By: Cat Treadgold
Publication Date: February 25, 2024
ISBN: 979-8987736340
Reviewed by: Kathy Stickles
Having read all of the books in The Olympic Peninsula series, I can say that author Cat Treadgold has outdone herself with The Changed Man. This series is getting better with each new story and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the romance genre or simply a fan of great writing.
In The Changed Man, readers once again get to meet Jake O’Connell, the twin brother of Joe who was prominent in the first book in the series, The Silent Woodsman. Jake shows up in the town of Port Townsend for his brother David’s wedding. Having not seen his family in a number of years, it is a shock when he knocks on the front door. He offers everyone in the family yet another shock when he announces that he has chosen to step down from running the family business. Jake has devoted his life to running the business, while his brothers and sister have stepped away from this career and followed their own passions. Jake is ready to change his life now as well and continue on his secret career as a best-selling author of spy novels.
At the wedding, he meets Chiara, a quiet and plain Italian woman who came to the United States as a student and became a social worker. In the States, she met and married Arnold. Having left her job behind, she took over the care of David’s son Lorenzo and tried to convince herself and those around her that she was happy and that she had a good marriage. The first time she sees Jake, she is completely captivated, but there is still the matter of her husband. Will they be able to make things work, and will Jake’s family, especially his mother, accept his decisions and welcome him back into the family fold?
The Changed Man is an excellent story that reminds readers it is never too late to change your life and follow your dreams. The story is very well-written and the characters, both familiar faces and new ones, are extremely well-developed and keep things interesting throughout every moment of the story. Jake is one of the best characters that the author has given us. Having appeared in the first book, he was a person who all would love to hate. In this story we get to see the real Jake and watch as he literally transforms in front of our eyes into a man who you can care about and route for. Chiara is a sweet, mouse-like character in the beginning but, as she spends more time with the O’Connell’s and with Jake while her husband is not around, we witness the changes in her and can understand why Jake falls for her so quickly.
Cat Treadgold’s storytelling is so apparent in this book. The writing is descriptive and places the reader right there in the middle of the action. She has a talent for being able to keep all of the characters and subplots (and there are a lot of them in this story) running along like a perfectly oiled machine. This lets the reader care for everyone and understand everything that is going on as the story builds and ends.
Sometimes, the books in a series get a little less interesting with each new story, but this series does exactly the opposite, with every new story getting better than the last. The Changed Man is a story of love, transforming, healing, and family, with just a bit of the paranormal included to make it interesting. With such a wonderful cast of characters, I have no doubt that Cat Treadgold has another success on her hands!
Quill says: The Changed Man is an excellent addition to a wonderful series.
For more information on The Changed Man (The Olympic Peninsula Series, Book 4), please visit the author's website at: https://cattreadgold.com/
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