I thought the story was decent and appreciated the age of the characters but I HATED the narrators. It made it soooo hard to listen. The female narrator was just not how I imagined the female character. They really distracted me from the story.

Roar is the grumpy local who keeps to himself. So when "city girl" Leelo rolls into town and sets to remodel the local motel all on her own, he could care less. Until she almost kills herself trying to repair the roof in a storm and he comes to her rescue. The attraction is automatic, but neither wants to admit to it.

I loved this second book in the series. I can't wait to listen to more from this author!

This book was very enjoyable. I found the drama to be a little over the top, but none the less, I was still entertained. I found it interesting how some of the characters resolved their complicated relationships.
Overall I found it extremely unrelatable, but it still made me want to move to a small northern town and live off a beautiful lake.

This book should come with a warning! It will make you laugh out loud, snort inappropriately and in general make a nuisance of yourself if listening to it in public! This rom com is geared for anyone who likes a funny romance story that will delight and entertain! I especially loved the characters as they are not youthful, bodies carved from granite, model types that everyone aspires to be. Instead they are mid-40's, realistically shaped by a love of food, hardworking and sarcastically lovable! Toss in a bit of a mystery and it is the perfect book to enjoy an entertaining afternoon with!

I am beginning to think this author is going to be a definite favorite of mine! While this book is a part of a series, you absolutely do not need to read this book or the first in the series in any particular order. Other than setting, they don't share characters or storylines so enjoy at will. Both are worth the time to enjoy!

Leelo’s divorce has taken its toll not only on her psyche but on her relationship with her two adult children as well. She is floundering as she tries to figure out who she is and what she wants in the future as her whole focus had been ensuring the happiness of her family. When she inherits her uncle’s motel, she decides to pack up her life and move to Wawa and renovate and re-open the motel.

Roar has left his military career in his past and now owns a fishing lodge and happens to be Leelo’s neighbor. They don’t get off to a great start as he is angry to find her repairing her roof in a rainstorm but once he gets a taste of her fiery attitude rather than it having him back away it only intrigues him more.

Leelo is brash and emotional but that is only because she is determined to succeed on her own while Roar is understanding and is determined to support her as she tries to find the woman she is meant to be. The story has a great balance between romance and suspense and the secondary characters enhance the story. I thought that the narrators did a great job with both the characters and the storyline.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! A Change of View stars a couple in their mid 40s. They're layered, with pasts that seep through their interactions with the outside world. I'm more interested in people who make mistakes and learn from them than reading about heroes with zero flaws. I'm not much for mystery, but the romance here is very swoon-worthy.

A Change of View
Northern Lights, Book 2

I Picked Up This Book Because: I judged a book by it’s cover.

The Characters:

Leelo:
Roar:
Gwen (Leelo’s daughter), Matt (Leelo’s son)

The Story:

I’m really glad I judged this book by it’s cover because I enjoyed it a lot. Leelo is amazing and hilarious. Roar was the definition of a burly mountain man with a heart of gold. I really like small town stories and this was definitely one. I love the way the community accepted Leelo, especially in a time of need. There was excellent deception of our villain. NGL I wanted to punch Gwen for a good part of the story even if I knew what her issues were but I changed my mind by the end.

Overall this was a really enjoyable story and I know my rambling made no sense but I recommend it it what you should walk away with.


The Random Thoughts:


4 Stars

This was my first Freya Barker's book, and won't be my last. This is the second book in the Northern Lights Series, a Small Town Romance. Leelo and Roar's slow burn story is sweet, sexy, and beautiful. They are wonderful characters. Leelo is strong, and independent. Roar is handsome, supportive, and caring. They are opposites attract, and perfect together. The storyline is fun, filled with drama, intrigues, and twists and turns. The cast of supporting characters is great. I loved Leelo's kids, and Roar's mother. Anneliese Rennie and Austin Barringer are fantastic narrators. Austin Barringer is a new narrator to me. He has a beautiful voice, very pleasant to listen to. We need more from him! They both are perfect as Leelo and Roar. I enjoyed it. I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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DNF'd this at 40% through the audio book. I loved the narrators but just did not connect with the story.

I really wanted to like this book. I have really enjoyed Freya Barker's books in the past, and I enjoyed the first two books in this series as well, but I could not connect to the female character in this book for the longest time, and it really detracted from the overall..

Leelo (female lead) and Roar (male lead) are both very quick to temper, but throughout the book, I feel like Leelo was often irrational in her anger, and it showed a level of immaturity and a lack of compassion for others that irked me considerably. While Roar was quick to temper, it was usually provoked at least, and often because Leelo did something reckless. And Leelo was totally unsympathetic to how much Roar cared for her for the vast majority of the book.

Overall, the narration by Anneliese Rennie and Austin Barringer was really well-done. Yes, there were times that I felt that they were overly dramatic, but that goes back to the source material, and not their delivery.

For me, this story had a lot of potential, but Leelo became a caricature of an irrational, angry woman, and it was hard for the book to come back from that point. The plot was interesting, the drama interesting, but I didn't root for them as a couple the way I would have liked to truly connect with the characters.

Wonderful romance, enthralling setting

Roar and Leelo have a genuinely romantic connection, the kind of love that comes once in a lifetime. I loved how they worked their lives together, how they supported each other, and especially how Roar helped encourage Leelo to trust herself again.

This is a complicated story of two people in their mid-40's finding each other at just the right time. There's plenty of drama from her family, plus there's a malevolent presence seeking to destroy her new life. The details did get a bit gruesome at times, but I accepted those parts (and quickly read through) in the spirit of realism. You really do feel like you're right in the middle of the action with this author's writing style. The suspense is exquisitely balanced by the passion and small-town atmosphere, so even though it's a long road until the villain is brought to justice you never feel that the situation is completely hopeless.

I adored the secondary characters, especially Charlie and Ace. It's always a bonus for me when a big happy dog is featured as a member of the family, and this author has a real knack for that. Roar's conversation with Charlie at the end was especially poignant and inspiring.

I listened to the audio book I received from NetGalley as I read along in my Kindle app, and I really enjoyed both narrators. The female narrator really seemed to capture Leelo's spirit, easily bringing the character to life.

I really enjoyed this one and the narrator brought it to life. Leelo inherited her uncle's run down business in the country in Northern Ontario and even though she is short on funds, very short, she is determined to do all the work herself to get the place back up and running and ready to welcome guests. Her nearest neighbor finds her stranded on her roof in the middle of a thunderstorm and pulls her down before strapping the tarp down. That is how she meets Roar, the bearded ex-military man who runs the lodge next door and ends up showing up to work along side her. These two end up seeing something in each other they each recognize and end up healing each other and Leelo's adult children along the way. There is also a twist of suspense added in for good measure. Definitely enjoyed this one!

**Received this ARC for review in audio form from the publisher via NetGalley**

3*
Leelo has just inherited her uncles motel which is a much needed distraction considering her marriage is over and things aren't brilliant with her older children.
When Doyle gets his first glimpse of her its when the stubborn blue haired woman is on the roof in a storm fixing a leak.
I enjoyed the story but found the audio copy bad it was breaking up and stopping constantly, it did spoil the flow of the story.
I wasn't very keen on the narrators leelo is supposed to be pretty fiery but the voice was more of a winey/drone nature

This one has more of the small-town vibes I was expecting from the first book in the series (can be read as a stand-alone). There are still plenty steamy moments though not as many.

Leelo is a fun character I enjoyed reading about. She’s very engaging and relatable. It was enjoyable though not very exciting following her relationship with the aptly named Roar as they come together and soothe the aches from each others past.

Leelo and Roar - I didn't see it happening but it did! I enjoyed the story and being from a Great Lake state it was very easy to imagine the scenery & setting. I believe that Canadians are the best neighbors on the globe, so I enjoyed the cultural differences as well. Looking forward to more in the series.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. I find it very refreshing to have a female & male voice actors reading a story. For some reason, I just didn't like the fit of the female voice. I didn't think it matched the character.


I got a free ARC audio book prior to my review.

A change of view
By: Freya Barker

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

I really loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other. This is a fun, hot, romantic must read book and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Authors Blurb;
When Leelo can no longer identify herself by the roles that once defined her, it's both terrifying and liberating. Oh, she feels the loss, grief, and the anger, but when she inherits property up north, she jumps at the promise of freedom and independence. Yet, not everyone in her new community is what they seem, starting with the surly mountain man down the road.

As owner of the local fishing lodge, Roar is content with his everyday life. And the older he gets, the less he appreciates change. So, when a blue-haired, tattooed "city girl" moves into the old motel, shaking up his daily routine, he’s none too pleased. Still, something about the woman’s easy smile and almost reckless grit has him step up as her keeper.

Awesome rom-com, includes Leeola's feelings about her ex, dealing with menopause, learning who she is &men who underestimate her.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks Netgally for letting me read and review.📚💕

I liked the premise of this book. It's always nice, refreshing really, to see stories that center around people in their forties. I had trouble with the narration, however, it felt grating to me, a bit shouty, so that I didn't want to listen to it for extended periods and it distracted from actually following the story. Perhaps, I would have enjoyed this one more in text.

I received an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great romance that shows love and desire don't end after 40. When Leelo takes over her Uncles motel and bar that has fallen into disrepair, she feels daunted by the task of the renovation but ready for the change. After a failed marriage to a manipulative verbally abusive man and an estranged relationship with her kids this move is just what Leelo needs.

Roar owns the lodge down the road from the motel, alone since his marriage ended due to infidelity Roar puts all his energy into helping his neighbors and his mom while trying to hold himself together. Several tours in Afghanistan, the loss of his baby, the infidelity of his wife and the loss of a best friend have left him raw and closed off until he sees the tattooed blue haired woman determined to make a go of the motel next door.

This romance combines with a mystery as the lodge, and the motel keep getting vandalized and Leelo doesn't seem to be able to catch up. As despair starts to settle in she also has feelings blossoming for the handsome cranky neighbor next door.

This is turning out to be an excellent series. I wasn't sure about the female narrator at first but her voice grew on me.

The story is interesting but the narrator is all wrong. I understand that the female MC is 47 but the narrator makes her sound twenty years older. Hard to listen to- but I would read it- but had to stop listening because of this.

This is a great book following a couple in their mid 40s. I loved especially how mature they appeared, while still fun, making this a realistic take on a relationship between two good, well-rounded people. As someone who is mid 40 as well, I appreciate books where the authors don't introduce silly misunderstandings and issues that are irrelevant and easily fixed by just a tiny bit of communication, just to provide some angst. This book doesn't do that and the couple stands strong against a real threat and they work together to bring happiness into their lives and the lives of the people around them. (I loved the supporting cast too, including Leelo's children and Roar's mom)

The narration is well done as well. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the book. I have to say, I'm especially impressed with Austin Barringer who has a very smooth voice and ability to play multiple characters. I looked up his history of narration and I think this is his first book? He did amazing. .Anneliese Rennie did well too although her narration was a little tinny- I am not sure if that is due to the equipment she used or if it was just my version of the audiobook. Overall, this was very good narration that elevated my immense enjoyment of the story itself.