Everything Changes

De: Melanie Hansen

Narrado por: Robert Nieman

Former Marine and lower-leg amputee Carey Everett keeps a grueling schedule of counseling fellow war veterans and their families. The injury he received in Afghanistan forces him to rely on a reserve of strength he didn't even know he had. A much deserved vacation will let him reconnect with his best friend, who saved his life and has been there for him through devastating injury and painful recovery.

Part-time EMT and aspiring singer Jase DeSantis has been in love with Carey for years, but he's come to accept that his straight friend will never be able to offer more. Jase fills his days with band rehearsals, ambulance shifts, and willing groupies, all while trying to cope with debilitating PTSD.

A week of sun, fun, and music in San Diego changes Jase and Carey's lives forever when their relationship takes an unexpected turn. Jase has been longing for that change, but it leaves Carey reeling with confusion. As Jase fights to hold things together, Carey deals with doubts, fears, and his own preconceived notions about labels and the true nature of love.

©2015 Melanie Hansen (P)2017 Dreamspinner Press

This book will stay with me

Melanie Hansen and Robert Nieman are both new to me so I felt like this book was a treasure I accidentally stumbled upon. I found the story and Nieman's performance too engaging to pull myself away from and so I finished it in practically one sitting. Here I am at 3am MST and I am still feeling the effects of what happens to you when you read/listen to a book that makes you feel a wide range of emotions and you feel so deeply about the characters - and what happens to them - I can't go to sleep quite yet. There is a scene where we see Carey counseling a married couple - Desi and Kyle. He is vet with injuries so severe he likely will pass soon. The love they felt for each other comes out so much I feel a tug on my heart that won't go away anytime soon. I think following Carey and Jase through their past and present events on the way to their HEA will definitely stay with me.

5 stars - I will likely listen again, but it may take a while...I feel too raw.

Good story, not sold on the narration

Would you consider the audio edition of Everything Changes to be better than the print version?

I didn't read this one, perhaps I should though, because the story itself was more appealing than the narration.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I can't pick just one, I really enjoyed both Carey and Jase. If I'm backed into a corner I'll Carey because of his resilience for what he's been through and his determination. I really felt for Jase though, after, you know.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Robert Nieman?

I would, yes. I've learned that with this narrator I either love his performance, or I don't, there's no in between. I think that maybe if he himself is more invested in the characters it seems to flow better. Perhaps he can relate more so to certain characters and stories.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The PTSD aspect of the story felt real, researched, accurate and heart breaking.

Any additional comments?

Loved the Gay for You aspect to the story, the early days of the relationship and the care taken when writing about Carey's PTSD. I didn't like it when Carey broke Jase's trust, the way he treated him at times and the flip from friends to lovers, then the betrayal, for some reason the story didn't feel as real to me anymore after that.

Friends to Lovers Romance

A military romance, a friends to lovers story... Jase and Carey’s friendship began in the military and survived tragedy, loss, PTSD and the adjustment to civilian life again. While Jase has always identified as bi-sexual, Carey is confused by his more-than-friendly feelings for his best friend. This is everything Jase ever wanted but it's everything Carey is fearful of. Neiman did a good job bringing across all the emotions the men grappled with. Watching this struggle, thier growth as a couple and the yummy sexual exploration is hot. I enjoyed indulging to this love story on audio.

I review for the Guilty Indulgence Review Site.

loved it

this was a very good look, I liked the perspective of ptsd and friends becoming lovers. all in all sweet book and I do recommend.
also the narrator did a good job 👍

Wonderful Story

I liked the characters and it's a well crafted story... lots of sex, but Melanie Hansen sure does write a good scene.

Great Book!

This book was sweet and romantic. A nice progression from friends to lovers. And gotta love some hot between the sheets loving.

Great Book

Loved it. Great story. Robert Neiman provides great narration to any book I have listened to.

I liked but didn't love this...

After returning home from the military, Jase and Carey’s friendship shifts when PTSD and re-adjusting to civilian life forces them to lean on one another in ways they hadn’t before. Suddenly, they’re able to see each other as more than friends.

Jase has always identified as bi-sexual, so he is not surprised by his attraction to Carey. Carey, is a staunch “straight” guy, who is confused by the change in his feelings and his attraction to his best friend.

**
This is the first book I’d read by Melanie Hansen and I thought it was excellent. Her writing is clear and captivating. I was definitely hooked by the story line and though she did a great job with her character development and realism as regards her subject matter.

What worked: the hurt/comfort part of the story felt realistic as did the PTSD. It felt well-researched and felt authentic. The first part of the GFY relationship really felt like it was plausible and both guys seemed to be acting in a way that seemed consistent with their characters.

What didn’t work: The path of their relationship which waffled from friends to more to friends and then off in a direction I really didn’t care for. I really felt Carey treated Jase poorly and didn’t do much to earn back his trust. On listening to the audio it made me mad all over again!

The end was just too quick and didn’t feel solid enough for my tastes. I appreciated that no relationship runs smoothly, but after all the build-up, the quick apology and epilogue just felt rushed.

I liked this enough to read another by this author and truly liked, but didn’t love this story.

3.5 of 5 stars

Audio

I like Robert Nieman as a narrator. Some of his stories have been exceptional and all are always rock solid. He doesn’t do a lot of unique voices or do much to differentiate the speakers but he is always clear and does a nice job with the emotions and pacing in a story. I could always tell who was speaking and I like the quality of his voice, as well.

This is a good way to enjoy this story.

4.5 of 5 stars

Overall 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable Read!

Would you listen to Everything Changes again? Why?

I usually don't re-read books.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I enjoyed both Jace and Kerry as characters. The felt real and true to me based on what they had both been through.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

In my opinion, Kerry's voice just didn't fit his personality. It sounded very soft and not at all like a straight wounded vet, but more like an out and proud gay man, especially during the sex scenes, sex scenes he was supposedly experiencing for the first time.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I listened to it in one hour increments during my morning runs.

Any additional comments?

So first let me say I really enjoyed this audio book. I'm a succor for GFY or bisexual friendships/encounters that eventually turn to love. I hate labels and believe all people are born sexual and if ALL forms of sex were acceptably to society, there would be many many more same sex couples and more people who identify as bisexuals. But hey, that's just me dreaming right. Now on with the review. I have only a couple minor issues, the first being the narration. To me Kerry's voice just didn't fit his personality. It sounded very soft and not at all like a straight wounded vet, but more like an out and proud gay man, especially during the sex scenes, sex scenes he was supposedly experiencing for the first time. Which leads me to my second issue. Again in my opinion, Kerry went from straight best friend to gay lover and willing participant in gay sex with really no hesitation at all. It felt like Kerry's inner struggles went on for only a couple of paragraphs and then he was all in, so to speak. Maybe if a little backstory would have had Kerry coming to town to visit his best friend because he just couldn't get their one and only experience out of his head and wanted to see if Jace felt the same, it would have been more believable for me. But it seems like he came for a visit with none of that in mind until he got there and went from straight best friend to ogling Jace's good looks and his body out of the blue. Now in all fairness, that may be because I listened to the book in one hour increments every morning during my run, which may have had something to do with the disjointedness I felt. But those issues aside I really enjoyed the story.

Much more depth to the story than I expected....

For a romance novel, I was shocked to read such vivid details/memories of war. I would say the audiobook might’ve needed a trigger warning at the start....but, I guess reading about PTSD and war is suggestive of potential triggers alone. This was also [surprisingly] an accurate accounting of some people’s experiences with PTSD. Definitely a romance novel with a more adult attitude towards relationship dynamics and coming to terms with one’s sexuality (i.e. none of that annoying teenage-like angst). Sexy scenes were well-placed throughout the story, and the use of redundant language was kept to the bare minimum. I would give this audiobook more stars if I could!