cute with Ryker in the local grocery store, I was hooked immediately!

This romcom has dual perspective which I loved. Both MCs were really developed, even if they had a lack of communication with each other.

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC. Check Change of Plans out when it publishes in August!

A very sweet and tender story.

Bryce is a chef who is taking care of her three nieces after her brother and sister in law are killed in a wreck.

Ryker is a mechanic who was a Marine. He is an amputee who's been living with PTSD.

This is a very sweet story, but it also has its sad moments. Bryce is learning how to be a mom to three little girls who are grieving (and she lost her brother so she's grieving too). She's also contending with her brothers in laws who think she's not a suitable guardian and who they think should be raising the girls.

Ryker has been living a quiet life, but not one where he wants to let people in.

I love the book and the characters. Each girl has their own personalities. And Bryce and Ryker are really into each other. But Bryce has a LOT on her plate and Ryker is keeping some things hidden.

What a sweet book! Change of Plans follows Bryce, a chef who has suddenly became guardian of her three nieces and Ryker, a marine who suffers from PTSD.

I was immediately drawn in to the story because of Bryce’s situation. From the sudden and tragic death of her brother and sister in law to becoming the guardian of her three nieces, she really was just trying to keep her head above water while doing the best she could for the three girls.

Then in comes Ryker - talk about a fun meet cute! I loved how even though he was this tough, closed off marine, he immediately melted for the three little girls in the grocery store - even going so far to pretend to be a pirate!

There were times in the book that I really struggled, especially when it seemed like Bryce just couldn’t get anything to go her way. My heart went out to her - she was trying so hard and life just kept knocking her down. But she loved those girls enough to keep trying, which was just so commendable and sweet.

And Ryker was terrible at communication, which I could understand because of his situation, but dang did he step up for Bryce and the girls time and time again. What he lacked in words he made up for in action!

Overall this was a touching book - & I loved the inclusion of the dog, Six!

All I can say is I loved this book! Change of Plans follows Ryker, a Marine who struggles with PTSD and Bryce an aunt whose life changed when she became sole guardian of her three nieces. From the hilarious first meet in the grocery aisle to the flirty jokes Ryker and Bryce have great chemistry. When Ryker bought supplies for Bryce's niece, it made me fall even in love with his character even more. Writing about someone suffering with PTSD is hard and I can tell that Dylan did her research and she portrayed someone with PTSD correctly and showed the struggles someone faces everyday with PTSD. I really like how she showed what families deal with when they have a loved one suffering from PTSD. From the struggles of seeing what both characters face to the chemistry, this book was very well written, and I couldn't put it down.

Thank youfor this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I have been so excited for Ryker’s story since the moment he was introduced in How Sweet It Is. I loved how Dylan Newton didn’t shy away from any topic or feeling he had in this book. Ryker’s past and the PTSD he deals with is such an important topic, one that I feel like isn’t shown often in books, and I really liked the way it was done in Change of Plans.

There were times that I felt like Bryce wasn’t really for me, but I think it was mostly just that my humour is very different from hers. However, as someone who can absolutely appreciate a nice set of arms and totally overthinks, I really did like her. Bryce and Ryker were a great balance for each other and I loved every moment that they were together, but also appreciated the growth that they had separately.

The inclusion of the characters from the past 2 books was perfect to me. It was enough that as someone who read those books, seeing them was lovely, but not so much that someone would get lost if they read this as a stand-alone. But I definitely would recommend people read all 3 books, because they really all are such great reads.

Thank you to Forever & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love love love this book!! Bryce and Rykers dynamic as couple was *chefs kiss* … plus the interactions with the children was so well done. Ryker might just be my favorite Matthews brother!

Thank you author Dylan Newton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!!

I loved this book! It's uplifting, romantic, heartbreaking, sweet, funny, hot....I could go on!

This was my first book by Dylan Newton and I can tell you it's not going to be my last. In fact immediately after finishing this book I bought and read How Sweet It Is (also 5 stars) and am about to read All Fired Up.

Change Of Plans can be read as a stand-alone but as I was reading it I was wondering about the other Matthews brothers and their relationships. I was so pleased to find out their books had already been written.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) through NetGalley.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing)!

oh my goodness this BOOK

can we just appreciate it when two main characters get their own lives together before seriously dating because YES. Ryker so true of you. My heart physically pained for both Bryce and Ryker and ugh they are perfect. I adored Bryce's nieces and all the little interactions they had with Ryker. Those scenes were my favorite bits :)

So basically what I'm saying is pre-order this! Especially if you like The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez!!

This appears to be the last book in the Matthews family series (unless there's a cousin out there?), and I'm so sad to see these characters go.

This story focused on the middle brother, Ryker, an Afghanistan vet who has pulled back from family and friends since his honorable discharge due to injury. Enter Bryce, a chef & single mom to her three nieces. When the two have their meet cute at the grocery store, it was sweet enough to suck you into the story right away.

Experiencing how the two MCs navigated their communication, family drama, and growing love brought a lot of laughter and some soul touching moments.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

“A hometown hero comes to the rescue of a struggling chef unexpectedly caring for three little girls who may end up saving him too, in this romantic comedy that perfectly balances depth, charm, and all the feels.

