Author: Claire Boston
ISBN: 9780994552839
RRP: $3.99
Change of Heart is book 2 of The Flanagan Sisters series and this time the focus is on Carly Flanagan, the successful eldest sister who founded a multi million dollar company.
Carly has perfected her professional persona and it is miles away from who she really is, and she is so busy with the company that she has almost forgotten who she is. Carolina Flanagan is the businesswoman and she is the epitome of professional, she is an amazing boss and she is careful never to allow the lines to be blurred. No personal time with staff, no sharing personal information with staff and certainly no going for drinks – except the staff Christmas party of course.
Carly Flanagan on the other hand is in a lot of ways the complete opposite but she was so completely made over into a businesswoman that she’s forgotten how to completely be Carly. The time she spends with her family helps her to relax and unwind a little but without completely dropping the business facade, without losing the designer suits, the heels and the straightened hair.
A sense of community and the desire to help those less fortunate have never left Carly and she is always giving something, though the cause closest to her heart is the refugee situation.
We meet Carly at an art exhibition she sponsored in the beginning of Change of Heart and her eye is caught by an amazing piece that speaks to her of peace and serenity. She catches the eye of the artist and he is intrigued by her, his heightened powers of observation see straight through the facade and he wants to know her better.
Evan is an artist who has always worked extremely hard, he is not a hobby artist and he is very down to earth. He wants to make a career out of his art and he knows that isn’t necessarily going to happen just by painting canvases. He is adventurous and open to working with all mediums and taking on any job he can; whether it be graphic design, portraits, sketches of people in the park and he is even curious enough to try his hand at game art design.
Evan got no support for his art growing up which has left him insecure about his talent at times. He’s still determined to make a career from his art but he has trained himself not to need praise and not to care what people think, but it’s not actually that easy when it comes down to it. There are times that we see his insecurities and his need for reassurance.
Carly has the professional persona pegged but she’s not very personally secure. Never has anyone been interested in her for anything more than her money or what she can give them so she’s always on the look out for the ulterior motive, the real reason someone wants to spend time with her. She is a passionate woman with a huge heart of gold who is forever putting everyone’s needs above her own.
Evan and Carly complement each other beautifully but will their insecurities stop them from taking the next step…
Change of Heart was a lovely story of finding yourself, of stepping back from the brink and recapturing some of the passion.
The storyline was beautifully written though a little predictable, which wasn’t completely unexpected. This story was more about the characters than the events. The importance of family, of being passionate about what you do and learning to prioritise so that sometimes you come first.
Great characters, great storyline and a humanitarian look at what the refugees face and the reasons they flee their home countries for a fresh start.
A heart warming book that I would recommend to all.
Change of Heart is book #32 for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2016.
Claire loves hearing from her readers and you can find her on Facebook, Twitter and her Website.
Change of Heart is available for pre-order now, expected release on July 21, from iBooks, Amazon, Nook and Kobo.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!