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A Change of Tune
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Johnny Rayne has had enough — enough of being at the top of the rock music industry for the last decade, enough of constant touring and recording. He wants something more — just something very different. Moving to a farm in West Virginia, Johnny meets Sheriff Virgil Grissom on his first morning in the mountains.
The sheriff challenges Johnny in a multitude of ways — with overt machismo, disdain for Johnny's musician past, and all-around know-it-all-ness. The two men clash continually, and Johnny resists succumbing to the sheriff's brash charm until Grissom forces him to admit some very basic truths. One: Johnny's definitely attracted to men. Two: Johnny's definitely attracted to Grissom. And three: Johnny's definitely going to enjoy every moment of it.
Johnny Rayne has had enough — enough of being at the top of the rock music industry for the last decade, enough of constant touring and recording. He wants something more — just something very different. Moving to a farm in West Virginia, Johnny meets Sheriff Virgil Grissom on his first morning in the mountains.
The sheriff challenges Johnny in a multitude of ways — with overt machismo, disdain for Johnny's musician past, and all-around know-it-all-ness. The two men clash continually, and Johnny resists succumbing to the sheriff's brash charm until Grissom forces him to admit some very basic truths. One: Johnny's definitely attracted to men. Two: Johnny's definitely attracted to Grissom. And three: Johnny's definitely going to enjoy every moment of it.
373 pages, ebook
First published November 23, 2010
About the author
J.M. Cartwright
15 books112 followersJM Cartwright is the alter ego of a polished professional who works all the time. Well, maybe not all the time... but paying the mortgage and buying dog food keep JM pretty busy.
JM dreams of the Appalachians and someday sitting on the veranda overlooking 100 acres of paradise.
JM dreams of the Appalachians and someday sitting on the veranda overlooking 100 acres of paradise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
April 18, 2013
Not really a review. Just thoughts.
Johnny is supposed to be a huge, famous rock star. He walks away from his band and fame to move to a large piece of property in West Virginia. His first day or so at his new home, he meets the local sheriff, Virgil Grissom. Johnny has, in his late thirties, decided to stop hiding his homosexuality (that he's never acted on) and start trying to be himself. Virgil comes on strong from the first meeting. He gropes Johnny a lot and makes inappropriate comments. Then he breaks into Johnny's house while Johnny is showering and watches as Johnny masturbates. Johnny freaks out but still allows Virgil to climb in the shower with him for some play time... when Johnny has never been with a man. This is the beginning of what I consider to be a warped relationship between a rock star and an obnoxious sheriff.
1. There is alpha and there is arrogant asshole. Virgil is the latter. He's jealous over everything. He throws a tantrum if Johnny dares stand next to a woman. He pouts if he doesn't get his way. He strong-arms Johnny to get him to fall in line.
2. Johnny is supposed to be this confident rock star but in the presence of Virgil he turns into a little girl. It is stated that he was the brains behind the success of his band, Storm, but yet when he moves to West Virginia he comes across as naive and weak.. not the so-called confident business man and rock star.
3. The singer, the younger man, the larger man, the sheriff, etc. When I see more of this than "He" or the character names it takes away from the story.
4. Johnny makes it known the he wants to adopt a child. Grissom makes it happen in such an unrealistic way. Not only makes it happen, but dumps a baby and a toddler on Johnny without warning. Johnny knows nothing about taking care of children and is in a panic but what does Grissom do? He disappears within hours of dropping the kids with Johnny. Why? Because the big bad cop couldn't handle hearing the words "I love you" from Johnny. He dumps the kids in Johnny's lap but doesn't hang around to help Johnny figure out how to care for them. When Grissom finally decides to make a reappearance, Johnny forgives him too easily.
5. Never, EVER is it sexy to call nipples titties or tits. Seriously. I had a WTH moment the first time but I let it go. When it became a regular thing in the book it was too much and I found myself giggling over it. If that was supposed to be sexy, the author failed in that regard.
6. There are constant POV shifts. I don't mean from chapter to chapter. I mean from paragraph to paragraph.
7. Overuse of exclamation points. They are literally everywhere.
8. Johnny goes from being an inexperienced gay virgin to fisting in a very short amount of time. I don't think so.
Overall, the book was simply okay for me. I had a hard time reconciling the so-called confident rock star with the Johnny portrayed in this book. I like my characters strong and I didn't see anything strong about Johnny. Virgil is just a jerk who is going to get his way regardless of anyone's (namely Johnny's) feelings. Doubtful I will read the quickie that follows this book.
Johnny is supposed to be a huge, famous rock star. He walks away from his band and fame to move to a large piece of property in West Virginia. His first day or so at his new home, he meets the local sheriff, Virgil Grissom. Johnny has, in his late thirties, decided to stop hiding his homosexuality (that he's never acted on) and start trying to be himself. Virgil comes on strong from the first meeting. He gropes Johnny a lot and makes inappropriate comments. Then he breaks into Johnny's house while Johnny is showering and watches as Johnny masturbates. Johnny freaks out but still allows Virgil to climb in the shower with him for some play time... when Johnny has never been with a man. This is the beginning of what I consider to be a warped relationship between a rock star and an obnoxious sheriff.
1. There is alpha and there is arrogant asshole. Virgil is the latter. He's jealous over everything. He throws a tantrum if Johnny dares stand next to a woman. He pouts if he doesn't get his way. He strong-arms Johnny to get him to fall in line.
2. Johnny is supposed to be this confident rock star but in the presence of Virgil he turns into a little girl. It is stated that he was the brains behind the success of his band, Storm, but yet when he moves to West Virginia he comes across as naive and weak.. not the so-called confident business man and rock star.
3. The singer, the younger man, the larger man, the sheriff, etc. When I see more of this than "He" or the character names it takes away from the story.
4. Johnny makes it known the he wants to adopt a child. Grissom makes it happen in such an unrealistic way. Not only makes it happen, but dumps a baby and a toddler on Johnny without warning. Johnny knows nothing about taking care of children and is in a panic but what does Grissom do? He disappears within hours of dropping the kids with Johnny. Why? Because the big bad cop couldn't handle hearing the words "I love you" from Johnny. He dumps the kids in Johnny's lap but doesn't hang around to help Johnny figure out how to care for them. When Grissom finally decides to make a reappearance, Johnny forgives him too easily.
5. Never, EVER is it sexy to call nipples titties or tits. Seriously. I had a WTH moment the first time but I let it go. When it became a regular thing in the book it was too much and I found myself giggling over it. If that was supposed to be sexy, the author failed in that regard.
6. There are constant POV shifts. I don't mean from chapter to chapter. I mean from paragraph to paragraph.
7. Overuse of exclamation points. They are literally everywhere.
8. Johnny goes from being an inexperienced gay virgin to fisting in a very short amount of time. I don't think so.
Overall, the book was simply okay for me. I had a hard time reconciling the so-called confident rock star with the Johnny portrayed in this book. I like my characters strong and I didn't see anything strong about Johnny. Virgil is just a jerk who is going to get his way regardless of anyone's (namely Johnny's) feelings. Doubtful I will read the quickie that follows this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2011
I only got to page 183 in this book before I stopped. Virgil Grissom is a jackwad of epic proportions. I like alpha males but this guy breaks into johnny's house and spys on him in the shower. From the moment they meet he pushes him around sexually. Johnny gets spanked for swearing but Virgil swears and takes offense when it's pointed out. Grissom is a pretty selfish lover and irrationally jealous too. I almost stopped at the getting punished for being mad about a gun being kept in the sex toy drawer and then fisting as punishment for telling Grissom it wasn't safe there. "I've had it with your mouth tonight" so I'm fisting your ass even after you tell me no and you're scared. But the magically oprphaned kids was just too much and I drew the line. I had to stop. Oh and West Virginia is part of The South? Uh, no. Johnny seems like an idiot most of the time too. He's supposed to be shrewd and survived in the music business for 15 years but all of a sudden Grissom is there to control everything he does for his own good.
