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Tracefinder #2
Tracefinder: Changes
Brian can Find a lost child or a wanted criminal, but when his secret gets out, even Nick’s skills and connections may not be enough to keep them safe. Brian Kerr is now free of his dangerous boss and his domineering brother. He’s eager to start using his psychic Finding talent to help people, if he can figure out how to do that safely. His dyslexia, and his tendency to act simpleminded under stress, make building his new life a daunting challenge. And while his not-quite-boyfriend, Nick, is willing to support him, in bed and out of it, Brian doesn’t want to lean on Nick. If their relationship is going anywhere, he has to be a full partner and handle his own problems. Nick Rugo’s walking a tightrope instead of settling into the ordinary cop’s life he’d hoped for. He’s hiding too many things from too many people. He has told professional and unprofessional lies that will come back to haunt him. Now, with Brian determined to start Finding again, he’s not sure he can protect the man he cares for. If all that wasn’t enough to make him start punching walls, he also has a suspicion that Brian’s brother Damon and sister Lori may be out there, lurking, ready to complicate their lives.
469 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2016
17 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Kaje Harper
92 books2,731 followersI get asked about my name a lot. It's not something exotic, though. “Kaje” is pronounced just like “cage” – it’s an old nickname, and my pronouns are she/her/hers.
I was born in Montreal but have lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home.
I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – fifty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi…) I also have a few Young Adult stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.)
My husband finally convinced me that after all the years of writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing four novels and three freebie short stories in that series. I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received.
I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published. A complete list with links can be found on my website "Books" page at https://kajeharper.com/.
You can find me and my book reviews on my author page here on Goodreads - I hang out on Goodreads a lot because I moderate the Goodreads YA LGBT Books group. I also post free short YA stories on that group, more than 50 of them so far.
You can also find me on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper
I was born in Montreal but have lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home.
I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – fifty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi…) I also have a few Young Adult stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.)
My husband finally convinced me that after all the years of writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing four novels and three freebie short stories in that series. I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received.
I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published. A complete list with links can be found on my website "Books" page at https://kajeharper.com/.
You can find me and my book reviews on my author page here on Goodreads - I hang out on Goodreads a lot because I moderate the Goodreads YA LGBT Books group. I also post free short YA stories on that group, more than 50 of them so far.
You can also find me on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper
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August 5, 2016I'm seeing a couple of people already asking if there will be a book 3 - yes, there will. Probably out early 2017, since I have at least one before it.
Book 3 will mostly wrap up Nick and Brian's HEA
Book 4 is tentatively planned for another guy in the series...
Book 3 will mostly wrap up Nick and Brian's HEA
Book 4 is tentatively planned for another guy in the series...
April 28, 2020
Mostly, I enjoyed this book because Kaje Harper wrote it. I know that sounds weird, so let me explain.
Despite the very strong points of the first book, I never fell in love with this couple, and this book wasn’t as good as the first one, in terms of plot. There was an interesting development at the beginning, then something happened that I found very frustrating and then it became a little (or more than a little) OTT. That’s usually bad, but this time I enjoyed the OTT turn because by that point I was really worried I’d have to settle for a long stretch of frustrating. I was dreading that so much that I had already started considering a DNF, something that in my world is never associated with a Kaje Harper book.
So, the OTT saved the day. And Kaje’s writing did the rest. I don’t know how she does it, but there’s something about her storytelling that makes me sink into what I’m reading and enjoy it even if I’m not loving it. I can’t explain it, it just works for me and I find myself giving 3 stars to books that in another author’s hands I would’ve probably not even finished.
Definitely not my favorite book (or series) by this author, but I may give the third book a chance. If nothing else, I’m curious to see what will happen to and with Damon (and Damon and Doc, there’s definitely a story there). Sorry to Nick and Brian, I know they’re the MCs, but the morally-ambiguous, to put it mildly, brother stole my attention. Even if I wanted somebody to slap him upside the head half the times he opened his mouth.
Despite the very strong points of the first book, I never fell in love with this couple, and this book wasn’t as good as the first one, in terms of plot. There was an interesting development at the beginning, then something happened that I found very frustrating and then it became a little (or more than a little) OTT. That’s usually bad, but this time I enjoyed the OTT turn because by that point I was really worried I’d have to settle for a long stretch of frustrating. I was dreading that so much that I had already started considering a DNF, something that in my world is never associated with a Kaje Harper book.
So, the OTT saved the day. And Kaje’s writing did the rest. I don’t know how she does it, but there’s something about her storytelling that makes me sink into what I’m reading and enjoy it even if I’m not loving it. I can’t explain it, it just works for me and I find myself giving 3 stars to books that in another author’s hands I would’ve probably not even finished.
Definitely not my favorite book (or series) by this author, but I may give the third book a chance. If nothing else, I’m curious to see what will happen to and with Damon (and Damon and Doc, there’s definitely a story there). Sorry to Nick and Brian, I know they’re the MCs, but the morally-ambiguous, to put it mildly, brother stole my attention. Even if I wanted somebody to slap him upside the head half the times he opened his mouth.
dnf
August 18, 2016DNF at 25%
I’m so not invested in this story.
I like my romance to be at least a bit romantic… So far all we have are doubts and caution. I am not seeing real love here, or even the beginning of it. Brian deserves someone that loves him, not someone that blames him for all the bad stuff that has happened.
I’m so not invested in this story.
I like my romance to be at least a bit romantic… So far all we have are doubts and caution. I am not seeing real love here, or even the beginning of it. Brian deserves someone that loves him, not someone that blames him for all the bad stuff that has happened.
March 2, 2017
This builds beautifully on the groundwork of book one, and still manages to consistently surprise, going in directions I never would have imagined.
Bottom line: I WANT BOOK THREE!!!!!!
Bottom line: I WANT BOOK THREE!!!!!!
September 10, 2016
Tracefinder: Changes (Book 2)
Kaje Harper
Published 2016
Cover design, Sidney Lowell of Creative Minds
Five stars
I really didn’t want to give this five stars. It seems too much. Of course, as the second in a series, it didn’t have the novelty that book one (Contact) had, and with all the main characters established, what was going to pull me into Brian and Nick’s world that would make it as compelling as the first book was?
Truth is, the key points that made the first book in this series so compelling – the complex personalities of Brian and Nick, and the painful moral ambiguity in which they find themselves – are still central to the plot and the emotional structure of this book. And they’re not simply reiterated, they’re developed. It’s not as if the good guys and the bad guys are every really confused with each other, it’s that Brian and Nick are very clearly on the side of the angels, although their purity, by police standards anyway, is seriously compromised by both their own choices and the actions of the police themselves. Indeed, the messy plot of this book brings to mind the bedeviled Donovan family in the cable TV series “Ray Donovan.”
Nick Rugo is still caught between his duty to the Minneapolis Police Department and his increasingly undeniable love for Brian. Brian Kerr is caught between his love for Nick, and his love for his siblings, Lori and Damon, who have spent their lives—and compromised their lives—to protect him. Even Damon, who is clearly a bad guy, has done terrible things only in order to protect his younger sister and brother. Damon is almost a tragic figure here, because doing bad things for good reasons still makes you bad, without diminishing the love that is the reason behind those desperate actions.
Brian is a remarkable figure. Hiding behind a false personality, “Bry,” that allows people to believe him to be disabled or stupid, his inability to be calculating or selfish is both his greatest appeal and his most dangerous weakness.
All of this comes home with spectacular violence when Nick’s good-faith efforts to work with the police lead to disaster, and Damon feels he can stay hidden no longer. The bottom line is that Brian’s gift, his ability to Find missing people with psychic precision, continues to be a valuable commodity that, once understood, corrupts good intentions and fans the flames of evil ones.
Harper ends this book, as she did the first one, in a satisfying way that leaves loose threads untied and the door wide open into the next volume. She also leaves her readers anxious to know what will happen, without feeling at all cheated. Bravo. I’ll be here when book 3 appears.
Kaje Harper
Published 2016
Cover design, Sidney Lowell of Creative Minds
Five stars
I really didn’t want to give this five stars. It seems too much. Of course, as the second in a series, it didn’t have the novelty that book one (Contact) had, and with all the main characters established, what was going to pull me into Brian and Nick’s world that would make it as compelling as the first book was?
Truth is, the key points that made the first book in this series so compelling – the complex personalities of Brian and Nick, and the painful moral ambiguity in which they find themselves – are still central to the plot and the emotional structure of this book. And they’re not simply reiterated, they’re developed. It’s not as if the good guys and the bad guys are every really confused with each other, it’s that Brian and Nick are very clearly on the side of the angels, although their purity, by police standards anyway, is seriously compromised by both their own choices and the actions of the police themselves. Indeed, the messy plot of this book brings to mind the bedeviled Donovan family in the cable TV series “Ray Donovan.”
Nick Rugo is still caught between his duty to the Minneapolis Police Department and his increasingly undeniable love for Brian. Brian Kerr is caught between his love for Nick, and his love for his siblings, Lori and Damon, who have spent their lives—and compromised their lives—to protect him. Even Damon, who is clearly a bad guy, has done terrible things only in order to protect his younger sister and brother. Damon is almost a tragic figure here, because doing bad things for good reasons still makes you bad, without diminishing the love that is the reason behind those desperate actions.
Brian is a remarkable figure. Hiding behind a false personality, “Bry,” that allows people to believe him to be disabled or stupid, his inability to be calculating or selfish is both his greatest appeal and his most dangerous weakness.
All of this comes home with spectacular violence when Nick’s good-faith efforts to work with the police lead to disaster, and Damon feels he can stay hidden no longer. The bottom line is that Brian’s gift, his ability to Find missing people with psychic precision, continues to be a valuable commodity that, once understood, corrupts good intentions and fans the flames of evil ones.
Harper ends this book, as she did the first one, in a satisfying way that leaves loose threads untied and the door wide open into the next volume. She also leaves her readers anxious to know what will happen, without feeling at all cheated. Bravo. I’ll be here when book 3 appears.
August 13, 2025
Ugh, that was so freaking awesome! I must continue by reading the third book
I love that Brian has settled in himself and is trusting his own wisdom! The ending of this book is pure gold. And I cannot wait for the third book
I love that Brian has settled in himself and is trusting his own wisdom! The ending of this book is pure gold. And I cannot wait for the third book
August 18, 2016
I am a little disappointed with this sequel.
Its very long, almost too long. I didn't think a lot happened for the page count.
We see Nick and Brian adapting to life together and its not until about halfway that Damon comes back into the story.
Strange though it might seem I really dislike the cover model . He is so not what I think Brian should look like and that put me off.
This book leaves Brian and Nick with their HEA but I wonder if that will be the end of the story or whether a third book will be out to finish of Damons story.
Its very long, almost too long. I didn't think a lot happened for the page count.
We see Nick and Brian adapting to life together and its not until about halfway that Damon comes back into the story.
Strange though it might seem I really dislike the cover model . He is so not what I think Brian should look like and that put me off.
This book leaves Brian and Nick with their HEA but I wonder if that will be the end of the story or whether a third book will be out to finish of Damons story.
August 20, 2016
When author Kaje Harper released the first novel in her Tracefinder series, I will admit I fell in love with her characters Brian and Nick–such an odd pairing that was just somehow so very right, and a slow building relationship that I was unsure would ever come to be, but amazingly was! We were left hanging at the end of Contact, wondering where these two guys would go from there, with so many potential relational pitfalls looming as well as the threat of interference, or worse, from Brian’s less than savory siblings. Well, I can happily say the wait is over for fans of that first installment with the release of Tracefinder: Changes. I dare say that the challenge for me now will be to find enough superlatives to laud this delightfully angsty and fast paced gem of a story. This is also the best time to tell you that if you have not read Tracefinder: Contact, you need to do so before reading any further, as this review will be one big spoiler for those not familiar with the series’ beginnings.
Picking up directly from where the prior one left off, we are handed front row seats to the ever frustrating, but oh so fascinating, Nick Rugo and his ongoing struggle to walk the fine line between his duty as a law enforcement officer and his growing attraction for a young man who has been on the wrong side of the law for way too long. Recognizing again that Brian was not to blame for his help in finding those his brother was hired to kill, Nick wants only to protect Brian, help him unravel the confusion he has between who he really is (Brian) and who he has played at being (Bry) for most of his life. Plagued by dyslexia, which has left him unable to read even simple texts, Brian struggles to be the adult he knows Nick must see in order for their relationship to grow at all. The problem he faces is that it’s just so easy to tune out, become that sweet simpleton Bry has always been, and hide in the safety of that persona–particularly when the stress of daily living becomes overwhelming for him.
Making the decision to be who he really is goes hand-in-hand with using his gift for “finding” for a good cause, as opposed to the criminal way he’d been forced into doing when under the thumb of Mr. Marston. Brian is determined to begin making decisions for himself, and that means using his abilities to find those who are in need—those he can feel good about helping. The problem is that once he begins down that road, it will expose him to everyone—including the bad guys, one of which is his own brother. Meanwhile, Nick walks a tightrope of his own, primarily due to the lies he has told concerning how Brian escaped, Marston died, and Lori and Damon disappeared before the police could capture them. All this comes to bear in this second novel, creating a tension that will remain taut and provoke Nick into doing things he would never have considered before meeting Brian. So many dice are thrown in this novel in the hopes of coming up with snake eyes and winning the game, only to discover that dice will indeed fall where they may, and no one will walk away the same.
SPOILER WARNING
Suffice it to say that those characters we have come to both loath and love survive this action-packed sequel, but how they manage it and in what shape they come to be by novel’s end is something you will have to discover on your own. What I can tell you is that author Kaje Harper does what she excels at by delving deeply into her characters, exposing their flaws, their foibles and their gold-lined hearts. Through storytelling that exceeds your every expectation, she draws you into her imaginative world that smacks of such realism you hardly dare breathe for fear of what peril may be around the next corner. Nick and Brian, along with a new character, Charlie (an old police buddy of Nick’s), wrap around your heart, and their travels and trials keep you on the edge of your seat, at times fearing the worst may befall them. Never fear, though; Ms. Harper draws you back from the edge time and time again and gives you a short-lived breathing spell until she tosses her boys back into the fray. Tracefinder: Changes offers up a plethora of action including murder, kidnapping, mayhem and danger all rolled into one amazing story that leaves you begging for more at novel’s end. On top of all that, there is a hard won growing love story that will leave you with all the warm feelings you can handle after such a roller coaster ride.
I think I may have run out of superlatives at last, so let me simply sum up this review by saying that once again Kaje Harper delivers an exciting story rife with incredibly well drawn characters and a tightly constructed plot that has more than its fair share of action, drama and heart-stopping moments. Tracefinder: Changes is not to be missed, and I highly recommend it to you.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
Picking up directly from where the prior one left off, we are handed front row seats to the ever frustrating, but oh so fascinating, Nick Rugo and his ongoing struggle to walk the fine line between his duty as a law enforcement officer and his growing attraction for a young man who has been on the wrong side of the law for way too long. Recognizing again that Brian was not to blame for his help in finding those his brother was hired to kill, Nick wants only to protect Brian, help him unravel the confusion he has between who he really is (Brian) and who he has played at being (Bry) for most of his life. Plagued by dyslexia, which has left him unable to read even simple texts, Brian struggles to be the adult he knows Nick must see in order for their relationship to grow at all. The problem he faces is that it’s just so easy to tune out, become that sweet simpleton Bry has always been, and hide in the safety of that persona–particularly when the stress of daily living becomes overwhelming for him.
Making the decision to be who he really is goes hand-in-hand with using his gift for “finding” for a good cause, as opposed to the criminal way he’d been forced into doing when under the thumb of Mr. Marston. Brian is determined to begin making decisions for himself, and that means using his abilities to find those who are in need—those he can feel good about helping. The problem is that once he begins down that road, it will expose him to everyone—including the bad guys, one of which is his own brother. Meanwhile, Nick walks a tightrope of his own, primarily due to the lies he has told concerning how Brian escaped, Marston died, and Lori and Damon disappeared before the police could capture them. All this comes to bear in this second novel, creating a tension that will remain taut and provoke Nick into doing things he would never have considered before meeting Brian. So many dice are thrown in this novel in the hopes of coming up with snake eyes and winning the game, only to discover that dice will indeed fall where they may, and no one will walk away the same.
SPOILER WARNING
Suffice it to say that those characters we have come to both loath and love survive this action-packed sequel, but how they manage it and in what shape they come to be by novel’s end is something you will have to discover on your own. What I can tell you is that author Kaje Harper does what she excels at by delving deeply into her characters, exposing their flaws, their foibles and their gold-lined hearts. Through storytelling that exceeds your every expectation, she draws you into her imaginative world that smacks of such realism you hardly dare breathe for fear of what peril may be around the next corner. Nick and Brian, along with a new character, Charlie (an old police buddy of Nick’s), wrap around your heart, and their travels and trials keep you on the edge of your seat, at times fearing the worst may befall them. Never fear, though; Ms. Harper draws you back from the edge time and time again and gives you a short-lived breathing spell until she tosses her boys back into the fray. Tracefinder: Changes offers up a plethora of action including murder, kidnapping, mayhem and danger all rolled into one amazing story that leaves you begging for more at novel’s end. On top of all that, there is a hard won growing love story that will leave you with all the warm feelings you can handle after such a roller coaster ride.
I think I may have run out of superlatives at last, so let me simply sum up this review by saying that once again Kaje Harper delivers an exciting story rife with incredibly well drawn characters and a tightly constructed plot that has more than its fair share of action, drama and heart-stopping moments. Tracefinder: Changes is not to be missed, and I highly recommend it to you.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2018
Have you ever watched a football or baseball or *insert your preferred sport here* game? Then you are familiar with that strange phenomenon where the sports commentator will say something like, "So-and-so has NEVER failed to make this catch!" and then five seconds later on live TV you get to watch so-and-so fail to make that catch and listen to the commentators' protests of disbelief. That was me with this book.
For the first third of this book, this didn't even read like a Kaje Harper book at all. It read like something any new-to-MM author would write. There was this annoying repetition of Brian refusing therapy, Nick worrying about his job (though his guilt about sleeping with Brian while on the job seems to have completely evaporated), Brian and Nick arguing about Brian's skills and needing to keep them secret. Then the MPD figures it out because of Brian wanting to do good and find a missing woman he's seen on TV, and then it becomes a repetition of Brian goes on a Find, Brian being exhausted from the Find, Nick and Brian arguing about how Nick still sees Brian as a broken kid and not a grown up, Nick and Brian having sex (which I largely skipped), lather rinse repeat.
About the only good thing that does happen is Nick getting his ass handed to him on a platter by the MPD because he's such a terrible cop. Of course, then you've got the MPD extorting Brian into using his skills for them with the threat that they'll file charges against him for working for Marston all those years and being an accessory to his crimes. So there's that. Extortion very much is a real world problem, so I had no issues buying this storyline, but it was one unprofessional professional thing on top of another and it annoyed me.
I suppose one could make the argument that Nick being pretty much demoted from cop to "babysitter" should give Nick license to sleep with Brian as much as he wants. He's still wearing a badge though, even if he's not being allowed to use it, so I'm still not okay with it. It should be noted that he does try to quit when the unofficial demotion happens, but he's not allowed to. Still didn't make it okay for me, but YMMV.
The other good thing that happens because of all this is Brian finally gets some counseling and starts to figure out the Brian/Bry thing and what it means and why he does it and how to handle it. I really wish more emphasis had been placed on this instead of all the other ridiculous over the top stupidity that comes up in the last half of the book. This is easily the best part of this book and it's not given the attention it deserves, so it ends up feeling more like a miracle cure you'd expect to encounter on an episode of Star Trek. Brian's not really crazy! It's just a coping mechanism! All you have to do is change your perspective! Wallah! Cured! ... Ok, so he does continue to go to therapy until the Thing happens but we only get to see that one session and it's just not enough, at least not for me.
Then, the Thing. MPD uses up Brian's powers until he passes out and is in the hospital unconscious for a week. Damon shows up to collect him, ties up Nick and disappears with Brian. Nick finally is allowed to quit since he was about to be fired anyway, and the rest of the book is Damon and Lori being awful horrible people who I'm clearly expected to give a crap about despite their complete lack of remorse for anything. (I was mostly annoyed by this because I suspect that Damon and Doc are going to be the couple for book 4, so I was pre-emptively not giving a crap and getting irritated that I was eventually going to be expected to.) Damon does a stupid thing and Brian gets kidnapped, and instead of doing the badass thing that he's always done his entire life up to this point he...calls Nick for help. Which I just couldn't buy that he would do that. Nick of course flies down to help, taking his friend Charlie along with, and they all end up on this ridiculous high-seas chase going after a Columbian drug lord to get Brian and Lori back. It's just so stupid, and the entire time I was reading this nonsense I couldn't help but think that if Nick had just done his job in the first book then none of this would be happening. Instead, Nick, Charlie and Brian and Doc all get caught up in Damon's murder-fest and having to cover it up - not that I'm mourning the deaths of a drug lord and his linchpins but come on! Brian was trying so hard to redeem himself and do good things with his ability, and Nick despite his constant f-ups and his flaws was trying to help him do good, and now they're all going to be wanted for Murder One if they're ever found out, and Brian, Lori and Damon are all having to go into hiding to get away from the evil drug lord's goonies on the off-chance anyone survived the murder-fest to snitch on them.
I did NOT sign up for mafia drama!
And that's the point where I stopped caring for any of these characters or their stupid decisions that get them into stupid situations that they refuse to admit are stupid because...
they had no choice.
Ah, yes. The number one excuse of stupidity everywhere. They had no choice. When actually, they had loads of choices they just didn't want to acknowledge or use because they're stupid! As my queen Buffy once put it so eloquently, "You have a choice. You may not have a good choice, but you have choice." And as my man Dumbledore once put it, "It is our choices, Harry, that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities." And these people be stupid unapologetic asshats.
I had no problem with Lori and Damon stealing for food and money to buy food when they were kids and starving. I can sympathize with that easily. Who wouldn't? But when they start dealing drugs and murdering people and acting like they had no other choice then they lose all sympathy points. Just because the people Damon has killed are scumbag criminals like himself doesn't make it okay. Brian's the only one who feels any kind of remorse over anything that happens here, so I continue to mostly like him, but he's not enough to carry my interests.
I skimmed the last few chapters, which was mostly infighting between Nick and Damon and Lori, and then a somewhat brilliant and somewhat ridiculous resolution to the MPD storyline that allows Nick to finally go to where Brian is in hiding so we get our HFN to lead us into the next book. I won't be reading that one or any others in this series because I can't deal anymore with these people.
For the first third of this book, this didn't even read like a Kaje Harper book at all. It read like something any new-to-MM author would write. There was this annoying repetition of Brian refusing therapy, Nick worrying about his job (though his guilt about sleeping with Brian while on the job seems to have completely evaporated), Brian and Nick arguing about Brian's skills and needing to keep them secret. Then the MPD figures it out because of Brian wanting to do good and find a missing woman he's seen on TV, and then it becomes a repetition of Brian goes on a Find, Brian being exhausted from the Find, Nick and Brian arguing about how Nick still sees Brian as a broken kid and not a grown up, Nick and Brian having sex (which I largely skipped), lather rinse repeat.
About the only good thing that does happen is Nick getting his ass handed to him on a platter by the MPD because he's such a terrible cop. Of course, then you've got the MPD extorting Brian into using his skills for them with the threat that they'll file charges against him for working for Marston all those years and being an accessory to his crimes. So there's that. Extortion very much is a real world problem, so I had no issues buying this storyline, but it was one unprofessional professional thing on top of another and it annoyed me.
I suppose one could make the argument that Nick being pretty much demoted from cop to "babysitter" should give Nick license to sleep with Brian as much as he wants. He's still wearing a badge though, even if he's not being allowed to use it, so I'm still not okay with it. It should be noted that he does try to quit when the unofficial demotion happens, but he's not allowed to. Still didn't make it okay for me, but YMMV.
The other good thing that happens because of all this is Brian finally gets some counseling and starts to figure out the Brian/Bry thing and what it means and why he does it and how to handle it. I really wish more emphasis had been placed on this instead of all the other ridiculous over the top stupidity that comes up in the last half of the book. This is easily the best part of this book and it's not given the attention it deserves, so it ends up feeling more like a miracle cure you'd expect to encounter on an episode of Star Trek. Brian's not really crazy! It's just a coping mechanism! All you have to do is change your perspective! Wallah! Cured! ... Ok, so he does continue to go to therapy until the Thing happens but we only get to see that one session and it's just not enough, at least not for me.
Then, the Thing. MPD uses up Brian's powers until he passes out and is in the hospital unconscious for a week. Damon shows up to collect him, ties up Nick and disappears with Brian. Nick finally is allowed to quit since he was about to be fired anyway, and the rest of the book is Damon and Lori being awful horrible people who I'm clearly expected to give a crap about despite their complete lack of remorse for anything. (I was mostly annoyed by this because I suspect that Damon and Doc are going to be the couple for book 4, so I was pre-emptively not giving a crap and getting irritated that I was eventually going to be expected to.) Damon does a stupid thing and Brian gets kidnapped, and instead of doing the badass thing that he's always done his entire life up to this point he...calls Nick for help. Which I just couldn't buy that he would do that. Nick of course flies down to help, taking his friend Charlie along with, and they all end up on this ridiculous high-seas chase going after a Columbian drug lord to get Brian and Lori back. It's just so stupid, and the entire time I was reading this nonsense I couldn't help but think that if Nick had just done his job in the first book then none of this would be happening. Instead, Nick, Charlie and Brian and Doc all get caught up in Damon's murder-fest and having to cover it up - not that I'm mourning the deaths of a drug lord and his linchpins but come on! Brian was trying so hard to redeem himself and do good things with his ability, and Nick despite his constant f-ups and his flaws was trying to help him do good, and now they're all going to be wanted for Murder One if they're ever found out, and Brian, Lori and Damon are all having to go into hiding to get away from the evil drug lord's goonies on the off-chance anyone survived the murder-fest to snitch on them.
I did NOT sign up for mafia drama!
And that's the point where I stopped caring for any of these characters or their stupid decisions that get them into stupid situations that they refuse to admit are stupid because...
they had no choice.
Ah, yes. The number one excuse of stupidity everywhere. They had no choice. When actually, they had loads of choices they just didn't want to acknowledge or use because they're stupid! As my queen Buffy once put it so eloquently, "You have a choice. You may not have a good choice, but you have choice." And as my man Dumbledore once put it, "It is our choices, Harry, that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities." And these people be stupid unapologetic asshats.
I had no problem with Lori and Damon stealing for food and money to buy food when they were kids and starving. I can sympathize with that easily. Who wouldn't? But when they start dealing drugs and murdering people and acting like they had no other choice then they lose all sympathy points. Just because the people Damon has killed are scumbag criminals like himself doesn't make it okay. Brian's the only one who feels any kind of remorse over anything that happens here, so I continue to mostly like him, but he's not enough to carry my interests.
I skimmed the last few chapters, which was mostly infighting between Nick and Damon and Lori, and then a somewhat brilliant and somewhat ridiculous resolution to the MPD storyline that allows Nick to finally go to where Brian is in hiding so we get our HFN to lead us into the next book. I won't be reading that one or any others in this series because I can't deal anymore with these people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.75 stars
Changes is the second in the Tracefinder series and follows Contact. These books are definitely not standalones and must be read in order.
Brian is a unique character and his ongoing conflict with his alter ego, Bry (which is a very simplistic way to describe the situation), creates a lot of the tension between him and the world around him. Everything is affected and, in Changes, we see him really coming to terms with the man he pretended to be and what he can actually achieve. It’s wonderful to see him come into his own and to put both Nick and his brother, Damon, in their place.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
4.75 stars
Changes is the second in the Tracefinder series and follows Contact. These books are definitely not standalones and must be read in order.
Brian is a unique character and his ongoing conflict with his alter ego, Bry (which is a very simplistic way to describe the situation), creates a lot of the tension between him and the world around him. Everything is affected and, in Changes, we see him really coming to terms with the man he pretended to be and what he can actually achieve. It’s wonderful to see him come into his own and to put both Nick and his brother, Damon, in their place.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
January 22, 2017
Kaje Harper is one of my autoread authors - these days I don't even read the blurb of her books, I love her writing style, I love her characters and I know before going in I'm quite likely to love her book. In some cases though I'm actively (desperately) waiting for a book from her and this was one of those times. Tracefinder: Contact, the first book in this series was excellent and I was itching to get my hands onto the follow up. I was not disappointed.
This book was all about Brian and how he is dealing with the changes in his life, particularly how he deals with Bry. In book we see the struggle within Brian to be himself and not rely on Bry all the time and this continues in this book. I love Brian because I can absolutely identify with his need to be Bry. As I was reading I really understood him and how the simple life of Bry, a life without decisions resting on his shoulders, can seem comforting and beckoning. Brian didn't want to be Bry, he was fantastic at leaving him behind, but sometimes the urge was just too much. Life got too complicated and he didn't know how to react and Bry was just easier. Bry doesn't have to be responsible he can just be and that is something I fund utterly appealing.
I actually think Nick understood and accepted Brian as himself even better than Brian did. Nick was his same honourable, rule-breaking, self. A solid gold heart in the guise of a police bad boy. Nick is a more typical character character than Brian, but he was full of his own personality and is a firm favourite of mine. His relationship with Brian is was I love most about this book, but the storyline that this was centred around was full of action and emotion and explosions.
All the characters worked in this story; the good, the bad and the ugly. The developing storyline is one I can't wait to continue reading in the next book - don't worry, this is a full story, no ugly cliff hangers, but as with all great series needing to tread the next book to fine=d out what happens now is a must.
Kaje's writing is beautiful, it is elegant in it's simplicity. There is no unnecessary plot devices, just great writing. She is careful with her characters; Brian, who is far from your atypical hero is a perfect example of this. She uses analogies well to get her point across (I particularly liked the therapist/shop one in this book) and makes diverse characters easy to identify with. writing wise, Kaje Harper also keeps things real. I love how (*****minor spoiler*****) when Brian and Nick first have penetrative sex it isn't slick and easy and wonderful. It was awkward and real and wonderful instead. I actually read the scene instead of eye rolling my way through it as I'm often prone to do.
I don't believe there was anything about this story I didn't love - but then I'm not at all surprised! I really recommend this series; action packed, diverse characters and brilliant writing combine to make a winning read.
A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
Review previously at bmbr .
This book was all about Brian and how he is dealing with the changes in his life, particularly how he deals with Bry. In book we see the struggle within Brian to be himself and not rely on Bry all the time and this continues in this book. I love Brian because I can absolutely identify with his need to be Bry. As I was reading I really understood him and how the simple life of Bry, a life without decisions resting on his shoulders, can seem comforting and beckoning. Brian didn't want to be Bry, he was fantastic at leaving him behind, but sometimes the urge was just too much. Life got too complicated and he didn't know how to react and Bry was just easier. Bry doesn't have to be responsible he can just be and that is something I fund utterly appealing.