When disaster strikes and chef Bryce Weatherford is given guardianship of her three young nieces, her life goes from cooking with fire…to controlling a dumpster fire. Five‑year‑old Addison refuses to remove her fairy wings, eight‑year‑old Cecily won't bathe, and tween June is majoring in belligerence. With all this chaos, Bryce jettisons hope for a life outside of managing her family and her new job.

It's been years since Ryker Matthews had his below‑the‑knee amputation, yet the phantom pain for his lost limb and Marine career haunts him. To cope, he focuses on his vehicle restoration business. He knows he's lucky to be alive. Yet, “lucky” feels more like “cursed” to his lonely heart.

When Ryker literally sweeps Bryce off her feet in the grocery store's baby aisle, they both feel sparks. But falling in love would be one more curveball neither is ready to deal with… or is it exactly the change of plans they need?”

**What I loved about this book:
This book stirred up all the emotions for me!! I found both of the main characters, Bryce and Ryker, so relatable - Bryce in the overwhelmed “mom” role and Ryker from a mental health perspective. Ryker was such a swoon-worthy book boyfriend and the secondary characters really contributed to this book! I highly recommend this one!!

Read if you like:
*a relationship born from mutual healing
*open door romance
*mental health rep
*a unique meet cute
*some forced proximity
*a swoon-worthy book boyfriend

Ryker’s story is my favorite Matthew’s brother book! I’ve been waiting for Ryker’s story and it did not disappoint. I read this book in under a day because I just couldn’t put it down. I wanted to reach through the pages and give him, Bryce and the girls all really big hugs. Bryce is the perfect person for Ryker and him for her. Bryce is the light and connection Ryker was searching for after his injury and Ryker recognized the strength within Bryce even when she thought she was failing. Bryce and her nieces came into Ryker’s life and changed his dull world to full color and gave his RBF a kick to the curb.


Thank you @authordylannewton @readforever and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Wow did I love this book!!!! I enjoyed the first two but Ryker and Bryce and the girls stole the show. So much heart in this book. Loved the representation for soldiers and PTSD. And loved Ryker’s immediate bond with Six. My only complaint is the lack of communication but I understand why.

I have loved this series from Dylan Newton, and Change of Plans definitely delivered! We see glimpses of stoic and quiet Ryker Matthews in the previous books so my curiosity had been piqued. It was so much fun getting to know Ryker and watching him fall head-over-heels for Bryce Weatherford.

Bryce is new in town as the unexpected guardian to her three nieces when their parents are killed in a car accident. Basically overnight she goes from being a single hot shot chef to working in a small town cafe while trying to juggle three kids between the ages of 5 and 12. Ryker Matthews never met a problem he couldn't solve with his rugged determination borne through service in the Marines. But he's dealing with PTSD from his service and struggling to reintegrate to civilian life.

Right from their hilarious meet cute in the grocery store aisles, Bryce and Ryker have amazing chemistry together. I loved their flirty jokes and banter and how willing Ryker was to get to know Bryce's nieces as he built a relationship with her. The single parent trope can be hard to write genuinely but I thought Dylan did a great job of writing the joys and struggles as Bryce embraced her new role as "mom-like creature" to the girls. I also really enjoyed Ryker's character development and seeing his relationship with his brothers and mom evolve. I will definitely miss spending time with the Matthews' brothers and their spouses and family. It's been such a fun journey.

Content warnings: Ryker has intense PTSD which manifests as anxiety in crowds and night terrors which we see play out in a pivotal scene in the book. Bryce's brother and sister-in-law die in a car accident and the grief associated with that is a major theme in Change of Plans. There is also a subplot involving custody of the girls between Bryce and the maternal grandparents which might be triggering to some readers.

I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own!

Change of Plans follows Ryker as he struggles with the physical and emotional effects of his time in Afghanistan and Bryce as she is thrust into a new normal where she is the sole guardian of her three nieces following the loss of their parents.

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. Ryker is my favorite of the brothers, and I really loved getting more of their mom in the story too.

The story felt really well balanced between the serious challenges the MCs were facing and their blossoming romance. Part of why this worked so well for me was that both Ryker and Bryce were in positions in their life where a shallow dalliance was not realistic. Bryce had three kids to consider and Ryker was dealing with PTSD, night terrors, and physical pain from the injury that led to his amputation. The overlapping themes of family and uncertainty about the future worked so well, and Bryce had an incredible amount of empathy, which made me fall in love with her.

Single parent stories aren't usually my favorite because the kids become a plot device or a distraction, but I loved these kiddos so much. Dylan did an excellent job giving them unique personalities and the situations they were a part of felt vibrant and genuine. Dylan has kids of her own and it felt evident in the story; Bryce's nieces had a mischievousness that felt very rooted in reality.

I loved the use of Ryker's brothers to provide levity and an almost self-awareness to certain moments. In particular, I got a kick out of Zander telling Ryker that not communicating was definitely the wrong move at one point in the story. It felt like a humorous nod to the typical miscommunication-fueled third act breakup in many rom-coms.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book, but I'll leave you with this. If you love genuinely funny books with heart, go ahead and pre-order yourself a copy right now. This will be taking a place of honor on my shelf among my favorite romantic comedies.

Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley for the eARC. And to Dylan for providing the opportunity to be on a traveling ARC team! All thoughts are my own.