Cover Image: A Change of Pace

A Change of Pace

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Member Reviews

Didn’t Get Far…

I really wish authors and publishers would always put content warnings in their books descriptions. I don't like to read or listen to books with a lot of profanity, and if warned, I will not purchase or download such a book from a bookseller or book review site. This one started off rather quickly with some standard swear words, including the F-bomb, but I stopped listening to this audiobook when I heard the very crude four-letter C-word that some call a certain part of a woman's anatomy. That was enough for me to stop altogether. If you have a stronger stomach for profanity and crude words, you might get further in the book than I did.

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This is the 3rd book in the Northern Lights series by Freya Barker. I'm a fan of this series, and this one was an entertaining and humorous listen.

Frederique is a youth counselor, and Newt just moved to town hoping to find help and a more tranquil existence for his daughter, Millie. To say that sparks fly immediately between Newt and Frederique is an understatement, but it's not the right kind of sparks! Luckily Frederique and Millie get along a lot better, as they hit it off pretty quickly, and Frederique turns out to be the salve that Millie needs.

This was a really entertaining and fun listen. This small-town romance really hit the spot.

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Change of Pace audiobook
I did not enjoy Change of Pace. The characters seemed to disappear (die) too quickly and I found it difficult to follow the plot. The narration was annoying. I would not suggest this audiobook to my patrons.

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I loved the main character but the story line fell a little flat for me. I kept reading to find out what happened but I don’t think I would ever pick this one up again

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I really enjoyed this story about finding love a little later in life. The characters were relatable and easy to connect with. Newt was easy to fall for. His love for his daughter, Millie, had me thinking the world of him immediately. I love that he and Freddie didn't initially get along. Freddie misjudged him as a bully type when he is actually nothing like that. It's understandable though after everything she's seen and been through. Basically, in ways Newt and Freddie are an unlikely pair but they just make sense. I can't help but love them as a couple. Their journey to a HEA isn't an easy one though. It's a bumpy trip and one worth reading....

I listened to the audio version of A Change of Pace. For the most part it was fine. However, I really didn't like the female voice when she did male voices. It just didn't work for me. Other than that, it was okay.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio copy. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

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Even with the tough topics this was an easy listen.
The story was a good mix of drama and romance, with great characters (good and bad) and a lot of animals.
I liked the narrators a lot.

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I loved this book! I received this one in audio and started listening to it while Christmas shopping in Target and found myself having such a good time listening it made shopping so much easier (I hate shopping). Newt moves his daughter to a small town after taking an early retirement and discovers she may be having issues again and needs to see a therapist. This is where he is forced to meet with the school recommended therapist and comes face-to-face with the woman he met and her big dog. Soon these two find out maybe they can not only help his daughter but form a bond themselves. It was such a pleasure to find a book with a "mature" couple and watch them form a unit with a teenager (and a dog). This may be the third in this series but didn't really seem to be part of the series.

**Received this from NetGalley audio**

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A Change of Pace is the third and final book in the Northern Lights series. Unfortunately, I think this one was my least favourite of the three.

I still enjoyed the majority of the story but I did find myself growing bored at some points and having a difficulty connecting with the characters. Moreso with Newt.

The narrators did a great job with this one! They are hundred percent the reason why I got through this entire novel and had a relatively enjoyable time doing so.

They really brought these characters to life in my head. Their scared moments, passionate and happy ones, even the most dark of moments, they really gave it their all and brought all of that emotion forth.

This novel does deal with a variety of triggering topics so please check the TW at the end of this review before you read this book, if you need to!

All of the animal interactions and moments brightened my day and were the highlights of this book. Especially between Freddy’s dog and Millie. That last scene between them tore at my heart.

Overall, I enjoyed this one but it wasn’t a new favourite! Do check it out if you like this type of romance novel!

3/5⭐️

TW: self-harm, death of a parent, cancer, hospitals, surgery, health issues (in detail), sexual assault, kidnapping, violence, assault, sexually explicit scenes.

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Thanks to Spectrum Audio for the alc of this book.

Change of Pace is the third book of the Northern Lights series by Freya Barker. I've really enjoyed all of the books in this series so far. They all have mature adults who have relocated into remote areas of Canada for a simpler life.

In this book Newt Tobias retires early and moves from the city to cottage country hoping that a simpler life will help his troubled daughter. Frederique Marchand is a local therapist who reaches out to troubled teens through the help of her therapy dog.

I really liked this book a lot. It has solid characters who I really enjoyed getting to know, an interesting story line, and no dragged out drama. So pretty much everything I want in a romance. I'd call the steam factor on this one a medium.

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Heroine: Frederique Marchand
Hero: Newt Tobias

Freya Barker, the author of A Change of Pace, deals with a serious matter that is often overlooked, cutting. As a teenager, I have struggled with it and learned to cope on my own. I remember how relieved I felt with every cut. I could feel all the tension leave my body. Despite what people may think, it's not a ruse to gain people's attention. On the contrary, people who cut usually go far out of their way to hide the signs and appear outwardly happy when they want to show people that nothing is amiss.

I like how Frederique and Newt handled the situation, not blaming her but trying to help her overcome it. When you start a conventional romance novel, it's a given that's the lead characters will fall in love with each other. What's novel, is how they go about it. No matter how many times a trope is repeated, the journey is always different.

Also, this is my first Audiobook. So, when I started listening I wondered if this is how all audiobooks work.

The book is told from two point-of-views:
Frederique's and Newt's. So, when it was Newt's turn of narration, every single dialogue (even for other characters) was spoken by the narrator who read the story as Newt, albeit with a change in tone. I have to find out if it's the same for all audiobooks. But every listener will agree that the narrators are quite talented. It is the way they are able to change their tone for each character.

Now that I have completed the book, I can't help but admire the author. It just goes to show that it doesn't matter how old you are. If the author knows what she is doing, we'll definitely be able to relate with characters who would otherwise have nothing in common with us.

Usually, I start from the first book of every series I read. I was lucky enough to grab an audiobook from the NetGalley shelf. On my own, I would never have picked up A Change Of Pace. Freya Barker has such a unique talent. She was able to spin a tale more real than any book based on a true story.

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I listened to the audio book. This was an emotional story about a single father having a hard time helping his troubled teen daughter. I love the fact that two of the main characters were in their 40s like me, and the I could relate to the real life struggles since I am a single mom of 4 teens. Has a great plot.

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The narrators did a great job. They were expressive and easy to understand.

The story starts out kind of dark, with 14 year old Millie cutting herself. Her worried dad, Newt, moves her out of the city in the hope that a change of scenery will help. The small town therapist and therapy animal owner, Freddie, starts bonding with Millie, even while becoming annoyed by Newt, who she doesn't yet know is her father.

Millie starts to heal. Freddie and Newt go from slight animosity to the beginnings of a crush, to falling in love. Add in a near- rape for Millie, a cancer scare for Freddie and the police chief's messed up home life, and the plot keeps up a good pace.

I was not expecting the few, but explicit sex scenes, or the excessive use of profanity, both of which nearly made me stop listening.

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Newt needed a change of pace, so he moved his daughter, Mollie, to a home on the lake. After getting shot as a police officer, he retired and his whole focus is his daughter. Mollie is not doing well in her new school, so a counselor suggests a therapist who has a therapy dog as well as other animals that Mollie comes to love. They all help her voice her problems. Newt comes to value the compassion and caring of Frankie as well. The book has wonderful characters, insights into teen problems, health issues brought on by cancer, and the problems of bullying, and divorce. Each problem is looked upon realistically with love and compassion. Great love story of faith and trust.

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This Northern Lights series is growing on me in the audiobook format!

Thank you @Netgalley and @SpectrumReads for this interesting audiobook

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When retired officer Newt Tobias moves his daughter to a small lake community, he thinks it will be just the place for his teen daughter, Millie to heal from her mothers sudden death from cancer. But the small town has issues of its own. Millie starts meeting with councilor Freddie Marchand and her animals to deal with her grief. Turns out Freddie are just what Millie and her dad need.

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I am a big fan of Freya Barker with her mature characters, her very real and heartfelt stories, and serious subject matter. A Change of Pace does not disappoint.

A single parent with a troubled teen. A family therapist with a troubled past. A story of challenges, hope, and happy endings.

Frederique “Freddie” Marchand has been through a lot in her life. She’s a smart, strong survivor who is about to face another challenge by herself until a handsome man with piercing baby blue eyes and his troubled daughter move to town and give her life new meaning.

Newt Tobias is worried about his daughter who is withdrawn and hurting. At his wit’s end and against his better judgment, he takes her to Freddie Marchand, a family therapist who uses animals in her practice to get her patients to open up. As time passes and he sees his daughter’s behavior improve, his own outlook on life changes for the better by a beautiful and selfless woman after his own heart.

Freddie and Newt’s first meeting is eye-opening when Freddie stops an assault in progress and the two exchange words. Newt’s anger is the protective retired cop in him questioning her judgment in a volatile situation. Freddie is a confident and successful family therapist who is normally not questioned about her actions. That first butting of heads is a great beginning to a slow build of attraction and passion. I love Freddie’s therapy dog Boulder and her wonderful menagerie of rescue animals at her home. What a fantastic way to use animals to help children and teens express their feelings naturally.

There is so much going on in this incredible and sensitive book including alcoholism, bullying, depression, cancer, and much, much more. It sounds like a lot, but as always Ms. Barker does her magic by capturing the extreme emotions and placing them in very honest and genuine situations. If you enjoy stirring romantic suspense filled with bits of humor, frightening events, and believable characters, give this book a try.

Thank you to Ms. Barker for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook with no expectation of a positive review.

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This book is about a retired cop and his daughter. After he moves her from the city how they together adapt to a small town life. The book was well written and switched easily between the points of view without confusion. So parts did drag on a little, but the story telling and character building made up for the few slow parts.
As the story progressed the feelings built and the emotions pulled at the heartstrings and it was hard to not become emotionally involved.

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Frederique is a counselor for troubled youth and Newt has just moved to the small town of Parry Sound to help his daughter cope with some events that led to self-destructive behavior. Newt and Frederique knocked heads a bit on first meet, but that made getting to know each other all the more fun. They’re thrown together when Frederique is called in to help with Millie, Newt’s twelve-year-old daughter. Frederique’s caring and unconventional approach by using her menagerie of animals to help break the ice works wonders with Millie and the two bond while working on Frederique’s mini-farm.

Newt and Frederique form their own bond not able to fight the chemistry and attraction they’ve felt from the start. They lend each other support while dealing with a few outside dramas, one dangerous situation and another with a health scare. I really appreciated that both Newt and Frederique were determined to stick by each other no matter what.

I loved A Change of Pace and devoured the audiobook in one day! I’m really enjoying Freya Barker’s Northern Lights series. All are set in small lake towns with rustic cabins, and beautiful scenery as a backdrop making me long to leave city life! I also love that she’s made these mature romances with the couple in their 40s, more comfortable in their identity and not prone to insecure dramas.

I really enjoyed both Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Matthew Maddux’s audio performance. Ms. Nemeth-Parker had a calm sultry lilt, and Mr. Maddux was nice and masculine. Both were a pleasure to listen to, enhancing the story. I listened at 1.25x.

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Romance done right! This romance has a great plot that weaves real issues throughout it, but in a manner that is realistic and entertaining! Issues such as cancer, animal rescue, alcoholism, teen mental health, abuse all wrapped into the everyday activities of life threaded throughout a romance that will leave you happily satisfied with your read or rather listen in this case! I am only sorry that I was so engrossed that I powered through the book in one day and now have to wait for the author to create a new book for me to listen to! Great choice in narration that helps bring strong characters more fully to life and enhance the story!

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Intriguing and addicting right from the first chapter.💕

Upon finding out a dark secret about his daughter, Newt Tobias decided to uproot their life and start over in a cottage country in a small town. But when he finds out the change didn't help, he has no choice but to seek help from a professional therapist, Frederique Marchand.
Frederique Marchand loves helping. Be it a stray animal or a troubled teenager Fredi is always ready to help. But the last thing she expected was to fall for the father of her new client.

A Change of pace is a beautiful romance novel full of suspense, that follows three people as they form a family together.
Newt is a great swoon-worthy hero. He is a single dad, and he cared for his daughter and tried to help and understand her, even if it meant to admit he was wrong.
Fredi is an incredible person and the way she treats everyone makes you root for her.
Newt, Millie, and Fredi form this incredible connection and help each other to rise above obstacles. The relationship and the love they form had me laughing, smiling, and crying.

Adding plenty of suspense, great chemistry, and a pack of animals, this book was fun and heartwarming, and I can't wait to read more of Freya Barker!

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