This was an amazing second chance at life and love story. Hannah Lee was Ashton James in her former life (an out of control singer/musician) and is now raising her younger sister and trying to be a better person out of the limelight.. Johnny has been raising his younger brother who is a budding musician. Their paths crossed in the past when Johnny played guitar on her first album and they had a week long affair until Hannah got him fired. This author does a great job of showing both characters trying to do their best and growing individually as well as together. Loved it!

This book is so good. I have not personally read the other books in the series, but its a really good story standalone. Listening to this book made me want to read the other books in the series. I love the dual pov and the parallels between the two povs are really clear. I felt like this audiobook is like a tv show. I could totally see this being made into a movie in the future. It was really good and the writing is very engaging. I would highly recommend this book.

Key Change is a wholesome and heartwarming romance novel about a retired pop star and an old fling of hers who are unexpectedly reunited. I devoured this audiobook (which was really well executed) and immediately fell in love with Hannah and Johnny. Hutchinson does an incredible job in showing immense amounts of growth in Hannah, without lots of flashbacks, which can make a story confusing. I also enjoyed the suspenseful/real world conflict aspect of the story brought in around Johnny’s immigrant family and the discrimination his younger brother faces at his prep school. This is the definition of a slow burn story but it totally makes sense for these characters who already have so much history and baggage. They both need time to heal before they can be together and I really appreciated that this story was not rushed. The younger siblings are hilarious, but they also add real depth to the story. If you’re thinking about giving this one a listen-- do it! You won’t regret it.

I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion

Burned out from her hard-rocking life, Hannah has gone into hiding and taken on a new identity. She's also raising her 12-year-old half sister. But when a young fan recognizes her and slips her a demo, she worries that her precarious life is about to crash down. She approaches the boy's guardian to offer a payoff in return for their silence—only to discover that the guardian is Johnny, an old hookup from her pop-star diva days. And what he wants from her is something money can't buy.

This is a deeply emotional book with complex characters scarred by their pasts. Hannah is so broken, she doesn't believe she deserves happiness. But Johnny helps her to find the beauty inside herself and to feel worthy of love. This is the first book I've read in the series, and it works as a standalone. Still, I felt like some things weren't developed, like how Hannah got custody of her sister. I don't know whether that was covered in previous books.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I really enjoyed this one. Hannah is an interesting character in that, until recent history, she was a straight up unlikable person. You don't see her making excuses for that or wash over it, you just see her trying to be better now. I appreciate how the book normalizes therapy and second chances. I do love a redemption story, and while this wasn't an established villain like most stories of that type would show, it was definitely a redemption story in its own right. I've read every book in the Smartypants universe, so I was a little caught off guard that this was a closed door romance, but it honestly wasn't necessary to me. The story was more about Hannah and her growth/redemption than it was the romance anyway.

Key Change is an excellent read. The plot, the characters, the flow, the super slow burn (we're talking Mariana Zapata levels of slow) all worked together magically. I love that a lot of the focus on Hannah is on her mental health and doing the work. Acknowledging that it is work, it's hard, and not linear. She's incredibly fierce, and honestly, I wish I could throw an insult like she can. Johnny is understandably grumpy and guarded in the beginning. I enjoyed watching his walls come down as he learned about Hannah, not Ashton. I was absolutely dying when the jalapeno conversation came around. To take a serious subject like STDs and put some non-offensive humor around it takes skill. Alex and Quinn's appearances were icing on the cake, it's always a good book when they're around.

This is the first audiobook I've listened to by both Samantha Brentmoor and Wayne Mitchell. Overall they were great. Samantha Brentmoor has an Erin Mallon (who I adore) vibe. My only complaint about Wayne Mitchell is I didn't love his "female voice", but honestly there are very few male narrators who can do that well in my opinion. They both brought the book to a whole other level with their performances. I will definitely look for more books narrated by them in the future. As for Heidi Hutchinson, I guess it's time to dive into her backlist.

