Everything Changes

Melanie Hansen did a wonderful job honoring combat medics and soldiers with disabilities in Everything Changes. As a veteran with a disability, it is wonderful to read about other veterans and their everyday lives as humans and not as hindrances. Carey and Jase are two men who are each a part of society and succeeding in their own way. They each have their own battles, but they are not men to be pitied or patronized. Hansen does all veterans justice by writing about us as real human beings who struggle, fail, love, and succeed just like everyone else.

Hansen writes Everything Changes from both characters' point-of-views and it gives us a glimpse into what life is like as a combat medic coming back from war and dealing with the aftermath of life and death. Jase is a loving man to everyone except to maybe himself. Hansen showcases this through his use of outside stimuli and through his music. Hansen explores how music and playing it can help people deal with their emotional wounds. I found this connection fascinating.

Carey deals with his disability by helping others, but his process was not easy which is shown in flashbacks. I have heard about the workshops that Hansen writes about and it is fabulous to read about them. The relationship between Carey and Jase goes far beyond battle buddies which I can tell you from experience it is a tight one. I love how Hansen handles their next steps.

So to summarize: I love this book (laugh). The individual journeys that Jase and Carey are on are wonderfully written. Then Hansen gives us this powerful friendship which turns into love and you are like damn...please work. Hunky men. Veterans. Music. Soulful conversations. Hot chemistry. It's not a hardship to read Everything Changes.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.