This relationship may appeal to some people. If so the writing style is pretty good I wasn't cringing at bad dialogue and well worn metaphors.
This relationship may appeal to some people. If so the writing style is pretty good I wasn't cringing at bad dialogue and well worn metaphors.
June 27, 2012
Mary Calmes! There, I said it! I wasn't going to, but I couldn't hold it in anymore. This book seems to have been whipped up from the Mary Calmes cookbook. You know; take one growly, dickish alpha-male-type and mix with one adorable, naive can-do-no-wrong love interest, add several sassy female characters to taste and voila! You get a passable story with some fairly hot sex and corny, corny, corniness. However, this story seems to have added some extra ingredients that, well, left a bad (worse) taste in my mouth. At some point some stuff happens () and I was just like, what the fuck? So, around 65%, I felt this very strong desire to just... stop reading. The domesticity was more horrifying than entertaining at that point. And I don't know why, but I soldiered on, feeling faintly ill all the while. Anyway, to cut a long story short, this book sucked. It wasn't bad, just unlikely. Too much so for my tastes. If the above-mentioned stuff hadn't happened and the story went in another direction, I probably would've like it more, but as it was just.. no.
March 18, 2021
An absolutely heart warming read! I listened to this on my Kindle for part of the time because I had things to do and couldn't stand the idea of putting the book down.
Johnny Rayne is a rockstar at the top of the charts but he's been there 15 years and he's tired and wants a family, so he leaves his band and moves to the mountains of West Virginia. His first day there, he meets Sheriff Virgil Grissom. Johnny has always denied his feelings toward men and never explored them but Grissom wakes him up to what he's been missing and makes him realize how much more there is for him when the person is truly right for him. They make a great couple. Johnny can be a bit of a princess, but hey, he's been a famous, beautiful rockstar for the past 15 years so what do you expect. But not annoyingly so. He's trying VERY hard to be anonymous in town. Grissom can be very pushy and know-it-all at times but not in a mean way and usually he's doing it just because he enjoys baiting Johhny who readily rises to the occasion. The sex was hot but not too much Johnny has a strong desire to adopt a child and Grissom helps in this regard. Suffice it to say they make great daddies.
This was the first book I read by this author and I will most definitely be looking for her other books. The writing was solid and well edited. Great plot that unfolded at just the right pace. This book gave me the warm-and-fuzzies many times over. A definite 5 star read! One you should read if you've not already ;0)
Johnny Rayne is a rockstar at the top of the charts but he's been there 15 years and he's tired and wants a family, so he leaves his band and moves to the mountains of West Virginia. His first day there, he meets Sheriff Virgil Grissom. Johnny has always denied his feelings toward men and never explored them but Grissom wakes him up to what he's been missing and makes him realize how much more there is for him when the person is truly right for him. They make a great couple. Johnny can be a bit of a princess, but hey, he's been a famous, beautiful rockstar for the past 15 years so what do you expect. But not annoyingly so. He's trying VERY hard to be anonymous in town. Grissom can be very pushy and know-it-all at times but not in a mean way and usually he's doing it just because he enjoys baiting Johhny who readily rises to the occasion. The sex was hot but not too much Johnny has a strong desire to adopt a child and Grissom helps in this regard. Suffice it to say they make great daddies.
This was the first book I read by this author and I will most definitely be looking for her other books. The writing was solid and well edited. Great plot that unfolded at just the right pace. This book gave me the warm-and-fuzzies many times over. A definite 5 star read! One you should read if you've not already ;0)
December 14, 2010
The logic-fail at the very beginning of the book should have warned me. Johnny Rayne, front man for the band, and the brains of the business operations, doesn't understand why his one-sided decision to leave doesn't go over so well. He's shocked the rest of the band resents having their artistic and financial futures thrown into doubt so he can go find himself.
So buying a house he's never seen in a place he's never been makes relative sense. Especially when he's coming to terms with his sexuality, going to an area not known for tolerance and understanding of such things is going to work out fine, because this chunk of West Virginia is really a suburb of San Francisco. The cover says so, those are "painted ladies" in the background.
Everyone thinks gay couples are cute, an openly gay sheriff has no problem with his staff or anyone else, although he allows there might be one or two grouches up in the hills. And he takes Johnny from m/m virgin to fisting in less than a month.
The part of the story that isn't directly sexual exists only in flashes through the first two hundred pages, and after that it's still thin. Johnny came to the country with adopting a family on the mind, so the sheriff thoughtfully provides him with not one but two kids. Grissom treats getting kids with roughly the same importance as getting kittens, and it's not much harder, either, when the judge thinks two months of sex equals stable relationship.
Issues are introduced and then dropped, the author makes a big deal about the Sheriff's name, Virgil Grissom, being the same as the astronaut's, but nothing further ever comes of that. An escaped prisoner plot fizzles out before page eighty, and the prisoner never does anything desperate, he gets talked about a couple times. Johnny's a good enough musician to coach a local into Julliard, but that gets a handful of paragraphs and shows mostly that he's a good guy.
The language is probably the strongest point, it's fluid enough to lull you along into not noticing what's really going on for pages and pages. Until you run into yet another use of the Lord's name that isn't capitalized. I got so mad at this that I stopped reading and started counting, and got to 40 before I gave up, and there was still a half a book. "Blondie" is apparently important enough to capitalize, but 'god' is not. The nickname vs name issue in another story by this author is here too, it's a plot point, but annoying.
In short, there's no conflict. It's all happy happy, get comfy with gay sex, laugh at grown men learning to change diapers. If you want an extremely undemanding read with lots of sex, you'll like this, it's erotica, with babies and doggies and kitties and old ladies on the side. If you're expecting an honest-to-God story, you'll be as disappointed as me.
So buying a house he's never seen in a place he's never been makes relative sense. Especially when he's coming to terms with his sexuality, going to an area not known for tolerance and understanding of such things is going to work out fine, because this chunk of West Virginia is really a suburb of San Francisco. The cover says so, those are "painted ladies" in the background.
Everyone thinks gay couples are cute, an openly gay sheriff has no problem with his staff or anyone else, although he allows there might be one or two grouches up in the hills. And he takes Johnny from m/m virgin to fisting in less than a month.
The part of the story that isn't directly sexual exists only in flashes through the first two hundred pages, and after that it's still thin. Johnny came to the country with adopting a family on the mind, so the sheriff thoughtfully provides him with not one but two kids. Grissom treats getting kids with roughly the same importance as getting kittens, and it's not much harder, either, when the judge thinks two months of sex equals stable relationship.
Issues are introduced and then dropped, the author makes a big deal about the Sheriff's name, Virgil Grissom, being the same as the astronaut's, but nothing further ever comes of that. An escaped prisoner plot fizzles out before page eighty, and the prisoner never does anything desperate, he gets talked about a couple times. Johnny's a good enough musician to coach a local into Julliard, but that gets a handful of paragraphs and shows mostly that he's a good guy.
The language is probably the strongest point, it's fluid enough to lull you along into not noticing what's really going on for pages and pages. Until you run into yet another use of the Lord's name that isn't capitalized. I got so mad at this that I stopped reading and started counting, and got to 40 before I gave up, and there was still a half a book. "Blondie" is apparently important enough to capitalize, but 'god' is not. The nickname vs name issue in another story by this author is here too, it's a plot point, but annoying.
In short, there's no conflict. It's all happy happy, get comfy with gay sex, laugh at grown men learning to change diapers. If you want an extremely undemanding read with lots of sex, you'll like this, it's erotica, with babies and doggies and kitties and old ladies on the side. If you're expecting an honest-to-God story, you'll be as disappointed as me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2010
At thirty-six years old, Johnny Rayne has had enough of being the top of rock music industry and the life it entails. He sells his things and then moves to West Virginia. On the very first day, he meets Sheriff Virgil Grissom. While he knows that he has always been interested in guys, Johnny never does anything about it for fear that it will kill his career. Soon Johnny realizes that the attraction they both feel is not one thing taken for granted -- and he might experience not only change in geography but also in other personal aspects of his life.
