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Change of Fortune
Tomoki Yonemura, vocalist with popular British rock band Traction Yen, is celebrating New Year's Eve in Japan during their tenth anniversary tour when he pulls a fortune at a temple. He thinks nothing of its promises for love in the new year—until back home in London, he meets Alex MacKinzey, a gruff auto mechanic who helps him out of a tight spot.
Neither expects the strength of love that develops throughout the year, but it will be put to the test as Tomoki's fame clashes with Alex's insecurities. Fortune brought them together, but will it also tear them apart?
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2013 Advent Calendar package "Heartwarming".
Neither expects the strength of love that develops throughout the year, but it will be put to the test as Tomoki's fame clashes with Alex's insecurities. Fortune brought them together, but will it also tear them apart?
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2013 Advent Calendar package "Heartwarming".
76 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2013
1 person is currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
A. Morell
9 books6 followersA. Morell has been writing for fun for the past decade. She once dreamed of being a professional chef—now she knows better and is taking a stab at becoming an author. Without so much as a Creative Writing 101 class under her belt it's a bit of a stab in the dark, but she is comfortable flying by the seat of her pants.
She enjoys food, baseball, classics, word games, tattoos, shoes, handbags, escapism, and creating characters. She is averse to over-used words, spiders, zombies, tardiness, camping, and people who misquote movie lines and lyrics. She has one cat.
She enjoys food, baseball, classics, word games, tattoos, shoes, handbags, escapism, and creating characters. She is averse to over-used words, spiders, zombies, tardiness, camping, and people who misquote movie lines and lyrics. She has one cat.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 5, 2014
This is part of the DSP heartwarming Adventscalender.
Tomoki and Adam. Two totally and completely different men.
Tomoki is a rock star, travels the world and wants nothing more than someone to love and come home to.
Adam is a mechanic and owns his own garage.
The setting moves from Japan and Britain and the story takes place over a year. New Years to New Years.
The beginning threw me a bit, I felt as if I should know all the players and their relationships. I didn't of course.
This one is told in such a way that I felt as if I was watching it play out, I don't really feel the emotions of the characters, more like I'm watching a movie of them. There is no on page sex, which is also didn't mind.
Although I didn't love this books I liked it and the way it was told that I'll definitely keep an eye out for more of this author's work.
Tomoki and Adam. Two totally and completely different men.
Tomoki is a rock star, travels the world and wants nothing more than someone to love and come home to.
Adam is a mechanic and owns his own garage.
The setting moves from Japan and Britain and the story takes place over a year. New Years to New Years.
The beginning threw me a bit, I felt as if I should know all the players and their relationships. I didn't of course.
This one is told in such a way that I felt as if I was watching it play out, I don't really feel the emotions of the characters, more like I'm watching a movie of them. There is no on page sex, which is also didn't mind.
Although I didn't love this books I liked it and the way it was told that I'll definitely keep an eye out for more of this author's work.
January 2, 2014
3.5 Stars for a New Years story that was charming and a great way to round out the DSP Advent Calendar series.
There was a lot of story packed into under 100 pages, but it was paced well. I didn't feel like I knew Alex nearly as well as I knew Tomoki. I kind of felt bad for Alex a couple of times, he wasn't the best at expressing himself, which is pretty normal and I wanted Tomoki to cut him a little slack and meet him more than half way. Still, very likable characters with very promising HFN+.
There was a lot of story packed into under 100 pages, but it was paced well. I didn't feel like I knew Alex nearly as well as I knew Tomoki. I kind of felt bad for Alex a couple of times, he wasn't the best at expressing himself, which is pretty normal and I wanted Tomoki to cut him a little slack and meet him more than half way. Still, very likable characters with very promising HFN+.
January 1, 2014
2.75 stars rounded up. I finished it but it was a bit of a struggle. I liked the idea of the story and the characters. But the execution was flawed for me as I felt a lack of depth In the way it was told. Flipping through the days of the relationship as it were, things were glossed over and didn't really capture my attention.
December 14, 2013
Very sweet holiday short about British-Japanese rockstar Tomoki mechanic/classic car restorer Alex.
The format of the story is interesting. We meet Tomoki and his bandmates (two of whom are also of Japanese descent, and learning all of their names and nicknames at the same time as some Japanese foods all in the first few paragraphs made for a somewhat daunting beginning) in the very early morning on New Years Day as they're having a party after their big New Year's Eve show. The chapter titles are then the number of days that have passed since that first New Year's.
We spend the year watching Tomoki and Alex overcome the obstacles and begin a relationship, and the format made it feel both like I got to know them better than I'd expected from such a short story, and added a fun fast-paced feeling that for me gave it some rocker ambiance.
A fun experience.
Favorite Quote:
Just because it would've been easier to move to another country than to risk facing you again when you weren't mine.
The format of the story is interesting. We meet Tomoki and his bandmates (two of whom are also of Japanese descent, and learning all of their names and nicknames at the same time as some Japanese foods all in the first few paragraphs made for a somewhat daunting beginning) in the very early morning on New Years Day as they're having a party after their big New Year's Eve show. The chapter titles are then the number of days that have passed since that first New Year's.
We spend the year watching Tomoki and Alex overcome the obstacles and begin a relationship, and the format made it feel both like I got to know them better than I'd expected from such a short story, and added a fun fast-paced feeling that for me gave it some rocker ambiance.
A fun experience.
Favorite Quote:
Just because it would've been easier to move to another country than to risk facing you again when you weren't mine.
March 9, 2014
I liked the concept of this, rock start and auto mechanic and even the method of story telling, jumping through counting days in a year, but perhaps it was the length of the book. It felt like it was hopping two quickly. A page or two about them going out for dinner, missing each other... jump forward 2 months, another few pages. It was just glimpses of their life. I also though for a 34/35 year old man, Tomoki was rather emotional and cried a bit much for me, but it wasn't awful. I just didn't connect and I think the style with the hopping through 365 days in 75 pages just didn't let me connect enough to really care about them.
