Ginger Holtzman has fought for everything she’s ever had–the success of her tattoo shop, respect in the industry, her upcoming art show. Tough and independent, she has taking-no-crap down to an art form. Good thing too, since keeping her shop afloat, taking care of her friends, and scrambling to finish her paintings doesn’t leave time for anything else. Which … is for the best, because then … she doesn’t notice how lonely she is. She’ll get through it all on her own, just like she always does.
Christopher Lucen opened a coffee and sandwich joint in South Philly because he wanted to be part of a community after years of running from place to place, searching for something he could never quite name. Now, he relishes the familiarity of knowing what his customers want, and giving it to them. But what he really wants now is love.
When they meet, Christopher is smitten, but Ginger … isn’t quite so sure. Christopher’s gorgeous, and kind, and their opposites-attract chemistry is off the charts. But hot sex is one thing–truly falling for someone? Terrifying. When her world starts to crumble around her, Ginger has to face the fact that this fight can only be won by being vulnerable–this fight, she can’t win on her own.
Small Change is the first in a series that is set in the Middle of Somewhere universe. It features crossover characters from that series but stands on its own. The Small Change series will include M/F and M/M romances
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Small Change – Roan Parrish – So freakin sweet!!!!! I liked Ginger from the word boo, but I thought Christopher was too good to be true. He is, but he is still the most precious cinnamon roll ever! I love the 13 year old Insta maven! I love that Ginger re-fonts the coffee shop! I love the ending with all my heart!! It almost makes me want to get a tattoo despite my terror of needles and blood! Happy Reading!
More than wonderful.
I certainly adored this book so much I bought the audio which narrated by Jo Raylan which is always a winner with me .
The book is a gem , you get to feel Ginger , how she feels and thinks , then she really see’s Chris ..
Such a great book to absolutely recommend , it is stunning …
Yes, I loved this book , after the audio book I re-read the book one more time…
So much of the story is in the characters’ interior lives. They are engaging, complex, and feel so real. Contemporary romance is not always my favorite genre, but this book is one of the best romances I’ve read.
Love the Philadelphia setting…great characters..loved Christopher and his sandwiches!
I was hesitant when buying this book. I was really looking forward to Invitation to the Blues, but I was told that I absolutely have to read this book first. Yes, there was a lot of praise, and especially from people who have recommended me awesome books before, and I have read Roan Parrish’s novella Natural Enemies (my review of it is here) but I haven’t read a m/f romance in ages.
But I did buy it and I enjoyed it so much! As I said, I have only read Natural Enemies before, not the other books in the universe of which this book is also happening, but that was not a problem. I did not have the complete background of Ginger and Daniel’s friendship, but I could follow everything easily. It is also marketed as a standalone/the first in the new series.
And Ginger became one of my favourite characters! She is an amazing tattooist, who owns her shop. She has employees she likes, they get on well, and they are amazing characters on their own. They are diverse, but also amazing. I hope to read more about them. And Ginger is not just a tattooist, but also an artist. I liked how she’s openly bisexual and Christopher knows it from the beginning but never makes a big deal of it. It was never glossed over, or erased due to her being in a relationship with a man, which makes it really awesome.
Christopher, on the other hand, has finally decided to settle somewhere and opens a sandwich shop. He is a very curious character, a kind of person I do not understand completely. He is very kind, he is persistent but not annoying, and he’s just…good. He writes emails to his brother, who is the main character in the second book, who is recovering, never stopping even if he doesn’t get the response. He just makes him know that he is there for when his brother needs him.
The book is written from Ginger’s perspective, but at the end of the chapters, there are Christopher’s thoughts, what he tells to his brother. He has been smitten with Ginger since he first encountered her, and he is persistent in courting her, but he never actually pressures her into anything…not that he could! He brings Ginger sandwiches and does other nice things for her and actually never demands anything in return.
They both have their own problems. Ginger is afraid of relying on anyone but her, especially after she’s clawed her way up to success and to rely on someone else had not been how she’d gotten there. Christopher is dealing with his parents and trying to help his brother who refuses his help.
To be honest, the two belong together from the beginning. Ginger who can forget to take care of herself, and Christopher who almost NEEDS to help someone, even to the point of fault. There is chemistry, there is the connection, they’re just…perfect.
I love Parrish’s writing and I really adored the portrayal of Ginger. I don’t even have the words to describe her, but she is so AWESOME and I totally want her as a friend And I am really glad I got the book in the end and I will certainly read more of Parrish’s books!
Melting change
Even though I had read the second book in Roan Parrish’s Small Change series (Invitation to the Blues) earlier this year, it actually wasn’t until I read In the Middle of Somewhere that I felt compelled to read to read this book as I had to know more about Daniel’s best friend and tattoo artist Ginger. And unsurprisingly this is yet another book of Roan’s that I really connected with. I also really enjoyed Roan’s take on a “mf” romance as I have previously read only mm romance by her.
Ginger was such a genuine, authentic character and seeing her battle her inner critic and the expectations of others was FABULOUS. I could really relate to some of how Ginger treated herself and while this made the book difficult to read at times, it was also nice to find some commonality with her. And as for Christopher, I loved loved loved him!! i couldn’t get enough of his sweetness and light and happiness – Christopher is a truly beautiful soul!!
Roan has a way with words that I truly connect with and her characters and their characterisation is some of the best I have ever read. I’m hoping to get through the rest of her back catalogue over the next few months and I’m even going to begin rereading An Invitation to the Blues next because I need Jude and Faron AGAIN!!!!!!!
nicandbooks
Amazon/Goodreads
Once again, Roan Parrish delivers a beautifully spun tale that blends just the right amount of humor and angst. Ginger Holtzman was first introduced to readers as Daniel Mulligan’s best friend in Parrish’s Middle of Somewhere series. She’s a dark and edgy tattoo artist and business owner focused on forging her reputation in a male-dominated field. After a lifetime of feeling like a disappointment to her mother, Ginger is cynical when it comes to love.
Christopher Lucen owns the new local coffee and sandwich shop. When he meets Ginger he’s instantly smitten, but must work to get Ginger to believe he’s really interested in her. She sees herself as the yin to his yang so she has to work up the courage to accept that his interest in her is more than that of a friendly fellow business owner. Where she is dark and cynical, he seems like sunshine and happiness. She soon finds herself falling hard, but can she allow herself to take a leap of trust?