This story is pretty angst-free. Johnny and Virgil connects quickly (despite Johnny trying to resist in the beginning) and their life pretty much going nicely until the end. I admit, sometimes I prefer a much "complicated" relationship in a book because it usually makes me feel involved. BUT, it doesn't mean that I cannot enjoy a story with lack of complication.
This one is pretty good actually. It's not coated with too much sweetness that makes me sick. I enjoy Johnny and Virgil's interaction. Added with colorful characters in form of huge black Schnauzer with an attitude, named Gershwin, AND twin Cockapoos by the name of Fred and Barney, I think the four stars is appropriate. I love stories with pets and babies.
Warning: fisting scene
This story is pretty angst-free. Johnny and Virgil connects quickly (despite Johnny trying to resist in the beginning) and their life pretty much going nicely until the end. I admit, sometimes I prefer a much "complicated" relationship in a book because it usually makes me feel involved. BUT, it doesn't mean that I cannot enjoy a story with lack of complication.
This one is pretty good actually. It's not coated with too much sweetness that makes me sick. I enjoy Johnny and Virgil's interaction. Added with colorful characters in form of huge black Schnauzer with an attitude, named Gershwin, AND twin Cockapoos by the name of Fred and Barney, I think the four stars is appropriate. I love stories with pets and babies.
Warning: fisting scene
December 16, 2010
Tired of his rock star life and looking for a way to live life on his own terms Johnny Rayne quits his world famous band and moves to West Virginia. At thirty-six he's tired of being alone and longs to find someone to love. In the meantime he's decided to adopt a child and live as normal a life as he can manage. On his first day in his new home he meets Virgil Grissom, the town sheriff, and Johnny's life will never be the same. Grissom forces Johnny to really look at himself and finally come to terms with who he really is, a gay man. After so many years of living in denial will he be able to accept himself and find love and happiness with super sexy Sheriff Grissom.
A Change of Tune is the first story I've read by this new to me author. The writing is solid and despite a few niggles with it I really enjoyed it. The plot is interesting if a bit predictable but it's the cast of characters that really made this a fun, easy to read book.
Johnny is a rock star who's tired of the life. He'd like to find love with a special someone so he decides to chuck it all and move to the country, specifically rural West Virginia. He's been thinking a lot about adopting a child and when he finds what he thinks would be the perfect home to raise his child in he buys it, quits the band and moves. When he meets the sheriff he's overwhelmed by the big, sexy, domineering man but he has a hard time accepting his feelings. Even though he's thought about being with men throughout his life he's never acted on it and has an extremely hard time accepting the fact that he's gay. But Grissom is determined to make him see that they'd be great for each other and so wages a campaign to get Johnny in his bed, and his life, permanently.
I really liked both protagonists as well as the varied cast of supporting characters. Neither man is perfect, far from it in fact, but I felt they fit well together. Johnny, due to his years in the limelight, wants to be as private as he can be and even after acknowledging to himself that being with Grissom is what makes him happy he still has a very hard time being 'out'. It takes a lot of effort on his part and love and support from Grissom to figure out that what's important isn't always what others think about him.
Despite what it may seem like the story is very low on angst and conflict. The men meet and are attracted to each other right away. Johnny does take a while to figure things out but they get together quickly and for the most part work on their relationship together. The sex scenes are very hot but there are also sweet, caring moments throughout, it's not all sex all the time.
As for Johnny's decision to have a child that was taken care of in a sad but convenient way. Instead of one baby he ends up with a baby and a toddler and while it worked for the storyline I felt it was very unrealistic. Johnny's a single man, just moved to the state and applied to be placed on the adoptions list. As unlikely as it sounds he is awarded custody of two small children mainly on the strength of his lover's reputation and personal connection to the judge. Johnny's family, friends and in fact most of the small town rallies around him, Grissom and the kids. There's also his three canine pets that he adopted early on in the book and they add a lot of fun and humor to the story.
Overall I was surprisingly entertained by A Change of Tune. It's nicely written with engaging characters and an interesting, if somewhat predictable, storyline. I did roll my eyes quite a bit while reading Johnny's story but with a bit of suspension of disbelief I finished it and found it to be well worth reading. Another thing that gave me a hard time was the sheriff's name, Virgil Grissom. I couldn't help but think of Gil Grissom from CSI whenever I saw the name and especially during the first part of the story it was distracting. But that's a purely personal reaction and not something that would necessarily affect everyone. Although it may not work for all readers I do recommend A Change of Tune. I look forward to reading more stories by JM Cartwright in the future.
A Change of Tune is the first story I've read by this new to me author. The writing is solid and despite a few niggles with it I really enjoyed it. The plot is interesting if a bit predictable but it's the cast of characters that really made this a fun, easy to read book.
Johnny is a rock star who's tired of the life. He'd like to find love with a special someone so he decides to chuck it all and move to the country, specifically rural West Virginia. He's been thinking a lot about adopting a child and when he finds what he thinks would be the perfect home to raise his child in he buys it, quits the band and moves. When he meets the sheriff he's overwhelmed by the big, sexy, domineering man but he has a hard time accepting his feelings. Even though he's thought about being with men throughout his life he's never acted on it and has an extremely hard time accepting the fact that he's gay. But Grissom is determined to make him see that they'd be great for each other and so wages a campaign to get Johnny in his bed, and his life, permanently.
I really liked both protagonists as well as the varied cast of supporting characters. Neither man is perfect, far from it in fact, but I felt they fit well together. Johnny, due to his years in the limelight, wants to be as private as he can be and even after acknowledging to himself that being with Grissom is what makes him happy he still has a very hard time being 'out'. It takes a lot of effort on his part and love and support from Grissom to figure out that what's important isn't always what others think about him.
Despite what it may seem like the story is very low on angst and conflict. The men meet and are attracted to each other right away. Johnny does take a while to figure things out but they get together quickly and for the most part work on their relationship together. The sex scenes are very hot but there are also sweet, caring moments throughout, it's not all sex all the time.
As for Johnny's decision to have a child that was taken care of in a sad but convenient way. Instead of one baby he ends up with a baby and a toddler and while it worked for the storyline I felt it was very unrealistic. Johnny's a single man, just moved to the state and applied to be placed on the adoptions list. As unlikely as it sounds he is awarded custody of two small children mainly on the strength of his lover's reputation and personal connection to the judge. Johnny's family, friends and in fact most of the small town rallies around him, Grissom and the kids. There's also his three canine pets that he adopted early on in the book and they add a lot of fun and humor to the story.
Overall I was surprisingly entertained by A Change of Tune. It's nicely written with engaging characters and an interesting, if somewhat predictable, storyline. I did roll my eyes quite a bit while reading Johnny's story but with a bit of suspension of disbelief I finished it and found it to be well worth reading. Another thing that gave me a hard time was the sheriff's name, Virgil Grissom. I couldn't help but think of Gil Grissom from CSI whenever I saw the name and especially during the first part of the story it was distracting. But that's a purely personal reaction and not something that would necessarily affect everyone. Although it may not work for all readers I do recommend A Change of Tune. I look forward to reading more stories by JM Cartwright in the future.
October 22, 2013
2.5 Stars
I wanted to like this more than I did, unfortunately.
Johnny Rayne is the lead singer for a band called Storm. He's at the top of his game, but he knows something is missing. He decides to move away from LA and move to a small town in WV. He buys a farm house on a lot of acres. His "friends" well, they aren't very supportive in my opinion. He a family. He wants to settle down and be happy.
