A Slight Change of Plan

by Dee Ernst

Kate Everett is about to begin her “second act.” She’s been a widow for eight years and thinks it might be time to start looking for someone to share her life with again. She quits her high-pressure job for something that will allow her more leisure time. She gets rid of the huge family home and moves into a fabulous condo that’s smaller and easier to manage. She’s pretty much got the rest of her life figured out. All she has to do is sit back, relax, and let the pieces fall into place.

But her real life never gets the memo. First, her son moves back in with her—along with his girlfriend. Her dream job falls through, leaving her unemployed. Her mother, whom she hadn’t spoken to in years, can no longer live alone and has to move into her basement. And her only daughter is planning the smallest and simplest wedding in the history of all weddings, much to Kate’s dismay.

Kate thinks that she and Jake, her former college love who has reemerged on an online dating site, of all places, can build something real, and that maybe her happy ending is in front of her at last. But the arrival of Edward, her daughter’s future father-in-law, presents Kate with an unexpected choice.

It looks like real happiness may require a slight change of plan.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Contemporary, Humor

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2015

About the author

Dee Ernst was born and raised in New Jersey, which explains a great deal about her attitude towards life. She loved reading at a very early age, and by the time she was ten she had decided to become a writer. It took a bit longer than she expected.

She went off to college, moved around a bit, had a job or two, a husband or two, and a daughter or two. It was the birth of her second daughter at the age of forty that got her thinking about what to do with the rest of her life. That was when she decided to give writing a real shot.

Dee loved chick-lit and romantic comedy, but hated the twenty-something heroines who couldn’t figure out how to go and get what they wanted. She began to write about women like herself — older, confident, and with a wealth of life experience to draw upon. She got an agent but no sales, and took the plunge into self-publishing in 2010.

In 2012, Better Off Without Him became an Amazon bestseller. She signed with Montlake Publishing, which went on to re-release Better Off Without Him and launch A Slight Change of Plan in 2013.

Since then she has written across several genres (cozy mystery, YA/fantasy, women's fiction) gone from full-length novels to short stories, and has written for Lake Union Publishing. She self-publishes under the 235 Alexander Street logo.

She is still in New Jersey, where she writes full-time. She lives with husband #2, daughter #2, a few cats and a needy cocker spaniel. She loves sunsets, long walks on the beach, and a really cold martini.

Reviews

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars! Fun chick-lit about dating again in your 50's!

A pleasant, amusing read but a little too "long in the tooth"! Some portions of the story could have been a little less wordy. I did enjoy the overall premise, the humor and could relate to some of the family situations, especially when she talked about caring for her elderly mother. The setting was also familiar to me since I live near the area where the story takes place, that was very enjoyable and made it easy to envision it all in my mind!

Overall, an easy, relatable, witty read that unfortunately dragged a bit! Still, there were plenty of sweet shining moments and laugh out loud dilemmas only someone of this age group could truly understand! I know I did! Time marches on, don't fight it, embrace it the best you can and laugh or you'll just be miserable!

This was my first read by this author and I will be looking for more of her books!

[Musing · Rating 5 out of 5]

From page one of this delicious contemporary romance, A Slight Change of Plan, I had a smile on my face. Such is the clever, witty and delightful prose of Dee Ernst.

Kate Everett has decided it's time to move on to 'the next phase' of her life. Time to explore the possibility of new love, downsize her home, attempt to downsize her responsibilities. However, nothing is ever as simple as it appears. Her estranged mother causes grief, an old flame tempts her to resurrect their steamy college relationship and a handsome, debonair Englishman invites unknown pleasures. In the midst of this, her independent adult children navigate new lives causing ripples of their own. Was life ever uncomplicated? Will it ever be?

Ernst's characters are always real and endearing. Throughout the engaging story, the witty repartee between characters will cause many laugh-out-loud moments. Yet, interestingly, despite the fun you will experience when you read fifty-five-year-old Kate's story of life and love, due to the impressive depth and many heartfelt poignant moments, you might also cry a little.

I loved it.

Once again, Dee Ernst has created a gem. The combination of her beautiful storytelling, her quick-witted humor and her believable, lovable characters delivered a quality and highly recommended read. Grab this one. Become a Dee Ernst fan.

Thank you NetGalley and Dee Ernst, for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandra Nachlinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost always enjoy a book that has a Baby Boomer as the main character, and A SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLAN stands out as one of the very best. With a voice that's all her own, Dee Ernst tackles the difficulties of caring for aging parents, challenges of young adult children, and unexpected consequences of entering the world of online dating. But this book doesn't just address the challenges of growing older. It's also about friendship, perseverance, and adaptability. Written with humor and warmth, this story will appeal to readers of all ages.

At age 55, Kate Everett has had a successful career as a lawyer, raised three children (now grown), and faced widowhood. As the story opens, she no longer enjoys her solitude as much as she used to, and she wants “…somebody who was happy to see me when I got home who didn’t have a separate water bowl.” So she takes action to change her life by selling her large family home and moving into a smaller condo, leaving her job, and signing up for an online dating service. But then there’s a slight change of plan, which turns out not to be so slight after all.

Author Dee Ernst kept me wondering what was going to happen next. When Kate moves into her condo, her new digs seem perfect for one person, until ….
And the new job she has accepted seems just right for this stage of her life, until …
Then when she reconnects with an old love on a dating website, things seem to be going well, until….
I won’t spoil the surprises by revealing what happens, but I will say that the character handles all the unexpected changes in her life with love, humor, and the help of dear friends.

In addition to enjoying Ms. Ernst’s accomplished prose, I was glad to see that the book was free of grammatical and typographical errors, which I always appreciate. I’m sure I’ll read A SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLAN more than once.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

First by this author, but not the last. Very well done. I was a little disappointed in the love triangle and how everything played out. But it was a minor thing relative to the overall enjoyment of the book. I will definitely read more by this author.

[Janga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year I did something I rarely do. I bought Dee Ernst’s debut novel, Better Off Without Him (2010), an eBook, without having read a single review or having one friend recommend it. I bought it based solely on the description of a romance writer with teenage children going through a divorce with the help of her friends and a sexy plumber, and I consider it one of my smartest book buys of 2012. I loved the book. I laughed so loudly that my family asked me to share the joke. When I saw A Slight Change of Plan on NetGalley, I eagerly requested the privilege of reviewing it, another smart decision. A Slight Change of Plan is a worthy follow-up to Better Off Without Him.

I think anyone with a sense of humor will enjoy this book, but I think it resonates particularly with women old enough to have their own fund of mixed memories, hard-earned experience, and reservoirs of love for all the family and friends and lovers, old and new, who own a piece of their hearts.

Often I found myself pausing to reread a sentence or a page. Sometimes the pause was to extend the moment of laughter, but more often it was to luxuriate in the feeling that I was sharing something special. The novel is written in first person, and so all that the reader knows is filtered through Kate’s voice. For some readers that may present a problem, but it is not one for me. I love the intimacy of the first-person point of view. It gave me the feeling that Kate was a person I knew well and liked a great deal and the feeling that Ernst is an author who knows and understands the life I have lived, the lives my friends have lived.

If you like romantic comedy that makes you laugh and smile and think and remember, I highly recommend A Slight Change of Plan. If you like it as much as I did, you can still get a digital copy of Better Off Without Him at a very reasonable price. And I’m wondering what’s next from Dee Ernst.

See full review at:
http://justjanga.blogspot.com/2013/11...

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a woman "of a certain age" myself, I really identified with this character. It was refreshing to read a romance about a more mature main character.
I was immediately engaged in the story, and it held my interest from beginning to end. Kate Everett, a 55 year-old widow with 3 grown children, decides that it is time to sell the large family home and move into a lower maintenance townhome. She has a teaching job lined up and plans to learn golf in her free time. She even joins an online dating site. However, she no sooner moves into her new home, when her job goes away, her son and his girlfriend move in, and she reconnects with her first love Jake "The One Who Got Away". Then things get really complicated. The story was heartfelt, amusing at times, and really hit home. I felt like I knew the characters, even the secondary characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I received this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifty something and independent Kate's life is in for a change when she agrees to try online dating. It doesn't take her long to have a decidedly nonchalant attitude about dating after years of... well, not dating. I wonder whether she was as confused as I was of her feelings about her relationship with Tom. She says she likes him but…

One of her friends has an excruciatingly embarrassing turn of events during an intimate encounter with a new man in her life. That one will be tough to get over. Yikes! It's funny to us but not to her.

The narrator has a wonderful New Jersey accent which is very fitting for the setting.

A bit predictable but oh so lovely. I was sad to see it come to an end and was hoping for a sequel but alas I do not find one.

[Ninon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever rated a book this low. I so wanted to like it because I found myself in similar circumstances at about the same age, but I thought the writing was so prosaic with cliched phrasing and predictable plot points. I couldn't wait to finish it and usually, I feel the opposite about books. In a word, meh...

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book on my Kindle

I chose this book because I liked the story line and I wasn't disappointed. The characters were very believable and likeable (except for Elaine!). I will read Dee Ernst again!

[Alicia Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

So funny!!

[Laurel-Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Kate Fremont Everett decides to make some changes in her life, she has been a widow for eight years, her children are mostly grown, and definitely out of the house. Oldest son Jeff lives in the West Village with his partner Gabe; daughter Regan is planning her wedding with Phil; and Sam is a perpetual student on his way to his Ph.D. And finally, after all these years, she has left her law practice, planning to teach a few classes at a nearby college. At fifty-five, she believes there is still time for life changes.

One of those changes is to sell the big house in suburban New Jersey that no longer feels comfortable. In her weekly telephone conversations with the kids, she fills them in on some of her plans. Like buying that condo in Castle Crossings. So when her house and the condo are in escrow, soon to close, she is stunned when her youngest son, Sam, who has a new girlfriend named Alisa, calls up to ask if the two of them can move into the big old house with her.

Don’t any of her kids listen to her when she talks?

Narrated in Kate’s first person voice, A Slight Change of Plan is a funny, somewhat snarky, and totally down-to-earth story of a woman’s journey into the second act of her life. Can online dating work for her? What if she actually reached out to her first love, Jake Windom, who “waved” to her on her online profile? Why do her children suddenly seem needy and full of opinions about her life and its changes? And what about her aging mother, suffering from dementia, who now needs someone to look after her?

I loved the very real characters, like her old friend Cheryl, who grows pot in her backyard and has some unique ideas about relationships. And then there is a new and fascinating man who will be her daughter’s new father-in-law. As the possibilities begin to present themselves, Kate will begin to realize that making plans is not all it is cracked up to be. What a delightful story, full of wonderful characters, and there wasn’t a boring moment to it. I wanted to enjoy them all for a long time to come. 5 stars.

[Donna McBroom-Theriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLAN is such a funny book. Everyone should have a best friend like Cheryl! Past 50 years of age and growing pot in the middle of your roses on the patio? to be discovered by your adult children?

A phrase in the book that perfectly describes life (and the book) is "There's an old saying - man plans, God laughs. And let me tell you, he has an interesting sense of humor." Kate has it all planned. She's sold the huge house, purchased a condo, and then God laughed!

Suddenly, she has adult children moving back home, she's beginning to date again, and her ailing mother moves in. Add to that one cooky best friend and the pot starts growing!

A SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLAN is a book about life and what life can throw at you. When Kate comes across her one and only true love, the one who dumped her, on a dating site, she finds that he can still take her breath away, but in the end, is he still the same guy and is the same guy the one she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

Dee Ernst writes a book full of humor and laughter and clearly shows how art imitates life. I have to include a few quotes because they are too good to pass up. I highly recommend the book, especially if you've hit the 50 something time period. You will totally appreciate every page of the book. By the way, I'm giving this book 5 stars. If I were to read books more than once, this would be one of them.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Read more at: www.mylifeonestoryatatime.com

[Ginny Gallagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Slight Change of Plan is a wonderful story that I really enjoyed reading. The characters are fantastic. They made me laugh out loud, shake my head in annoyance, and want to join them all at Kate’s monthly spaghetti dinner.

I adored the main character, Kate. She is strong, matter of fact, and has a certain wisdom about her that only comes from learning from the past. She loves her family and her friends and even though she is scared she is willing to try new things in hopes of creating more happiness in her life. She rolls with the punches and handles them with grace and good sense. I guess what I am trying to say is she has gumption and I hope that I am as smart as she is when I am 55.

Dee Ernst has written a story that falls outside the normal standards for romance and it works beautifully. It is fun, funny, and full of heart. I loved that the characters had a maturity about them but at the same time still had flaws and things to work out in their life and in their character. She shows the complexity and the beauty of relationships, acceptance, and moving on while at the same time delivering a dose of realistic and sometimes cringe worth humor.

Highly recommend to adult readers that appreciate a smart and humorous viewpoint on life and getting older and aren’t offended by smoking pot, farts, or hot flashes. :)

* Giveaway and Original post at http://ginsbooknotes.com (Gin's Book Notes) *

[Laura Cobrinik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, Dee Ernst outdid herself! This was the best book ever! I laughed from the first page to the last. Possibly I loved this book so much because I live in the area in which most of the "action" takes place. Possibly because my Grandmother was very much like Kate's mom, a little flamboyant and very free, and mostly independent, and quite unconventional. I liked that all three of Kate's children were all different and that they and Dee had problems from the start but in the end it all worked out, at least for the "time being." Until they got there I felt as if I were on a roller coaster ride. The wedding plans seemed almost like a combination of my two brothers weddings. One of my brothers had a home wedding on our two acre property in Boonton, NJ. My other brother got married on the Monday after Thanksgiving in the Morris County Court House...and then the nine of us (a two-year-old, now 25) then in three cars drove into New York City and had the wedding dinner at Le Cirque. A few days later my brother and his new wife moved to Japan where my brother worked for a few years.
Laura Cobrinik--Boonton, NJ

[Samantha March · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I know people say that if you don’t think you can relate to a main character, you might want to a pass on a book. This I don’t agree with. Some of my favorite books have featured mothers and women either much older or younger than me, and I’ve had a fine time reading their stories. A Slight Change of Plan falls into that category. Kate is fifty-five and a widow, with three grown children. I’m twenty-six, recently married, zero kids (unless you count my new puppy). But her story captivated me from the beginning and I eagerly read this book quite quickly. There are plenty of interesting sub-plots – from Kate dealing with her mother, her daughter getting married, her son having a baby – that each chapter felt action-packed, even when the main storyline wasn’t being discussed. A very well-written story, and I would recommend!
4.5 stars

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Slight Change of Plan is a smart, witty and engaging novel about love and life, wonderfully capturing the challenges of middle age woman reinventing herself after her husband has gone and her children are grown up. A pragmatist with a romantic soul, Kate is a wholly likeable protagonist and I'd be happy to share a glass of wine, or a spaghetti dinner, with her any time.

The situations Kate are faced with are ones many mature women can relate to from the irritation of hot flushes to the concern for an aging mother, and I think Ernst portrays them in a realistic manner, if sometimes slightly exaggerated for comic effect. I smiled a lot through this story and laughed out loud more than once.

A Slight Change of Plan is chick-lit for the mature woman, well written, funny and full of heart, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any woman of a certain age.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think that this was as funny as the reviews on Amazon led me to believe. However, there were some parts that did make me laugh. The story had some parts that were pretty unrealistic. If I had friends and neighbors as loose and fun as some of these women, I probably would be having a lot more fun in my life. Things seemed to really work out for her and I liked that since I read to escape and don't always like to read about problems. But, some of this was too perfect even for me. But, don't not read it because of this review I did enjoy this and suggest you give it a try.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a very humorous portrait of what it is like about starting your life over in middle age after a big loss in your life. There was a lot of honesty in this book about what it is like to date again after coming out of a very long term relationship and about reconnecting with someone you loved when you were young.

[Lynne Spreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like stories about people who are at middle-age or older. This was a good, down-to-earth main character trying to find her way with plenty of obstacles in her path. A fun beach read.

[Ian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Possibly the worst book I've ever read. I couldn't even finish it.

[T.J. Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of a book centered around adults in this age range, so was excited when I picked this up. Sadly, the attitude and actions of most of the characters put their maturity level back in their late teens to early twenties rather than in their 50’s so I might as well have been reading a new adult book, except the characters all have older/adult children.

