November 9, 2015

Blog Tour: Change of Heart



Title: Change of Heart
Author: Jennifer L. Allen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 6, 2015





Casey Evans and Decker Abrams have been best friends since they became neighbors at the age of six. After high school, Casey abruptly leaves their hometown of Charleston, South Carolina for the west coast, leaving Decker wondering where she went and why she left.
Three years later the two are reunited, both harboring some old resentment towards the other. Not to mention, Casey has been hiding a pretty big secret from Decker all those years. Not willing to risk losing Casey again, Decker follows her back to California in an attempt to save their friendship.

 Will Casey and Decker work out their issues and be best friends again? Or will they finally become something more?










Jennifer L. Allen is a new to me author but I really enjoyed the story she presents in Change of Heart.  This is a NA story of best friends to lovers via second chances.  The title holds multiple definitions and I don’t want to share too much here, as some of them represent vital story lines.  It is better to come upon those surprises as they happen instead of knowing the story ahead of time.

What I will share is how much the story brings about the love of family.  What family will do for each other.  Life-long friends who become our family.  The love of husband and wife and the unconditional love for a child.   Casey and Decker’s story is about family.  The forgiving nature of true love and what that love is able to heal. 

So glad I was able to preview this story.  You will need some tissues at some point for happy and sad tears.  Looking forward to reading more by this author! 


*ARC received for an honest review.


“Have you kissed anyone, Casey?”
Decker asked after we spread out the blanket and sat down cross-legged at the
end of the dock.
I laughed. “No, Deck. Guys don’t
want to kiss me.”
“That’s not true,” he said.
“Then how come I’m seventeen and
I’ve never been kissed?”
He looked down at his hands,
fidgeting in his lap.
“Decker?” I asked sternly. What did
he do?
“I may have threatened a few of the
guys on the team.”
“What?! Why? How?” I couldn’t
believe he did that. No wonder guys never talked to me, let alone kissed me. I
knew I was plain and all, but still. There’s someone for everyone, right? All
those guys that talked to me and he chased away…
“None of those guys are good enough
for you.”
“Shouldn’t that be for me to
decide?” I cross my arms over my chest, downright pissed off now.
How dare he?
“I’m sorry, Case.”
“Hmmf.” I stared off into the
water, ignoring him.
Decker sighed. “You know what? I’m
not sorry. I don’t want you kissing other guys and that’s that.”
My eyes snapped back to his.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he said, looking
down at his hands again.
“Yeah, I heard you. That’s a bunch
of crap, Decker. You can’t just run interference all my life.” If I wasn’t sitting,
I would have stomped my feet.
“Wanna bet?”
I rolled my eyes. Arguing with him
was useless. He was the most stubborn person I knew, next to myself of course.
“Whatever, Decker.”
He sighed again. “I want to be your first kiss,” he whispered,
so quietly I barely heard him.
“What did you just say?”
He looked up at me. “I said I want
to be your first kiss.”
“What? Why? Decker?” I didn’t know
what to say. Where was this coming from? Decker wants to kiss me? Why?
“Because when I think back to my
first kiss, I want it to be a happy memory. And Casey, all my memories with you
are happy ones.”
I felt tears well up in my eyes.
Well, if that wasn’t the sweetest thing Decker Abrams had ever said to me. And
I’d be his first kiss, too? Gorgeous Decker Abrams has never kissed a girl?
He groaned at the tears. “Don’t
cry, Case.”
“Happy tears, Deck. Happy tears,” I
smiled at him.
He grinned that boyish grin I loved
so much that always got him out of trouble…with me and every other female in
his life.
“So you’ve really never kissed a
girl before?” I still found that hard to believe, but Decker had never lied to
me before. 
He shook his head. “No. I wanted it
to be special, you know?”
I nodded, “Yeah, I know.”
“So can I?” he asked, scooting
closer to me on the blanket.
“Can you what?” He moved even
closer.
“Kiss you?” I could feel his breath
on my face, he was so close.
“Please,” I whispered, closing my
eyes.
His lips brushed mine and I felt
tingles all over my body. His lips were so soft, yet so firm. Suddenly his
tongue was pressed against the seam of my lips. It was such a strange
sensation. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, but I wanted to taste him,
too.
I opened my mouth and our tongues
danced against one another. Touching and twisting, each sampling what the other
had to offer. He finally put his arms around me and pulled me close to him. The
kiss was amazing and seemingly never-ending, despite the awkward position we
were twisted into. He eventually ended it with three short pecks on my lips.
As he pulled away we both opened
our eyes. He smiled, so did I.
“Wow,” I said.
“Wow,” he agreed.
“Can we do that again?” I asked.
“Definitely,” he wasted no time,
leaning in again.
Decker and I made out under the
stars for hours that night. Never letting the other get too far away.
It was the start of something
beautiful. 
But it was also the beginning of
the end.
 




 

Jennifer lives in South Carolina with her husband and their four fur-kids. She is in grad school, pursuing a Masters in Psychology for Clinical Counseling. When she is not at work or taking classes, she is either reading or writing. Books have always been a passion. She also enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to new places, and music. She released her debut novel, Our Moon, in June 2015.





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