I actually think Nick understood and accepted Brian as himself even better than Brian did. Nick was his same honourable, rule-breaking, self. A solid gold heart in the guise of a police bad boy. Nick is a more typical character character than Brian, but he was full of his own personality and is a firm favourite of mine. His relationship with Brian is was I love most about this book, but the storyline that this was centred around was full of action and emotion and explosions.
All the characters worked in this story; the good, the bad and the ugly. The developing storyline is one I can't wait to continue reading in the next book - don't worry, this is a full story, no ugly cliff hangers, but as with all great series needing to tread the next book to fine=d out what happens now is a must.
Kaje's writing is beautiful, it is elegant in it's simplicity. There is no unnecessary plot devices, just great writing. She is careful with her characters; Brian, who is far from your atypical hero is a perfect example of this. She uses analogies well to get her point across (I particularly liked the therapist/shop one in this book) and makes diverse characters easy to identify with. writing wise, Kaje Harper also keeps things real. I love how (*****minor spoiler*****) when Brian and Nick first have penetrative sex it isn't slick and easy and wonderful. It was awkward and real and wonderful instead. I actually read the scene instead of eye rolling my way through it as I'm often prone to do.
I don't believe there was anything about this story I didn't love - but then I'm not at all surprised! I really recommend this series; action packed, diverse characters and brilliant writing combine to make a winning read.
A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
Review previously at bmbr .
March 30, 2019
I'll admit to holding my breath a bit before cracking open 'Tracefinder: Changes', book two in Kaje Harper's 'Tracefinder' series. Brian just pulled at all of my heartstrings in the first book and I knew he was going to again. The author's writing is very realistic and gritty, so each page I turned I was just hoping for Brian and Nick to be okay, individually and together. My heart was in my throat many times, believe me.
Brian has always used 'Bry' as an escape method, a way to keep people from controlling him, to keep from having to be responsible, to be an adult, and a way to say exactly what he wants without having to worry about offending anyone. 'Bry' is when Brian slips into his slow mentality with the accompanying speech patterns and flat affect. Now that Brian is with Nick, sort of, he wants to be an adult, he doesn't want to 'Bry' anymore or be crazy which is how he views himself.
Nick just wants to protect Brian from being used but Brian kind of ruins that when he comes to the attention of the police. Unfortunately, Nick comes under fire also, and some of the lies and misdirection he used while he was undercover come to light and his superiors aren't too happy with him. The police, essentially, manipulate and coerce Brian into working for them Finding people. Nick gets to keep his job but he's no longer an active duty officer, his only job is to be Brian's keeper, so to speak, and Nick has to endure the scorn and disgust of his peers and superiors. None of this bodes well while Nick and Brian are trying to figure out what they are and what they're doing.
Just when it looks like Nick and Brian might be getting a handle on their relationship, the police burn Brian out, he ends up in the hospital - a perfect place for Damon to get his brother back, and assault Nick at the same time. Now Brian is missing, Nick quits the force, and he's desperate to find Brian. Wow, I so didn't see any of this happening. I love reading books by this author because it's never predictable and it's always a wild ride.
"All kinds of objections tried to battle to the front of his mind, but all he knew was one thing. Damon said Brian was in trouble and needed Nick’s help. And through all the ups and downs of the past months, he’d distilled his whole life to the simple truth that Brian mattered more than the rest...... More than his badge. More than telling Olson the truth."
An exciting, intense, wild ride, to be sure! I loved the direction the author took this book in and I'm always happy when I can't predict what is going to happen. In some ways I liked this book even more than the first because I got to watch Brian learn how to stand up for himself and start to view himself in a more positive light. I also got to watch Nick and Brian's love story develop which was lovely. With the ending I can't tell whether there could be another book or not, but if there will be I'll be thrilled and excited to read it. Thank you, Kaje, you never fail to amaze me.
Brian has always used 'Bry' as an escape method, a way to keep people from controlling him, to keep from having to be responsible, to be an adult, and a way to say exactly what he wants without having to worry about offending anyone. 'Bry' is when Brian slips into his slow mentality with the accompanying speech patterns and flat affect. Now that Brian is with Nick, sort of, he wants to be an adult, he doesn't want to 'Bry' anymore or be crazy which is how he views himself.
Nick just wants to protect Brian from being used but Brian kind of ruins that when he comes to the attention of the police. Unfortunately, Nick comes under fire also, and some of the lies and misdirection he used while he was undercover come to light and his superiors aren't too happy with him. The police, essentially, manipulate and coerce Brian into working for them Finding people. Nick gets to keep his job but he's no longer an active duty officer, his only job is to be Brian's keeper, so to speak, and Nick has to endure the scorn and disgust of his peers and superiors. None of this bodes well while Nick and Brian are trying to figure out what they are and what they're doing.
Just when it looks like Nick and Brian might be getting a handle on their relationship, the police burn Brian out, he ends up in the hospital - a perfect place for Damon to get his brother back, and assault Nick at the same time. Now Brian is missing, Nick quits the force, and he's desperate to find Brian. Wow, I so didn't see any of this happening. I love reading books by this author because it's never predictable and it's always a wild ride.
"All kinds of objections tried to battle to the front of his mind, but all he knew was one thing. Damon said Brian was in trouble and needed Nick’s help. And through all the ups and downs of the past months, he’d distilled his whole life to the simple truth that Brian mattered more than the rest...... More than his badge. More than telling Olson the truth."
An exciting, intense, wild ride, to be sure! I loved the direction the author took this book in and I'm always happy when I can't predict what is going to happen. In some ways I liked this book even more than the first because I got to watch Brian learn how to stand up for himself and start to view himself in a more positive light. I also got to watch Nick and Brian's love story develop which was lovely. With the ending I can't tell whether there could be another book or not, but if there will be I'll be thrilled and excited to read it. Thank you, Kaje, you never fail to amaze me.
August 17, 2016
I didn't like this one as much as the first. It was overly long. I love long books, but this wasn't strong enough for the length.
I am happy that my question from the last book was finally addressed. (about Brian's understanding about the father of the baby)
I did feel like Brian and Nick were more connected this time around.
I was a little worried there for a while that it was not going to get to a HFN ending...I think I would have thrown something if it hadn't.
There is some resolution from left over issues of last book....and it does leave off without a cliff hanger, so I do like that.
August 9, 2016
So so good.
Other reviews and the blurb do a great job of detailing the story.
I give a book five stars when I am left with a feeling of delighted satisfaction, and a "wow, that was fantastic". This does not happen often.
This book is more immersive than the first book. There is marvellous character development and relationship development throughout the story. Plus a great plot. And the thing towards the end! So so cool! Kaje Harper is really growing as a writer.
I hope she keeps writing forever about these guys. And all the side characters. And the dog.
Other reviews and the blurb do a great job of detailing the story.
I give a book five stars when I am left with a feeling of delighted satisfaction, and a "wow, that was fantastic". This does not happen often.
This book is more immersive than the first book. There is marvellous character development and relationship development throughout the story. Plus a great plot. And the thing towards the end! So so cool! Kaje Harper is really growing as a writer.
I hope she keeps writing forever about these guys. And all the side characters. And the dog.
September 10, 2016
Epicly awesome, once you start reading its un put downable
April 12, 2021
I had read the first book in this series last year and somehow missed getting this one at that time.
It was good going back to Brian and Nick; to see how they are coping together and Brian putting his Finding ability to use. As expected there are plenty of complications ahead for them; the cops and Damon. And I was also glad to see Bry sort of eradicated. Kaje has done a good job unravelling all the threads to finally get a sanctuary for Brian.
A good series with all the good things- action, romance, memorable MCs and paranormal stuff.
It was good going back to Brian and Nick; to see how they are coping together and Brian putting his Finding ability to use. As expected there are plenty of complications ahead for them; the cops and Damon. And I was also glad to see Bry sort of eradicated. Kaje has done a good job unravelling all the threads to finally get a sanctuary for Brian.
A good series with all the good things- action, romance, memorable MCs and paranormal stuff.
September 4, 2016
Когда читала первую книгу меня сильно сквикала романтическая линия (большую часть книги Брайан вел себя как ребенок из-за чего даже намеки на его отношения с Ником казались мне извращением), но герои по отдельности и сам сюжет нравились. С этой же книгой абсолютно обратная ситуация: Брайан показал себя взрослым дееспособным человеком, и я, наконец, поверила в пару Брайан-Ник, а вот экшн с киднеппингом и русской мафией навевали скуку.
До того, как взяться за «Tracefinder: Changes», я бросила книг пятнадцать на первой-второй странице, а эту же книгу, несмотря на ее недостатки, дочитала до конца.
P.S. Очень понравился парень на обложке, он идеально подходит под описание героя.
До того, как взяться за «Tracefinder: Changes», я бросила книг пятнадцать на первой-второй странице, а эту же книгу, несмотря на ее недостатки, дочитала до конца.
P.S. Очень понравился парень на обложке, он идеально подходит под описание героя.
September 6, 2016
4.5 stars.
Even better than the 1st book! Brian & Nick are making serious progress in their relationship (yay!), and Damon effortlessly steals the spotlight whenever he comes on the page...can't wait for his story!
Even better than the 1st book! Brian & Nick are making serious progress in their relationship (yay!), and Damon effortlessly steals the spotlight whenever he comes on the page...can't wait for his story!
July 24, 2022
I really liked the first book in this series (Tracefinder: Contact) and liked the first third of this book. But I really hated the last third, and it lost points for me there. The first book and first third is a character study of two complex men, both with their own deep pain and struggles, who find a connection that holds them. Then it turned into a weird action adventure, with bullets flying and it felt like an action movie, where the plot stops to allow for the action sequences, which have a life and rhythm of their own but felt completely disconnected from the previous chapters and the two main characters acted in ways quite out of character for them. I was disappointed.
I reread this in 2022, and again, found the last third disconcerting and the ending abrupt. I now see that a third installment has been published. I am debating with myself whether to read it or not. I'm worried that the crazy action may continue, but if it slows back down to character study that may work. (Though Doc is completely a plot device, rather than a proper character)
I reread this in 2022, and again, found the last third disconcerting and the ending abrupt. I now see that a third installment has been published. I am debating with myself whether to read it or not. I'm worried that the crazy action may continue, but if it slows back down to character study that may work. (Though Doc is completely a plot device, rather than a proper character)
August 6, 2016
This review may contain spoilers from the first book in this series.
Changes picks up where Contact left off, with Nick and Brian sharing a home and one very chaotic friends/fuckbuddies/police-criminal relationship that keeps even the two of them confused. I can safely say right now that this is no way a standalone story. The Tracefinder series is just that, a complex and well thought out series, with tangled threads that must be followed from the beginning.
The Brian and Nick we find here are so very different from the two men we met at the start of the first book. Brian is finally out from the control of those who would use his talents to do evil things. He no longer has any reason to hide behind his “Bry” persona, and he yearns to prove that he’s actually one of the good guys by helping track down missing people. Of course, neither of those things is as easy as all that, but in this story, the author allows Brian’s strength to really be seen, because as he’s finding himself in this new life, Nick begins to lose himself. While Brian is getting stronger, Nick is falling apart. The author did a brilliant job of having her two main characters practically switch roles, while still keeping their thoughts and responses credible.
I think one of the things that Kaje Harper excels at is imbuing her characters with real to life personalities and the actions that go with that. None of her characters are perfect and I often find myself having to look at situations from alternate angles. For example, I’ve been anticipating Brian revealing his true nature to his siblings since I knew the score in the first book. I wanted them to be so freakin’ sorry for the way they treated him. I wanted to see them grovel and beg for his forgiveness. Had I been the author, that’s totally the way that scene would have gone down. But that’s not at all what happened. And though I didn’t like it, I was forced to see things from the siblings’ point of view. None of them were perfect, not even Brian.
So I mentioned Brian’s siblings…did anyone actually think that we’d seen the last of Lori and Damon? That would be no fun. Obviously these two pop up again, and Nick’s absentee bestie, Charlie, is much more present in this second book. All of these secondary characters were well utilized to progress the story, because honestly, Nick was too stubborn to move an inch without some massive pushes. The police dept. was also a lot more involved in Changes, and I enjoyed the fact that as the lines between good and bad blurred for Nick and Brian, they also blurred for me. Yes, Damon murdered people, but he loved his brother and sister fiercely. Yes, the police wanted to find missing children, but they didn’t care that doing so was putting Brian’s life at risk.
The romance between Brian and Nick, was ramped up quite a bit in this book. As with everything else in the story, there was nothing easy or perfect about it, but when they do finally get to the “real sex”, as Brian sees it, the awkward moments just add more genuineness to it. These two have to struggle for every good thing they have, so when they finally recognize the emotion between them, they are prepared to be mercilessness in their efforts to protect it.
As with the first book this one comes to a rather violent and dramatic climax, and what can I say except that I loved it. I don’t read Ms. Harper’s books for the action; I read them because I usually feel such a connection to her characters. But having said that, when Kaje Harper breaks out the guns, they tend to be the big guns. The scenes of explosions and violence are just as gripping as the scenes where characters are confessing their undying love. The emotions are just as intense, the imagery is just as captivating. You can practically feel the adrenalin pumping, even while you know that both of our guys are going to make it.
So thankfully, this isn’t the final book in the series, cause there’s still so much more that I need to know. For those readers that weren’t happy with where Nick and Brian were at at the end of Contact, I can assure you that they are much closer to their HEA here. There are still some major loose ends – the police, Damon…the potentially two headed baby?? But Nick and Brian, they’re learning to sort themselves out.
Now go forth and read people!
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/08/0...
Changes picks up where Contact left off, with Nick and Brian sharing a home and one very chaotic friends/fuckbuddies/police-criminal relationship that keeps even the two of them confused. I can safely say right now that this is no way a standalone story. The Tracefinder series is just that, a complex and well thought out series, with tangled threads that must be followed from the beginning.
The Brian and Nick we find here are so very different from the two men we met at the start of the first book. Brian is finally out from the control of those who would use his talents to do evil things. He no longer has any reason to hide behind his “Bry” persona, and he yearns to prove that he’s actually one of the good guys by helping track down missing people. Of course, neither of those things is as easy as all that, but in this story, the author allows Brian’s strength to really be seen, because as he’s finding himself in this new life, Nick begins to lose himself. While Brian is getting stronger, Nick is falling apart. The author did a brilliant job of having her two main characters practically switch roles, while still keeping their thoughts and responses credible.
I think one of the things that Kaje Harper excels at is imbuing her characters with real to life personalities and the actions that go with that. None of her characters are perfect and I often find myself having to look at situations from alternate angles. For example, I’ve been anticipating Brian revealing his true nature to his siblings since I knew the score in the first book. I wanted them to be so freakin’ sorry for the way they treated him. I wanted to see them grovel and beg for his forgiveness. Had I been the author, that’s totally the way that scene would have gone down. But that’s not at all what happened. And though I didn’t like it, I was forced to see things from the siblings’ point of view. None of them were perfect, not even Brian.
So I mentioned Brian’s siblings…did anyone actually think that we’d seen the last of Lori and Damon? That would be no fun. Obviously these two pop up again, and Nick’s absentee bestie, Charlie, is much more present in this second book. All of these secondary characters were well utilized to progress the story, because honestly, Nick was too stubborn to move an inch without some massive pushes. The police dept. was also a lot more involved in Changes, and I enjoyed the fact that as the lines between good and bad blurred for Nick and Brian, they also blurred for me. Yes, Damon murdered people, but he loved his brother and sister fiercely. Yes, the police wanted to find missing children, but they didn’t care that doing so was putting Brian’s life at risk.
The romance between Brian and Nick, was ramped up quite a bit in this book. As with everything else in the story, there was nothing easy or perfect about it, but when they do finally get to the “real sex”, as Brian sees it, the awkward moments just add more genuineness to it. These two have to struggle for every good thing they have, so when they finally recognize the emotion between them, they are prepared to be mercilessness in their efforts to protect it.
As with the first book this one comes to a rather violent and dramatic climax, and what can I say except that I loved it. I don’t read Ms. Harper’s books for the action; I read them because I usually feel such a connection to her characters. But having said that, when Kaje Harper breaks out the guns, they tend to be the big guns. The scenes of explosions and violence are just as gripping as the scenes where characters are confessing their undying love. The emotions are just as intense, the imagery is just as captivating. You can practically feel the adrenalin pumping, even while you know that both of our guys are going to make it.
So thankfully, this isn’t the final book in the series, cause there’s still so much more that I need to know. For those readers that weren’t happy with where Nick and Brian were at at the end of Contact, I can assure you that they are much closer to their HEA here. There are still some major loose ends – the police, Damon…the potentially two headed baby?? But Nick and Brian, they’re learning to sort themselves out.
Now go forth and read people!
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/08/0...
October 1, 2016
The following review was originally posted on my book blog The Book Challengers.
I planned on reading just a bit before bed, but somehow managed in not putting the book down before I had finished this awesome as hell story sometime in the middle of the night. That’s how good this book is.
The story picks up a few months after the first book ended and may I say that I’m still half in love with Brian and Nick? In their understanding and belief in one another despite the things they’ve had to do, in things they still have to do and, frankly, in practically everything about these guys. They’re simply adorable!
The slowest of slow burns continues with this book and while they already are intimate with one another, so far it’s been more on the lines of lust for the person I like, rather than for the person they love and it’s so lovely to read about them understanding how their feelings for one another grow and how, in the end, they find it very, very difficult to live without one another.
I loved reading about Brian’s development in regards to him ridding of himself of Bry’s mannerisms. I loved reading about Nick being really, really supportive and while it was somewhat difficult to read about Nick’s problems, it also endeared him even more to me. Although he doesn’t say the words till very, very late in the story his actions already show how much he cares for Brian and how he would be ready to drop everything in his life so far just so Brian would be safe frome the people who want to abuse his talent in Finding people. But it’s also good to see that Brian manages to use his talent for good things in this book.
This book has a bit better ending than the first one did, but I felt that it still left the threads still somewhat loose and I wonder if Harper continues with the story. After all, we still don’t know what’s really up with Lori’s progeny, what will Damon do now and while it’s pretty obvious that Brian and Nick are happy together, they probably still have a ways to go before they can safely say that they’re really OK. After all, Brian may or may not have some sort of PTSD (I think) from the events in this book.
So, will we have Tracefinder 3??
August 4, 2016
“Tracefinder: Changes” continues the story started in “Tracefinder: Contact”, following the adventures of dyslexic psychic Brian Kerr as he struggles to integrate into a life that is totally unfamiliar to him. Nick Rugo has fought to reconcile his duties as a cop with his desire to protect and encourage the remarkable young man he’s come to know and care for. Unfortunately, external forces are being brought to bear, which will force each man to make choices that will alter their lives forever.
This m/m paranormal suspense story provides a glimpse of the slippery slope being experienced by a former undercover cop who is determined to assist Brian in his quest to find a way to survive. Brian’s gift and naivete, plus the ongoing police hunt for his brother, make it challenging for Nick to find a way to follow his heart yet remain true to the oath he has sworn as a police officer. The adept way the author depicts the triumphs and setbacks that plague this complex couple kept me engrossed in their struggle, yet wincing at the fallout that is inevitable. I am reluctantly drawn to follow their struggle and uncomfortable at the depths of immoral behavior that seem to be an inevitable outcome of dealing with the dysfunctional Kerr family. There are ongoing threads that are still not tied off, and one should be warned that there is graphic violence, but there are also wonderfully sweet and sexy interludes to balance. I think this would be a tough story to appreciate if you haven’t read the first in the series and I am impatient to see how things will turn out, so I hope the author is quick to write a sequel!
A copy of this title was provided to me for review
This m/m paranormal suspense story provides a glimpse of the slippery slope being experienced by a former undercover cop who is determined to assist Brian in his quest to find a way to survive. Brian’s gift and naivete, plus the ongoing police hunt for his brother, make it challenging for Nick to find a way to follow his heart yet remain true to the oath he has sworn as a police officer. The adept way the author depicts the triumphs and setbacks that plague this complex couple kept me engrossed in their struggle, yet wincing at the fallout that is inevitable. I am reluctantly drawn to follow their struggle and uncomfortable at the depths of immoral behavior that seem to be an inevitable outcome of dealing with the dysfunctional Kerr family. There are ongoing threads that are still not tied off, and one should be warned that there is graphic violence, but there are also wonderfully sweet and sexy interludes to balance. I think this would be a tough story to appreciate if you haven’t read the first in the series and I am impatient to see how things will turn out, so I hope the author is quick to write a sequel!
A copy of this title was provided to me for review
August 7, 2016
Edit: I neglected to mention the incredible cover and the spot-on selection for the face of Brian. I saw that cover model with every appearance he made in the story.
Wow, what an intense, incredible follow-up to "Contact". "Changes" is exactly the theme of this book from start to finish. Brian is embracing his new independence and Nick is learning how to be a boyfriend. He's sometims too cautious and careful of Brian, even as Brian tries to make him see how far he's come. Brian also wants to use his talent to do some good and he and Nick have to work out the method to do it. Nick is also trying hard to resolve his pride in being a cop, with the choices he has to make to stay with Brian. Then there's still the pressure of having Damon on the loose with a pregnant Lori because of course, they do pop up again.
So much suspense, action and danger happens, in several diffent scenes and events. There are new players and characters, including Charlie, Nick's best friend. He becomes a staunch ally for Nick and Brian. It's fast moving and Kaje Harper never misses a beat, ramping up the heat, in more ways than one. Brian and Nick are so beautiful together, and their growing love is so sweet, but realistic and sometimes conflicted. There's still many threads to wrap up in the plot line and many more adjustments that Nick and Brian will have to make. Can't wait for book 3. And maybe 4!
Wow, what an intense, incredible follow-up to "Contact". "Changes" is exactly the theme of this book from start to finish. Brian is embracing his new independence and Nick is learning how to be a boyfriend. He's sometims too cautious and careful of Brian, even as Brian tries to make him see how far he's come. Brian also wants to use his talent to do some good and he and Nick have to work out the method to do it. Nick is also trying hard to resolve his pride in being a cop, with the choices he has to make to stay with Brian. Then there's still the pressure of having Damon on the loose with a pregnant Lori because of course, they do pop up again.
So much suspense, action and danger happens, in several diffent scenes and events. There are new players and characters, including Charlie, Nick's best friend. He becomes a staunch ally for Nick and Brian. It's fast moving and Kaje Harper never misses a beat, ramping up the heat, in more ways than one. Brian and Nick are so beautiful together, and their growing love is so sweet, but realistic and sometimes conflicted. There's still many threads to wrap up in the plot line and many more adjustments that Nick and Brian will have to make. Can't wait for book 3. And maybe 4!
August 8, 2016
Fantastic! Review to follow
December 4, 2016
4.5 stars
This cover is so what I had pictured Brian like! It's perfect. Lovely story, but I want so much more of Damon.
This cover is so what I had pictured Brian like! It's perfect. Lovely story, but I want so much more of Damon.
November 26, 2020
Tracefinder: Changes is an entertaining story. It’s definitely a sequel, so don’t even bother if you haven’t read Tracefinder: Contact first. It picks up where book 1 left off; with Nick and Brian living together – ostensibly with Nick still sort of undercover in order to flush out Brian’s brother, the criminal extraordinaire Damon Kerr. Brian’s drive to use his Finding talent to do good winds up with him working on contract with the MPD with Nick as his handler – until they almost use him up and big Brother Damon swoops in.
The story seems to meander all over the place; but it’s interesting and its strength is in its well developed, likable characters. Away from the influence of his siblings, Brian starts to shed the protective shell of “Bry”; and with the help of his psychiatrist Dr. Murphy starts on the road to becoming a fully functioning adult. When he reunites with his siblings; he’s faced with the challenge of renegotiating relationships; which is also part of his journey towards adulthood.
It’s clear that Nick and Brian are a good fit; as Nick himself is quite young (25 to Brian’s 21), with lots of demons following him around from his own dysfunctional background. I’m completely on board with the romance – they’re very sweet together and their relationship is heartwarming. I am sadly not really on board with the sexy times. What can I say? Brian and his self-esteem issues have spent too much time convincing me he looks like the Pillsbury Doughboy and I’m a horrible, shallow person. Also – between the time he talks about puking and actually puking….it’s not exactly a turn on.
This installment has several strong secondary characters; the most notable of which are Nick’s friend Charlie, the Kerr siblings and Damon’s mysterious “friend” Doc. And of course, special shout out to Brian’s ex. guard dog turned pampered family pet the Belgian Malinois Lugar. Damon and Lori are great characters; morally ambiguous but still very likable. The innuendo around Damon and Doc is more than interesting. Does it say something that I don’t want Damon t to go to jail for his multitude of crimes; but rather would like to see him get his HEA with Doc?
Changes wraps up with a HFN. Nick and Brian are solid and starting off their new life together. However it’s not entirely a HEA as there’s a final installment and a blast from the past is going to come back and bite their asses.
The story seems to meander all over the place; but it’s interesting and its strength is in its well developed, likable characters. Away from the influence of his siblings, Brian starts to shed the protective shell of “Bry”; and with the help of his psychiatrist Dr. Murphy starts on the road to becoming a fully functioning adult. When he reunites with his siblings; he’s faced with the challenge of renegotiating relationships; which is also part of his journey towards adulthood.
It’s clear that Nick and Brian are a good fit; as Nick himself is quite young (25 to Brian’s 21), with lots of demons following him around from his own dysfunctional background. I’m completely on board with the romance – they’re very sweet together and their relationship is heartwarming. I am sadly not really on board with the sexy times. What can I say? Brian and his self-esteem issues have spent too much time convincing me he looks like the Pillsbury Doughboy and I’m a horrible, shallow person. Also – between the time he talks about puking and actually puking….it’s not exactly a turn on.
This installment has several strong secondary characters; the most notable of which are Nick’s friend Charlie, the Kerr siblings and Damon’s mysterious “friend” Doc. And of course, special shout out to Brian’s ex. guard dog turned pampered family pet the Belgian Malinois Lugar. Damon and Lori are great characters; morally ambiguous but still very likable. The innuendo around Damon and Doc is more than interesting. Does it say something that I don’t want Damon t to go to jail for his multitude of crimes; but rather would like to see him get his HEA with Doc?
Changes wraps up with a HFN. Nick and Brian are solid and starting off their new life together. However it’s not entirely a HEA as there’s a final installment and a blast from the past is going to come back and bite their asses.
November 28, 2020
Nick Rugo and Brain Kerr along with Lugger, have finally found time to settle down. Their relationship is still fragile as Brian deals with his physic ability to “Find”. The ability to “Find” causes great strains on the relationship when Brian needs to find a missing mother of three children. Mistakes are made when Nick tries to calm Brians stress from the need to find this women. Nick gets a fellow officer to help him and just from that action, things snowball and Brians secret is out to the MPD.
The MPD has no understanding of what all Brians ability entails and the overuse takes Brian to near death. Having enough to deal with and the guilt from the situation Nick has another problem. Damon is back to cause chaos once again.
Now Nick is alone and can only hope that he can come up with a way to find Brian. Lucky for Nick he as a long time friend Charlie, who comes to give him support.
The biggest problem with all this, is Damon. Nick want’s Damon, the DEA want’s Damon and who knows who else. And Damon has everyone under his control and it could lead to death for anyone of them.
The “Tracefinder” series is very complex with many of its characters caught up in so many issues because of one person, Damon. There’s still the big secret that Brian holds about Lori and a baby that he already fears. Nick needs help dealing with Brian and he really does try. It was good to see Brian get the help that he needed and the positiveness of changes to come. I like the addition of Charlie he has so much understanding for Nick and gives him support in more ways than one.
First off, I’m not even going to attempt to try and tell too much of this novel. So, I just tried to focus on Nick and Brian their complicated relationship. The novel is complex enough with each and every characters personalities and problems. There’s psychological drama, dangerous and desperate situations at every turn.
Needless to say this is a page-turner for me! “Tracefinder” is just an outstanding, on the edge read and I don’t know how Kaje Harper makes this more exciting than the first novel “Contact”.
The MPD has no understanding of what all Brians ability entails and the overuse takes Brian to near death. Having enough to deal with and the guilt from the situation Nick has another problem. Damon is back to cause chaos once again.
Now Nick is alone and can only hope that he can come up with a way to find Brian. Lucky for Nick he as a long time friend Charlie, who comes to give him support.
The biggest problem with all this, is Damon. Nick want’s Damon, the DEA want’s Damon and who knows who else. And Damon has everyone under his control and it could lead to death for anyone of them.
The “Tracefinder” series is very complex with many of its characters caught up in so many issues because of one person, Damon. There’s still the big secret that Brian holds about Lori and a baby that he already fears. Nick needs help dealing with Brian and he really does try. It was good to see Brian get the help that he needed and the positiveness of changes to come. I like the addition of Charlie he has so much understanding for Nick and gives him support in more ways than one.
First off, I’m not even going to attempt to try and tell too much of this novel. So, I just tried to focus on Nick and Brian their complicated relationship. The novel is complex enough with each and every characters personalities and problems. There’s psychological drama, dangerous and desperate situations at every turn.
Needless to say this is a page-turner for me! “Tracefinder” is just an outstanding, on the edge read and I don’t know how Kaje Harper makes this more exciting than the first novel “Contact”.
August 10, 2020
Better than the first!
Great story, though it is a long one. I loved Brian's growth and development as he tries to take on more responsibilities as Brian and fall back less on being Bry. He still remains innocent, desperate to do the right thing and help people with his Finding skill, despite the fact that too much is dangerous to himself. He is still weak willed and can't say no. Nick grows too, torn with being a cop and skirting the law to protect Brian. Brian and Nick's relationship grows and strengthens throughout the book. There is more action in this book, with an intense time after Brian almost died during a Find. I loved that part of the book as I liked the action and fast pace. I look forward to seeing how Brian and Nick turn out in the next book. I also love the supporting characters of Charlie and Dr Murphy.
Great story, though it is a long one. I loved Brian's growth and development as he tries to take on more responsibilities as Brian and fall back less on being Bry. He still remains innocent, desperate to do the right thing and help people with his Finding skill, despite the fact that too much is dangerous to himself. He is still weak willed and can't say no. Nick grows too, torn with being a cop and skirting the law to protect Brian. Brian and Nick's relationship grows and strengthens throughout the book. There is more action in this book, with an intense time after Brian almost died during a Find. I loved that part of the book as I liked the action and fast pace. I look forward to seeing how Brian and Nick turn out in the next book. I also love the supporting characters of Charlie and Dr Murphy.
September 1, 2019
It took me awhile to read this, a whole month. (I read several books at a time, but that's still longer than is typical for a book I'm enjoying.) I give it four starts out of five for the drag of complications that mostly felt similar. But by the last few chapters I was all in, and I liked where it ended.
There will apparently be a book 3. I'll have to decide at the time if I'm up for it.
There will apparently be a book 3. I'll have to decide at the time if I'm up for it.
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