Change of Heart

By: KA Moll

Narrated by: Emily Beresford

Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Courtney Holloman is a woman at the top of her game. She's successful, wealthy, and a highly sought-after Washington lobbyist. At first glance, one might think that she has it all. She doesn't. Not even close. She lives life in the fast lane without a moment to spare. She leaves no time to smell the roses. She's consumed by work in a world of politics and power brokers. She has money, her job, booze, and nothing else. In quiet moments, her mind drifts back to her days in high school and all that she gave up.

Jack Camdon is a complex woman, and yet not at all. She earns her living as an entomologist, has a passion for bees and the environment. She's an Ojibwe healer and someone who has a good grasp on the things that are most important. She's also a woman who has never moved beyond the sudden and unexplained departure of her high school sweetheart.

When circumstances bring Courtney back to town two decades later, their paths will cross. Can high school sweethearts rekindle the flame that still burns hot? Or, will hurt feelings, shattered trust, and conflicting priorities destroy their second chance at love?

©2016 K.A. Moll (P)2024 K.A. Moll

A nice second change romance

I really enjoyed listening to this story! The author did a great job developing the MCs Jack and Courtney. I was able to empathize with the pain Courtney was experiencing and was rooting for a happy ending for the both of them! I plan on reading the next book!

Narration

Unfortunately narration was terrible. I guess that I'd like it more if someone different read it.

Jack be nimble

What a great way to reunite with your high school sweetheart. Opening the lines of communication with your partner, is the best way to make your life better. Off to my next adventure.

A detailed character study

Any additional comments?

KA Moll has once again delivered a detailed character study of women who are struggling with their past to make a future for themselves. Change of Heart carries less burden than the backstories of her characters from "Haunting Love" but still deals with issues of alcoholism, desertion, family and rejection. On the surface, it’s hard to believe it’s a love story.

Narrator Michele Musso seems unphased by the complexity of KA Moll’s well-defined characters, delivering an emotionally complex reading that breathes life into the tumultuous worlds of Jack and Courtney. From their controlled political engagements to their heartfelt trials and tribulations, Musso helps the listener experience the emotion, making for a highly engaging production. Her depictions of supporting characters gives each a unique vibe, with particular excellence in her representation of Jack and Courtney’s parents.

You can read my full review on glamadelaide dot com dot au under the Entertainment section, where I've also reviewed some of her other books and had the good fortune of interviewing her.

Great Read!

I loved this novel. The story was relatable and the characters were well developed. The main characters are butch/femme- which I also adore. My only complaint was the novel’s lack of full compliance with ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) but I'm sure most people wouldn't be aware.

Took up time

The writing was juvenile, as was the narration. I felt it was written in high school and posted to a fic site. Some characters would have been worth getting to know, but there are so many genre cliches mashed up into this "story" that it was almost funny. Pick a couple if you must, but don't throw them all in the pot and try to make a novel out of them.
-Tall dark "handsome" butch with a Jeep
-Butch is part native american
-Butch has heart of gold (don't they all?)
-Blonde femme with a Lexus
-Femme is a heartless bitch (aren't we all?)
-Cookie cutter mean bigoted mom
-Alcoholic meltdown
-Environmentalism

I actually finished the book to pass the time, but I would not purchase.

Good Beginning...Very Slow Ending

I really wanted to enjoy this book all the way through, but I really couldn't. The beginning of the book was good with character and story development, but the last 2 hours were incredibly slow. The narration felt very quick in some areas and there were segments that felt like the only emotion being expressed was anger. It was sometimes difficult to tell what character was speaking due to inconsistent voices. The story was still enjoyable, but it felt like the story could have been completed a lot quicker.

Healing Hands

High school sweethearts reunited get a second chance at love. Strong story line and characters that make you feel lots of emotions.

Bad Narration

The plot and storyline was great. Narrator spoiled it all. So difficult to listen to the reading. Had to spot beforetheend of the novel.

Really bad

What disappointed you about Change of Heart?

This is such a poorly written story. What was missing for me was any sort of build up of characters, or emotions that I would expect to feel with the characters. Listening to it was like watching a really bad teen movie.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I *might* give KA Moll another chance, just to make sure this book isn't an unfortunate accident. Otherwise, it's back to my favorites - Radclyffe, Georgia Beers, Julie Blair, Melissa Brayden, Kim Baldwin, Julie Cannon, Jae, Gerri Hill, Erin Dutton...and several others.

What does Michele Musso bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I thought the narrator did a good job with the reading. Every character has their own distinct voice. In some places, there was no delay where I feel like there should have been - between scenes, if you will. I'm not sure if that's an issue with the narrator or editor, though.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Annoyance, and lots of eye rolling when things seemed to happen randomly without any background, or when people were single-mindedly stereotypical. Characters weren't well-rounded and scenes skipped ahead, leaving out important information.

Any additional comments?

I don't recommend this book. Too many other good lesfic books out there on audible. But if you do start it, you probably will listen to the end. Just like you'll watch until the end of that teen movie...