A Change in Tide

Northern Lights, Volume 1

By: Freya Barker

Narrated by: Charley Ongel, Tor Thom

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

"Such a truly beautiful story! The writing is gorgeous, the scenery is beautiful.... You should definitely pick up this one! Superb, unique, and sexy." (Tia Louise, Author)

What impact would it have when everything suddenly faded to black?

For Mia, a crowded subway ride changes her entire life. Retreating to the wilderness helps her cope with a world that is suddenly too loud, too turbulent. Her existence safely contained to the small cottage on the lake, she is unprepared for the neighbor that moves across the bay.

A career-ending injury has Jared permanently benched. His reputation as The Enforcer won’t survive the unanticipated responsibilities awaiting him. Away from the public eye, he adjusts to his new reality, under the quiet observation of the intriguing hermit on the other side of the water.

©2017 Freya Barker (P)2020 Spectrum Audiobooks

loved it.

I love when the H/h help each other over come obstacles in their own lives without even knowing/ trying to. This is a well written story and narrated beautifully.

Hockey players always hook me in

Jared is a retired hockey player. Mia is just trying to escape the craziness of life. These two become neighbors and slowly get to know each other. I loved the realistic way Jared was written. Fame always comes with athletes and stars. in the hockey world, "the Enforcer" is either loved or hated, never a gray area. Barker writes this so realistic. Her description of Jared and his fame is spot on. Any hockey player I have known is always one of the kindest people I know. Hockey breeds men and Jared is just that. Personally knowing an "enforcer", I loved Jared even more. Mia has enough struggles without adding a man in her life. This causes Jared and Mia to become friends first. The slow start of their relationship was worth every word. I really enjoyed following them getting to know each other. I cannot wait for more volumes in this series. I will be following Freya Barker now.

Charley Ongel and Tor Thom have a natural chemistry that brings Jared and Mia's relationship to life. Charley and Tor compliment each other and always have a wonderful performance. Tor's deep voice brought out the toughness in Jared, yet Tor easily narrated Jared's softer side as well. Charley narrated Mia exactly as I imagined her. Charley has such a sweet voice, but she always brings out the strength in any character she is narrating. I easily get lost in Tor and Charley's narration and I can never stop listening until the end.

Great

Freya always does a great job and this is no different. It is well written, interesting and has great characters. It pulled me in and kept me interested through the whole book. I recommend it to all.! The narrator did a good job, easy to listen to.

Jared & Mia's love story

Suffering form PTSD and panic attacks after being stuck in a subway for hours due to a blackout, Mia has left the city to live a life of seclusion in a lakefront cabin. Mia's tranquil existence is interrupted when Jared, a retired professional hockey player purchases a home across the inlet from her. He also wants to live out his retirement in peace.

When Jared's single, pregnant sister moves in with him and goes into labor early, Mia, being a former midwife, delivers the baby and slowly becomes a part of their family. When drama comes to Jared's door and Mia finds herself right in the middle of it, her protectiveness overshadows her panic and she protects those she cares about.

Jared and Mia are perfect for each other not realizing they are exactly what the other needs to have their HEA. Great narration.

Great Story 💜

I loved how this storyline addresses real life issues and how different people deal with them. Great characters who learn that it’s okay to lean on others once in a while. Chemistry was amazing.
The narration was pretty good and although I’m a fan of Tor Thom and Charley Ongel, I didn’t care for the secondary voices as much.
I recommend this book.

Sisters Spotlight 💜

Awesome first in Series

I received this audiobook free for an honest review. This story was awesome. The hermit neighbor with emotional problems and the hunky retired hockey player are quite the match. Jared has such compassion for his sister, his nephew and the neighbor with agoraphobia. This story tugs at the heart. I can't wait for the next story to come out. This is the first I have listened to by this author. I will go back for more. She tells a great story. The narrators are very popular because they are excellent.

