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Changing Trajectory
Some love stories start with a meet-cute. This one started with a migraine, a bottle of water, and Finn Walker telling Alex Archer, to her face, that she's a real tight-ass.
He just didn't know it was her.
Studio founder and creative director Alex Archer has spent her entire life proving she's enough. She's white-knuckled her way to the top through sheer determination and unyielding control. But her ADHD diagnosis five years ago rewrote everything she thought she knew about herself, and now corporate betrayal and family pressure are threatening to finish the job.
Former Lieutenant Commander Finn Walker has lost everything that made him feel like himself. The Navy pilot is grounded after a crash that left him with PTSD, chronic migraines, and scars both visible and hidden. Everyone back in Wyoming assumes he'll return to marry his childhood sweetheart, but Finn doesn't know who he is without his wings.
Their solution? Fake date through the chaos. But forced proximity and unexpected honesty create something real. Because pretending to be together means they can finally stop pretending to be fine.
As Alex fights to save her studio and everyone inside it and Finn learns to navigate life without a flight plan, they discover the best love stories aren't just about falling—they're about building something worth fighting for together.
He just didn't know it was her.
Studio founder and creative director Alex Archer has spent her entire life proving she's enough. She's white-knuckled her way to the top through sheer determination and unyielding control. But her ADHD diagnosis five years ago rewrote everything she thought she knew about herself, and now corporate betrayal and family pressure are threatening to finish the job.
Former Lieutenant Commander Finn Walker has lost everything that made him feel like himself. The Navy pilot is grounded after a crash that left him with PTSD, chronic migraines, and scars both visible and hidden. Everyone back in Wyoming assumes he'll return to marry his childhood sweetheart, but Finn doesn't know who he is without his wings.
Their solution? Fake date through the chaos. But forced proximity and unexpected honesty create something real. Because pretending to be together means they can finally stop pretending to be fine.
As Alex fights to save her studio and everyone inside it and Finn learns to navigate life without a flight plan, they discover the best love stories aren't just about falling—they're about building something worth fighting for together.
545 pages, Paperback
Published December 16, 2025
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 3, 2025
This is a sweet and heartfelt story about Finn and Alex, two people who both face difficult physical challenges. Finn has suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a naval plane crash. He also suffers physical problems and has PTSD. Alex has ADHD that wasn't diagnosed until she was an adult. They meet at their brothers' engagement party when Finn is suffering from a migraine and Alex helps him.
They got off to a bit of a rocky start when Finn was expecting Alex to be a man, and made a disparaging comment about Alex. I thought it was a bit weird that Alex didn't reveal who she was right away and kept up the charade of being someone else for a little while. Once things are cleared up, they begin fake dating, which I feel was not necessary to the story. It was obvious they liked one another and the fake dating served no real purpose. Once that part of the story ended, the book got better.
The struggles Finn faces broke my heart at times, and he and Alex had some communication challenges. They didn't want to stress the other one out and would keep things from each other. The book is over 600 pages long and drags at times. There were parts with Finn’s therapist that were important to read about, but it was almost like going to therapy yourself. The author was showing what it takes to manage and live a life after trauma though and I can appreciate that.
Then there were parts with Alex’s business that while somewhat interesting did go on for awhile. The restructuring that was being done was described in great detail and I’ll be honest, I skimmed that part. I definitely enjoyed the story, and watching Finn figure out who he wants to be now that his life and career have changed was great. Finn and Alex were a great couple and their determination to make their relationship work was wonderful to see.
I want to thank Kay Hartley and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this book. I voluntarily chose to leave a review.
No third act breakup
4/5 on the Spicy Scale
M/F
PTSD, ADHD, TBI
Contemporary Romance
They got off to a bit of a rocky start when Finn was expecting Alex to be a man, and made a disparaging comment about Alex. I thought it was a bit weird that Alex didn't reveal who she was right away and kept up the charade of being someone else for a little while. Once things are cleared up, they begin fake dating, which I feel was not necessary to the story. It was obvious they liked one another and the fake dating served no real purpose. Once that part of the story ended, the book got better.