August 13, 2016
This story is told in an unusual way, and I have to say I liked that. I got to see moments, little flashes of Tomoki and Alex's lives as the got to know each other and the progress in each was palpable. At the same time, some of the episodes contained little warning signs of the eventual crisis, and I liked that as well.
Dealing with celebrity isn't easy for Tomoki, who loves his fans, but on a personal level he is lonely. It's hard enough for him to deal with the constant attention of the tabloids, but for a man not used to the invasion of privacy it can be too much. None of his previous lovers ave stuck it out, and when Alex seems to manage, Tomoki is happier than he has ever been. The stumbling block comes from an entirely unexpected direction.
Alex is a mechanic, owns his own garage, and does mostly custom work. He does okay financially, but feels he cannot keep up with Tomoki. That and other issues drive him to try to impress his lover - with disastrous results. Not that Alex is one to give up easily!
If you like stories told as if done in sketch format and with fine strokes of the brush rather than a full-on oil painting, if you enjoy seeing what happens and let the facts speak for themselves without too much authorly embellishment, and if your looking for a gentle read done in an unusual style, then you will probably lie this short story.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
Dealing with celebrity isn't easy for Tomoki, who loves his fans, but on a personal level he is lonely. It's hard enough for him to deal with the constant attention of the tabloids, but for a man not used to the invasion of privacy it can be too much. None of his previous lovers ave stuck it out, and when Alex seems to manage, Tomoki is happier than he has ever been. The stumbling block comes from an entirely unexpected direction.
Alex is a mechanic, owns his own garage, and does mostly custom work. He does okay financially, but feels he cannot keep up with Tomoki. That and other issues drive him to try to impress his lover - with disastrous results. Not that Alex is one to give up easily!
If you like stories told as if done in sketch format and with fine strokes of the brush rather than a full-on oil painting, if you enjoy seeing what happens and let the facts speak for themselves without too much authorly embellishment, and if your looking for a gentle read done in an unusual style, then you will probably lie this short story.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
July 29, 2016
Won as part of the DSP Advent Calendar series 2013.
At first, the band names confused me as as well as using full names, nicknames were interchanged within paragraphs. And the start was written as if the stories of the other band mates have been written already (they may have been but I cant see them).
After I got the names sorted, the other band mates tended to be less conspicuous anyway and then it was largely Tomo and Alex. I liked the story and thestart was good. It spans a year and chapters are headed with days passed, so keeping track is easy though a lot of relationship development is missed (would be an interesting longer read I think) and I felt that as it went on, the story strength faltered and so I didn't fully feel the ansgt at the end.
Nice read, somewhere between 3 and 2.5 for me.
At first, the band names confused me as as well as using full names, nicknames were interchanged within paragraphs. And the start was written as if the stories of the other band mates have been written already (they may have been but I cant see them).
After I got the names sorted, the other band mates tended to be less conspicuous anyway and then it was largely Tomo and Alex. I liked the story and thestart was good. It spans a year and chapters are headed with days passed, so keeping track is easy though a lot of relationship development is missed (would be an interesting longer read I think) and I felt that as it went on, the story strength faltered and so I didn't fully feel the ansgt at the end.
Nice read, somewhere between 3 and 2.5 for me.
December 31, 2013
Excellent conclusion to this year’s Dreamspinner Press Advent Calendar. Tomoki is the lead singer of the world’s largest band but he is missing a special someone. Alex is a crabby mechanic and their worlds are so far apart. This is a fun ending to the Advent Calendar because it focuses on New Year and new beginnings. I loved the way the story is told, over a year’s time, as it allows growth and realistic progression of Alex and Tomoki’s relationship. I would have liked a bit more sexy times on page but the emotional intimacy made up for it.
*review copy provided by publisher*
*review copy provided by publisher*
December 4, 2013
3 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
This story is a sweet and warm journey following Tomoki, a thirty-four years lead singer for a famous band, and his New Year’s wish. It resembles a diary tracking the days of the year and his new relationship with Alex...
Read the entire review here.
Thommie.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
This story is a sweet and warm journey following Tomoki, a thirty-four years lead singer for a famous band, and his New Year’s wish. It resembles a diary tracking the days of the year and his new relationship with Alex...
Read the entire review here.
Thommie.
December 24, 2013
As with most relationships, there were some rough spots and their defining moment came along with the next New Year’s celebration. Tomoki found himself in Japan again, questioning his and Alex’s relationship. With a new fortune and one huge romantic gesture, things may just work out.
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/20...
See the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/20...
February 9, 2014
2.5 Stars - First, I want to say no one repaints a car and upgrades the stereo, for free no less, to get a date... Second, I hate fade to black... Third, the time shifts distanced me from the characters; I never felt I really knew them though I appreciated that they got to know each other. It just felt like the whole relationship was glossed over. We are told about everything happening but see very little. In the end I didn't really feel connected to the story or characters.
January 3, 2014
This is an interesting and sweet story about a Japanese-British rock star. The story takes place over the course of a year where he meets and falls in love with a mechanic. Things start off rocky and then get to a very good place but as the year draws to a close things begin to go off the rails. Will they be able to set things to rights? You'll have to read to find out ;)
December 27, 2013
Somehow, I couldn't warm up to this story. Mostly because of the way it was written, definitely not my cup of tea.
January 24, 2014
A year in the life of Iomoki and the full circle of his romance.
August 12, 2016
Great characters. For a short story it was easy to see the year go by and the relationship growing. Recommended.
September 16, 2014
I enjoyed the way we got to see the relationship develop over the course of the year.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews