Release Blitz + Review: "The Change Up" by Meghan Quinn

I am so excited to celebrate the release of Meghan Quinn's latest novel, "The Change Up," a standalone novel set in the Brentwood baseball world. It's only been a few months since I started reading her books, but Ms. Quinn has already become one of my favorite rom-com writers because the witty banter between her characters is second to none. The banter in "The Change Up" was no exception; the dynamic between main characters Kinsley and Maddox was a tremendous amount of fun!

When I originally shared this post a few days ago, it did not include my review. I have now updated it with a full review at the end of the post. In short, "The Change Up" gave me all the feels, and I loved it! I highly recommend this book for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy.

About "The Change Up"

BREAKING NEWS: The Bad Boy of Baseball, Maddox Paige, is totally and utterly whipped.

Okay, that might not be the headlines in the newspaper this morning, but it's the reality of my current situation.

It all started a month ago when I received a call from my best friend, Kinsley. She got a new job in Chicago and needed a place to stay. I've known the girl since I was five, what harm would it be to have her stay at my place for a while?

Ha! Total disaster.

Now instead of going out every night with my teammates, I'm couch surfing and sketching endless photos of my best friend . . . but that's the least of my concerns.

The disaster, you ask? I'm rapidly falling head over cleats in love with my best friend, my roommate, and my number one fan.

And she has no idea . . .

Read an Excerpt from "The Change Up"

Prologue:
**MADDOX**

Have you ever said something you regret?

Something you haven’t forgotten about an hour later?

Something that sits with you, stews deep in your belly, and then seeps into your bones, burying itself so far into your marrow that all you can think about is the one thing you said . . . and how you wished you could take it back the minute it slipped past your lips?

That’s where I am.

Full of regret.

People always say, “Don’t regret anything. It’s what makes you who you are.” That was said in a whiney, nasally voice. Did you hear it?

Well, those people, the ones trying to spew rainbows and sunshine up your ass about blatant mistakes . . . yeah, they’re only saying that because they fuck up on a daily basis.

Think about it, what REAL person is okay with all their regrets? No one. There is always that one thing you did, that one time, that you will always, always, always think . . .

“What if I’d done that differently?”

It keeps you up at night.

You wonder, what transformed, what took over my brain, to utter such words. To alter your life completely and send it down an entirely different course.

Yeah, my life has been fucking altered all right.

Everything was fine.

I was pitching one hell of a fucking season for the Rebels, my ride or die team. I was getting along with my teammates, even the infamous Cory Potter, who made a splash after last season. I’ll hand it to the man, he really is the boss. I was getting laid whenever I wanted, which is always a plus for a guy who has massive amounts of adrenaline pumping through him daily, especially on a pitching day. And there were no strings attached.

None.

Yeah, I might have a rotation of women I call, but any single player in the major leagues does. You need the outlet. Even the prestigious Cory Potter had some booty call numbers before he found Natalie.

I was living a great life, and then it all changed. And it changed fucking fast.

Before I knew it, I was staring into my fridge at dairy products not made from a cow, but rather from oat. What the fuck is that? Oat milk? Explain to me where an oat has a goddamn nipple.

My toothbrush is made from bamboo, which gives off a very woody, splintery taste, and I’ve been using toothpaste tablets instead of paste from a tube . . . because apparently, tubes suck up life in the landfill.

The eco-friendly toilet paper in my apartment disintegrates in my hand and is worthless, making bathroom breaks a fucking nightmare.

And there’s a goddamn three-legged dog in a suit and tie sitting on my couch that goes by the name Herman, or Hermy for short.

I don’t have any privacy, I don’t even remember what meat tastes like anymore, and “Hermy” has a goddamn staring problem. And the three-legged motherfucker, yeah, he’s stealthy. I find him waiting for me outside the shower . . . staring.

When I wake up . . . staring.

When I’m trying to make a goddamn tempeh sandwich . . . staring.

Every time I tell him to “get a life” or to “fuck off” or for the love of Christ “get a new hobby”, he doesn’t even bat an eyelash.

He just stares!

I can’t fucking take it anymore.

I’m losing my goddamn mind and I don’t know . . . maybe it’s because I haven’t had sex in what feels like forever, or because my burgers are now made of imposter “meat”, or maybe because I’m forced to do things I don’t want to do. Either way, something needs to give, because I’m pretty sure from all the vegan shit I’ve been eating, my armpits are just about ready to spring their own mung beans.

Christ.

One phone call.

That’s all it took.

One fucking phone call from a person I cannot say no to, a person who will forever and always be . . . my insanely beautiful and free-spirited best friend.

My Review

Meghan Quinn's "The Change Up" gave me all the feels, and I loved it! This opposites attract, slow burn, friends to lovers romance was incredibly fun and very steamy. Main characters Maddox and Kinsley were obviously made for each other and I found it very easy to cheer them on to their HEA.

"The Change Up" is set in Quinn's Brentwood baseball world, but reads as a complete standalone. Male lead Maddox played a small but important role in an earlier book, "The Trade," and I remember him as a bad boy who was sometimes tough to like. He was definitely still a bad boy here with his tattoos and piercings, roster of on-call hookups, and penchant for getting into fights, but thankfully, I found him much easier to like as I got to know him better. His behavior was so much more understandable after finding out about his difficult childhood and family situation. Seeing him have friendly interactions with characters from the earlier books, especially Jason and Cory, helped too.  

Female lead Kinsley seemed like Maddox's complete opposite at first with her sunny and upbeat personality, hatred of violence, and love for animals. She was so delightfully quirky, and I particularly loved her devotion to Clyde, the old and broken down cot. Despite their differences, Maddox and Kinsley were very sweet together, except for when they finally gave into their attraction and made it into the bedroom together. Then they were pure steam because of their matching adventurous natures and willingness to try new things.

As always with Meghan Quinn's books, the secondary characters were phenomenal and added a tremendous amount of depth and humor to the story. Jason was his usual hilarious self and reminded me of all the reasons I still adore him. He made me smile every time he was in a scene. I really liked Maddox's friend Lincoln, too, and hope that his story is coming up next.  He seemed like a really good guy, and he was certainly a good friend to Maddox when he needed one. I'd love to know more about Lincoln and his mystery girl!

Overall, "The Change Up" was yet another excellent book from Meghan Quinn, and I can't wait for her next one! I highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy.

*ARC provided by the author via Candi Kane PR. All opinions expressed are my own.