The struggles Finn faces broke my heart at times, and he and Alex had some communication challenges. They didn't want to stress the other one out and would keep things from each other. The book is over 600 pages long and drags at times. There were parts with Finn’s therapist that were important to read about, but it was almost like going to therapy yourself. The author was showing what it takes to manage and live a life after trauma though and I can appreciate that.
Then there were parts with Alex’s business that while somewhat interesting did go on for awhile. The restructuring that was being done was described in great detail and I’ll be honest, I skimmed that part. I definitely enjoyed the story, and watching Finn figure out who he wants to be now that his life and career have changed was great. Finn and Alex were a great couple and their determination to make their relationship work was wonderful to see.
I want to thank Kay Hartley and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this book. I voluntarily chose to leave a review.
No third act breakup
4/5 on the Spicy Scale
M/F
PTSD, ADHD, TBI
Contemporary Romance
December 5, 2025
Really a 3.5**
This is a dramatic romance with two people learning how to live and love with invisible disabilities.
The author really researched multiple topics outside of medical conditions and wanted to give an authentic experience for her scenes.
Where the book lost me:
-Poor grammatical editing
-Prolonged story (like 150 pages too much)
-Lots of character names with unclear associations
What kept me reading:
-The personal descriptions of the characters' medical conditions
-Therapy philosophy shared
-Seeing the characters grow
1/5 for bedroom spice for those looking more for more romance and less smut.
This author has a real heartfelt style and is unafraid to confront real-life situations. I look forward to seeing if there's a second book with some structure and style limitations.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a dramatic romance with two people learning how to live and love with invisible disabilities.
The author really researched multiple topics outside of medical conditions and wanted to give an authentic experience for her scenes.
Where the book lost me:
-Poor grammatical editing
-Prolonged story (like 150 pages too much)
-Lots of character names with unclear associations
What kept me reading:
-The personal descriptions of the characters' medical conditions
-Therapy philosophy shared
-Seeing the characters grow
1/5 for bedroom spice for those looking more for more romance and less smut.
This author has a real heartfelt style and is unafraid to confront real-life situations. I look forward to seeing if there's a second book with some structure and style limitations.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 21, 2025
A fantastic debut! This book tackled some very realistic relationship dynamics with fleshed-out characters whose personalities were distinct and nuanced.
I loved that Alex and Finn had detailed personal histories that shaped them, and real individual struggles that they had to work through. The themes were woven well throughout (flight metaphors, partnership, phoenix rising again).
A lot of the side characters had me laughing out loud in several places. Banter (especially between siblings) was on point.
Also, the author clearly researched (or knew from experience) every subject that came up, from business models to flight instruction, which grounded the story and made everything feel more immersive.
If you love books with tons of details, plus a romance that takes its time to develop thoroughly (with bits of spice sprinkled in from almost start to finish!), then you will enjoy Changing Trajectory.
Looking forward to Kay’s next book.
I loved that Alex and Finn had detailed personal histories that shaped them, and real individual struggles that they had to work through. The themes were woven well throughout (flight metaphors, partnership, phoenix rising again).
A lot of the side characters had me laughing out loud in several places. Banter (especially between siblings) was on point.
Also, the author clearly researched (or knew from experience) every subject that came up, from business models to flight instruction, which grounded the story and made everything feel more immersive.
If you love books with tons of details, plus a romance that takes its time to develop thoroughly (with bits of spice sprinkled in from almost start to finish!), then you will enjoy Changing Trajectory.
Looking forward to Kay’s next book.
December 18, 2025
A heartfelt story of Finn and Alex and the challenges they face physically, mentally and romantically.
Some parts of this hook were long winded with details we could of done without making it a longer read but an enjoyable one i would recommend reading.
The character were well written and make you want the to get their happy ending.
I read an advanced reader copy and voluntarily give this review. Thank you to the author and book sirens for giving me the opportunity to read
Some parts of this hook were long winded with details we could of done without making it a longer read but an enjoyable one i would recommend reading.
The character were well written and make you want the to get their happy ending.
I read an advanced reader copy and voluntarily give this review. Thank you to the author and book sirens for giving me the opportunity to read
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews