The Switch

True Identities #2

by Heather Justesen

Tia Riverton never thought cooking on the noon news would land her in the hospital, but a severe allergic reaction does just that. Her mom’s hysterics over her brush with death lead to blood tests that reveal Tia is not her parents’ biological daughter after all.


When paramedic firefighter Danny Tullis responds to Tia’s allergic reaction, he feels a tug of attraction right away. When he keeps running into her and her little girls, he can’t get Tia out of his mind. Despite their mutual attraction, the war widow isn’t ready to fall into his arms, but he’s not about to give up.


Facing the fact that the family she grew up in is not her own, Tia searches for her real family, and for answers to how the switch happened in the first place.


As Tia and Danny keep searching, the truth about Tia’s past is revealed, and Danny shows Tia that life, and love, are better when they work together.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Contemporary

ebook

First published April 19, 2012

About the author

Heather Justesen is an award-winning and up-and-coming author for the women's romance market.

Reviews

[Tamera Westhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a pretty great book! It was fantastic to have a follow up after the Blank Slate book to see how Danny handled everything! And then to add all that was going on with Tia, good grief! It was almsot too much going on! She lost her husband to war in Afghanistan, and then a firefigher/paramedic (Danny) was trying to date her and in the meantime he was going through some serious drama (his best friend died) and met her due to her having an allergy which leads to her finding out her blood type doesn't match with her parents. Craziness! So, she is dealing with single mommyhood, trying to date, and figure out who her real parents are. He's dealing with a silly ex-girlfriend, a best friend who died and then found out that she was alive (see Blank Slate), and hard work as a Firefighter and Paramedic. Wow! I thought the plot was interesting, but it seemed like it was too much for an average person to handle. There were some typos, lots of you, instead of your and one whole paragraph that was gobbledygook (when Danny is in the ER getting checked out). It was strange and I gave up trying to understand what it was supposed to say. Either way it was a great story and I enjoyed the book, the characters and the end! A little epilogue goes a long way!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Switch, Ms. Justesen has given her readers the story of two babies switched at birth. Tia is a grown woman when an accident leaves concerns about her blood type. When a DNA test is taken, it’s discovered she doesn’t belong to the people she thought were her parents. Tia had just gotten her life moving fairly smoothly after her husband died in Iraq leaving her a single mother to two young girls. The same accident that brought the blood type concerns up brought a new man into her life. Was she really ready to start something with Danny? Should she look for her parents? What should she do?

My sympathies were engaged from the moment it was disclosed Tia was a young war widow. It seemed like things kept piling up on her. Ron, her dad, seemed like a stable supportive parent while her
mother seemed like a neurotic demanding witch. I like that Danny started the relationship being supportive, friendly & unassuming. It was like he could sense what she needed & was just there for her. This was an engaging read that kept my attention. It has a slight connection with Blank Slate but they exist side by side (same time frame) and do not depend on each other in any way.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the overlap in characters between The Switch and Blank Slate. The writing is well done. The characters are likable and well developed. The mystery kept my interest as the plot moved steadily and quickly.

[Suzzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danny and Tia’s story was very moving. How horrible to learn you were switched at birth and the path to finding truth. Truly a well thought out book with great characterization.

[Donna Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this story was really good. I loved the different family dynamics and the firefighter was so supportive, I loved him. This is a very sweet, clean romance.

[Kbrebes]

I love a book with a good plot and great characters, and that’s just what I found in Heather Justesen’s The Switch. There’re several storylines going on that give the plot some great twists and turns, and even make the reader question—really question—whether or not Danny will end up with main character Tia or with his best friend Laura, and when Laura comes back from the dead things just get stickier.

Justesen gives a great look into the life of an EMT. I felt like I was really there, a part of the team, which can be scary when a fire wants to claim a life or when danger lurks in the form of an abusive civilian. I enjoyed Danny’s character so much that he felt real, like I could go down to the station today and find him there, mopping out the back of an ambulance, or serving up ice cream on pancakes.

Tia’s character feels real, too, but hers is one hurt by the loss of a husband to war, and she has a lot to contend with functioning as a single working mom, not to mention dealing with an over-controlling mother. Justesen doesn’t play around; she writes emotion as it really is. Because of that, the reader sees a harsher side of Tia, which contributes to her arc of change, and which lets her grow into the trusting, beautiful woman she becomes by the end of the book.

The Switch is a wonderful novel about bringing families together, while not holding back on problems. The reader will learn that problems are what make families interesting.

[Jzcotter03 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in the Blank Slate series is full of intrigue and romance. When Danny Tullis meets Tia Riverton, the girl from the news cooking segment, he can't wait to get to know her better. Tia, a widow with two little girls is confused as to why her blood type doesn't match either of her parents. Can she really open her heart to another man when her life has been turned upside down? I really enjoyed the characters in this book. The author explores family relationships in their complexity and also the idea of starting over again after loss. There is a surprise at the end of the book that I honestly did not see coming. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys a good clean romance with a little drama.

[Loverlypurple · Rating 5 out of 5]

After thoroughly enjoying Blank Slate I started on The Switch and was not disappointed. The time frame in which both books take place over laps which made me at first think I read the wrong book first but then I found out that I had actually read them in the correct order. I could see the advantage of reading either of them first though. I really enjoyed getting to know Danny better and Tia was a joy with her two little girls. The book unfolded at a great pace and I finished this book in record time as I just want to know what was going to happen next. I really look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. If you haven't read Blank Slate but plan to, I suggest you read it before you read this book. Some of the surprises in Blank Slate are mentioned in this book. Great companion book.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. (Really don't like the cover - ugh!)This was a fun "companion" story to "Blank Slate" which I enjoyed. It overlaps in some of the events but focuses on another character. I thought the story was fairly unique (although I don't know how realistic in parts).

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read!! I love stories about fire fighters!!

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I got it free off Amazon (e-book), so it isn't like I wasted my money... but eh. Not terrible, but not great.

[Krystle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this book and author!

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The action is a little slow in this book, but the characters are excellent. Maybe I was just in the mood for a slower paced book, but I enjoyed it.

[Karijean31 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how the story intertwined with blank slate good story

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

good clean romance. It was a fun story. I liked the characters--loved the main man.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Very fun read.

[Lindsay]

Amazon Freebie 11/9/2012