Mo Daoust
Child therapist Leah McCarran is on her way to Heart Fire Ranch, when after the morning from hell, her car breaks down. What Leah looked at as finally getting a break is not looking so good anymore. Gage Granger was passing by and offers to help her, and he is nonplussed at her defensive attitude. Gage has been in hiding at his brother Dylan’s for a while, because he needs to fix a situation at work: Gage has made a dreadful mistake which could cost him his company; he has some serious thinking to do. But the very attractive lady in distress could muddle his plans… Gage is a charmer and a real nice guy, but Leah kept being rude to him no matter how hard he tried to be nice. Leah is rude, judgemental, and downright disagreeable. I disliked her immensely, and I hoped I would eventually warm up to her, but I never did. I thought it excruciating to read through all her unpleasantness for a third of the book. I understand perfectly where she’s coming from: she did have an exceedingly horrific childhood. I understand she doesn’t trust anyone, it’s perfectly reasonable given the circumstances. Had the reasons for behaving the way she does been revealed earlier in the book, I might have been able to stomach her bad attitude. Had she been distant, aloof, unresponsive, cold, it would have been more palatable. However, I now understand what the “hero complex” is. Gage understands Leah even without knowing what her issues are, he is willing to take all her nastiness in stride, and it seemed to me he was willing to do all that because he finds her beautiful and he’s sexually attracted to her. That’s where understanding the “hero complex” comes in: I just couldn’t understand why he would bother with Leah. Had I been him, I would have tried to remain on friendly terms with her, but that’s it; I would definitely not have wanted a relationship. But that’s just me, I guess. I did enjoy Gage’s present predicament; it presented interesting ethical dilemmas, and that story line was for me the best part of the book. As befits Ms. Kline, the writing is impeccable: lovely and eloquent; her insight and understanding of the human psyche and its resilience is unparalleled, and the animals are always welcome interludes, in the case of CHANGE OF HEART, mischief-making kittens. CHANGE OF HEART will definitely appeal to readers who enjoy a lot of angst, but this book just wasn’t for me. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rhonda Ziglar
Change of Heart by T.J. Kline....Another great addition to the series, T.J. Kline never disappoints. Gage, oh my...what can I say, New book boyfriend, love everything about him. Leah is a little mean and annoying, but she has had a bad life so far and she does not trust people. I enjoyed watching the relationship developed between these two, it was perfect. I absolutely love all T.J. Klines's book and especially this series, so do yourself a favor and read this series and book. I receive a complimentary book for an honest review.