Key Change is a former-popstar, single parents, second chance romance with a slow burn told in third person POV, alternating between the hero and the heroine with one chapter from the perspectives of the younger siblings. It is the third book in the Common Threads series but can be read as a standalone (I had not read either of the previous books in the series and had no trouble understanding this story).

I cannot get over how INCREDIBLY MOVING this story was. I typically do not enjoy closed door romances and generally prefer first person POV, but neither of those things stood in the way of me loving this book. It tackled tough topics, like racial discrimination and mental health, in a way that didn’t detract from the story but rather enhanced it. The characters were very well developed and all felt very genuine; I found myself connecting with every single character from the lead couple to the coworkers that we saw only once or twice. The female main character, Hannah, had a backstory designed to make her unlikeable, and by the end the author had me empathizing with her struggles and applauding her growth. I especially liked that despite Hannah’s evolution beyond her party-girl ways, she still held on to her fiery spirit and loud-mouthed boldness. Hannah Lee James is the big sister I always wanted!

One of the strongest themes in Key Change was the value of family. Both main characters made sacrifices in their adult lives to care for their younger siblings, and the bonds we see make this story feel just as much about the formation of a family as it was about the romance of a couple. I was captivated instantly, and I especially enjoyed the narration by Wayne Mitchell and Samantha Brentmoor (whose male voices for dialogue during her chapters were phenomenal!).

I will definitely be seeking out more by this author, and hopefully catching up on the rest of this series as well!

I have loved most of the smartypants romance books so I was really looking forward to this one. I love how they all contain some aspect of humor, close knit community vibe, romance and hearing about characters from previous books. This book fell flat in the humor, close knit community vibe, and it barely had mentions of previous characters. The romance was very light as well. This book felt very heavy - it dealt with a woman recovering from spending many years as an addict unable to remember much of her past and a young man who had fallen in love with her only for her to have forgotten their one night together. It also dealt with racism and discrimination. Yes, these do exist in the real world, but I wasn’t prepared for the dark overtones in this book. This book had a few sweet moments and times when I did smile while reading it, but overall the book left me feeling uneasy like I quickly needed to read a more uplifting book to improve my mood. While I will still flock towards the Smartypants romance books, sadly this one just didn’t do it for me.

I received an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

Key Change by Heidi Hutchinson (and Smartypants Romance), is a story about overcoming inner demons and learning to forgive oneself, and then learning to to move forward again.

Hannah used to be known as Ashton James, a volatile musical star who committed every sin and then some. Drugs, alcohol, sex, lies, betrayal and more.

When everything comes crashing down, she reinvents herself and goes off the grid while she tries to exorcize the demons from the past.

But her undercover is not as secret as she thinks. Enter Johnny. A guy who is truly too good for her, but exactly what she needs.

The excellent narration by Samantha Brentmoor and Wayne Mitchell gave these characters life.

I adored this book so so so much. A lot of books show character growth and change - but this book - many does this book do the work. It shows how people can really come back from rock-bottom to find happiness and love - even after they have really done their best not to be a good person. Fame and success are just as addictive as any drug or alcohol. They come with a huge pressure to continue - to stay on top - and it is all too often that people who are achieving that fame and success don't lift others up. Instead - they stomp on them to keep them down. That person is who Hannah James used to be.

Hannah, formerly pop megastar Ashton James, was not a nice or even good person in her past. She was an alcoholic and that contributed significantly to her personal pain and the pain she caused others. Johnny included. He was a studio musician on her first album. They connected - but when he became to much of a temptation she had him fired and that made Johnny's life extremely difficult and truly hurt him on an emotional level.

Since that time things have changed a lot. Both Johnny and Hannah have custody of their siblings and are trying to do their best for them. Hannah is still working on herself - but she has truly made a commitment to change. She's now just working on how to find true happiness - and wonders if she even deserves it.

