GFY plot that was OK and I could see where Carey was coming from in his denial but then he seemed to be further along the road to travel in terms of being with Jase, so I felt those bits were confusing.
I thought the trauma and flashbacks and ambush sequences were suitably heart wrenching and the effects both guys still have were realistic feeling.
The back half of the story was more intense, I suppose with the 'great romantic misunderstanding' but also having those small vingnettes about Carey counselling - very tear jerky.
3.5*

18.11.18 reread : I just found this to be an intense theme but the story of Jase and Carey not so - the flashbacks and stories of others being more for me than them. I liked it and it was fairly easy reading style.

A great story to get me out of my reading funk. Loved how Jason and Carey didn't instantly have all problems solved but that it took time and heartache. The realism of being an amputee was well researched and showed how much it actually impacts on all facets of your life. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Thanks to my Secret Santa for this gift!

3.75 stars

Great representation of this kind of genre. Loved the first half, the second tho, not so much...

Story and Narration: 4 Stars

Jase and Carey were comrades in arms: Carey, a Marine who lose his leg in Afghanistan, and Jase, the EMT who saved his life. Back stateside, they have both moved on with their lives. Carey is working in Colorado at an organization that provides counseling and support for other veterans. Jase is an EMT while pursuing his dream of music as the lead singer for his band in LA. Carey has a week’s vacation and he’s looking forward to seeing the guy who has become his best friend.

Throughout the story, we get glimpses of the past that brought Jase and Carey together, and how their friendship has changed over the years. Jase has long had feelings for Carey, but he’s also convinced that Carey is completely straight and will never be able to return his feelings, so he’s made the best of it and supports Carey in any way he can as a friend. But when Carey visits and sees Jase with another guy, feelings surface that blindside him. Why should he care who Jase gets off with? This is his friend and he has known for years that Jase is into guys. Why, then, does he find himself getting what feels a lot like jealous?

When they witness tragedy, it turns out that Jase is dealing with a lot of stuff from the past that Carey never recognized before. But this is an area that maybe Carey can help Jase with, and he does still owe him a lot for all he put up with during Carey’s recovery. He doesn’t expect to find himself wanting more with Jase, though, and he freaks himself out a bit. What would it mean for him to actually pursue a relationship with his best friend…who happens to be a man?

This is my first book by Melanie Hansen, but it certainly won’t be the last. I really liked her style of writing; the characters and the dialogue seem very real and authentic. Robert Nieman’s narration really added to the story. I’ve listened to a few of his audios by now (particularly his R. Cooper titles), and I have so far appreciated all of his choices for the character voices, including Jase and Carey in this one. Jase and Carey both have struggles, and it was a great twist to portray them not as competing difficulties but rather as complementary. I enjoyed the secondary characters, who seemed more three-dimensional than those found in many books. Both male and female characters seemed like people I could know rather than just stereotypes. I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Sadonna for The Novel Approach

This book made me ugly cry, it's pretty much perfection in a book for me.

Two damaged but superbly written ex military men with a connection forged in war and loss.

Friends to lovers crafted in a relationship which is not only believable but painfully real, a gay for you attraction which is perfectly outlined and developed, smoking hot sex, epic emotional romance and a fabulous epilogue promising a true HEA.

Jase and Carey were beautiful and reading them come together from the horrors of war was an emotional rollercoaster of a ride.

Seriously attractive cover as well, which only adds to the overall brilliance of this story.

Carey and Jase, Jase and Carey..

This two broke my heart, they had so much unresolved feelings and so much history, they both went through awful things and they are trying to live their lives the best way they can.

I love Jase! He was so strong and loving, he was not perfect, he needed help but he was not stubborn about it, he knew it and he looked for it, he made so proud!

I wanted to punch Carey in the face! But at the same time wanted to hug him, he's a survivor and he had a huge heart!

They deserved so much happiness!

That said, i was not happy with the way they ended up fixing their relationship, Carey deserve to be put to ringer a little bit! Jase forga him so fast and that's not ok, he needed to make Carey understand that what he did was wrong and he couldn't just expect things to be ok 'cause he was ready!

I am happy to discover Melanie Hansen. This was a really satisfactory read. This story has trauma, sadness and some really gut wrenching moments but it also has triumph over these moments, lasting love and beautiful friendships.

There is some really detailed, hot sex in this book but it doesn't feel gratuitous although there is a point where I felt it went on for too long.

I was not happy with how everyone treated Jayden, he may have been a needy groupie but they treated him like a pest even if Jase is the one who encouraged him to keep coming back, that was also the one thing I didn't like about Jase, he used Jayden without remorse even when he was aware that the groupie was falling for him.

Although I totally loved Casey, he annoyed me a bit at the end because of how long he pushed his decision making.

Overall this is a lovely story and I could barely put it down I am really hopeful about the others in the series.

3.5 Stars. This was a good book. Not great, but certainly not terrible. A good solid m-m romance that focuses on to ex-military men that have been to hell and back together and are living there post war lives.

What I liked:
- The author doesn't shy away from the harsh topics included in this book. PTSD, anxiety, amputation and the horrors of war. All seemly dealt with well and in a believable way. I'm a sucker for damaged men and both of our main characters have their own struggles and torment to get through.
- It was short and sweet. Not too much angst (which I don't typically mind anyway). The paperback clocks in at just shy of 200 pages which I think was the perfect length for this story.
- A well done time jump or two. This book has a few time jumps toward the end where several weeks pass. This passage of time is to give one of the characters space to decide what he wants and it felt reasonable.

What I didn't like:
- The GFY aspect wasn't well done in my opinion. I feel like this story would be better as a closeted story instead of GFY. It felt like the MC that was having the issues came around very quickly. As in, he tried to ignore his feelings for a couple of days and then gave in a had sex with a man for the first time. It felt unrealistic in my eyes. Although the MC's have known each other for years, it's still a big step. It felt like the MC had more trouble with the sexual feelings because they were for a man, and not a woman.
- I didn't really connect with the characters and didn't really care for them a whole lot. I liked for them and rooted for them towards the end. But I wasn't totally invested in their story which is sad.
- Flashbacks. I hate reading flashback scenes. This book had so many of them. It pulls me out of the story and it just disrupted the flow. I don't mind having the odd one but my god there were tons in this book.

Overall I enjoyed it but didn't love it. I have the next two books in the companion series which both sound more up my alley. I look forward to reading them in the near future.

This book made me ugly cry, it's pretty much perfection in a book for me.

Two damaged but superbly written ex military men with a connection forged in war and loss.

Friends to lovers crafted in a relationship which is not only believable but painfully real, a gay for you attraction which is perfectly outlined and developed, smoking hot sex, epic emotional romance and a fabulous epilogue promising a true HEA.

Jase and Carey were beautiful and reading them come together from the horrors of war was an emotional rollercoaster of a ride.

Seriously attractive cover as well, which only adds to the overall brilliance of this story.

Melanie Hansen did a wonderful job honoring combat medics and soldiers with disabilities in Everything Changes. As a veteran with a disability, it is wonderful to read about other veterans and their everyday lives as humans and not as hindrances. Carey and Jase are two men who are each a part of society and succeeding in their own way. They each have their own battles, but they are not men to be pitied or patronized. Hansen does all veterans justice by writing about us as real human beings who struggle, fail, love, and succeed just like everyone else.

Hansen writes Everything Changes from both characters' point-of-views and it gives us a glimpse into what life is like as a combat medic coming back from war and dealing with the aftermath of life and death. Jase is a loving man to everyone except to maybe himself. Hansen showcases this through his use of outside stimuli and through his music. Hansen explores how music and playing it can help people deal with their emotional wounds. I found this connection fascinating.

Carey deals with his disability by helping others, but his process was not easy which is shown in flashbacks. I have heard about the workshops that Hansen writes about and it is fabulous to read about them. The relationship between Carey and Jase goes far beyond battle buddies which I can tell you from experience it is a tight one. I love how Hansen handles their next steps.

So to summarize: I love this book (laugh). The individual journeys that Jase and Carey are on are wonderfully written. Then Hansen gives us this powerful friendship which turns into love and you are like damn...please work. Hunky men. Veterans. Music. Soulful conversations. Hot chemistry. It’s not a hardship to read Everything Changes.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.