In comes the sheriff in his new town introducing himself, Virgil Grissom, and from the word "go" he's on Johnny like white on rice. It was a little disturbing at how forward he is.
HE was my main issue. He was bossy, arrogant, a straight up asshole at times, jealous beyond belief and not my kind of MC. Sorry. He spanked Johnny for swearing, but yet he does with no repercussions? The way he talked in front of CeCe, hell, Johnny's mother was NOT cool. But yet, when he wanted to he was sweet as can be. Why couldn't he have been like that throughout the whole book?
I also hated the "doyouwanttogoouttodinner?" and the "There. I said it." Constantly running sentences together is something a teenager would do, not 36 year old men.
LOVED Gershwin!
Overall, would have liked more conflict with Grissom and his work/community. Would I recommend? Not sure, it was good, but I REALLY didn't like Virgil.
I wanted to like this more than I did, unfortunately.
Johnny Rayne is the lead singer for a band called Storm. He's at the top of his game, but he knows something is missing. He decides to move away from LA and move to a small town in WV. He buys a farm house on a lot of acres. His "friends" well, they aren't very supportive in my opinion. He a family. He wants to settle down and be happy.
In comes the sheriff in his new town introducing himself, Virgil Grissom, and from the word "go" he's on Johnny like white on rice. It was a little disturbing at how forward he is.
HE was my main issue. He was bossy, arrogant, a straight up asshole at times, jealous beyond belief and not my kind of MC. Sorry. He spanked Johnny for swearing, but yet he does with no repercussions? The way he talked in front of CeCe, hell, Johnny's mother was NOT cool. But yet, when he wanted to he was sweet as can be. Why couldn't he have been like that throughout the whole book?
I also hated the "doyouwanttogoouttodinner?" and the "There. I said it." Constantly running sentences together is something a teenager would do, not 36 year old men.
LOVED Gershwin!
Overall, would have liked more conflict with Grissom and his work/community. Would I recommend? Not sure, it was good, but I REALLY didn't like Virgil.
October 26, 2023
What a great story, loved every minute of it.
September 12, 2011
I really liked, The Trouble with Angel, so I was seriously surprised I disliked this novel so much. Johnny, the retired 37 yr old musician came across as a naive, teenager-acting, gay virgin. Virgil, the sheriff, had that un-sexy stalker characteristic. He was over-the-top jealous and constantly pushing/managing Johnny from the get go. OH, and there was a FISTING scene. WHAT? The early "baby" syndrome cropped up along with other ploys and phrases that can cause many-a-reader to suspend belief. I kept reading for the "I wanna have kids part," but still: Not for me~
December 15, 2010
This was a sweet story and a very enjoyable read. I will be looking forward to more from this author.
Read
December 24, 2011A Change of Tune is pretty much a story of good feelings and happily ever after, there is no drama, no angst, only love, passion and plenty of fun.
Johnny is a rock star who is tired of the old abused sex, drugs and rock and roll motto, above all since he has never really enjoyed the sex and drugs part. Plus, even if he has always played with his “androgynous” look, he has never really admitted he is gay. So that, he has also never had an homosexual relationship, even if he is more than tempted. But more than the sex, Johnny is searching for the meaning of life, and that for him means home, family and stability.
He decides to leave everything he knows behind, to buy an home in West Virginia in a small town. As soon as he arrives, he also finds love in the arms of the country town sheriff Grissom, a big man with even a bigger heart. In a rush, Johnny turns into perfect gay country gentleman, not only adopting a dog he needs for security, who turns to be more of a protector and jealous lover than a simple dog, but he also rescues two little lapdogs, 8 cats and 2 babies… yes, 2 babies, one girl and one boy who of course Johnny transforms in a living ad for Ralph Lauren’s kids line.
Nothing wrong or bad will happen to Johnny, and even the sex with Grissom will turn to be an out of ordinary experience. Maybe it irked a little to me that Johnny was so ready to embrace his gay side, but on the other hand he repressed it for so long that probably it was ready to burst at first chance. The balance between Johnny and Grissom is all bottom versus top, and Johnny is a perfect top from the bottom too, Grissom calls him alternative blondie or princess or your highness, depending on how bossy Johnny wants to be, but in the end, who commands in their bedroom is always Grissom. While Johnny has the more feminine character, also Grissom displays some “househusband” traits, for example he is the one with the more housekeeper skills, while Johnny has the fashion streak.
A Change of Tune is a perfect seasonal romance, something you want to read when outside everyone is wishing you Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas or Happy New Year.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004K6MK44/?...
Johnny is a rock star who is tired of the old abused sex, drugs and rock and roll motto, above all since he has never really enjoyed the sex and drugs part. Plus, even if he has always played with his “androgynous” look, he has never really admitted he is gay. So that, he has also never had an homosexual relationship, even if he is more than tempted. But more than the sex, Johnny is searching for the meaning of life, and that for him means home, family and stability.
He decides to leave everything he knows behind, to buy an home in West Virginia in a small town. As soon as he arrives, he also finds love in the arms of the country town sheriff Grissom, a big man with even a bigger heart. In a rush, Johnny turns into perfect gay country gentleman, not only adopting a dog he needs for security, who turns to be more of a protector and jealous lover than a simple dog, but he also rescues two little lapdogs, 8 cats and 2 babies… yes, 2 babies, one girl and one boy who of course Johnny transforms in a living ad for Ralph Lauren’s kids line.
Nothing wrong or bad will happen to Johnny, and even the sex with Grissom will turn to be an out of ordinary experience. Maybe it irked a little to me that Johnny was so ready to embrace his gay side, but on the other hand he repressed it for so long that probably it was ready to burst at first chance. The balance between Johnny and Grissom is all bottom versus top, and Johnny is a perfect top from the bottom too, Grissom calls him alternative blondie or princess or your highness, depending on how bossy Johnny wants to be, but in the end, who commands in their bedroom is always Grissom. While Johnny has the more feminine character, also Grissom displays some “househusband” traits, for example he is the one with the more housekeeper skills, while Johnny has the fashion streak.
A Change of Tune is a perfect seasonal romance, something you want to read when outside everyone is wishing you Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas or Happy New Year.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004K6MK44/?...
December 21, 2012
Did I Like or Dislike it? If you see just my rating (2 stars) you may believe I didn't enjoy it, but I did... let me explain it better
I think for a book with a rockstar here should be more references to the music business, so I dislike the lack of it.
I believe for a erotic story it's perfect (ATTENTION fisting alert... yep, if you don't like fisting don't read it!). There are slow romantic love scenes, kinky, quick sex... everything. The main couple did it a lot, it's a VERY erotic book, and I enjoy it.
I really had a lot of problems with the writing. I will not use fancy words, I admit my English sucks and I should never say someone writing is not good... but I have to, after reading a book like this one. The narration is weird, jumping from one to another narrator, and both have such a same "voice" (mannerisms, etc) more than one time I didn't even notice it was another narrator. The writing was also too "informal", close to the talked language, not writing so yep, again weird. I had a hard time reading this story, and must admit my low rating is all the writing fault. I reeeeeeeeeeeeally was disappointed, because it's a "expensive" book (got kindle file, from amazon.it). No, not exaggerated expensive, but same price as books with a perfect writing. Minor complain: the editing of the file is not ok.. at all. The word "chapter" (of course at the begin of chapters) is not different from the text, and is in completely useless as it is now, thrown in the middle of lines... One example of how the file is:
BUT would I recommend it?
I think so. There is the complete pack: romance, eroticism, cute dogs, small kids, nice secondary characters, possessive lover (yep, Virgil the sheriff is jealous and love to say "mine") and humor. Probably anything you can imagine is in this story (but aliens, ok, not anything... let's say a lot of stuff).
So yes... I think you may like it, and to be fair my low rating is just because of the writing (poor edited file).
I like it, I really like it... and I wish I could give more than 2 stars... but no, it's a 2 stars book IMO
I think for a book with a rockstar here should be more references to the music business, so I dislike the lack of it.
I believe for a erotic story it's perfect (ATTENTION fisting alert... yep, if you don't like fisting don't read it!). There are slow romantic love scenes, kinky, quick sex... everything. The main couple did it a lot, it's a VERY erotic book, and I enjoy it.
I really had a lot of problems with the writing. I will not use fancy words, I admit my English sucks and I should never say someone writing is not good... but I have to, after reading a book like this one. The narration is weird, jumping from one to another narrator, and both have such a same "voice" (mannerisms, etc) more than one time I didn't even notice it was another narrator. The writing was also too "informal", close to the talked language, not writing so yep, again weird. I had a hard time reading this story, and must admit my low rating is all the writing fault. I reeeeeeeeeeeeally was disappointed, because it's a "expensive" book (got kindle file, from amazon.it). No, not exaggerated expensive, but same price as books with a perfect writing. Minor complain: the editing of the file is not ok.. at all. The word "chapter" (of course at the begin of chapters) is not different from the text, and is in completely useless as it is now, thrown in the middle of lines... One example of how the file is:
"Maybe it was time for some changes.
chapter 1
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"...
BUT would I recommend it?
I think so. There is the complete pack: romance, eroticism, cute dogs, small kids, nice secondary characters, possessive lover (yep, Virgil the sheriff is jealous and love to say "mine") and humor. Probably anything you can imagine is in this story (but aliens, ok, not anything... let's say a lot of stuff).
So yes... I think you may like it, and to be fair my low rating is just because of the writing (poor edited file).
I like it, I really like it... and I wish I could give more than 2 stars... but no, it's a 2 stars book IMO
July 28, 2015
Everyone who listens to music knows of Johnny Rayne and his band Storm. He’s accomplished everything he set out to do all those years ago with hit albums, number one songs, sell out concerts, and the rest of it. Lately however, Johnny can’t seem to shake the restlessness and sense of emptiness. When he tells his inner circle that he wants to quit Johnny was hoping for support with his decision, but that definitely doesn’t happen.
Moving to a house in Elkins, West Virginia is about as different from L.A. as a world famous singer can get. He sold three other houses and most of the furnishings without a qualm because he never had a chance to live in them. This place however will be a home where he can build a new life and hopefully have a family at some point in the future. Johnny is determined to go the whole nine yards here. The first step though is to honest with himself, to accept who he truly is.
Ironically it is Johnny’s first meeting with Sheriff Virgil Grissom that begins to make everything crystal clear for the singer. Grissom knows exactly who and what Johnny’s been hiding all these years and he’s got no intention of waiting around for Johnny to figure things out. Johnny said he wanted a new life – be careful what you wish for…
An enchanting blend of drama, heart, and sexual discovery, A Change of Tune strikes just the right chord. Total opposites attract and blow the roof off with their blinding eroticism from lusty and steamy hot sex to tender and touching lovemaking. As open as Johnny is to those he loves, Grissom is the complete opposite with an impregnable shield surrounding his heart. A Change of Tune is a heartwarming story of relationships between lovers, family, and friends. Everything works out, maybe a little too neatly in the end. Nonetheless, A Change of Tune has spirited characters you will root for. Curl up in a soft chair and enjoy as Johnny’s life unfolds in A Change of Tune.
Link: http://bit.ly/1LJl7Qo
Reviewed by Lisa for Joyfully Reviewed
Moving to a house in Elkins, West Virginia is about as different from L.A. as a world famous singer can get. He sold three other houses and most of the furnishings without a qualm because he never had a chance to live in them. This place however will be a home where he can build a new life and hopefully have a family at some point in the future. Johnny is determined to go the whole nine yards here. The first step though is to honest with himself, to accept who he truly is.
Ironically it is Johnny’s first meeting with Sheriff Virgil Grissom that begins to make everything crystal clear for the singer. Grissom knows exactly who and what Johnny’s been hiding all these years and he’s got no intention of waiting around for Johnny to figure things out. Johnny said he wanted a new life – be careful what you wish for…
An enchanting blend of drama, heart, and sexual discovery, A Change of Tune strikes just the right chord. Total opposites attract and blow the roof off with their blinding eroticism from lusty and steamy hot sex to tender and touching lovemaking. As open as Johnny is to those he loves, Grissom is the complete opposite with an impregnable shield surrounding his heart. A Change of Tune is a heartwarming story of relationships between lovers, family, and friends. Everything works out, maybe a little too neatly in the end. Nonetheless, A Change of Tune has spirited characters you will root for. Curl up in a soft chair and enjoy as Johnny’s life unfolds in A Change of Tune.
Link: http://bit.ly/1LJl7Qo
Reviewed by Lisa for Joyfully Reviewed
November 7, 2012
For anyone debating whether to buy this story, I'd suggest reading both the good reviews and the less positive views.
Some of the difficult aspects in this book are as follows. Grissom breaks into Johnny's house and spies on him in the shower. Grissom ignores Johnny's 'no' in the fisting scene. Grissom's aggressiveness. The ready made family is difficult to believe. Everything was fixed too quickly. There is an abundant use of "smaller man", "blonde man", "younger man" and my own disliked term "the bruiser". Some of these things did not bother me. The reasons I didn't give it 5 stars are due to the fact that I felt Johnny was made feminine in the story, the far too often use of the term "the big bruiser" to describe Grissom {hardly a way to make a reader like a character}, Grissom's ignoring Johnnie's request that he quit calling him 'Blondie', ignoring the 'no' in the fisting scene {Johnny had no safe word}, and a personal peeve, which is that I don't like a lot of cursing in my stories.
Despite all this, I have read this story twice and enjoyed it both times. By the end of the story, I loved Grissom as much as I did Johnny. Grissom is very aggressive in the beginning, but he mellows out a little as the story goes on. Grissom does everything he can to fulfill Johnny's dreams for him and to help Johnny have the life he wants. Johnny is just a good hearted guy. The two make a great couple. Plenty of love and passion in this story. There are many wonderful supporting characters. The story has a strong HEA, which I loved.
I will certainly read the sequel and other stories by this author.
Some of the difficult aspects in this book are as follows. Grissom breaks into Johnny's house and spies on him in the shower. Grissom ignores Johnny's 'no' in the fisting scene. Grissom's aggressiveness. The ready made family is difficult to believe. Everything was fixed too quickly. There is an abundant use of "smaller man", "blonde man", "younger man" and my own disliked term "the bruiser". Some of these things did not bother me. The reasons I didn't give it 5 stars are due to the fact that I felt Johnny was made feminine in the story, the far too often use of the term "the big bruiser" to describe Grissom {hardly a way to make a reader like a character}, Grissom's ignoring Johnnie's request that he quit calling him 'Blondie', ignoring the 'no' in the fisting scene {Johnny had no safe word}, and a personal peeve, which is that I don't like a lot of cursing in my stories.
Despite all this, I have read this story twice and enjoyed it both times. By the end of the story, I loved Grissom as much as I did Johnny. Grissom is very aggressive in the beginning, but he mellows out a little as the story goes on. Grissom does everything he can to fulfill Johnny's dreams for him and to help Johnny have the life he wants. Johnny is just a good hearted guy. The two make a great couple. Plenty of love and passion in this story. There are many wonderful supporting characters. The story has a strong HEA, which I loved.
I will certainly read the sequel and other stories by this author.
October 11, 2013
Main Characters: Virgil Grissom & Johnny Rayne
Key Themes: GFY, Coming Out, Men with Children
Location: West Virginia
2.5 STARS
MM romance between a famous rockstar and a small town sheriff.
To my disappointment, this was not the rock and roll romance of a famous globetrotting rockstar.
The story starts with Johnny's arrival at his new home, a farm in West Virginia. Johnny, is a closeted and sexually repressed rockstar who justgot kicked out of left his band.
Aside from needlessly worrying about being outed (turns out everyone (apart from his mum) thought Johnny was gay anyway…), this story is pretty much angst-free. Also, it quickly becomes irrelevant that Johnny is a musician because we rarely witness him doing anything musical.
Everything Johnny wants, Johnny gets….. pets, kids, and an alpha male boyfriend (in the form of the town's somewhat out and proud Sheriff) all appear with little effort on Johnny's part.
It was all too convenient for my tastes and I quickly got bored with the story.
Key Themes: GFY, Coming Out, Men with Children
Location: West Virginia
2.5 STARS
MM romance between a famous rockstar and a small town sheriff.
To my disappointment, this was not the rock and roll romance of a famous globetrotting rockstar.
The story starts with Johnny's arrival at his new home, a farm in West Virginia. Johnny, is a closeted and sexually repressed rockstar who just
Aside from needlessly worrying about being outed (turns out everyone (apart from his mum) thought Johnny was gay anyway…), this story is pretty much angst-free. Also, it quickly becomes irrelevant that Johnny is a musician because we rarely witness him doing anything musical.
Everything Johnny wants, Johnny gets….. pets, kids, and an alpha male boyfriend (in the form of the town's somewhat out and proud Sheriff) all appear with little effort on Johnny's part.
It was all too convenient for my tastes and I quickly got bored with the story.
April 1, 2014
I gave it three stars because I suppose there are worst books than this. It's not that bad. It's not good. I don't know what it was. That was my problem. Maybe it's more like a 2. 50? The writting was choppy, the endearments were repetitive and ridiculous ( Blondie, little man, Big bruiser ---- in almost every page), litlle to no tension, no depth to the characters and I'll just stop here.
I liked "Brainy and the Beast" ( a lot) so when I read this book, I almost checked the cover to see if it was written by the same author. And then I checked the year. This was written in 2010 and " Brainy..." was written in 2013. She must have gotten herself an editor. On the bright side, one could say she's gotten better. I might check if she's written something else recently.
I liked "Brainy and the Beast" ( a lot) so when I read this book, I almost checked the cover to see if it was written by the same author. And then I checked the year. This was written in 2010 and " Brainy..." was written in 2013. She must have gotten herself an editor. On the bright side, one could say she's gotten better. I might check if she's written something else recently.
March 3, 2011
Johnny Rayne and Virgil Grissom drove me crazy. Grissom was at time a real jerk, barging in just as he pleased dragging Johnny along whether he wanted to go or not. A very overwhelming character. Johnny with is designer clothes, thinking he was dressing down for the country, quick anger and bossy attitude seemed to get trampled by Grissom’s forcefulness at least half the time.
…and somehow it worked, they worked. Of course, I wanted to bash heads a couple of times and I could have swore Johnny was biting off more that he could chew…and it worked. They drove me crazy but it worked.
…and somehow it worked, they worked. Of course, I wanted to bash heads a couple of times and I could have swore Johnny was biting off more that he could chew…and it worked. They drove me crazy but it worked.
May 17, 2016
4.5
Ok, there's nothing more fun than stumbling over a few books to find the one that will catch and hold your interest to the very end. Oh and you wonder how many duds you had to read to find that little "diamond in the rough". 3, I had to read 3 duds to find this one. Change of Tune has been on my book shelves forever. And now that I've discovered what a fun read it was. I'll be downloading the rest of JM Cartwright's stories to gobble up. Loved the shower scene.
Thank You!!! JM for pulling me out of dull book purgatory! 6/20/12
Just finished rereading it. Still a favorite!
Ok, there's nothing more fun than stumbling over a few books to find the one that will catch and hold your interest to the very end. Oh and you wonder how many duds you had to read to find that little "diamond in the rough". 3, I had to read 3 duds to find this one. Change of Tune has been on my book shelves forever. And now that I've discovered what a fun read it was. I'll be downloading the rest of JM Cartwright's stories to gobble up. Loved the shower scene.
Thank You!!! JM for pulling me out of dull book purgatory! 6/20/12
Just finished rereading it. Still a favorite!
January 26, 2013
It was great to find a novel that was actually happy, non homophobic and weepy all at the same time. Great read...nothing terrible happens, sex scenes can be quite graphic but they're not excessive, as with the majority in this genre. One scene in particular was very graphic, but all in all this is a happy, feel-good love story.
December 31, 2010
3.5 stars. Good m/m romance about a successful (and deeply closeted, even from himself) rock musician who leaves his band and moves to an out-of-the-way town in West Virginia, where he meets a very pushy sheriff...
February 20, 2011
I fell in love with Virgil and Johnny. This was such a feel good story and they were so hot together whew , lol They were perfect for each other. I really did enjoy it and hated that it ended. I cannot wait until the second one to the series comes out. Awesome!!
July 25, 2011
I enjoyed this story so much. Loved how Johnny was able to get his priorities straight, but more than anything I was fascinated by Grissom's emotional strength and the way in which he either helped or made things happen for Johnny.
Definitely a keeper.
Definitely a keeper.
September 18, 2011
Gave up at 62%.
I tried about 4 times to get into and finish this book only to get more aggravated and miserable with every attempt. Didn't care one bit for the characters, their story, not even the puppies. :(
I tried about 4 times to get into and finish this book only to get more aggravated and miserable with every attempt. Didn't care one bit for the characters, their story, not even the puppies. :(
May 4, 2016
(There is a section of this review that might get a little curse heavy. Just so you know. I’m not sorry, but if that doesn’t float your boat, you might want to skip that section. I think it is pretty obvious which one it is.)
Life in West Virginia sure is different than the one Johnny Rayne lived as frontman for the band Storm. But after years of the fast paced craziness that comes with rock-star fame, he is more than ready for the slow days and nights in Ransom County. He is going to relax, maybe find a new direction for his music, and try to build up a place that a family–-his family-–could happily inhabit. When the domineering and unrelenting Sheriff shows up at his front door, he didn’t think that he might just have found the first piece of that family he has always wanted. Mostly he doesn’t think this because Sheriff Grissom in a major pain in the ass. But he sure does turn Johnny’s crank something fierce.
At about halfway thru this books I had the feeling that this review was going to come out sounding a lot like “it’s not you, it’s me.” By the end I was sure that it was more a case “it’s you, it’s me, and let’s never speak of this again”
I remember really liking this book when I first read it years ago, and was happy to see that the new edition come out. I have some rather fond memories of this book (first fisting scene I’d ever read) and was looking forward to seeing what Cartwright had changed in the story.
To be honest, after reading this book I kinda wish that Cartwright hadn’t changed so much.
My biggest issue is Grissom. This one is falling into the “it’s me” category. I don’t like possessive, my-wish-is-your-command, assholes (with the exception of some BDSM situations). And while Grissom was hardly a wilting flower in the first edition of this book, here his asshole-meter is cranked up to eleven and ¾. I just could not stand him. At all. There was something in the way he was originally written that balanced his he-man attitude with a sense of caring for Johnny. Here, for the majority of the book, he comes across as thinking that Johnny is less a boyfriend/lover and more a possession that he needs to pee on to make sure that his territory is properly marked. Gershwin had better manners-–and he is a fucking dog.
(And on that ‘fucking’ note: Grissom has no right to just walk into someone else’s house and order them to stop cursing-—for a rather stupid reason of ‘we don’t do that here’. Fuck that shit! Johnny is a grown man. People curse, it is not the end of the fucking world, asshole. I get not wanting to curse around the kids, but where does Grissom get off thinking that he is the profanity police? Manners-–learn some, shithead.)
And can I just say that I am never ok with a dude breaking into another guy’s house, so that he can get laid. I don’t care if you are the Sheriff. I don’t care if you think you are the shit. I don’t even care if you think the other dude will be fine with it after you fucked him the shower. You don’t have the right to break and enter just because you want to get your dick wet.
*puts head on desk and breathes*
Ok. Probably best to leave that there. I could rant about Grissom for a while, but no one wants my angry rants to go on for three pages. And there is a good chance that if this is not a pet peeve for you, you might actually like Grissom. Maybe.
In the “it’s you” category, I have some issues with the pacing of this story. This edition isn’t very much longer than the first, but for some reason, there were chunks of the story that practically reduced my desire to be awake to zero. The biggest offender is the last quarter of the book. The big issues have been almost all handled by then, and there is only, arguably, one real thread that needs to be tied up (Johnny’s coming out), but still it keeps going. On. And on. And on. I get wanting to show life with the kids, and how it affects their lives, but a lot of that could be condensed or left to the imagination. (There might be an element of my dislike of children coloring my opinion here).
There were some things I really did like. I think the rewriting of certain sections (or taking them out in their entirety) did a lot for tightening certain aspects of the story. And as always, I loved the inclusion of the animals. Dogs may not be my favorite, but they were just so adorable here. The secondary characters were also really well done.
I think my problem is that every time I came close to being drawn back into the story, Grissom would pull another of his Lord-of-the-Manner impressions, and all I wanted to do was stab him to death with a spork. And the fisting scene, which I absolutely loved with the entirety of my frantically beating heart in the first edition, lost a lot of its appeal here. I just think that fisting isn’t something you spring on a dude without ever talking about it before. It felt like it was simply another way to mark Johnny as his territory, and not a hot way get them both off.
The rating on this one is going to be a bit skewed since I’m trying to temper my personal dislikes against what this book would get in less peeved hands, but while I found parts of this enjoyable it lost something in the translation between the first edition and the second. I didn’t connect at all with it, and was hoping for so much more out of this book.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
Life in West Virginia sure is different than the one Johnny Rayne lived as frontman for the band Storm. But after years of the fast paced craziness that comes with rock-star fame, he is more than ready for the slow days and nights in Ransom County. He is going to relax, maybe find a new direction for his music, and try to build up a place that a family–-his family-–could happily inhabit. When the domineering and unrelenting Sheriff shows up at his front door, he didn’t think that he might just have found the first piece of that family he has always wanted. Mostly he doesn’t think this because Sheriff Grissom in a major pain in the ass. But he sure does turn Johnny’s crank something fierce.
At about halfway thru this books I had the feeling that this review was going to come out sounding a lot like “it’s not you, it’s me.” By the end I was sure that it was more a case “it’s you, it’s me, and let’s never speak of this again”
I remember really liking this book when I first read it years ago, and was happy to see that the new edition come out. I have some rather fond memories of this book (first fisting scene I’d ever read) and was looking forward to seeing what Cartwright had changed in the story.
To be honest, after reading this book I kinda wish that Cartwright hadn’t changed so much.
My biggest issue is Grissom. This one is falling into the “it’s me” category. I don’t like possessive, my-wish-is-your-command, assholes (with the exception of some BDSM situations). And while Grissom was hardly a wilting flower in the first edition of this book, here his asshole-meter is cranked up to eleven and ¾. I just could not stand him. At all. There was something in the way he was originally written that balanced his he-man attitude with a sense of caring for Johnny. Here, for the majority of the book, he comes across as thinking that Johnny is less a boyfriend/lover and more a possession that he needs to pee on to make sure that his territory is properly marked. Gershwin had better manners-–and he is a fucking dog.
(And on that ‘fucking’ note: Grissom has no right to just walk into someone else’s house and order them to stop cursing-—for a rather stupid reason of ‘we don’t do that here’. Fuck that shit! Johnny is a grown man. People curse, it is not the end of the fucking world, asshole. I get not wanting to curse around the kids, but where does Grissom get off thinking that he is the profanity police? Manners-–learn some, shithead.)
And can I just say that I am never ok with a dude breaking into another guy’s house, so that he can get laid. I don’t care if you are the Sheriff. I don’t care if you think you are the shit. I don’t even care if you think the other dude will be fine with it after you fucked him the shower. You don’t have the right to break and enter just because you want to get your dick wet.
*puts head on desk and breathes*
Ok. Probably best to leave that there. I could rant about Grissom for a while, but no one wants my angry rants to go on for three pages. And there is a good chance that if this is not a pet peeve for you, you might actually like Grissom. Maybe.
In the “it’s you” category, I have some issues with the pacing of this story. This edition isn’t very much longer than the first, but for some reason, there were chunks of the story that practically reduced my desire to be awake to zero. The biggest offender is the last quarter of the book. The big issues have been almost all handled by then, and there is only, arguably, one real thread that needs to be tied up (Johnny’s coming out), but still it keeps going. On. And on. And on. I get wanting to show life with the kids, and how it affects their lives, but a lot of that could be condensed or left to the imagination. (There might be an element of my dislike of children coloring my opinion here).
There were some things I really did like. I think the rewriting of certain sections (or taking them out in their entirety) did a lot for tightening certain aspects of the story. And as always, I loved the inclusion of the animals. Dogs may not be my favorite, but they were just so adorable here. The secondary characters were also really well done.
I think my problem is that every time I came close to being drawn back into the story, Grissom would pull another of his Lord-of-the-Manner impressions, and all I wanted to do was stab him to death with a spork. And the fisting scene, which I absolutely loved with the entirety of my frantically beating heart in the first edition, lost a lot of its appeal here. I just think that fisting isn’t something you spring on a dude without ever talking about it before. It felt like it was simply another way to mark Johnny as his territory, and not a hot way get them both off.
The rating on this one is going to be a bit skewed since I’m trying to temper my personal dislikes against what this book would get in less peeved hands, but while I found parts of this enjoyable it lost something in the translation between the first edition and the second. I didn’t connect at all with it, and was hoping for so much more out of this book.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
May 15, 2020
I read some of the negative reviews for this book and I'm kinda dissatisfied because I was expecting it to be as creepy/stalkerish as they were making it out to be, and honestly it wasnt that bad at all.
Which is unfortunate for me because that's the kind of stuff I'm into.
Sorry for being a weirdo. Still a good book though even if it wasnt what I was hoping.
Oh minus the ending which got really wierd and unrealistic.
Which is unfortunate for me because that's the kind of stuff I'm into.
Sorry for being a weirdo. Still a good book though even if it wasnt what I was hoping.
Oh minus the ending which got really wierd and unrealistic.
February 20, 2018
里面的攻君是个自大又嚣张的sheriff（我对sheriff没抵抗力啊。。。）对受一见钟情而且也不问人家同意与否就开始调戏受，甚至有些骚扰的意味。现实中如果是这样的人绝对是个王八犊子。
但是只能说什么锅什么盖，受偏偏内心是个有点受虐倾向不敢出柜又向往男男世界的小M，遇到了攻这个自以为是的混球正是天生一对。如果受要是能够反抗一些就好看了，可惜真是迫不及待的就把自己脑内脱光主动躺到攻面前了。
其实是个很好的狗血耽美设定，但是就是少了很多的冲突感，导致有些索味，可惜料
但是只能说什么锅什么盖，受偏偏内心是个有点受虐倾向不敢出柜又向往男男世界的小M，遇到了攻这个自以为是的混球正是天生一对。如果受要是能够反抗一些就好看了，可惜真是迫不及待的就把自己脑内脱光主动躺到攻面前了。
其实是个很好的狗血耽美设定，但是就是少了很多的冲突感，导致有些索味，可惜料
September 12, 2024
S. Virgil was just a brute and I love it. Dragged Johnny out of the closet and was jealous/possessive. Top 10
March 12, 2014
Okay, my reaction at this second reading is roughly what I recall from the first. I.e. a lot less happy than I’ve had over that newer book by this author. And it’s crazy because the things I resented here are the same others disliked about Brainy and the Beast. I still don’t see it there.
Okay, back to this one.
I’m missing respect.
On both sides, actually, but it feels worse with Grissom because he’s in the position of power and uses that ruthlessly. He’s awfully grabby right off the bat. That’s just… No. I call that molesting. And not in a good way.
Johnny is a little high-maintenance and tends to not think things through enough – not to mention his hissy fits – but a big point in his favour lies in his soft heart.
I really dislike the dynamic between these two. And Grissom is not particularly good at giving pleasure. For the longest while he seems to be mostly about putting his dick into Johnny, one way or another. No imagination or appreciation for other things that might feel good.
By the way, I so hate it when the words slut or whore are used for “someone who enjoys sex”. What a way to imbue something healthy with a negative meaning.
I don’t know why the guys keep being so mean to each other. Is this supposed to be a friction-heavy relationship? It simply does not feel all that loving to me. Do they actually like each other beyond the sex they both seem to enjoy?
I don’t know. I simply have never been able to get into the daddy kink even remotely. It squicks me out. I can handle it for the length of a story, but yeah. And the way Grissom keeps thinking of Johnny as his “little baby” and forbidding him to use swear words and spanking him for misbehaving? Yeah. It’s not for me. It might have worked better if Johnny had been given more opportunity to consent. As it is, Grissom simply muscled his way in and decreed to have things done his way. I really don’t like this.
And, somehow, having actual babies around is not helping the squick-factor at all.
Speaking of which, the babies in this book are handled more like pets than actual babies. Or maybe I am just reeling from certain baby-intense books I’ve read recently. Still, these here seem awfully quiet and well-behaved. I guess going on a big shopping trip with two babies and three dogs is not a big deal after all for a single man who has no experience of the sort. They’re baby props.
Towards the end things eased up a bit for me (especially with Johnny and Grissom settling into their life together), so I was able to enjoy it to a reasonable extent. Enough at least to not feel like giving up on the rest of the books, anyway. The whole thing just didn’t really flip my switch.
For reference, here's my review from 2011 (hidden because it is redundant):
Okay, back to this one.
I’m missing respect.
On both sides, actually, but it feels worse with Grissom because he’s in the position of power and uses that ruthlessly. He’s awfully grabby right off the bat. That’s just… No. I call that molesting. And not in a good way.
Johnny is a little high-maintenance and tends to not think things through enough – not to mention his hissy fits – but a big point in his favour lies in his soft heart.
I really dislike the dynamic between these two. And Grissom is not particularly good at giving pleasure. For the longest while he seems to be mostly about putting his dick into Johnny, one way or another. No imagination or appreciation for other things that might feel good.
By the way, I so hate it when the words slut or whore are used for “someone who enjoys sex”. What a way to imbue something healthy with a negative meaning.
I don’t know why the guys keep being so mean to each other. Is this supposed to be a friction-heavy relationship? It simply does not feel all that loving to me. Do they actually like each other beyond the sex they both seem to enjoy?
I don’t know. I simply have never been able to get into the daddy kink even remotely. It squicks me out. I can handle it for the length of a story, but yeah. And the way Grissom keeps thinking of Johnny as his “little baby” and forbidding him to use swear words and spanking him for misbehaving? Yeah. It’s not for me. It might have worked better if Johnny had been given more opportunity to consent. As it is, Grissom simply muscled his way in and decreed to have things done his way. I really don’t like this.
And, somehow, having actual babies around is not helping the squick-factor at all.
Speaking of which, the babies in this book are handled more like pets than actual babies. Or maybe I am just reeling from certain baby-intense books I’ve read recently. Still, these here seem awfully quiet and well-behaved. I guess going on a big shopping trip with two babies and three dogs is not a big deal after all for a single man who has no experience of the sort. They’re baby props.
Towards the end things eased up a bit for me (especially with Johnny and Grissom settling into their life together), so I was able to enjoy it to a reasonable extent. Enough at least to not feel like giving up on the rest of the books, anyway. The whole thing just didn’t really flip my switch.
For reference, here's my review from 2011 (hidden because it is redundant):
June 10, 2014
Original Blog Post: http://www.multitaskingmommas.com/201...
I read A Change of Tune way back in 2011 or was it 2012? It was one of my first MM reads. It got my attention because of these words: Elkins, West Virginia. It is a place very dear to me as I went to school in the local college Davis & Elkins and of course holds lots of good memories. Imagine my surprise, and delight to see that J.M. Cartwright decided to release this 2nd edition with a warning of changes and addition to the content.
I cannot help but compare the two editions. Because this second one changes the name of the city or town. I must admit to being a little upset, but I am happy that the college was still mentioned, and the county, and the streets, etcetera. Not much of the city description was changed except for the name.
The second change was the beginning of the books. This second edition, I am not so happy with. I feel the first edition paved the way to how Johnny reached his decision to leave the band he created and managed brilliantly. It showed the conflicting emotions within him and his despair to missing out on a need he craved for: a family. It also showed more focus on his relationship with his band members although they were mentioned only in passing. Finally, it also showed a deeper relationship with Cece, his agent. The change or removal of these details from this second one left me thinking that if I had not read the first edition, I would be lost. I would be wondering why he decided to do what he did. Although if one continued further on in the read, it would be revealed through a flashback.
The biggest change I must say is the relationship between Grissom and Johnny. The relationship between the men in the first edition was quirky, sappy, erotic and many times funny. Johnny's reactions to Grissom especially was what made me laugh. Grissom, on the other hand, was a bit high handed in the first edition and was quick to the draw when it came to actions and decisions regarding their relationship. In this second edition, the two men communicated better and Grissom was better able to communicate his taciturn thoughts and so should have given me a sense of satisfaction that these two men had a better future together.
I think I have read the first edition no less than ten times and I have to be honest: I prefer the first edition more. Blame it on the change of the city name, or blame it on something else, I don't really know. I do still recommend this one, though, for first time readers, for it is a nice book.
But truth be told: this second one, I like. The first edition, I loved.
I read A Change of Tune way back in 2011 or was it 2012? It was one of my first MM reads. It got my attention because of these words: Elkins, West Virginia. It is a place very dear to me as I went to school in the local college Davis & Elkins and of course holds lots of good memories. Imagine my surprise, and delight to see that J.M. Cartwright decided to release this 2nd edition with a warning of changes and addition to the content.
I cannot help but compare the two editions. Because this second one changes the name of the city or town. I must admit to being a little upset, but I am happy that the college was still mentioned, and the county, and the streets, etcetera. Not much of the city description was changed except for the name.
The second change was the beginning of the books. This second edition, I am not so happy with. I feel the first edition paved the way to how Johnny reached his decision to leave the band he created and managed brilliantly. It showed the conflicting emotions within him and his despair to missing out on a need he craved for: a family. It also showed more focus on his relationship with his band members although they were mentioned only in passing. Finally, it also showed a deeper relationship with Cece, his agent. The change or removal of these details from this second one left me thinking that if I had not read the first edition, I would be lost. I would be wondering why he decided to do what he did. Although if one continued further on in the read, it would be revealed through a flashback.
The biggest change I must say is the relationship between Grissom and Johnny. The relationship between the men in the first edition was quirky, sappy, erotic and many times funny. Johnny's reactions to Grissom especially was what made me laugh. Grissom, on the other hand, was a bit high handed in the first edition and was quick to the draw when it came to actions and decisions regarding their relationship. In this second edition, the two men communicated better and Grissom was better able to communicate his taciturn thoughts and so should have given me a sense of satisfaction that these two men had a better future together.
I think I have read the first edition no less than ten times and I have to be honest: I prefer the first edition more. Blame it on the change of the city name, or blame it on something else, I don't really know. I do still recommend this one, though, for first time readers, for it is a nice book.
But truth be told: this second one, I like. The first edition, I loved.
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