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Ashe Sentinel Connections #1
Changing Focus
New cover edition found here.
When two Ashe Sentinel staffers are thrown together to cover breaking news and bullets fly, it's an eye-opening experience.
Jorge is new to the Ashe Sentinel, and it's not going well. The staff doesn't respect him, and a confrontation with the sexy but arrogant senior photographer only adds to his stress. But after Mac puts him in a situation that nearly gets him shot, Jorge realizes he doesn't know as much about being a newsman as he thought he did.
Mac is frustrated by Jorge's inability to see the big picture. Journalism is about more than grammar and spell checks. When a stand-off gives him the perfect opportunity to teach Jorge a lesson, he seizes it -- but immediately regrets putting the gorgeous editor in danger.
In the aftermath, Jorge earns Mac's respect. But can Mac apologize enough for his behavior -- and his inappropriate apologies that follow -- to ever earn Jorge's affection, or will he lose his chance to the police sergeant with a flirty smile?
"Changing Focus" is the first of the Ashe Sentinel Connections series, and is a m/m romance.
When two Ashe Sentinel staffers are thrown together to cover breaking news and bullets fly, it's an eye-opening experience.
Jorge is new to the Ashe Sentinel, and it's not going well. The staff doesn't respect him, and a confrontation with the sexy but arrogant senior photographer only adds to his stress. But after Mac puts him in a situation that nearly gets him shot, Jorge realizes he doesn't know as much about being a newsman as he thought he did.
Mac is frustrated by Jorge's inability to see the big picture. Journalism is about more than grammar and spell checks. When a stand-off gives him the perfect opportunity to teach Jorge a lesson, he seizes it -- but immediately regrets putting the gorgeous editor in danger.
In the aftermath, Jorge earns Mac's respect. But can Mac apologize enough for his behavior -- and his inappropriate apologies that follow -- to ever earn Jorge's affection, or will he lose his chance to the police sergeant with a flirty smile?
"Changing Focus" is the first of the Ashe Sentinel Connections series, and is a m/m romance.
110 pages, ebook
First published August 5, 2015
26 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
D.J. Jamison
78 books993 followersDJ Jamison writes a variety of queer men finding extraordinary love through M/M Romance! She is a lifelong reader and has always loved writing and editing, with a ten-year journalism career before she began publishing romance. She has books in ebook, print, and audio, as well as German, French, and Italian translations.
DJ lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.
Join DJ's mailing list at http://tinyurl.com/DJandCompany
Join her FB group at www.facebook.com/groups/DJandCompany
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DJ lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.
Join DJ's mailing list at http://tinyurl.com/DJandCompany
Join her FB group at www.facebook.com/groups/DJandCompany
Follow her on Ko-Fi for bonus content: www.ko-fi.com/ReadingDJ
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 25, 2016
Changing Focus is a sweet short read, but it might have been a bit too short. I didn't have time to connect with the characters, as we didn't get much information about them. The book was focussing a lot on the common work of the main characters - they are working for the local newspaper of Kansas.
I got this book for free on Amazon and I have to say that it was an entertaining short read. I might read the second part in the series; I saw that it is quite a bit longer and I might even be able to find out a bit more of Mac and Jorge.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for this enemies-to-lovers story!
I got this book for free on Amazon and I have to say that it was an entertaining short read. I might read the second part in the series; I saw that it is quite a bit longer and I might even be able to find out a bit more of Mac and Jorge.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for this enemies-to-lovers story!
October 16, 2015
I purchased "Changing Focus" on Amazon and read it yesterday..... I did keep thinking as I was reading that it appeared to not be the first book in a series. I've just this morning realized that though Amazon had the title as "Changing Focus" the story that I READ is NOT! It's actually Rick's story "Source of Protection". Somehow the file got mixed up apparently and they are selling the wrong book!
UPDATE: Ms. Jamison kindly acknowledged the Amazon mix-up and offered me the correct copy of "Changing Focus". I look forward to reading it soon.
Update: I have now read Changing Focus and just want to say that while I liked it, I wish it was longer. Book #2 is actually much better.
UPDATE: Ms. Jamison kindly acknowledged the Amazon mix-up and offered me the correct copy of "Changing Focus". I look forward to reading it soon.
Update: I have now read Changing Focus and just want to say that while I liked it, I wish it was longer. Book #2 is actually much better.
May 29, 2017
I'll admit it: I hate-finished this one instead of noping out because I was *so* hoping that the main characters would NOT get together. Spoilers: they do.
So, the MC meets his love interest when said LI is complaining to other members of the newspaper staff about how, because MC cropped his photo, he must have been only hired due to affirmative action (the MC is Latino). And he decides it will be funny to call him "George" instead of Jorge, because he's a racist jerk.
And yeah, it doesn't get any better.
The LI continues to be awful, and his method of apologizing for his awfulness is gross and sexual harassment-y, and ugh, I hated this.
So, the MC meets his love interest when said LI is complaining to other members of the newspaper staff about how, because MC cropped his photo, he must have been only hired due to affirmative action (the MC is Latino). And he decides it will be funny to call him "George" instead of Jorge, because he's a racist jerk.
And yeah, it doesn't get any better.
The LI continues to be awful, and his method of apologizing for his awfulness is gross and sexual harassment-y, and ugh, I hated this.
November 14, 2016
Agradable sorpresa, comento cuando acabe la serie.
March 29, 2019
Changing Focus is the story of two newspaper staffers. Jorge, the new editor, and Mac, a senior photographer. This is told in third person from both Jorge and Mac’s povs.
November 17, 2016
Nice premise, certainly got my attention, but I'll probably have to read the next story before I decide what I think.
The story hinges on a psuedo-enemies to lover trope that I felt didn't reach it's full potential. An irritation became a misunderstanding, which was then followed by a series of awkward and uncomfortable encounters. I found Mac to be pushy and annoying for most of the book. There were moments of good-guy behavior, but most of what the author showed us was him being a jerk. Regardless of what he said, thought, or did on his own, if Mac was within insulting/groping/kissing distance of Jorge then the man lost his mind. Why Jorge put up with it, I just don't know. I can only assume his briefly mentioned previous heartbreak left him so unsure of himself that he ignored his instincts.
Overall, the story ends with a happy ending. Mac's character redeems himself somewhat and the epilogue is pretty sweet. They probably do make a better couple than I'm giving them credit for because most of the reviews are very positive. I just wish there was a little more in between the cracks.
***I read this as part of the 4-book boxset so I am assuming that this version of the story is the expanded 2nd edition.
The story hinges on a psuedo-enemies to lover trope that I felt didn't reach it's full potential. An irritation became a misunderstanding, which was then followed by a series of awkward and uncomfortable encounters. I found Mac to be pushy and annoying for most of the book. There were moments of good-guy behavior, but most of what the author showed us was him being a jerk. Regardless of what he said, thought, or did on his own, if Mac was within insulting/groping/kissing distance of Jorge then the man lost his mind. Why Jorge put up with it, I just don't know. I can only assume his briefly mentioned previous heartbreak left him so unsure of himself that he ignored his instincts.
Overall, the story ends with a happy ending. Mac's character redeems himself somewhat and the epilogue is pretty sweet. They probably do make a better couple than I'm giving them credit for because most of the reviews are very positive. I just wish there was a little more in between the cracks.
***I read this as part of the 4-book boxset so I am assuming that this version of the story is the expanded 2nd edition.
February 13, 2017
Love this two guys just wanted more story, more background and more. Love the idea of a newsroom as a center for the series.
own-but-not-read-yet
March 30, 2017currently available on instafreebie
https://www.instafreebie.com/free/tgG9z
https://www.instafreebie.com/free/tgG9z
November 23, 2019
I've read other books by this author, and I have to say, they all kind of feel the same. It's actually something that I'm finding a hard time explaining to be honest, because I just can't quite put my finger on what it is that bugs me about this book.
First of all, the sentence structure in this book is ... odd. Not always, but yeah. Once in a while I'll find the phrasing ... I mean, ugh. Ok, so for example - "Did even Archer believe .... See what I mean ? Shouldn't that be more like "Did Archer even believe ..." ? I found a lot of other sentences phrased liked this all over the book. Also, the Spanish freaking sucked. Come on, please do not use Google translate, get yourself some help from someone who went to school in a Spanish speaking country, because even if someone studied Spanish in school here, it's not the same.
The thing is, I didn't get the connection between the characters. I didn't understand Mac at all. One minute he hates the guy, the next, for some unexplained reason, he decides he likes Jorge and is going to purse him and there you go. There aren't any meaningful moments between them, hell, Jorge got a scare and thought, why not, let's be boyfriends after all !!! It felt more like their relationship came to be because they're there as opposed to because there was something real between the two men. I don't know, something major was missing for me.
First of all, the sentence structure in this book is ... odd. Not always, but yeah. Once in a while I'll find the phrasing ... I mean, ugh. Ok, so for example - "Did even Archer believe .... See what I mean ? Shouldn't that be more like "Did Archer even believe ..." ? I found a lot of other sentences phrased liked this all over the book. Also, the Spanish freaking sucked. Come on, please do not use Google translate, get yourself some help from someone who went to school in a Spanish speaking country, because even if someone studied Spanish in school here, it's not the same.
The thing is, I didn't get the connection between the characters. I didn't understand Mac at all. One minute he hates the guy, the next, for some unexplained reason, he decides he likes Jorge and is going to purse him and there you go. There aren't any meaningful moments between them, hell, Jorge got a scare and thought, why not, let's be boyfriends after all !!! It felt more like their relationship came to be because they're there as opposed to because there was something real between the two men. I don't know, something major was missing for me.
August 8, 2017
Capturing the moment
A good fast paced romance! Sort of an enemies to lovers story, but also a bit of 'pulling pigtails' to show like.
Jorge is a new transfer to the paper and is the new night editor. Being young, hispanic, and an outside transfer, he faces a lot of flac and has difficulty fitting in. To top it all off he gets on the bad side of the top photog, Mac, and finds himself constantly at odds.
Mac has worked his way up to top photographer at the Ashe Sentinel. He is proud of the work he does and hates to see it mangled by the editors. When Jorge crops one of his photos Mac goes off on him without getting the other side of the story. Mac sets out to prove that Jorge isn't cut out for his job and on doing so almost gets the other man badly hurt. Startled by his own actions, Mac sets out to make things right.
The antagonist nature of the relationship at the start was easy to understand as the two kept getting at odds and never had a situation to correct it. When Mac tries to correct it I enjoyed that it wasn't something that was simple. Even trying to be nice Mac screws everything up, and it takes real effort to make something happen between the two. It was sweet and funny and I really enjoyed reading the story, and am curious about the other characters in this little world!
A good fast paced romance! Sort of an enemies to lovers story, but also a bit of 'pulling pigtails' to show like.
Jorge is a new transfer to the paper and is the new night editor. Being young, hispanic, and an outside transfer, he faces a lot of flac and has difficulty fitting in. To top it all off he gets on the bad side of the top photog, Mac, and finds himself constantly at odds.
Mac has worked his way up to top photographer at the Ashe Sentinel. He is proud of the work he does and hates to see it mangled by the editors. When Jorge crops one of his photos Mac goes off on him without getting the other side of the story. Mac sets out to prove that Jorge isn't cut out for his job and on doing so almost gets the other man badly hurt. Startled by his own actions, Mac sets out to make things right.
The antagonist nature of the relationship at the start was easy to understand as the two kept getting at odds and never had a situation to correct it. When Mac tries to correct it I enjoyed that it wasn't something that was simple. Even trying to be nice Mac screws everything up, and it takes real effort to make something happen between the two. It was sweet and funny and I really enjoyed reading the story, and am curious about the other characters in this little world!
November 3, 2016
I thought I would give this new to me author a try. This was very well written and kept my attention, but it was kind of flat. I didn't learn anything about the characters and there was hardly any backstory/history about either one. I don't even know how hold Mac is or what his real name is. The whole "Dylan" thing threw me for a loop when it was first mentioned. So is his name Dylan Mac? Why is this important to me? I don't know. I guess I just want to know the characters.
This was also too short. I didn't want it to end, because I was sucked in. I really liked Mac and Jorge and I wanted more. I needed more meat in the middle. They went from enemies to lovers too quick.
Why did Mac want Jorge so bad? That's what I really wanted to know. Besides the reason of "Jorge is hot", why did Mac want him so bad? I didn't get it. He didn't even know Jorge and yet he's all in. Weird.
I'll be continuing on in this series.
This was also too short. I didn't want it to end, because I was sucked in. I really liked Mac and Jorge and I wanted more. I needed more meat in the middle. They went from enemies to lovers too quick.
Why did Mac want Jorge so bad? That's what I really wanted to know. Besides the reason of "Jorge is hot", why did Mac want him so bad? I didn't get it. He didn't even know Jorge and yet he's all in. Weird.
I'll be continuing on in this series.
July 14, 2018
I liked but didn’t love it. It was somewhat short but long enough that the characters could have been better developed. I really found it hard to connect with either Jorge or Mac. I don’t even remember if we were ever provided with their full names. It felt like Jorge was too uptight and stuck in the past and Mac, however sweet he wanted to be, was still a wolf in sheep’s clothing. More often than not I found myself aching for Archer and Rick to find their HEA - will have to see since they both get their own stories in this series - than caring about the main characters. The epilogue was sort of a let down. I think more could have been done with this story.
One thing I will give high praise for is the overall writing/editing. Think what you want about the story itself, but it is well written and clearly had proper proofreading and editing.
One thing I will give high praise for is the overall writing/editing. Think what you want about the story itself, but it is well written and clearly had proper proofreading and editing.
July 15, 2019
I absolutely love this series!!!! I usually don't like novellas but these are absolutely perfect. There really is no one real reason, except for the fact that I have absolutely fallen in love with each character. The are all so we'll written.
dnf-not-for-me
January 8, 2021Character makes a racist remark excuses it to himself because he’s angry, also insulting the Latino guy by deliberately mispronouncing his name. I don’t care if the two somehow get past it eventually, it’s racism.
August 1, 2018
3 stars
February 16, 2019
📝 📸
I enjoyed reading this book 📖. Liked the characters: Jorge and Dylan especially. Glad it worked out for everyone - can’t wait to read the next book 📖. Love 💗 the happy ending.👍🏼
I enjoyed reading this book 📖. Liked the characters: Jorge and Dylan especially. Glad it worked out for everyone - can’t wait to read the next book 📖. Love 💗 the happy ending.👍🏼
March 11, 2021
3.25⭐️
Wow instalove on speed!
Wow instalove on speed!
April 4, 2021
3.5
So this wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. Mac was just kind of a dick, and I would let that go if his default way to get under someone's skin was to bring race into it. That's not cool.
So this wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. Mac was just kind of a dick, and I would let that go if his default way to get under someone's skin was to bring race into it. That's not cool.
April 11, 2022
Their relationship was awfully fast.
November 23, 2024
Cute fast read and a good introduction to the Ashe Sentinel series of stand alone stories.
January 7, 2019
Fun, quirky, small town newspaper and romance at work. With more angles than a camera lens and plenty of spice this book is the beginning to a fun series.
November 10, 2015
This series of books were enjoyable reads with interesting characters and unique plots. Usually with series I enjoy the first book more than the sequels, but in this case it was the opposite. The first book was just meh, the second book somewhat better and the third really, really entertaining.
All the books are set in Ashe, Kansas and the local newspaper the Ashe Sentinel.
Book one features two employees of the Sentinel—Editor Jorge and photographer Mac. Right away the two don’t get along because Jorge cut off part of Mac’s photo and changed his cutline. I spent a handful of years as a reporter so I have some experience in the newspaper industry and it was always up to the editor what they did with pictures and cutlines. It was the photographer’s job to take the picture and nothing more. As a result I found this drama somewhat unrealistic. However, according to the author’s bio she worked in newsrooms for many years so it’s possible things are different all over.
Jorge and Mac report to a scene where a shooting is occurring and Mac thinks it would be funny to try and get Jorge in trouble. His practical joke backfires and Jorge ends up in danger instead. From then on both Jorge and Mac look at each other differently.
The romance and relationship is fairly by the numbers here and the newspaper setting isn’t utilized for what it could be. The characters don’t have much depth and I never really cared about them or the relationship.
3 stars.
All the books are set in Ashe, Kansas and the local newspaper the Ashe Sentinel.
Book one features two employees of the Sentinel—Editor Jorge and photographer Mac. Right away the two don’t get along because Jorge cut off part of Mac’s photo and changed his cutline. I spent a handful of years as a reporter so I have some experience in the newspaper industry and it was always up to the editor what they did with pictures and cutlines. It was the photographer’s job to take the picture and nothing more. As a result I found this drama somewhat unrealistic. However, according to the author’s bio she worked in newsrooms for many years so it’s possible things are different all over.
Jorge and Mac report to a scene where a shooting is occurring and Mac thinks it would be funny to try and get Jorge in trouble. His practical joke backfires and Jorge ends up in danger instead. From then on both Jorge and Mac look at each other differently.
The romance and relationship is fairly by the numbers here and the newspaper setting isn’t utilized for what it could be. The characters don’t have much depth and I never really cared about them or the relationship.
3 stars.
February 4, 2017
Jorge Ortiz is a new editor of Ashe Sentinel who had past haunting trauma and a new life he’d started to deal with. However, an arrogant but experienced photographer Mac was looking down on him and was so hostile towards him.
And then there was the breaking news that somehow changed their perspectives of each other.
Now this is a really short read, comparing to some other books I've read. One thing I've always hated about short stories is the inadequate explanation and portraying of the characters' personality. The problem was not really visible in this one. We can get a really clear image about how Mac was almost too egoistical, and how much Jorge was wrecked by his tragic past.
I like the way how Mac brought light to Jorge's life once again with his numerous attempts to "apologize" and as well as the
Though the book could have been a little bit longer and with more plots, but overall I enjoyed this book fairly well.
(Sweet sweet sweet.)
And then there was the breaking news that somehow changed their perspectives of each other.
Now this is a really short read, comparing to some other books I've read. One thing I've always hated about short stories is the inadequate explanation and portraying of the characters' personality. The problem was not really visible in this one. We can get a really clear image about how Mac was almost too egoistical, and how much Jorge was wrecked by his tragic past.
I like the way how Mac brought light to Jorge's life once again with his numerous attempts to "apologize" and as well as the
Though the book could have been a little bit longer and with more plots, but overall I enjoyed this book fairly well.
(Sweet sweet sweet.)
November 20, 2016
I was a little skeptical when I started this story as I usually do not like shorter reads. I do wish this one had been a little longer so that we could have gotten more detail but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed it.
In the beginning I HATED Mac. He was an egotistical jerk who I thought was going to be an nonredeemable character. He was surprisingly sweet though and won me over with his determination and good heart. Even though I liked Jorge I think I wound up liking Mac even more because it seemed to me that I got to see more character development from him.
If you want a fun short read that is a little sexy and a little sweet then this is a good one to try!
In the beginning I HATED Mac. He was an egotistical jerk who I thought was going to be an nonredeemable character. He was surprisingly sweet though and won me over with his determination and good heart. Even though I liked Jorge I think I wound up liking Mac even more because it seemed to me that I got to see more character development from him.
If you want a fun short read that is a little sexy and a little sweet then this is a good one to try!
February 24, 2016
I'm a bit conflicted about this book.
I enjoyed it, it's well written and kept my attention but it's so short there's too much missing. There's no character history or any real chance to understand and buy into the attraction between the two characters.
There so much dancing around each other but then all of a sudden they've hooked up, thrown the boyfriend word around and bam it's the end.
I really wanted to like Mac and Jorge but I felt like I wasn't given the chance.
There's potential, but for me it's just far too rushed.
I enjoyed it, it's well written and kept my attention but it's so short there's too much missing. There's no character history or any real chance to understand and buy into the attraction between the two characters.
There so much dancing around each other but then all of a sudden they've hooked up, thrown the boyfriend word around and bam it's the end.
I really wanted to like Mac and Jorge but I felt like I wasn't given the chance.
There's potential, but for me it's just far too rushed.
April 8, 2016
For a shory story (approx 18,000 words) and the beginning of a series, Ms. Jamison does a very good job of beginning, middle and ending for this HFN novella.
Her MCs, Jorge, night editor for Ashe Sentinel and Mac, photographer for the same paper, rub each other the wrong way from the very start. It is fun to watch them as they both continuously draw the wrong conclusions about one another before finally coming to the realization that they each one have the serious hots for the other.
Well worth the read and looking forward to the next installment of the Ashe Sentinel series.
Her MCs, Jorge, night editor for Ashe Sentinel and Mac, photographer for the same paper, rub each other the wrong way from the very start. It is fun to watch them as they both continuously draw the wrong conclusions about one another before finally coming to the realization that they each one have the serious hots for the other.
Well worth the read and looking forward to the next installment of the Ashe Sentinel series.
July 30, 2016
A good start of this series with two interesting character.
Some parts could have been a bit more developed, because I have the feeling something was missing...
I also was confused by the switch from "Mac" to "Dylan" because - or maybe I overread it - I didn't know why he has this nickname...
Some actions by Mac were a bit in a hurry, rushed and maybe too fast but all in all very hot.
It's a pity the most erotical scenes were lightly faded out, although you could feel the chemistry between the character. :3
4,5 out of 5 stars. Rounded up.
Some parts could have been a bit more developed, because I have the feeling something was missing...
I also was confused by the switch from "Mac" to "Dylan" because - or maybe I overread it - I didn't know why he has this nickname...
Some actions by Mac were a bit in a hurry, rushed and maybe too fast but all in all very hot.
It's a pity the most erotical scenes were lightly faded out, although you could feel the chemistry between the character. :3
4,5 out of 5 stars. Rounded up.
September 7, 2015
A short but good enemies to lovers story which creates a good base for the second book. Mac is a hard guy to like, and for most of the story I hated him. But, by the end, the author was able to make him an endearing, quirky character that I liked. It was a freebie and is recommended that it be read before book 2.
January 15, 2017
As it is often the case, this short story could have been so much better had the author taken the time to develop her characters and plot thoroughly.
As it is, it is enjoyable and it has a HEA, but I missed more interaction between the leads who end by appearing more of a whining child than they really are.
As it is, it is enjoyable and it has a HEA, but I missed more interaction between the leads who end by appearing more of a whining child than they really are.
April 9, 2017
I loved this book! The characters were each strong in their own right so the chemistry sizzled from the beginning. Each made mistakes which made them more human, believable and sympathetic. This is the first book I've read by D.J. but I'm looking forward to many more. She presents a story and characters that are realistic and overall enjoyable. Loved the HEA!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews