Once a man who lived by the letter of the law.Newt Tobias will do anything for his little girl. Even take early retirement, sell his city home, and move to cottage country, hoping that the simpler life will provide a better balance for his troubled teenage daughter. Yet, not long after they’ve settled, he finds himself toe-to-toe with a stubborn, fiery tempered woman with pretty brown eyes.Once a … woman with pretty brown eyes.
Once a recluse preferring to live alone.
Working with troubled adolescents, Frederique Marchand doesn’t suffer fools and won’t put up with bullies. Especially handsome strangers like Newt who think they can run roughshod over her. She loves her work, but on her own time she much prefers the company of her menagerie of animals.
But with the welfare of a teenager at stake, she must put aside rocky first impressions and work with a man who needs her as much as she’ll come to need him.
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Loved, loved, loved Freddy and Newt! Great new characters and a fantastic storyline.
This was a good story. It stands alone and is book #3 in the Northern Lights series. This was a great paced story with great older totally real main characters. Newt moved his daughter there to try and get away from trouble that she was starting to get into after the loss of her Mother to Cancer. Freddy is the school counselor who tries to help Newt’s daughter Millie. I would definitely read more of Freya Barker’s books.
OMG I loved this book it was so realistic and had so much emotion parts just tore me apart.Single dad who gives up his job to try and bond and help his emotional troubled daughter . I found myself getting right into the book with these characters . I could feel the struggles and pain with both the father and the daughter . This was a realistic read since so many teens these days are dealing with what this young girl did.ONE click this you won’t be disappointed . This the first book I read by Freya and looking forward to reading more of her books.
This is the third book in the Northern Lights Series, a Small Town Romance. Frederique (Freddie) and Newt’s story is beautifully written. Freddie is a wonderful character, beautiful, and smart. Newt, a single Dad, is handsome, and caring. Mille, Newt’s daughter, is a smart kid. Boulder, a therapy dog, is a great addition to the story. This is a beautiful second chance at love. Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Matthew Maddux did a fantastic job with the narration. Single Dad Romance is one of my favorite tropes, and I enjoyed this one! I highly recommend it.
A beautifully crafted story of a broken young girl, a father who would move heaven and earth to help her heal, and the therapist who mends them, and herself, on the journey.
Millie is a troubled fourteen year old. Newt, her father and remaining parent, decides to take early retirement from the Ottawa Police and relocate them to the quieter town of Parry Sound. However, the change only sprouts additional issues, instead of revealing the root of the problem.
Enter Frederique, or Freddy as everyone call her, a local therapist who frequently visits the school with her faithful four-legged companion. Boulder is not just your regular family pet but rather an emotional support dog who sometimes provides Freddy with the ‘in’ she needs with the students, and Millie is no exception.
A few chance meetings occur between Newt and Freddy prior to Millie becoming a patient, and the sparks fly. However, neither lose sight of their joint objective regarding Millie’s well-being. I admire the dynamic between all three characters and their relationship with each other. From the tender moments between father and daughter, the unprejudiced approach to Millie’s therapy, and the budding relationship between the adults; it had everything.
This story is multi-dimensional, touching on love, loss, and forgiveness. It is emotional and relatable. I felt utterly connected to not only the three main characters, but the secondary ones as well. The subplots are so well entwined with the main story that I was invariably invested and anxiously awaiting their own resolutions.
What I admire most of Freya Barker’s writing is that she doesn’t shy away from touching on a variety of subjects that matter. She provides a realistic portrayal of the hurt people experience in their everyday lives, and the impact it has on relationships.
An absolute reread for me.
A Change of Pace
Northern Lights, Book 3
By: Freya Barker
Narrated by: Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, Matthew Maddux
Every time I settle down to listen to Freya Barker, I know I am in for a treat. The Northern Lights series in particular is one that have fallen in love with. Newt and his daughter Mille have recently moved. After the death of his wife, he found it necessary to start over, hoping to not only help him, Millie as well. She has had some problems adjusting and being a teen, life is difficult enough without the extra emotions. He is called in to school because Millie needs some extra help, and who should be the counselor, but Freddie, a woman he gave some attitude to earlier. But once Millie me her and her therapy dog, Boulder, things began to look up. And not only for Millie. Freddie who usually enjoyed her quiet life of helping kids and raising animals now found herself attracted to this new man. But will both find there second chance at love? Will Millie be ok? Barker is a master at writing a wonderful story integrating relevant issues with romance and suspense. The characters are realistic and easy to relate to. I love Freddie and her love of teens and her misfit farm!! Millie is every teen we know, trying to navigate through life and Newt is the concerned father and loving boyfriend. But I do have to say, my favorite character is Boulder. That dog has personality! This is one of my favorite listens so far this year.
Narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Matthew Maddux, we enjoy Freddie and Newt with realistic personalities. These two are spot on with their depiction of the characters, giving us all the emotions, and there are a lot of different ones! I think these two are perfectly cast, just like the book was written with their voices in mind.
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I loved this book! I received this one in audio and started listening to it while Christmas shopping in Target and found myself having such a good time listening it made shopping so much easier (I hate shopping). Newt moves his daughter to a small town after taking an early retirement and discovers she may be having issues again and needs to see a therapist. This is where he is forced to meet with the school recommended therapist and comes face-to-face with the woman he met and her big dog. Soon these two find out maybe they can not only help his daughter but form a bond themselves. It was such a pleasure to find a book with a “mature” couple and watch them form a unit with a teenager (and a dog). This may be the third in this series but didn’t really seem to be part of the series.
Wonderful Story & ListenCaptivating & Heartfelt!
A Change of Pace
Northern Lights, Book 3
By: Freya Barker
Narrated by: Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, Matthew Maddux
Freya Barker pens another beautiful, heartfelt novel in her amazing “Northern Lights” series. Each book stands on it’s own but I highly recommend each one, the stories are awesome and the audiobook listens are too. This book is Frederique “Freddy” Marchand and Newt Tobias’ story, his daughter Millie’s too. Newt Tobias, a single father quit his job to relocate out of the city, he felt a change of pace would do his troubled daughter some good. They move into a lakeside cottage and hopes his daughter will adjust to her new life. Freddy, a therapist and lover of animals, knows just about everyone in town, so she is a bit taken back when she catches attitude from a stranger, though she holds her own and gives attitude right back to him. Turns out this stranger is the new resident in town, she also got to meet his daughter while visiting the school with her therapy dog, Boulder. Small town the two are bound to meet again sooner or later, but it comes sooner when Newt needs help with his daughter’s problems. I have to commend the author on how realistic her characters and their stories are, she brings in real life situations and keeps it real, no sugar coating or over dramatizations at all. You can tell how much heart she puts into her stories too. I loved every minute of this book, the story is wonderfully plotted with plenty of drama, a touch of angst, some twists and turns, thrilling and suspenseful moments, heartfelt and emotional moments and the start to a wonderful romance and a great friendship. Freya Barker, thank you for another awesome story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
And for the fabulous narration, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Matthew Maddux did an awesome job portraying the characters, humanizing them while giving each their own voice. They grasped each character’s persona, took the role and made it their own. Stephanie Nemeth-Parker played Freddy’s role with perfection, captured both her fierceness and her passionate heart, her Millie was great too Mathew Maddux played Newt with perfection as well, sounding just as I pictured him to sound.. The secondary characters were all well done too. You could hear how much heart they put into their work as they captured all the characters emotions and projected them into their performance. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another awesome listen.
I enjoyed listening to the audio book A Change of Pace, it is a refreshing and heartwarming story with realistic and complex characters. This is the third book in the Northern Lights series and you won’t feel as though you are missing anything, if you haven’t read the other books in this series.
Newt and Freddy are brought together when Freddy tries to help Newt’s teenage daughter. I immediately connected with Newt and Freddy and found them easy to relate to. Newt, is a retired police officer and is also a caring, protective, single dad to his teenage daughter. What I loved most about Newt, is his willingness to make any sacrifice for his daughter. Newt and his daughter, Millie are both recovering from a tragedy and move to cottage county for a new start. Newt is not only a good dad, he is also an all around nice guy.
Freddy loves animals and her job working with troubled adolescents. She has many friends and is content with her life, although at times, she is lonely. Freddy has a full life and isn’t looking for love, but there is something about Newt that she can’t help being attracted to. Freddy has been hurt in the past and has had her share of troubles, but she is strong and resilient.
What struck me the most about this story was how courageous Newt and Freddy are. They are both mature adults and have both been through some bad experiences but they are still willing to take chances and live their lives. This story left me with a good feeling and the message to never give up, no matter how bad things can get.
Thanks to the author for providing a copy of this book via Cocktails and Books and Netgalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
Beautiful, deeply moving family drama with a side of romance!
Newt is a newly-retired police officer who moves his fourteen-year-old daughter, Millie, to a small town for a change of pace, hoping that together they’ll be able to help her move past the trauma of losing her mother to cancer.
Freddy is a local therapist who works with at-risk youth and maintains an ever-growing menagerie of pets, including a friendly and empathetic dog, Boulder, who helps her break the ice with her clients.
After a rocky couple meetings in town where they definitely don’t get along, Millie’s need for outside assistance brings Freddy and Newt together as they figure out the best way to help Millie sort through her painful emotional turmoil. Slowly, their lives start to align in every meaningful way, giving rise to a romance that neither can deny.
But this expansive story is so much more than their romance. Small-town dynamics are realistically portrayed here, with a complex cast of lifelong friends, ex’s, teen friends, and extended families all intersecting in ways that test every relationship on every level.
There is quite a bit of drama related to Freddy’s ongoing health concerns as well as a local misogynistic bully who poses a threat to more than one young teenage girl. The nail-biting drama about 75% of the way through was intense and kept me on the edge of my seat all the way to its huge-sigh-of-relief conclusion.
Newt and Freddy’s (and Millie’s) HEA is tender and sweet, and shown as a natural progression of their relationship. I really appreciated the way Newt handled the unusual and stressful friendship with Jim, and how he worked with Alex to provide Freddy with the support she needed. The epilogue was absolutely perfect, giving us everyone’s HEA a few years later, long enough to know that everything really does turn out well for all the main characters.
I received the audiobook version offered through NetGalley, and I was impressed with how well it was presented and how easy it was to listen to, despite its length (about nine hours). Both narrators brought their individual characters to life and did an excellent job of portraying the voices of the other characters. There was one little technical glitch, but it was fleeting and didn’t distract from the story in any way.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves small-town romances, especially ones with older (late 40’s) protagonists. It’s a beautiful story dealing with real-life scenarios, with lots of humor and plenty of heart.
What an incredible and emotional story about a single father struggling to help his troubled, teenage daughter. It’s such a nice change of pace to read a story about a couple in their 40’s who have lived and seen hard times. Where the issues in the story are about real life struggles.
This story follows three main characters. Newt Tobias, a retired police officer and hottie single dad to Millie. Millie 14 year old troubled teen struggling with the death of her mother. Frederique Marchand, the town’s therapist for troubled teens who has been through her own history of hard times. These three characters come together in a beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking way.
I really enjoyed this mature storyline, these fantastic main characters and all the side characters that made up the small town of Cottage Country. While it did seem a lot happened to these three, it also brought us a vulnerability to the characters that you just can’t help but love to see them get their happily ever after. It was beautiful and I can’t wait to read more in this series.
This was a wonderful (audio)book. The narration was terrific and added to this emotional story of what a parent will do to take care of his child. We first meet Newt, a single dad struggling to raise his daughter Millie who is dealing with the aftermath of losing her mother to cancer and is struggling emotionally. Millie lived with her mom as her parents weren’t married, but they had made the conscious choice to remain close and be the best parents they could be to raise their child with love and with the knowledge that she was and will always be loved and cared for. They raised her together, but seperately. When her mom died after a terrible battle with cancer Millie became a whole other version of herself. She became depressed, withdrawn and starts to harm herself. After trying all he could think of Newt is at a loss so decides to take drastic measures. He retires from his job in law enforcement, sells their home and moves to a small town in hopes of finding a calmer healthier life for them both. A new beginning so to speak. His initial meeting with Freddy is riotous. There are fireworks, but not the pretty July 4th kind! She is a no prisoners taken, independent, woman who has had her own truly terrible bumps in life road and still doing all she can to move forward and be the vest version of herself that she can be. She is also a therapist who becomes a huge part of their lives in many ways. It is a well written beautiful love story of a parent and his child, a man and woman who both had pretty much given up on finding love, some incredibly invasive quirky nosy and yet wonderful towns people, friendship and a whole bunch of amazing animals. It was so refreshing to listen to a book about people over the age of 25 who experienced some real life issues with real life solutions. I loved that they weren’t starry eyed dreamers, but people with a life of history, love and still with so much ahead for them. I cannot wait for the next in this wonderful series.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Though I have only read/listened to only a few stories by this author, I always know it will be engaging and thought provoking.
This time the story centers around Newt Tobias, his teenage daughter Millie and Frederique/Freddy Marchand.
Newt and his daughter are newcomers in town. He’s left his job as a cop and moved away from the city in hopes to helping his daughter. A daughter who is struggling emotionally with her emotions and loss.
Freddy, a woman that works with troubled teens, is feisty, and a daredevil. She also has a soft spot for abandoned animals and has a full menagerie in her barn.
The first meeting of these two was less than stellar but as a friendship and attraction develops, she not only helps Newt and Millie, but they too help her.
From the beginning to the end , you will be transported into the story.
Aside from the plot, the author reminds us of the reality of domestic abuse, as well as the struggles some adolescents go through.
Lastly , I was very happy to listen to a story about a couple in their 40s.
I was entrusted a copy of this audiobook by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
So I was doing a reading challenge that required a silver fox book with a Hero 45 or older and I came across A Change of Pace on my kindle. Boy am I ever glad that I opened up this book.
This one will just have your heartstrings in a tangled mess as you read about Newt a single father who will do anything to ensure his daughter Millie is very well taken care of including retiring to a small town to settle down and take care of his girl. When Newt crosses paths with a very fiery Freddy Marchand he thinks she’s just one of those “half-witted vigilante feminists”. Little does he know but he’s about to be thrust into close proximity with her and he may learn there is more than meets the eye to the feisty beauty. These two soon discover it is much better to be friends than enemies and before long they are confiding in each other things they usually keep closed off and learn they have both dealt with some very serious things that might be easier if they had that special someone to help carry the load.
This book really got to me and I need to read the rest of this series.
This book is just amazing , and you could feel the characters emotions thru out the book. Freddy was such a strong woman after everything she went through. Loved Newt. He was such a wonderful dad. He did everything he could to help his daughter.
I had so many emotions while reading this book. Love how you can feel the passion between Freddy and Newt ….hurry and buy this book you won’t regret.
A classic hate at first sight, but these two are brought together when Newt’s daughter needs Freddy’s help. Newt and Freddy soon realise that there is something between them. But what is Freddy hiding and can Newt forgive her? A great story. Love the menagerie and the other characters as well.
Frederique Marchand and Newt story is intense and good. This book was such a great read for me and I just couldn’t get enough of these two and this series was great and I just loved reading how different and interesting each one was.
I am totally beating myself up for waiting so long to read this book!!
I LOVED it!!! Where to even begin. The subjects touched in this book are so real and raw. I had so many emotions while reading …I laughed out loud, got scared, got worried, swooned you name it! The two main characters Newt and Freddy don’t really hit if off right away but when they do sparks are flying. Both have a very sad, raw backstory and for them to find each other and heal is so amazing. Millie, Newt’s daughter goes through so many things as a young girl but I loved her character so much.
I really don’t like to give too much away when writing reviews, all I have left to say is this was a 5 star read!
Freya really rocked it out of the park with this one.
The second I’ve read by Freya.
This one was good. I enjoyed the different characters and the realness of their life. It was all sunshine and roses it was real problems that people face everyday.
Newt and Freddy are fun they are matched well. I loved all the animals and the important part they play.
It is an easy read that doesn’t make you have to think too hard you can just read and enjoy!
Newt Tobias and his daughter Millie have just moved to Parry Sound after the death of Millie’s mom and the struggle that Millie seemed to be having at school and at home. He has bought a cabin along the lake and hopes the change will allow Millie to find herself again.
Freddy Marchand is a counselor who uses her dog to help in therapy sessions to make her clients feel more at ease. She has had her own share of heartbreak in the past and surrounds herself with animals but isn’t afraid to interefere with the safety of anyone.
When Newt and Freddy first meet they battle over her safety but soon they see a different side to each other. When Millie is referred to Freddy the two must decide what they want to do with their relationship.
But life never goes as planned and soon Freddy is faced with some tough decisions. When a friendship between Millie and Jorden brings out his angry mother what will the repercussions be?
I really enjoyed this book and it was a great change to read about people my age going through things I can relate to!
I really liked Newt and understood why he needed to move Millie and how he was struggling with how to deal with everything that she was going through. My heart broke for him as he was feeling so hopeless to help her and he quit his job as a police officer in order to move.
I loved Freddy and thought she was an incredible character! She was a lot of fun and dedicated to her job and she was very aware that she had the ability to stop certain things even if it meant putting herself in the way of danger. I loved all of her different animals and I felt like it gave her solace and peace.
I loved when Newt and Freddy met and how high the tension was between them. Then it was awesome as their relationship changed into something more.
My heart broke for what Freddy went through in the past with everything with her ex Jim and her health issues.
I liked the friendship between Millie and Jorden. The two had a great friendship and were there for each other and I was glad that Jorden had Millie as I saw more of his mom, Ella.
Towards the end I was freaking out badly with what was going on with Millie and I had a sinking suspicion at who was behind it and I was right.
The very end was awesome and I loved all of the good news!!