Great story

A change in tide was the first Freya Barker book that I read, which lead me to reading everything she’s written. The story is fantastic and the narrators do a great job bringing it to life on audible!

Hooked on Freya Barker

New authors always add a little trepidation to a listen, but I was immediately hooked into this fabulous listen! Freya Barker invested my heart in an unlikely couple. Jared is a retired hockey player, living with his pregnant sister. Mia is a divorced, agoraphobic woman just trying to live day to day. These two meet, but become closer as Mia uses her skills a trained midwife to help with Jared's new nephew. It's such an easy story to fall into, each having their own issues, but finding a rhythm that works for them. Not to say that there aren't some twists and turns in their lives along with a little suspense, but Barker easily takes my heart and lets me live through these two. There is so much in this story too. The dealing with PTSD and agoraphobia, finding a new normal after leaving the hockey team, and even dealing with a newborn all gave me a sense of reality and true life experiences. It's a wonderful listen, and I have to go in search of more Freya Barker listens now.

Casting Tor Thom and Charley Ongel is pure gold for this listen. A team that has a chemistry that is felt with each line makes this couple. Thom lets Jared find his new place in life, from the disgust he feels changing diapers to coaching. Ongel shines as Mia, letting us feel her fear and her new found love. It's magic and I loved it!

Great listen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book. It was an excellent story about growth and living with a crippling fear . I really liked the way Jared handled things with Mia and her fears in this book. I also liked the progression of the romance aspect. Definitely recommend!

One of My Favorite Reads

I absolutely love the way Tor Thom and Charley Ongel brought Mia and Jared to life. Tor Thom's mellow, sensual voice is perfect for Jared's character. It's as smooth and sexy as a shot of Canadian whisky and draws all the emotions and nuances of Ms. Barker's hot former hockey player. A man who is struggling with not only new responsibilities but a relationship he never expected. Ms. Ongel's characterization brings out all the subtle sides of Mia's reclusive former midwife. Mia is a mix of strength, vulnerability, curiosity, fear, and anxiety but faces it all, even though she thought she left the idea of a relationship in her past. This duo is one of my favorite narration teams and I always look forward to their audiobooks.
It's not a surprise that I love the books that Freya Barker writes and A Change in Tide is no exception. However, this book seems a bit different from many of her other works. In my opinion it feels like a more personal, intimate story. It might be that this is the first book set in the author's homeland, Canada, rather than the United States or maybe the use of Canadian spellings. Whatever the difference is, I am a big fan. I had a difficult time putting the book away because Jared and Mia's story is so compelling.
Both Mia and Jared had their life turned upside down by the same event. However, each of them handled their loss in different ways. For Jared, he threw himself into his career, while Mia lost hers and so much more. At first glance, Jared and Mia's relationship should not work. One is reclusive and the other used to being in the spotlight. Yet, when they share the losses they have endured, their simmering chemistry shifts into high gear.
At first Jared appears to be an ass, yet Mia can't seem to keep her eyes off of her new neighbor. Once Jared takes on an unanticipated responsibility, he settles and leaves his playboy ways behind and is intrigued by his neighbor across the bay. After losing his career, Jared seeks to be out of the limelight, which is exactly where he finds Mia, whom he tries to draw back into society. Unexpectedly thrown together, their attraction becomes magnetic, although they fight their feelings.
I love that Jared knows, most of the time, how to prod Mia gently out of her comfort zone. But like all men, he often puts his foot in his mouth, a fact that his sister enjoys pointing out. Mia struggles with the feelings she develops for Jared, and has to often step back and regroup to handle the things that overwhelm her.
I refuse to give spoilers but I will say that this story is beautifully written and tackles some tough issues for the characters. Love and loss often go hand in hand, but in this book Ms. Barker uses love to heal the losses of the past and create an unexpected relationship and HEA. There are intriguing plot twists and some very personal, true to life events and relationships, even beyond Jared and Mia. Jared might not always be perfect, but he's flawed just enough to endear him into the readers heart for a long time to come.