A Change of View (Northern Lights Collection, #2)

by Freya Barker

• ISBN10: 1988733065
• ISBN13: 9781988733067
• Publish Date: 30 July 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Freya Barker
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 434
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Change of View by Freya Barker is the second book in the Northern Lights series. Each book in the series works well on its own, as each installment features a different couple. This story follows a heroine on her journey to creating a better version of herself and an alpha hero who helps her along.

A Change of View introduces Roar and Leelo. At the beginning of the story, readers learn of Leelo inheriting a lodge in Northern Ontario from her uncle. Recovering from an acrimonious divorce and in search of a change of pace, she moved to Northern Ontario. A decision which led to her renovating not only the property she inherited but also her life. With the renovations to the property, it would seem she bit off more than she could chew. However, with the unsolicited help of her bearded, lumber jack looking neighbor, Roar, the task no longer appeared undaunting. 

Roar didn’t know what to think when he witnessed a blue-haired, tattooed woman trying to repair her roof during a thunderstorm. Being the gentleman he is, he assisted her with the repairs, but not before he gave her a proper dressing down. A reaction Leelo did not appreciate. Soon he is offering to provide further assistance where needed, and it’s not long before things get heated between them. Meanwhile, someone wants to destroy Leelo’s confidence by sabotaging her efforts in getting the lodge into an operational state.

Leelo didn’t appreciate Roar’s bossy personality. An alpha to the core. His military background more than likely contributed to his take charge nature. As one gets deeper into the story, the reason for Leelo’s negative reaction to Roar’s take charge attitude becomes clear. One could not fault her. As she learnt to trust Roar, she came to terms with his personality. She was overly emotional, a trait which intensified whenever Roar, or anyone who, showed her kindness. This was understandable, seeing that her ex did a number on her. 

The breakdown in the marriage had a ripple effect on her relationship with her children. They blamed her for everything. Also, her questionable choices during that period did not help. One could tell that it hurts, but Leelo accepted it and acknowledged her part in the breakdown of their relationship. It warmed my heart to see them bridging the gap leading to healing and restoration.

Like the previous book, the romance focuses on a mature couple in their mid-forties. This slow burn romance will warm your heart. Roar and Leelo were perfect for each other. She open his heart to the possibility of a second chance at love …while he showed her she was worthy to be loved.

 
Austin Barringer and Anneliese Rennie. This was my first experience with both narrators. Austin narrated Roar’s chapters, and I thought he did an excellent job interpreting Roar’s character. He also did a great job with the female voices. I wasn’t a big fan of Anneliese’s narration. Her interpretation of Leelo sounded off. I think she did a better job with the voices for the supporting cast.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[Eve1972]

Great cover on this one! Excellent representation of the hero. Good composition and eye-catching titile work.

I enjoyed this one but didn't love it as much as I did the two previous books in this series. The writing was still fantastic and the plot interesting. I liked both main characters. I wasn't sure about Leelo at the start as she came across a bit like a bitch. That said, I warmed up to her quickly. Roar I loved from page one right up until the very end. I especially love that this author writes older characters. The heroine was 46 and the hero 45.

There was an excellent array of secondary characters as well. I loved Charlie and especially Leelo's son Matt. There was some OW drama that I found a bit pointless, to be honest. Especially since it actually doesn't cause any issues and suddenly at 70%, the OW goes from being a jealous bitch to the heroines BFF (slight exaggeration) overnight. It didn't bother me overly much or factor into my rating, but "I" personally would have preferred that the author just made Patti a close friend who maybe was hoping for more and not the heroes former f@ck buddy. The mystery aspect was OK as well.



What brought my rating down was this book felt SO long. I am used to this author writing low drama and slow moving books, but they still manage to keep me interested. Unfortunately, that was not the case with this one, and I found myself continuously glancing down to see how far along I was. Never a good sign. I am a fast reader, and after three solid hours of reading, I was STILL only at 50%. I felt like this could have been wrapped up in a satisfying ending about 50-70 pages earlier than it was. So yeah, I enjoyed it enough that I will continue to read the next books in this series (assuming there are going to be more) but it didn't quite live up to its predecessor. Still, yours truly here gives it a thumb up.