Reviews

Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold

minnimist's review

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4.0

I loved the idea behind this story. Moving on after a partners death is such a hard thing to even imagine let alone live though, I thought the author did a wonderful job describing how hard it was for Easton to come to grips that his soulmate was gone forever. I loved how understanding River was when Easton would encounter a memory/feeling of his life with Paul and he would tear up, how he was there to encourage Easton at his own pace to move on. It made me think of Easton being a butterfly and coming out of his cocoon of grief, becoming a newer/stronger version of himself after Paul's death. I could feel his guilt when he started to develop feelings for River. It was a slow friendship to love story but what made me give the book a 4 star instead of 5 is how fast they went from, River/Easton both thinking and voicing, do i love you or does Paul's heart love you? do i love you for you or because you have Paul's heart to lets get married, like right now? Whoah whiplash guys lol Still a cute HEA story and will read more books from this author.

suzy76's review

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5.0

Absolutely loved this. Cried like a baby. Need a signed copy for shelf.

haletostilinski1's review

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4.0

So overall I really enjoyed this, I enjoyed Easton and River together a lot, they were so sweet and wonderful together, and also yes, hot.

I also thought this concept was really interesting, because I had never seen it before. Falling in love with the guy who got your dead husband's heart? Crazy situation and complicated but so interesting.

And the author wrote these two together so well, and their romance was so great. And getting Easton from a place of heavy grieving even 5 years later to where he was at the end was great.

But something greatly annoyed me. How Easton having to tell River about his heart being his dead husband's was handled. I get that that is a heavy thing and hard to even bring up and talk about, and I get at first when Easton was just determined to see that Paul's heart was given to a person worthy of it and nothing else that he wouldn't tell him.

But when they started hanging out more, he should have told him. Just because it's understandable why he didn't, doesn't make it okay. He drags it out for months and months well past when these two sleep together and exchange "I love you's" which also brings me to my second annoyance: how easily River forgave Easton. He runs out of the house and all, and he takes a few days (and goes to Easton instead of Easton going to him, which Easton should have done) but still, once Easton explains his own reasoning it's just basically a "okay I forgive you" thing and I don't like that. No matter Easton's reasoning, it wasn't okay, and he should have had to do more to earn River's forgiveness.

Also, once the secret came to light? I totally saw it coming the whole book and it wasn't very surprising or interesting. Like this shit has been done so many times and I knew when
SpoilerEaston found the note from River about getting the heart five years prior (River didn't know who the patient was who gave him the heart because of HIPPA), that that's how River would find the note.
It was just terribly cliche. And yes sometimes cliches work because they're cliches for a reason, but I just wish maybe Easton had been the one to tell River the truth for a change, even if it was the same day that River finds out, so Easton would still keep it for so long...but then the book doesn't do it the way I was expecting, make it a little interesting and different...

It just annoyed me too much to give this 5 stars. The angst could have come from something different than that. Like what if River knew from almost the beginning and the rest of it was these two falling for each other but dealing with the weirdness of him having Paul's heart? Of them trying to figure out if they're falling for each other because of Paul's heart or because of each other.

What was accomplished in this could have been accomplished without the big cliche secret.

But aside from that, I enjoyed everything about this novel. About River and Easton, who had such great chemistry and worked so well together. If I ignored how easily they get past the secret, the ending is so sweet and wonderful and adorable.

So this was a well written, sweet book with a great romance between the two MC's, but it's plot left me more annoyed than anything, so just 4 stars overall for me.

Still recommend this, because others might not be as annoyed with that as me - and even if they are, it's worth it for River and Easton's relationship.

wild_orchid's review

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5.0

This put my heart through the ringer!

First off I’d like to acknowledge that I already knew K.M. Nuehold was a talent writer but OMG this book really embodies the depth of her talent. It gave me all the feels. I was expecting a few years based off the blurb alone but I didn’t expect to FEEL this much. I felt all the feels my emotions could come up with but most of all I felt hopeful that these MCs could make it through it all and get their HEA. Def a must read!

azelius's review

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Dnf at 50%
Great potential, maybe I had too much expectations, I went going in expecting a fave because these kind of tropes are my jam but yeah not so great application.

renitor's review

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2.0

i gave it a two bc i didn’t really like the concept that much but i forced myself to read it to finish this series. bc im a completionist. it was okay though. i liked mason and heart. lucky was eh. so yeah.

achillespatroclus's review

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emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

cadiva's review

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5.0

This romance is just gorgeous, there's no other word for it imho. From the start to the finish I had a really warm feeling of love throughout the narrative even though there were moments tinged with sadness.

I think K.M. has handled what could have been a truly mawkish subject with consummate skill, it's a difficult tone to get right but overall this romance with a twist had a strength of feeling which was pitched perfectly.

Easton's love for his dead husband Paul is present throughout, the necessary level of weight for his grieving is there but Paul never overtakes the story and becomes too big an issue for a new relationship to take hold.

And River, the recipient of Paul's heart, is also enough of a strong character that he never feels like a substitute and the affection which grows between them, while it has possibly dubious beginnings, is allowed to develop and meander through friendship into affection and attraction and then into love organically.

It's a tough subject to tackle and I think it's pitched perfectly. Enough weight is given to each aspect of the romance and, while things do perhaps happen a little bit quickly, I think sometimes when you've lost a great love, when another one arises, it feels almost like a miracle which has to be grasped and not let go of.

There's also perhaps hints of a second book which I would absolutely love to read because I think Fox needs his own chance to move on from grieving his best friend and I think Brandon might just be the one to do it, even if he's not aware of it just yet.

Also, as a final point, the use of colour in this book to reflect the journey Easton takes from grief and back into life is beautifully done. Bravo for that.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review

ollie_again's review

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3.0

The third book in the series was quite unexpected. I didn’t really know what I’ll get from this story because there was no real lead up to it in the previous books. Wow. Surprising third member of the narrative, and though I wasn’t into it in the beginning, mostly because I felt the feelings of Lucky were really out of place, in the end it wasn’t as bad. I kinda liked him by the end, though I have to say Mason is in my top three characters in the whole series. Tank, Jackson and Mason are my holy trinity.

rainbowsandsunshinebookblog's review

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5.0

Loved this book. It's sad and hopeful and cute and teary and absolute perfection.

Easton and River are perfect for each other. After his husband's death, his life was black and white. But River brings colour back into his life. He helps him heal.

Most of the book I was waiting for the other shoe to drop because in most cases, if you have a secret that you plan to tell, the other person will know it feom some other source. I loved both their best friends. Brandon and Fox are both amazing characters. Will Fox get a book? Because I'd love to read more of him!!

I love the use of colour ar a metaphor for the ups and downs in life throughout the book.
Highly recommended read!!

*ARC provided by the author via Vibrant Promotions in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
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