Ryker Matthews, Zander and Drake’s brother, is a retired Marine turned mechanic who struggles with PTSD and phantom limb pain after his below-the-knee amputation. Bryce Weatherford is a chef at PattyCakes who is struggling to adjust to her new role as a guardian of her 3 young nieces after a terrible accident; Addison refuses to take off her fairy wings and is wetting the bed, Cecily won’t bathe, and June has a grumpy and sassy attitude. On top of that, Bryce is struggling with lawyer fees since the Weatherford girls’ grandparents are petitioning the court for sole custody. After Ryker and Bryce bond over a mishap at the grocery store, they strike up a friendship and end up becoming much-needed shoulders for each other to lean on. Despite their instant attraction, Bryce doesn’t feel like it’s the right time for romance…but maybe a “change of plans” is just what she needs.
Change of Plans is part of a series of interconnected standalones about the Matthews brothers. Change of Plans is a smalltown romantic comedy perfect for fans of books like Knot My Type by Evie Mitchell, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings, The Summer Cottage by Annie Rains, and Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score as well as movies like Raising Helen and Gifted. Potential trigger warnings include PTSD and military flashbacks, custody disagreements, loss of parents, vomiting and broken bones, and dementia. Themes include change, communication (and miscommunication), parenthood and motherhood, family, war, mental health, fear of failure, death and loss, love and sacrifice, loneliness, trust, heroism, challenges of growing up, and working-class struggles. I think that one of the main morals of Change of Plans is that it’s okay to ask for and accept help. I loved how Newton described the process of applying for and being matched with a service dog as I thought that this was very cool and unique; it’s not something that I’ve seen very often (if at all) in romantic comedies. The meaning behind the service dog’s name was also very heartwarming! I appreciated that Change of Plans was an interconnected standalone as I find that it’s easier for me to get into the plot since I’m already familiar with the setting and a lot of the characters. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Bryce’s nieces playing big parts in the plot as I was afraid that it would distract from the romance elements, but I ended up really enjoying their hilarious antics (including a “laugh out loud” disastrous Easter party) and all the Tinkerbell references! I have to say that the custody disputes and the PTSD flashbacks were harder for me to read as these topics are so sensitive in nature. I also wasn’t really a fan of the side story involving the Matthews brothers’ mom, Patty, as I didn’t feel like it added a lot to the plot. Lastly, I was disappointed that the miscommunication trope, personally one of my least favourite tropes, appeared multiple times throughout the novel. Overall, I enjoyed this funny and heartwarming page turner and would highly recommend it to fans of romantic comedies and single parent romances.
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February 2024
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