I could have gotten past that and enjoyed the story if this book had been able to evoke even a lick of emotional response from me, but… nada. I felt nothing other than irritated with the relationship between Kate and Jake and there was absolutely nothing to suggest that Kate and Edward had anything stronger than a friendship. Everyone, including Kate, Edward and Jake just left me feeling rather meh. It was just incredibly bland.

When I finally got to the ending, I was kind of “Wait. That was it? Um… why did I read this?”

So this was one of those I didn’t hate it but didn’t particularly like it either books.

[Gretel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stay in the "Now"

How exciting to be in your fifties and reconnect with your First Love. Yes, he betrayed you, and dumped you when he found a woman who was determined to help him become rich and influential. But that was then. Now he wants you back, and you are thrilled, but your future son in law's father is visiting and you and he have an intense but comfortable attraction to each other. After 8 years as a widow, a bit lonely, now there are two intelligent, charming men who choose you. Whom will you choose? A most satisfying story populated by the main characters as well as a plethora of future in laws, children and their significant others, best friends, and the mother/grandmother who is eased out of her grumpy shell. Highly recommended.

[jimtown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the character of Kate until about 3/4 of the way through when I thought she became a little too 'all about me'. Maybe that was the point of this book but it spoiled what was an enjoyable story enough to lose a star. The other fun but miserable character was Kate's mother, whom she called every Saturday but had not spoken to in eight years. Her mother kept hanging up on her.

Kate had a great plan in mind for the rest of her life now that her kids were off on their own. She even decided to date again. Her move went well but her plans were interrupted. It was still a fun story with an outcome that not everyone would have chosen.

My only other advice would be to create a different cover image. This cover had nothing to do with this story.

[Verlyn Victor Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A smart romance novel..Is that an oxymoron?

It took only 2 chapters to hook me. I wondered at the length of the chapters, rather longer than I am used to, but because of that I was able to get better acquainted with Kate and her family. The interesting twists and turns as the story moved along kept my interest piqued. Wish there might have been one more online dating interest, but perhaps it would have detracted from the real storyline. I liked the ending. It could have swung the other way, but though it is a fictional novel it is about real people and not a fairy tale. I loved her family and her long time loyal friends. Good story and a "smart romance"

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

her cheating husband died, her grown kids are out of the house. she signed up for on line dating and her old x boyfriend contacted her. she sold her house, bought a condo.

she dated one guy, i didnt like him. then the x boyfriend and then the father in law of her daughter. her mother had to come and live in her basement, couldnt live alone. they did not speak for 8 yrs her mom would hang up on her when she would call once a month. she had a married sister with kids who helped. she had a nice group of friends for her support system. her daughter was getting married.

she broke up with the x boyfriend so she could just go out with the father in law tho he lived in england

[Jean Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book

I’ve just discovered Dee Ernst last week and have ready read three of her books. I think she might be my sister from a different mother. I’ll have to figure out how to get the rest of my life taken care of for the next few weeks while I gather the rest of her books and read away. This book made me laugh, cry, and think deeply again about my own life and how things have shifted around with love, older parents, adult children, and new grandchildren, and realizing that life as I know it, is pretty darn good.

[Liana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book as much as Maggie Finds Her Muse, but just could not get invested in the characters. I do love that this was an older woman who was not the usual rom-com trope of a 29/30ish woman who has zero sense and is essentially a liar. This protagonist said what needed to me said and stood up for herself. She does have a character growth arc, but it's not extreme. I guess I was simply disappointed in how so little actually happened in the story.

[Christina Metcalf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read

My favorite part of this book was that the MC was a bright and experienced woman not a little girl falling in love for the first time. There are some good pieces about avoiding the ruts in our lives that so many of us fall into. An enjoyable read albeit a little predictable.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Being a woman of a certain age, I found this to be a delightful story...nothing heavy, just an easy read. The end left me feeling pleased. Certainly would recommend for a summer vacation book.

[Victoria Zieger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a light and cute book. I enjoyed the narration and the story. The characters were fun and entertaining and I really liked all the elements of the story. It was a nice summer read that wasn't too heavy.