“He was love, and hope, and appreciation. I was yearning, and trepidation, and the fear of grasping at nothing.”
Small Change (Small Change #1) by Roan Parrish
Release Date: 6/1/2017
Publisher: Self-published
Pages: 429
Book blurb:
Ginger Holtzman has fought for everything
she’s ever had—the success of her tattoo shop, respect in the industry, her
upcoming art show. Tough and independent, she has taking-no-crap down to an art
form. Good thing too, since keeping her shop afloat, taking care of her
friends, and scrambling to finish her paintings doesn’t leave time for anything
else. Which … is for the best, because then she doesn’t notice how lonely she
is. She’ll get through it all on her own, just like she always does.
Christopher Lucen opened a coffee and
sandwich joint in South Philly because he wanted to be part of a community
after years of running from place to place, searching for something he could
never quite name. Now, he relishes the familiarity of knowing what his customers
want, and giving it to them. But what he really wants now is love.
When they meet, Christopher is smitten,
but Ginger … isn’t quite so sure. Christopher’s gorgeous, and kind, and their
opposites-attract chemistry is off the charts. But hot sex is one thing—truly
falling for someone? Terrifying. When her world starts to crumble around her,
Ginger has to face the fact that this fight can only be won by being
vulnerable—this fight, she can’t win on her own.
Small Change is the first book in a series that will
include M/F and M/M romances.
Buy links:
Author Bio:
Roan Parrish lives in
Philadelphia where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every
genre.
When not writing, she can
usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city
she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking
overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord
harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a
six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.
Praise for Small Change:
“Small
Change is a gem. A beautifully written, deeply emotional story with tons of
life bursting out of it’s pages. I loved this story! Can’t wait for more.”
--Molly O’Keefe, USA Today Bestselling Author
“I can always count on Roan Parrish
to deliver emotional truths and gritty realism. Like many readers, I was
waiting for Ginger's story. And what a story it was!" -- Sarina Bowen, USA
Today Bestselling author of Goodbye
Paradise
"It sounds anemic to say, 'You will
fall in love with Ginger,' but you will! This tattoo artist heroine manages to
be both a delight and a total badass at the same time. Parrish makes her
characters work for their happily
ever after, which means Small Change has it all: vulnerability and great big
leaps of faith, broken hearts and patched-together hearts the stronger for that
patching. (Also: smashing the patriarchy and amazing sandwiches.)” --Jenny
Holiday, USA Today Bestselling author
Excerpt:
Christopher broke into a smile. He put my coffee on the counter between us and held up the bagel for a long moment, assessing me. Instead of putting it in a bag, he put it on a plate with a napkin. His raised his eyebrows over eyes sparkling with mischief, and bit his lip, like he was waiting to see if I’d call his bluff. He looked like a kid reaching for a second cookie when he’d been told he could have one.
Warmth bloomed in my chest at the idea that he was actively angling to have me stay here and talk with him as I ate. “Wow, you’re not subtle, huh?” I said.
“Nope.”
His p popped, and his grin was sunny and boyish. I liked his lack of subtlety. That he was clear about wanting me to stay.
I narrowed my eyes at him, just in case he was joking, but I left the bagel where it was. I shrugged out of my jacket and draped it over the stool, then I sat down across the counter from him. He squeezed his hands into fists and grinned.
“Yay,” he said softly, and I felt another trickle of warmth flow through me that had nothing to do with the coffee.
Review:
I fell a little in love with Ginger
Holtzman when I first read In the Middle of Somewhere. She was Daniel Mulligan’s feisty friend which
he abandoned when he moved to Michigan.
Her scenes were full of biting humor and I about fell over when I found
out she got her own book. A book all
about her and that guy she showed off to Daniel after the funeral. I won’t say whose funeral in case you haven’t
read it, because spoilers.
Ginger Holtzman is a force of
nature. She’s full of fire and passion
and determination. Her artistic
brilliance, her focus on building her business, her ability to function on
little sleep and quad shot espressos….honestly, can we all admit that we all
strive to be like this? Or is it really
just me? But no one is perfect and
behind all the passion is an introvert that sometimes gets overwhelmed with it
all and is maybe not the most functional at times.
Enter the business owner down the street. Ah, Christopher Lucen. Remember back in the day when we started this
blog and I was completely in love with Peeta Mellark (still am BTW) and coined
the term “forever boy?” I don’t think I’ve
had a book crush like this since Peeta. Christopher
is the ultimate nice guy. He’s charming
without trying. He genuinely just wants
to love everyone around him and maybe get a little bit of that love in
return. He also has a bit of reckless
past which contrasts nicely with all that kindness. Surprisingly though his biggest flaw is his
biggest asset. Get your mind out of the
gutter. I meant that his biggest flaw/asset
is his kindness. And Christopher would like
you to stop thinking about what’s in his pants, thankyouverymuch.
The problem is that when one person in a
relationship gives and gives and gives and the other person gives a lot less,
not because they don’t want to but because they just don’t know how, it’s hard
for a relationship to keep momentum. But
these two are pretty determined individuals and they just might be up to the
task.
As always with Roan Parrish books, the
secondary characters are just as vibrant as the main characters. I felt like I had worked with everyone at
Gingers tattoo parlor by the end of the book.
And I loved them all. And then there was Jude, Christopher’s
brother. I’m crossing all my fingers and
toes that he gets his own story. He
desperately needs a happy ever after.
And can we talk about the sex real quick
here? Yes, it was hot. But what was really amazing was how Parrish
refused to box her characters into the traditional m/f sex scenes you find in
romance. The sex in this book was hot,
it was creative, but best of all, it was REAL.
Obviously I loved this one and I can’t
recommend it enough. It comes out
tomorrow so buy it now!
Nat
