A Change In Tide (Northern Lights Collection, #1)

by Freya Barker

[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.

A Change in Tide introduced me to the work of Freya Barker.  I thought the main characters would be in the late twenties or early thirties age group. However, it surprised me to discover they were older, which I appreciated. This is the first book in the Northern Lights series, and I have to say it’s off to a good start.

In this installment, we get Mia and Jared’s story. Mia, a divorcee and a midwife, lives in seclusion in a lake house, a choice she made after being diagnosed with agoraphobia. Living at the lake house provided her , however her peaceful life would be disturbed when Jared, a retired hockey player, moved in next door.

Mia’s first impression of Jared did not go well.  Witnessing him in a compromising position with a woman she believed to be his girlfriend, then not soon after she sees a pregnant woman moving in with him.  However, things are not always as one may first perceive.

I have to my first impression of Jared was far from flattering, but as the story progressed my feelings towards him changed. Jared oozed confidence. Strong, determined, protective and an excellent cook.  He refused to let his career ending  injury impact him negatively.  Instead, he worked on finding other ways to utilise his skills. He was not afraid to go after what he wants, and Mia was in his sights.  I admired Mia’s willingness to help someone in need and her feistiness. Both are complex characters and I had fun peeling away their layers.

I loved the friendship and the romance which developed between Mia and Jared. They took time to know each other and learnt a lot. The biggest revelation was learning of their connection through a tragedy they both suffered on the same day. Both characters showed tremendous growth throughout the story, especially Mia. 

The story featured some humorous situations that had me giggling whenever they occurred. It moved at a steady pace to a large extent. The reader got the chance to witness Jared's sister going through her own share of issues and finding happiness in the end.

Narration

With this story we got a dual narration. This is the first time I have listened to narrators Tor Thom and Charley Ongel. I think they did an excellent job in bringing out the temperament of the characters. Their range of voices and tone enhanced the listening experience. Their voices were distinct making easy to distinguish between the characters they are representing.

Overall, A Change In Tide delivered a well-written romance featuring mature characters with real-life problems and realistic flaws.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading