Brett – The quiet loner. Content with life in his small town and a job he loves—except for the one thorn in his side.
Kelly—the world traveler that pops in and out of his life, taking a small piece of his heart with him every time.
Until the day she comes back, broken and adrift.
Can he show her there is more to life than bright lights and endless wandering?
Could his heart be enough to finally tame the restless need to run?
Or will she break his heart all over again and leave.
| Title: | Shifting Gears |
| Author: | Melanie Moreland |
| Series: | Reynolds Restoration (Book 3) |
| Pages: | 333 |
| Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Opposites Attract Second Chance Romance |
| Point of View: | First Person, Past Tense, Dual Viewpoint (H & h) |
| Location: | Canada |
| HEA: | âś” |
| Release Date: | 31st May, 2022 |
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A comforting and hot romance
This third Reynold’s Restorations book brings us back to the characters we’ve known and loved from the first two books. Brett and Kelly’s relationship was teased in Breaking the Speed Limit and we finally get to know their story and get their happily ever after. Does this book stand alone? Definitely in that Brett and Kelly get their happily ever after. But in this more than any other story, I think you really would benefit from having read the prior books – just to get a sense of the friends, family and the group dynamics.
Our story starts with Kelly returning from her latest travel adventure and getting a less than warm welcome from Brett. Having had his heart broken by Kelly’s leaving one too many times, Brett decides that the pair should be cordial and no more. Luckily for us readers, that vow lasts a hot minute and soon they’re back to being unable to keep away from each other.
Kelly and Brett being unable to keep away from each other also means not being able to keep their hands off each other and let me tell you – It. Is. Hot. Your fingers will burn either from the sheer chemistry and heat from this pair, or just from turning the pages so fast. Oooh boy – even just remembering those scenes is making me warm! Yum!
Brett is a typical Reynold’s Restoration hero – he’s big, gruff and very much an alpha protector. But he’s also a big softie and isn’t afraid to show or tell his feelings. Kelly is his kryptonite and that made him a little crazy (in a good way) trying to protect his heart but also wanting to follow it. Simply put – I loved him.
“…another fantastic story of true love overcoming the odds…”
On the other hand, Kelly isn’t someone that I would think I would naturally feel an affinity for. She’s a traveller while I’m a homebody – and her difficult, Stepford childhood really gave her trust and abandonment issues. But with that said, it was hard not to like her and root for her to get herself together and get her happily ever after. She was a nice blend of strong and vulnerable and I loved that it was her that had to come to terms with love when it’s so often the men in our stories.
As with any and all of Ms Moreland’s stories, I steamrolled my way through this book. It’s quite a simple tale with minimal angst, despite the conflicting priorities of the hero and heroine, but there’s always something going on within this big group of friends and family. (And extra points for the return of Theo and his inappropriate observations of the adults!) There’s such a warmth to the story and the writing – Melanie Moreland writes worlds that I want to wrap myself up and live in. As well as the love, there’s laughter, restoration of old relationships and the heart of a great group of friends and family.
This book is another fantastic story of true love overcoming the odds and I would highly recommend it – even if you have to read the first two books in the series (Revved to the Maxx and Breaking the Speed Limit) first! There’s also a big ol’ tease for the next in the series, Under the Radar, which will be Chase’s story. Another story I cannot wait to get my hands on. In the meantime, 5 well-deserved stars for this story.
* I received this book in exchange for my honest review
New York Times/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of twenty-seven-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She’s learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.
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Reynolds Restoration Series:
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