changing plans audioStory Rating: 3.75 stars
Audio Rating: 4 stars

Narrator: Charlie David
Length: 8 hours, 2 minutes

Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks


Changing Plans is a three-book series first published back in 2011. Author L.A. Witt has now republished the series, offering it in both ebook and audio formats. You can purchase the books individually in either format, as well as in a three-book set. The series follows the same couple throughout, however, so while you could probably read the first as a standalone, reading the whole series is definitely the way to go.

I listened to Changing Plans as a set and while the books are combined into one audio, they are still presented as three individual books with an introduction at the start of each and credits at the end, along with lead in and lead out music. I enjoyed being able to listen to it all together in this format, rather than getting the three books separately. And they definitely fit well together as they focus on the men meeting, falling for one another, and getting married, respectively. But it was also a bit jarring at times not to have it be one fluid story, especially as information was recapped from one book to the next.

Note: As I am reviewing the entire series together, reviews have mild spoilers for events that take place in prior books.

 

getting off the ground audio

Getting Off the Ground

Story Rating: 4 stars

Narrator: Charlie David
Length: 2 hours, 6 minutes

Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks


Yesterday was supposed to be Elliott Chandler’s wedding day, but he was stood up at the altar. Now he has decided to do something a bit crazy and head to Hawaii on his own for what should have been his honeymoon. Only things are off to a rocky start with the weather in Seattle and his plane has already been delayed multiple times and the snow doesn’t show signs of stopping. As a devoted planner, the uncertainty is making Elliott crazy, but he has no choice but to wait it out.

As Elliott spends long hours in the airport, he meets fellow traveler, Derek Windsor. Elliott first notices Derek because unlike most of the passengers, Derek seems calm and relaxed in the face of the airport madness. The men get to talking and it turns out Derek lives in Hawaii and is returning home. The guys spend the day talking and enjoy one another’s company, as well as sharing an attraction. When it turns out the weather is still not cooperating, Elliott must decide if this is the right time to have a little spontaneity with his new friend.

This is a fun and sexy short story that kicks off the series with Derek and Elliott meeting. There is a nice opposites attract vibe as Elliott, the uptight planner, meets the laid back Derek. Elliott has also been a relationship for years, while Derek has sworn off anything serious. The chemistry between these guys is really nice and there is a good balance here between the men getting to know one another and some super sexy times as well. It is a great introduction to the couple and sets things up nicely for the rest of the series.


infinity pools audio

Infinity Pools

Story Rating: 3.75 stars

Narrator: Charlie David
Length: 4 hours, 7 minutes

Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks


Now that Elliott has decided to change his plans for what would have been his honeymoon, he is headed for two weeks in Maui with Derek. Elliott is not usually a guy to be spontaneous, but something about Derek just makes him a bit more relaxed and willing to go with the flow. The guys spend two weeks touring Hawaii, hiking and enjoying beaches. They also get to know each other better, and continue to act on the fiery attraction between them. But both know they only have a short time together. Elliott lives in Seattle and just came off a break up, and Derek has always known he isn’t relationship material. Yet as the two weeks draw to a close, the men aren’t ready for things to end between them. Now they have to figure out if a future together is even a possibility, or if this will end up as nothing more than a hot vacation romance.

Infinity Pools picks up right where Getting Off the Ground left off, with Derek and Elliott headed to Maui. The book mostly focuses on the guys getting to know one another and having lots of sex. Elliott explores the idea of playing the field a bit, with Derek’s encouragement (and the guys each share some dance club kisses with others), but it is clear that they men only have eyes for each other. I enjoyed the tourist’s view of Hawaii and getting to hear about some of the beautiful places the guys go. But honestly, it feels like the vast majority of what happens here is the guys having sex. At a few points I felt like yelling, you are in paradise for two weeks, get out of bed and start seeing some of it! So definitely a steamy story, which I normally appreciate, but it did feel like not much happens here and, as the longest of the three installments, things did drag for me at times. This is not helped by the fact that there is pretty much no conflict here. Elliott’s need to plan and control is gone, he is totally fine with the ending of his long-term relationship, and the guys agree and get along on every issue. So I needed a bit more here, but overall it is a good transition book and a nice follow up to the first story, bringing us more for Derek and Elliott.


on the listOn the List

Story Rating: 3.75 stars

Narrator: Charlie David
Length: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks


Four months after their engagement, Derek and Elliott are in Seattle for their wedding. No one ever expected Derek to get married, but he loves Elliott and is excited about committing to one another in front of their friends and family. But Derek is in for a shock when his family tells him that they disapprove of the wedding and none of them will be attending. Derek knows he wants to spend his life with Elliott, but his family’s rejection is weighing on him heavily. As the wedding approaches, Derek must figure out how to reconcile his love for Elliot and his desire to get married with the knowledge it could mean a permanent rift between him and his family.

This third story is the culmination of the relationship between Elliott and Derek that has been building for the last two books. That said, the guys are very solid at this point, so it focuses pretty heavily on Derek’s family issues and how he is dealing with them. The story switches POV from the first two books, putting us in Derek’s head instead of Elliott’s, which makes sense as it is really his journey in this final story. Part of me wished for more of the focus to be on the guys, since Derek’s family has been sort of a non-issue throughout the series thus far, but it is also nice to see them work through a conflict after such smooth sailing in the first two books. Overall, we get a sweet ending and a nice conclusion for Elliott and Derek’s journey.

 

I listened to this in audio with narrator Charlie David and I think he does a nice job overall. As I mentioned, each story has a distinct separation, complete with somewhat cheesy music leading in and out. But David does a nice job with consistency throughout the series and the narrative moves smoothly from one book to the other. David has a nice voice, though he doesn’t really differentiate the characters’ voices. It mostly works because these guys are alone together for the vast majority of the story, so it isn’t too hard to keep track of who is speaking. It did throw me a bit at the start of book three, however, as we are suddenly in Derek’s POV and his narrative and spoken voice are basically the same as Elliott’s.

I find David’s voice pleasant overall, but I think it was just a little bit too smooth in some places to fit the characters. Elliott is supposed to be wound tight, especially early on, and that doesn’t come through the audio. When there is banter between characters, the sharpness doesn’t come through. It is almost like all the edges have been smoothed off everything and so at times it interfered with the way the story comes across on page. Also, this may have been my speakers, but the bass here is very strong and I often felt the sound was too low and rumbly. Those issues aside, I enjoy David’s narration and his voice is easy to listen to and made this a very pleasant audio.

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