"I don't want to live my life like a check list. I just want to live it."

3.5⭐, 2.5🌶️

I. Wanted. To. Shake. Jesse. Asher was just so swoony and I couldn't understand (no matter how much I reminded myself that Jesse had valid reasons to fight the romance) why she kept avoiding the relationship. Again, I understand why the author wrote Jesse the way she is - but I didnt like it 😂 Aside from that, this book was a fun summer/ travel romance. Its less spicy than Kayla's usual books so would be a great introduction to her stories.

💚One Night Stand
💛Friends to Lover's
💚Best Friend's Brother
🚙 Road Trip/ Bucket List


Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute, easy read. While I found some aspects of Jesse and Asher's relationship to be a touch unrealistic (mostly in pacing), I decided while reading it that I was here for the vibes and still enjoyed their story.

Jesse was a great main character, and I enjoyed following her path of discovery despite the many struggles she's faced in her life. Asher was a top-tier man and definitely had Bo vibes from Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young (iykyk). There were a lot of very convenient plot points about his character, but like I said, I decided to ignore them and be here for the cutesy vibes. Their dynamic had me laughing, blushing, and rooting for them the whole time! I loved the traveling and Jesse's bucket list, which made for such a fun story!

Bonus points are being given for the many cute and funny moments featuring Asher's cats. I loved all of the cat jokes, and I need to see more cats in romance books. Overall, this was a cute romance with great characters!

I loved this book so much. Like, so much.

Jesse and Ash are amazing and had the best chemistry! I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrators were perfect for this book. They really, REALLY made the story come to life! It was such a fun book and had me laughing half of the time. The dual POV was perfect!! I love a secure man that can switch between absolutely feral and soft. Jesse is the kind of friend I want to have in my life. This truly was an amazing book.

Jesse has me wanting to create my own bucket list to work on now.

I looked up several of the destinations in the book and was pleasantly surprised to find out that they actually do exist. It's my life's mission to see The World's Only Corn Palace one day.

I was given an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley & Dreamscape for allowing the opportunity

⭐⭐⭐⭐/🌶️🌶️ Change of Pace by Kayla Grosse

The book starts with this scene: Who hurt you? But from some drunk girls in a bar bathroom. 😂 Funny, witty, and heart-warming, but also with amazing spice, as expected with Kayla Grosse. The yearning is so good!

🧡One-night-stand
🧡Best friend's brother
🧡He falls first, and so hard
🧡Cat daddy
🧡Chronic illness rep
🧡Forced proximity

I truly enjoyed this book! I fell in love with Asher and Jesse right away!
Jesse has a bucket list that she wants to check off before she starts her desk job. She’s been through some heavy medical things and she wants to celebrate being alive. The first thing on her bucket list is to have a one night stand. We find out a couple days later that her one night stand was with her best friends brother, Asher.
Jesse & Asher reunite at his sisters engagement party where she suggests Jesse travel with Asher in his winnebago to check off her bucket list items.

I listened to this on audiobook and the narrators were amazing! Thank you Netgalley for the ALC!

Tropes:
Best friends brother
Only one bed
Cat daddy
Forced proximity
One night stand
Travel

Something about this book compared to her other work was different, I felt this book deep in my soul. With that being said I want everyone to add this book to their TBR because it reminds you how important the life we have is and puts things into perspective. After this book I definitely went and made a bucket list!!

Jesse, who lives with Kawasaki disease and recently received an ICD implant, decides it's time to embrace life to the fullest. She creates a bucket list, and that list leads to an unexpected one night stand with Asher. The twist though is that Asher turns out to be her best friend's brother. With her best friend's encouragement, Jesse agrees to go on a road trip with Asher to check off more items from her list. What follows is a heartwarming journey of discovery, connection, and healing. I absolutely loved their sweet and genuine chemistry, and Asher’s kindness and support were truly touching as he helped Jesse recognize her own worth. The narration by Victoria Connolly and Grayson Owens is spot on. They bring Jesse and Asher to life with such warmth and charm. If you’re in the mood for a tender, feel good romance, this one is definitely worth a listen!

