The Change Up by Meghan Quinn: My Review
Check out my book review of The Change Up by Meghan Quinn to see if this is a sports, friends to lovers romance book worth reading.
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The Change Up
by Meghan Quinn
Categories: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Tags: Baseball, Sports, Friends to Lovers
Kindle | Paperback
Find on Goodreads
Rating: ★★★★
Just when I think Meghan Quinn couldn’t possibly outdo herself with another baseball romance, she knocks it out of the park with Maddox Paige in The Change Up!
Maddox is the bad boy of baseball. He’s a pitcher for the Chicago Rebels who’s known not only for his stellar pitching but also for hitting players and starting fights. Plus, his body full of tattoos helps to sell the image.
Who knew that underneath that tough exterior is actually a vulnerable man who’s just looking to feel safe and loved. The one person who’s always been there for him, his person, is his best friend Kinsley.
Kinsley who is this earth-saving, animal-loving free spirit that seems almost like a complete opposite to Maddox.
Friends since they were 5, Kinsley has always been his greatest supporter and cheerleader so when she calls saying she’s moving to Chicago for a new job and looking for a place to live, Maddox easily offers up his one-bedroom apartment.
He just didn’t realize that living with his best friend would flip the switch, letting new romantic feelings fly!
I was so excited to read this book and get to know Maddox better. You first meet this bad boy of baseball in The Trade but you can easily read this book as a standalone (but really, you need to read ALL of Meghan Quinn’s baseball books!).
Told in dual POV, you not only come to know and understand Maddox but you see what motivates and drives Kinsley too.
A Fun, Friends to Lovers Romance
The first part of this book is a fun start to this friends to lovers romance. Sharing a one-bedroom apartment, it’s easy for the sparks between them to set aflame due to the close quarters.
But they both struggle with the realization that when you’re falling in love with your best friend, your person, there’s a very real fear that the other person may not feel the same.
Since they already had a relationship that involved a lot of touching, hugging and saying I love you, it was even more difficult for them to assess whether the other person’s feelings were changing too.
Both Maddox and Kinsley wrestled with the fear of possibly ruining their friendship before finally admitting that they both wanted to be more than just friends.
I will say that Maddox was one amazing friend. I mean Kinsley is cute and all but she bulldozes her way into his life in so many ways and he just goes with it because he loves her so much.
I’m not so sure I would have been as accommodating as he was to all of the changes she made. I mean, she didn’t even ASK him and it’s not like they were just little things like changing out his cleaning supplies.
She also blatantly disregards some serious boundaries he put up but instead of being mad he’s thoughtful, understanding and compromising. He even does all he can to help her with her job. You are one lucky girl, Kinsley, let me just say!
Once their mutual feelings are outed, I was ready for them to get their freak on. But Kinsley wanted to initially take it slow. Given that demand I have to say that I was surprised by their first intimate encounter. It was so not what I was expecting if they were taking things slow but hey you go for it! Regardless, I loved them together.
A Hero with a Heart
Towards the latter part of the book, Quinn exposes us more to the inner demons of Maddox and really flushes out a character who has struggled with abuse and fear as a child.
She gives us a picture of how that can play out as an adult in a realistic way and I appreciated how she didn’t just sweep those issues under the rug with a quick reconciliation. Kinsley’s earthy-crunchy ways were starting to get a bit annoying but I really respected how she stood up to Maddox and handled their separation.
When you’re five books into a “series” of books, you’d think it would be hard to write an original story or create a standout character but Quinn did both of those in The Change Up.
I loved learning more about Maddox and thought this was a great friends to lovers story line.
I also have to say that this book has one AMAZING cover. I don’t normally envision a cover model in my head for the character of the story while I’m reading, but this guy was Maddox all the way!
I of course also loved seeing characters from past books like Jason, Dottie, Cory and Natalie. Jason will always be my favorite and OMG, the scene with him and Dottie in the bowling alley was just priceless. And now I’m ready and waiting for Lincoln’s story!
Quinn’s baseball romances are the best of the best and The Change Up did not disappoint.
Which Quinn baseball romance book is your favorite and why? Share in the comments below.
Related Book Reviews:
- The Dugout by Meghan Quinn
- The Lineup by Meghan Quinn
- The Trade by Meghan Quinn
- The Set Up by Meghan Quinn
Book Lists With This Book:
- June 2020 Romance Book Releases
- Best Sports Romance Books
- Best Friends to Lovers Books
- Best Romance Book Series to Binge Read
- Hottest Romance Books to Read This Summer
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