Johnny is everything - and truly a dream book boyfriend. He's very real - and his experiences have truly shaped him into who he is today. I loved how he and Hannah became friends first - true friends. I also loved both of the kids in the book who were very three dimensional and acted like normal teens and pre-teens. There really is just so much to love about this book.

Content warning - <spoiler>drug use, alcoholism, parental loss, parental abandonment, and STDs </spoiler>.

These Smartypants romance books - which build on the various interconnect world the author Penny Reid created - are all of such high quality. Each one shines so brightly as a standalone book within that universe. This book is so well written - so emotionally charged - so so good.

I received this as an ARC - but these opinions are all my own. I listened to the Audiobook version of the story - and the narrators do a great job. The male narrator's female voices weren't as strong as the male ones - but overall it was a great performance.

4.5 stars! This was an entertaining and often brutally honest story of second chances and redemption. Hannah and Johnny are both forced to work together after a misunderstanding, even though they share a past they'd both rather forget.

I loved that they are both practically single-handedly raising their siblings, making them stronger than they know. There's plenty of making up to do for the sins of the past, but they're both honest and open with each other, making this book one you won't be able to put down.

This is my favorite in the Common Threads series, but can also be read as a standalone. Don't miss out on this one if you're a fan of second chances, eating crow, and getting just desserts!

Thank you Net Galley for an audio copy of Key Change by Heidi Hutchinson. This is a contemporary romance that follows Hannah (aka Adhton) and Johnny. I would call this a second chance romance. I enjoyed it, the narrator was fantastic also.

I fell completely in love with Hannah and Johnny. I'm usually not a big fan of slow burn romances, but I was so invested in both Hannah and Johnny that I didn't mind at all. Hannah has a lot of demons in her past, but she has more than enough reasons for starting over with a fresh identity and a quiet life in Chicago, until she gets recognized by a fan and part of her past finally catches up with her. I loved how Hannah dealt with her past mistakes and found her way forward with a new, fulfilling life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced listener's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Key Change is - not what you think or expect it to be, but at the same time is extremely cliche, and would be classified more as contemporary fiction than a romance in my opinion. I'll give this read 3 starts, only because I liked the narrator and the story was relaxing. I liked that I didn't have to pay 100% attention but still knew what was going on. However, you can also see everything coming a mile away. It kept my interest and attention, but I wasn't overly excited to listen to it either. It was just a nice way to pass the time while I was driving or doing chores.

The only thing that I truly disliked about this book is simply that there are too many undeveloped storylines within the overarching story. I found my mind wandering back and wondering "what happened to such and such character?". There is also a really ominous backstory that apparently shaped the lives of the main characters in the story, but that never really gets discussed in depth, so I couldn't fully grasp why the characters were behaving the way that they did because I didn't know enough of why they were where they were in life to begin with.

I think that a lot of people will enjoy this book, it just wasn't really for me. If you like character driven, introspective, and don't mind a cast of decently developed main characters accompanied by shallow supporting characters, I think you will love this book. I just feel like it has a very specific audience that will fall in love with it, and I am not that audience.

When I saw a Smartypants audio was up for review, I immediately hit request and it was exactly what I expected. A Slow Burn Rockstar Romance is the perfect description for this story of love and redemption and second chances. Watching both characters and their families grow and adapt and support each other through this heartwarming and fun story was so rewarding. I love a personal growth story and this one was spot on. It was exactly what I needed to get through a slump and sent me searching for the first two books in this series. Thank you so much for letting me listen!

"Let's talk about your lack of compassion and how bad you are at your job." -From Key Change

4.5 stars

So I don't usually like enemies to lovers trope- but this book was everything. I was here for all the past history between these two, and how they overcame everything. I love that they are both single parents raising not their biological kids. This is a very addicting, fast paced romance read. I didn't really like how he took her "jalapenos"--but the conversation resolving this was fantasic and laugh out loud. Can we talk about how our MC took on the VP? Nothing was held back! I was for sure in her cheering section. There is some great musical scenes, and I loved their relationship. "I don't care about your jalapenos!" You can read this as a stand alone.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Key Change by Heidi Hutchinson was one of the sweetest romances I’ve read in a long time! I thought the characters were so real and relatable and the pacing was perfect. The narrators added so much that I would highly recommend listening to this one. I would have liked a little bit more at the end and in the epilogue, but this was a great “rock star” romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for an honest review.

I Love this so much! I have not read her other books but now I need to. Left me wanting more. Hannah and Johnny I love them both. The narrator was great and I enjoyed listening.

I've been a long time fan of the Smartypants Romance books. This is the third book in the Common Threads series, but it reads as a complete standalone. The books are more companion novels featuring familiar characters and settings, but they can all be read independently and in any order. This particular installment features a former pop-star in hiding, who would like to stay hidden and the owner of a small recording studio from her past that has never forgotten her.

Hannah leads a pretty boring life these days, she loves her routines and her anonymity. When she was pop star Aston James, she was always in the public eye and she wasn't the nicest person and she didn't make the best decisions. Now she's much more responsible and has her little sister to worry about. Keeping her sister, Piper safe, healthy and happy is her #1 priority. Her boring routine gets shaken up when a talented busker recognizes her, it just so happens she had a fling with his older brother who is now a music producer. Johnny was hurt by Hannah's alter ego Aston many years ago and doesn't want his brother anywhere near her. Hannah doesn't trust anyone after all the betrayals in her music career, so naturally she is skeptical when Johnny and Shawn offer to keep her identity secret without a bribe or NDA in place. Hannah doesn't remember her time with Johnny, but through a series of events, she ends up working with one of his clients which makes him super uncomfortable. This is a huge client for Johnny and his studio so he puts his feelings aside and lets Hannah do her thing with the young rapper Sunshine Capone. Sunshine likes working with them so much he decides to record his entire album with them as long as Hannah is involved. As Johnny and Hannah work together, her memory of him resurfaces and Johnny warms up to her. While he works on putting the past in the past, they both work on moving forward and look toward the future and what that will mean.

If you wanted a steamy romance, this isn't the book for you. There is some kissing, but the intimate scene takes place behind closed doors. I think it actually fits the story and the characters pretty well given the slow build up of their romantic relationship and the fragile nature of the characters. This is a little bit of everything, enemies to lovers and slow burn romance. It also deals with addiction and recovery in a very open way. I think alot of musicians and people who find themselves in famous situations deal with drugs and alcohol, so I really appreciate that the author chose to put a very real topic in the book. She also chose to put the main character in therapy to deal with her issues and her situations as a guardian. There were times that you did not like the person Hannah used to be, and she was harsh and aggressive at times, but I also felt like she was relatable. I know people that are abrasive like Hannah, but once you get to know them, they are some of the best people.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I love music, and I love watching behind the scenes clips of my favorite bands when they were recording their albums. I really enjoyed the setting of this and I thought the characters worked really well together. I thought Johnny and Hannah had good chemistry and they both had good development. There were good side characters and great dialogue between everyone in the story.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Smartypants Romance, and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book on audio. I thought the narrators did a wonderful job with the characters giving them all a voice. I appreciate when narrators are able to give all of the characters different voices so I know who is involved in dialogue.

SOOOO much better than I anticipated!

When I had the opportunity to obtain an advanced audio copy, I was on the fence. I decided to go for it and I am so glad that I did!

Hannah is far from perfect- but she not only recognizes it, she openly acknowledges it. It is so refreshing to have an imperfect character that is incredibly likeable. And Johnny? *sigh* He basically is perfect.

As mentioned, I listened to the audiobook. I am not familiar with either narrator. Both of them, but especially the male narrator, Wayne Mitchell, are pretty awful when it comes to dialogue. The voices they use for other characters made me cringe.

Overall, I definitely recommend. But if you are sensitive to terrible voices from narrators, you may want to stick to the print version.

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