Audiobook did not disappoint of course ! Narrators did amazing and I loved the storyline so much! I was hooked in from start to finish!!!

I really enjoyed this story. The first books I read from Kayla Grosse were extremely spicy, and while this one didn't hold back, it wasn't as kinky as Trick Shot, Puck Shy, or Axes & O's, which always catches me off guard with Kayla. I guess I categorized her as an author who pushed some of the limits without going into dark romance, but this book didn't push as hard. That, by no means, wasn't a good book. On the contrary. I actually think that it allows for the plot and storyline to develop further. It has funny moments, emotional moments and is a good representation of open communication and building a solid foundation for a relationship.


Let's start with the audio review, as I did listen to this book as opposed to reading it. This is the third book now that I have heard performed by Greyson Owens, and he is becoming a favorite of mine. I love his voice, the acting he puts in, and the emotion you can feel when he gives it his all. I have a few more books on my TBR, where I see that Greyson has done the male narration, and I am seriously considering listening to the audio version of the book rather than reading it because I find him very enjoyable.

This is the first book I am listening to that Victoria Connolley has worked on. I enjoyed her acting as well. She portrayed the male voice quite well (we all know that sometimes this can come off as cringey), and I found her voice enjoyable to read.
I usually listen to my books at 1.3 - 1.5 speed, this one is at 1.3. I personally find that a 1 speed makes a story drag on and the pace feels very slow; however, while it's not my preference, this was one of those performances that, if you want to listen to it at a 1x speed, it would be okay. There are others that are agonizing to listen to at that speed.

Also, this is a dual PoV and not a duet. I had only recently started to listen to duet narration, and I'm still on the fence about it. Truthfully, I previously didn't know the difference, and when I would always hear a dual PoV, I thought it would be better to have each voice actor perform their own part. Now that I have heard duet, I think I lean more towards dual, where each reads the chapter that is set in the POV of the character they have. I was grateful that Kayla chose Dual. Some of her last stories were duet and had background effects, etc. It was good in theory and helped with the story, but ultimately, it just distracted me.

Now, on to the story and plot. The chemistry and friendship between Jesse and Asher were so cute. I love how he supported her with the bucket list and cared for her. I'm not usually one for instalove, especially the kind that seems that cupid just shot a MC in the butt and they become almost obsessive and possessive of the other person, however, I didn't feel that cringe moment in this one. Yes, it was instalove, but it also felt like they were gradually leading into it.

I greatly appreciate the body image of both characters. There are a lot of books where the FMC is mid- or plus-size, and she ends up falling in love with some super-sculpted athlete or billionaire. While that body positivity is great and all, it's not every chubby girl's reality. I love that Asher was your standard, bigger MC that won the girl over because he is a good and decent guy, not because he has a V leading down to the promised land.

The communication in this story was a chef's kiss. The dialogue and moments between the characters where they get to know each other and support each other were just touching to watch. The struggles and representation of so many different health issues (diagnosis, illness, call it what you will) were addressed in a respectful manner and well researched.

What a fantastic audiobook. The narration was top notch. I was so invested in the story and the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

Jesse has been through a lot in life. An undiagnosed disease from childhood led to her almost dying and now she’s ready to grab life by the horns and make it hers. First on her bucket list? A one night stand. Enter Asher, the man she meets at a bar after having a rough start to her evening. The chemistry is instant and even better in bed. She wakes up alone the next day only slightly disappointed that she needs this to stay a one night stand. Except Asher did leave his number on her written out bucket list. Ultimately, she decides not to call. That is, until she’s at her best friend’s engagement party and decides to break her rule and text him. The text is never sent because, lo and behold, Asher is not only at the engagement party but it turns out that he is her best friend’s brother. As it turns out, Asher is an RVer and after her bucket list comes up in conversation, they decide to go on a road trip together to check off all of her items. Jesse draws a line, though. They can only be friends.

I appreciated the plus size representation not only with Jesse but with Asher. All too often, plus size women in books are paired up with super fit men and while it’s not unrealistic, it certainly is a breath of fresh air for the bigger guys to get some love! I really liked Asher’s character. He was such a sweetie and very giving. To be honest, I didn’t love how hard he had to work for Jesse. I found her motivations in regards to relationships to be so contrary to her entire personality. Asher spent so much time caring and going above and beyond for Jesse while she sort of just… got mad or let it happen and led him on? He never hid how he felt and she was sending constant mixed signals. She did acknowledge when she screwed up but it was frustrating as a reader to have to wade through her back and forth. Like, GIRL. This guy is obsessed with you and you are so into him. Why are you dead set on being miserable?! I get why she thought it was best but ugh. It was such a nothing burger to me.

I loved the two narrators, especially Grayson Owens who voiced Asher’s chapters. There wasn’t a single aspect that stuck out to me as special but it just felt like he did the character justice. They both did. I look forward to listening to more of their work!

This was a very cute and fun read. I enjoyed it, perfectly spicy and a great plot. Made me think of creating my own bucket list.

I think this might be my favorite Kayla Grosse book. There's so much heart in this one and I found the main character, Jesse, to be very very relatable. I loved how she came out of her shell with the bucket list and fell in love with Asher along the way.

Asher was the absolute perfect, nerdy, cat daddy boyfriend and all I can say is - I wish he was real.

Can't wait to read more by Kayla. I expected this book to be way spicier than it was (based on my own experience with her other books), but I think it had the perfect amount of romance and spice.

Highly recommend the audiobook. Thank you Dreamscape for the ALC, I binged it in two days.

✨️💚✨️Audio Book Review✨️💚✨️

Book: Change Of Pace
Author: Kayla Grosse
Rating: 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Ahh! Another amazing book by Kayla!

I am actually obsessed with this one. I loved all of the different reps both physical and mental and the tension between the two main characters was off the charts.

I loved how they met, the adventure they go on together, and the ending was chefs kiss.

The banter was on fire & I loved all of the characters, both main and side.

You get:
• Contemporary Romance
• Spicy
• One Night Stand To More
• Bucket List
• Best Friend's Brother
• Road Trip
• Forced Proximity

Definitely recommend this one! Available on KU, ebook, paperback, and audiobook.

I read "Axes & O's" back in January and loved it, so when I saw this author again I knew I needed to check this out. I love the spice and curvy girl representation from this author. "Change of Pace" was really cute, I definitely enjoyed it although "Axes & O's" remains my favorite! But in my world MMF always wins! However, Asher was an amazing MMC, he is so sweet and instantly is obsessed with Jesse. It was interesting seeing the struggles the FMC Jesse is going through. I don't know a lot about Kawasaki Disease or ICD implants so I found all of the information I learned super intriguing.

My only minor complaint might be a personal problem. I just don't love it when one character has all the issues and the other one is perfect. I think if Asher had a little more trauma in his backstory or was occasionally not perfect I would have given this 5 stars. Overall though, I loved it and definitely want to keep reading this author's works.

The audio was done very well for this book, I have no complaints!

This was a ALC, but this is my honest opinion.

I won't say I screeched when I got the notification that I was approved for this arc, but I definitely made an ungodly noise. After being approved for the arc and reading Axes & O's last year I've been obsessed with Kayla Grosse's books. I've devoured every one I could get my hands on. So, when I saw she was coming out with a new book this month, I slammed the request button on Netgalley.

I'd never heard of Kawasaki's Disease before reading this book so this was enlightening to say the least. I really felt for Jessie and everything that she had been through before the start of the book. It was so understandable why she wanted to travel and was hesitant to be in a long-term relationship. That being said, I wanted to shake her when it came to the end of the book.

Asher is a dream book boyfriend. He is so sweet and caring and sexy. I loved that he fell first but didn't pressure Jessie into doing what he wanted. Him dreaming of their future and picturing their wedding together was just *chef's kiss*. This was a swoon worthy romance that was also incredibly hot. Their sparks jump off the page and I was absolutely captivated. Him and Jessie were absolutely perfect together. I was desperate for them to figure out everything and just be together in the end.

Also, side note, I love that Melissa was all in on Jessie and Asher dating. Often in the best friend’s brother trope, the sibling is so against the relationship that it just ruins it for me. Melissa was all in and I appreciated that.

Thanks to Dreamscape Select | Fat Babe Publishing, INC. and NetGalley for my audio arc!

