Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you love is set them free, and hope that one day they may come back to you.
High School Sweethearts Lucas and Amelia were about to embark on a fresh start to college together when seemingly out of nowhere Lucas broke off their relationship. Amelia has spent the past eight years rebuilding her life, away from her small town but after a relationship breakdown she finds herself back home in Rosehaven.
Lucas has never left the small town, running a local mechanic shop and working as much as possible to keep stray thoughts at bay. He divides his time between his work and his family, never worrying too much about himself.
The two find themselves working in close quarters as Amelia struggles to maintain her grudge against Lucas Weatherston. Lucas is desperately trying to win her back over whilst trying to keep his reasons for the past a secret.
Amelia is keeping a secret too, and now Lucas is in danger.
Thank you to Caz for the ARC copy and for putting up with me being impatient waiting for it as well as my constant stream of live reactions 😂
Move over men of rosehaven, Lucas has arrived!! And he did not disappoint. I loved this book, I loved his relationships with his family, with Amelia and how selfless he is.
The characters are so relatable, Caz writes her books where you really feel seen as a reader and they never disappoint. Each book has different representation, each one unique and all are so important to show in books.
I enjoyed how dark the later chapters were and the suspense I’ve come to expect with these books. It makes you so emotional as you become so deeply invested in these characters. The prologue alone had me worrying! And that first line 😣😱
Tropes:
✅ high school sweethearts ✅ second chance romance ✅ character development ✅ relatable characters ✅ forced proximity ✅ he has a nickname for her
Favourite quotes:
“Except he was barely even paying attention to her. He was looking at me.”
“You’re perfect as you are, and you deserve someone who loves you for who you are.”
Switching Gears was my first trip into Caz Redpath’s Rosehaven series, and honestly? I didn’t feel lost for a second. The world, the characters, the dynamics — everything was so naturally established that instead of feeling behind, I felt intrigued. It made me want to go back and devour the first two books just to spend more time with this cast.
At the centre of this story are childhood sweethearts turned strangers, Lucas and Amelia — and wow, their journeys hit hard.
Lucas is introduced as this goofy, sunshine‑coded, family‑obsessed sweetheart. He’s the kind of man who works himself raw trying to build something meaningful, who teases his siblings, who shows up for everyone with a smile and a joke. But behind closed doors? He’s drowning. His depression, his loneliness, the quiet moments where he contemplates giving up — those scenes absolutely gutted me. He’s the one who makes sure everyone else is okay, and yet no one sees how much he’s hurting. It’s heartbreaking in a very real, very human way.
And then there’s Amelia, who is barely holding herself together. Stuck in a toxic relationship with a fiancé who belittles her, financially supporting him and her mother, hating her job, and pushed so far she ends up borrowing money from a loan shark — she’s exhausted, trapped, and desperate for a way out. When she discovers her fiancé cheating, she finally snaps and returns home, determined to rebuild her life… even if it means working alongside the man who once shattered her heart.
Their reunion is messy, tender, and full of that delicious emotional friction. Amelia tries so hard to hate Lucas — and honestly, given the way he ended things, she has every right — but their history is woven through every interaction. The teasing, the familiarity, the longing they both pretend not to feel… it’s all there, simmering. I loved that their backstory wasn’t dumped in one go; it’s revealed slowly, naturally, in a way that deepens their connection and makes their second‑chance arc feel earned.
The plot takes a darker turn when Amelia’s past choices catch up with her, adding a thread of danger that raises the stakes. I do wish this tension had been pushed even further — more emotional depth, more threat, more intensity — because the bones of it were so strong and could have easily carried a bigger punch.
As this was an ARC, there were a few sentence structure issues and moments where the emotional beats could have been explored more deeply. But even with that, Caz’s intent and heart were clear. The story kept me engaged, the characters felt real, and the emotional groundwork was solid enough to keep me invested from start to finish.
Overall, Switching Gears is a heartfelt, emotionally grounded second‑chance romance with two characters who are trying so hard to survive their own lives while rediscovering each other. I enjoyed it, and I’m genuinely excited to go back and read the first two books to fill in the rest of the Rosehaven world. With a little more emotional exploration and heightened danger, this easily could have been a five‑star read for me — but it still left me eager for more.
"If I couldn't make myself happy, at least I could make others happy instead."
"In a place that was supposed to be my home, I felt like an outsider."
Ohhhh Lucas, how I have waited for you!! And you were so worth the wait!!! I also loved Amelia. The way she finally stood up and walked away from her douchey ex is amazing and her return to Rosehaven, specifically her first re-encounter with Lucas, is perfect!
I love how Caz takes you along with Lucas and Amelia in such a tender way, watching from the sidelines as they found their lives entangled once again. The way Caz writes self deprecating characters is so beautiful; Lucas and his humour to hide behind for one.
I love how Amelia calls out Elijah on his grumpiness, she clearly had his number since they were teens haha! And I love how Daines comes into this one again, like I'm not chomping at the bit for more of him in Rosehaven 😉
The fallout as the book hits the final stretch is fast paced and you find yourself waiting with baited breath to see who survives the chaos. Will Lucas and Amelia get their happy ending? With Caz you genuinely never know; she's a terror who likes to make people sweat and cry 🤣
I loved loved loved this instalment and am forever grateful to my friend Caz for giving us Lucas, but also so immensely proud of her for this one. My #freelucas campaign finally paid off and I'm so bloody glad!
If you haven't read any of Caz's work, please go and check out the first two books in this series, or her Love on the Underground series.
I’ve been ready for Lucas’ book from day one, ever since ARC-reading Elijah’s book in 2024.
It’s been a while, but I always remembered Lucas as a good-natured guy, but here I learned that it wasn’t so simple inside, because he had his share of mental struggles. He told a lie I couldn’t fully forgive him for, but he still had a charm I found hard to ignore, and I found myself still wanting him to be happy. Despite his inner struggles, he was a gracious man and always looked out for Amelia’s best interests. That seems to be a trend with the Weatherston family.
Amelia seemed to have the short end of the stick (especially in the beginning), but I always rooted for her to come out on top. She was strong and stood on her own two feet. She did hold a grudge towards Lucas, but over time, she was finding it difficult to hold on to.
The writing was fast-paced, heartwarming, and suspenseful, all of which are the author’s specialty. Caz is so good at writing mental health rep, and it makes me feel represented. Despite my reservations about Lucas, I enjoyed reading about his and Amelia’s relationship and was rooting for them to work out again.
TW: toxic relationship, infidelity, grief, loss of a parent, alcohol abuse, violence, murder, depression, kidnapping
"There wasn't anything I wouldn't do to keep my girl safe"
Lucas has officially taken the top spot! Absolutely loved this story, Lucas my baby ugh, he's so selfless and obsessed (we love an obsessed man)🙂↕️
The suspense kept me on edge from the very first line, progressing onto Lucas & Amelia being forced back into each others lives and the darker shift in the end chapters I was completely hooked
Lucas has been mentioned throughout Rosehaven and we see a cheeky, full of life man but behind closed doors he was really struggling 🤧 Caz has a beautiful way of making people feel seen and held rather than alone, proving that even in our darkest chapters, theres room for healing🫶🏻
Special shoutout to my man Daines & Lucy-Lou🥹 & Amelias mum who said your life falling apart? No worries, come home ill look after you 🥺 I aspire to be like her 💖
Lastly, 🖕🏻you Josh
If your a fan off childhood sweethearts/ second chance / forced promoxity/ obsessed MMC then mark your calendars for May 8th!
Thank you to Caz Redpath for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest review.
