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A review by the_novel_approach
Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen
4.0
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
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