4.5⭐ This audiobook was great. The story is so charming, and sweet, and sexy, and Asher Jamison is the GREENEST of flags. I absolutely adored the main characters in Change of Pace. Maybe it’s because a seemingly large part of the story is inspired by the author’s own experiences with Kawasaki disease and having an ICD, or her deft hand at writing plus size baddies in a realistic and sensitive way, but I think this is my favorite Kayla Grosse book yet.
As someone who exists in a larger body, so much of the inner dialogue and feelings of Jesse ring true to me, from her dealing with occasionally insensitive straight size friends to her fears of judgement from others. I know that when I read this author’s work, I will find a celebration of learning to love your own body, and finding partners who do the same, without shame or fetishizing the FMC. This is such a large part of why I find Change of Pace to be so refreshing. It’s the story of two people falling in love who also happen to exist in larger bodies, and it is not their entire personality. I am always looking for diverse body representation that is not the entire focus of the characters existence.
This is the first time I’ve gone the audiobook route with a Kayla Grosse book, and I really enjoyed the narrators’ performances. Grayson Owens and Victoria Connolly both do a great job in the dual format with all of the individual character voices. This is the first time I’ve heard them, but I noticed Kayla has cast them in several of her other books, so it won’t be the last!
Thank you to Kayla Grosse, Fat Babe Publishing, Dreamscape Select, and NetGalley for the ALC review opportunity.

Audiobook Review

What a great audiobook!! I loved the awareness side of this one and how we can all believe that love (and friendship) can be found in the most unexpected places.
Victoria Connolly and Grayson Owens were amazing as Jesse and Asher.

Narration: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story: ⭐⭐⭐

I typically LOVE Kayla's work, but this just didn't hit for me this time. Change of Pace still gave all the cutesy and spice that I've come to expect from her stuff, but I just never clicked with Jessie.

I received an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Narration: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story: ⭐⭐⭐

This audiobook is told in dual narration. The narrators, Victoria Connelly and Grayson Owens, did an amazing job. Their voices were perfect and they even did such an amazing job reading the opposite genders parts. To be honest, I was already a big fan of Grayson Owens but I haven't heard of Victoria Connelly before but I will definitely be looking out for more audiobooks narrated by her because she did fantastic.

Now, on to the story. I've been a fan of Kayla Grosse for a while. I've loved a few books she's written but I was a bit disappointed in this book. At the beginning I was loving this book but once we passed the middle, it lost me.

This story is told in dual POV from Jessie and Asher's perspective. Jessie is a kawasaki survivor and Asher has ADHD. Jessie made a bucket list to start living the life she wants and in the pursuit of knocking an item off her list, she meets Asher at a night club, and its insta love. They have a one night stand and happen to meet again where they plan to go on road trip again to knock off more of Jessie's bucket list. Over this trip they get to know each other more and grow closer.

The hesitancy in Jessie at the beginning was understandable and her character made sense to me. She was struggling to come to terms with her new lifestyle post surgery. She was recognizing her limitations whether she liked it or not. But after a while she was getting on my nerves so much that it took away my enjoyment of the story. Asher was a fucking delight. I loved everything about him and my heart felt for him. He put his heart on the line and went at Jessie's pace as much as he could. He was such a sweetheart that I wanted him for myself. I started losing respect for Jessie when she was justifying string Asher along knowing or at least recognizing his feelings and ignoring them to support her narrative. And then after everything that happened and feelings were fully revealed I swear Jessie had like two or three epiphanies that still ended with her needing to think about it. Like girl, you shouldn't have needed so many aha moments to reach the conclusion you did.

The ending was cute and the growth Jessie had from the first page to the last was tremendous. I do know that this was a rather short timeline but I still couldn't excuse some of Jessie's behavior. Now I know I went on a rant about Jessie but other than that, I enjoyed the book. The story was so cute. The adventures they went on were also too cute not to scream awwwww at some points. The wedding crashing had to be my favorite of their adventures.

All in all, this story was giggle worthy cute and my only issue was with Jessie. But even with her this story had great representation and an even greater plot.

Thank you Netgalley for the ALC!