The story follows Amelia and Lucas, two high school sweethearts who were set to move into a city after their graduation but instead they broke up right before the night they were supposed to move. Now eight years later Amelia is back in her home town leaving a job and her past relationship trying to pay a hefty debt she took and simultaneously trying to care if she sick mother. Lucas spends all his day in the workshop he owns, working on cars and trying to forget how lonely he is but when Amelia shows up on his shop for a new job, they both find themselves wondering how different their present and future could’ve been of the were still together.
The book was a quick read with short chapters (which i loved!!) but the pacing itself wasn’t constant, the book started very slow and up until 70% not really much was happening other than the MC’s trying to get over what happened in the past and get together, which would have been fine if one of the tropes of the book wasn’t “romance suspense” and the suspense part wasn’t really… suspenseful.
After absolutely reading the first 2 books in the Rosehaven series, I was honoured to be able to ARC read ‘Switching Gears’ so thank you so much for choosing me to ARC read this Caz! 🩷
‘Switching Gears’ did not disappoint! Lucas & Amelia finding their happiness was so heartwarming, even though there were lots of tension and plot twists, that had me gripped. 🫶🏻
All of the characters, in all of these books, are always so relatable and work well with each other. Lucas’ relationships with the people around him is so lovely, the way he treats his mum and siblings, he always tries his best to make everyone happy while he is struggling himself and also how selfless he is with Amelia.
I also really appreciate the touches on topics of physical and mental health issues, as an individual who suffers from both of these, I found the way they were written very nicely. Caz always aims at writing characters we can relate to in lots of ways and makes us feel seen. 💜
I would highly recommend giving this book (and the others in this series!!) a read when it becomes published on 08/05/2026. I would recommend this book if you like; 💕 Forced proximity 💕 Workplace romances 💕 Small town romance 💕 Suspense & thrilling aspects 💕 Found family
Thank you again Caz for allowing me to ARC read this! 🫶🏻 💕
Once I started I couldn’t stop. I was hooked from the first page!
I have so much love for Lucas. Everything he does, whether it’s good or bad, he’s done out of the goodness of his heart, for the people he loves. He’s so protective. Lucas wants everyone to be happy, but he forgets about himself a long the way. Lucas melts my heart. I felt every single emotion reading this book. The relationship Lucas has with his family is unbreakable. So supportive of each other.
All the characters are so relatable. I’ve got very invested in these characters. Such an emotional rollercoaster.
Caz is a fantastic writer! She writes her books so us readers feel seen!
The suspense- fantastic! This book is fast paced. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to put it down once you start!
Quote - Sometimes the best decisions were the ones that hurt the most.
Tropes 💚Second chance 💜Forced Proximity 💚Romantic suspense 💜Small town 💚Found family 💜Former high school sweethearts
Its never a bad time when you are reading a Caz Redpath book and since this is THE LUCAS WEATHERSTON book you can imagine what a great time this was!!
A second chance romance with childhood bestfriends, a golden retriever MMC and a darkness hanging over their new chance for love. Its all you could want and more!
I really enjoyed this book and Amelia and Lucas are the best sweethearts with lots of heartwarming moments together with all that comes with the realities of life squeezed inbetween.
A big extra bonus is the amazing sibling bond between Lucas, Alice and Elijah 💕
This was so wholesome and perfect for Lucas. Though the suspense kept me on the edge and the last few chapters were not good for my heart rate!
But wow this was so perfect just like the other books. I didn’t realise how much i missed all these characters until I was reading and immersed in them again.
I don’t usually do second chance romance, but this was so flawlessly done that I can’t help but love it!
The family in this is just perfect and I’m so glad I got to spend time with them again!
I absolutely love the Rosehaven series and the characters have found a place in my heart!
I was so worried about this book because the fan base is protective of Lucas 🤣 and after Lucy and James’s story I wasn’t sure what I was in for. But this was another amazing book by Caz! Bring on the next one xx
Loved it - The characters are sensitive and their emotions dealt with sensitively which makes a good easy read . Enjoyed the way the chapters give each main character their own view point