I used to dream of the day I would be able to carry on my Mama’s legacy. To follow her footsteps and attend her alma mater.
I would listen to her for hours during her chemo treatments about all the friends she made and the amazing parties and events she attended.
But life had a different path for me.
I never thought my soul mate would become my step-brother, or that my sorority sisters would hate me just for being a legacy.
What was supposed to be four of the best years of my life turned into lies, betrayal and heartache.
My college experience was nothing like I had hoped, but if I could go back and change things, I wouldn't dare.
My eyes are open now. I will never be blindsided again.
I had made a promise, but some promises are too hard to keep.
It's time I take charge of my own life, and live for myself ... but is it too late? Has my life been forever changed?
This book is dark college bully romance and contains multiple triggers. This is a reverse harem, why choose MMFMMM romance, which means that Carson will have more than one love interest and her harem will grow throughout the duet. Also that two of the men in her relationship have an already established relationship, before meeting her.
This is book 1 in the Forever Changed duet so there will be a cliffhanger—I know I know, I'm sorry, but I promise to have an HEA at the end of the duet!
This is a thick 110K word book and has multiple POVS.
This was a roller coaster of a first read and I enjoyed it, although I have to say RH is not one of my favourite tropes and wouldn't usually be a book I'd pick, but I like to read outside of my comfort zone every now and then.
The book is written from 7 POVs which confused me at times, especially if I hadn't properly read who the chapter was about 😁.
Tropes include: new adult, college, RH, sports romance, forbidden romance and friends to lovers.
Triggers include: bullying, blackmail, dub-con, mentions of child abuse and PTSD.
Our FMC is Carson (Cara) Matthews, a gorgeous, innocent, country girl who lost her mum at a young age to cancer, and has been in love with her (4 years older) best friend and soon to be step-brother, Memphis.
Memphis is a famous country singer, fighting his feelings for Cara with one casual hook up after another. He eventually falls into a relationship of sorts with Dolly, a singer in his band. Lots of jealousy and angst ensues.
Then we have Connor and Xavier, high school friends who are charmed by Cara and end at at the same college.
Once Cara arrives at college, we are introduced to twins Easton and Jase (love me some twins) and Jase's lover and best friend Layton. These boys have dubious pasts and are flawed but not broken.
Sounds like a sleaze fest, but it's actually not. There are MM, MMF and MF scenes, but somehow Cara retains her innocent quality despite the steam 🔥🔥.
Throw in some bitchy sorority girls, hazing, sex tapes, a sub-plot involving blackmail and a secret, sinister past, plus a killer of a cliffhanger ending and we are all set up for Forever Yours : Forever Changed Duet book two, the second book in the duet.
Yeah..maybe I read a different book than the one people reviewed here, but this one was just bad. I tried my best giving it a chance. Something that pissed me off was how the dialogue shifted from one person to another in the same paragraph because I kept getting confused about who said what! And the guys are practically from the same colour palette.🤦🏾♀️This needs some hardcore editing and a change of heroine lol
There are so many problems and issues with it and in general it’s just BAD. Don’t even get me started on the weird, apostrophe mistakes (see what I did there?).
I have no idea why anyone thought this was good, I tried reading it for a bit and then I just skimmed bc despite going from chapter 10 to like, 30, NOTHING had happened.
She had sex. That was the big change.
The rest was BS bc even the guys pov was so boring, slow and vanilla it hurt to look at. And that cliffy? The epilogue? Good grief, he managed to turn a scandalized young lady and the porn video she didn’t consent to be on and twisted it all and made it about him.
Men.
These characters were lack luster and basic, the bully theme was laughable, the entire plot and story line was about as solid as a house of cards. This story was white bread with egg whites and salt with a glass of milk on the side. Bland. Vanilla. No thank you. Sorry not sorry. ✌🏼
Forever Changed was my first book by Amber Nicole, a 'new to me' author. This book was truly riveting and an emotional roller coaster. I completely loved it because RH is one of my favorite tropes. This book had 7 multiple points of view going on which made it confusing at times, but the names of each character is available in each chapter.
Carson is the main female character in this story. She is innocent, smart, and talented. She’s her daddy’s girl, and her mom died when she was young and promised her mom when she was young that was going to attend her alma mater and pledge her mom’s sorority because she’s a legacy. She does all of this, but her sorority sisters are so conniving and cruel to the core.
When reading Part One of this duet, Amber Nicole makes you feel all the emotions the characters are feeling. There were moments where I had to cry it out because my heart was breaking for Carson. This book grabs you from the very beginning and that ending… Definitely can't wait for part two!
Amber Nicole really outdid herself with this one and I cannot wait for Part 2 to come out… NOW!! This one will put your heart thru some things and the cliffhanger.. OH WOW!
Obviously it’s just me because this book got great reviews! Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for slow? Honestly this was soooo slow and boring to me I didn’t get far. The only interesting characters are Carson’s girlfriends, who are hilarious. Not bad writing and no grammar errors which is why I gave it 2 stars.
My 2nd time reading this book (which is rare for me) and it was just as good as the first time I read it. I still felt all the emotions, still connected with the characters, and I loved and lived every word and moment of this book. It really is a masterpiece, and still one of my favorite books (the duet is). Jumping right into the last book for it to consume me as well. Even though I know what’s going to happen I still can’t wait to read and experience it.
It was an entertaining story, however, to me everything moved too fast. And I wish the guys were more distinct. I often had no clue who's chapter I was reading, because they all acted the same way
Feels 3 Steam 5 Storyline 4.5 Overall Rating 4.5 Kindle eArc provided by Author Reviewed by Robin
A crazy, emotional intense roller coaster ride! Whew. I really liked this reverse harem story because the heroine was so different. She's innocent, sweet, loving and has a beautiful soul. The guys...so many guys. A couple are from her hometown and loved her forever. And a few are from her new college. And then we have her new stepbrother who was her childhood crush. There's a whole lot of angst going on! Also, some steamy scenes mixed in between. Throw in some jealous bullying and we have a story that keeps you glued to the pages. I honestly didn't know where the twists would take us and why the villain has such a hate-on for Carson. Or why the guys don't just fess up and tell Carson what's going on? This book is a huge drama fest with blindsides that just keep coming. And I kind of was right there...unable to look away. Definitely entertaining and has you devouring the pages with an ending that stabs you right in the heart. Can't wait for the next book to see where the author takes us next!
I'm not sure how to rate this... But I'm reading Book 2. It's confusing but interesting. Feels almost like watching a CW TV show drama that I can't look away from.
I did really like the FMC. I felt like she was well developed with layers. She's naive and inexperienced but she's not TSTL. She's also resilient - characters don't have to be kicking ass or getting revenge on their bullies to stand up for themselves. Sure, I wish she realized that what her mom would have wanted for her health and happiness outweighed some legacy dreams, but ultimately she knew her own worth and stood up for it, several times, and that's something that I loved and had me rooting for. There was a lot to Carson that felt very relatable as well.
There's a theme of defining moments for the characters, shifting their life direction or steeling them at their core... Memphis and Carson first meeting, Carson's mom's death, Memphis going to Nashville, Carson going on the beach weekend before college, the "event" for the Hawthorne Boys, and key moments and choices during this book (keeping out spoilers)... Which I found to be a really interesting aspect of the story telling and arc for the characters' journeys.
I really appreciate the Multi-POV - it's something that I prefer for having greater insights, connections and understanding with the other main characters. However, I felt like most of the guys were under developed. I did not know much about them or feel much of a connection with them, and there wasn't a lot to distinguishing them from each other. The one I was surprised to not feel a lot of depth with was Memphis because he's the best friend and they have this deep connection - that's stated more than felt. Maybe it's because at the start of story he's already drifted in his new life? I just felt like it was too surface level with them and missed feeling more.
There's a whole list of TW and content warnings for this duet. The one that I will comment on (and come back to expand on when I get a chance) is the OW/OM and what could be perceived as cheating. I didn't consider anything "cheating", there's not a lot of explicit discussion about exclusivity or expectations but for the ones that have the conversation they stayed true. What I was not prepared for and was hard for me to read because I'm really sensitive to OW/OM, even before there is any reasonable expectations of fidelity, were all of the on page detailed s3x scenes of potential Hs and OW, including mean girls who hurt the FMC. The guys are not with the FMC as of these scenes, so there is no reasonable expectation for them to not hook up with whoever and have a s3x life. It's just, for me, cringe to read about and I skimmed these scenes.
This was my first Amber Nicole book and I was not disappointed! This is a college aged reverse harem, full of twists, turns and shocks. If you like dark romance and/or reverse harem, then this book is for you. When I say this book is dark, I mean it is dark, so please check your triggers before going into it.
1.25 stars. I don’t know how I finished this book. First, I’m not interested on scenes where the Hero has s3x with other women, the author wrote A LOT of steamy scenes without the female lead. Chapter 2 was already a scene with Memphis, one of the hero with another woman??
They don’t seem like a harem. There’s also no emotional connection, I don’t even know anything about the hero’s other than the basic: part of the harem, football players, twins, country singer.
The female lead does not have a backbone, she thinks the hero left her after he took her virginity and well, the next thing you know, they’re cuddling in bed.
There’s a LOT going on in this story. So many points of view, so many of the same words constantly misspelled to the point that it’s distracting. I ended up skimming through and didn’t even bother to finish.
Talk about putting my heart through the grinder! Amber Nicole, what an amazing book this was and I am seriously dying to read the next one because that ending!!!!
Cara comes from a loving home. Her mother died when she was barely starting to be a teen and she only had her dad, but she realizes that her dad has to move on and he does with non other than her best friend's mother. Cara always harbored a crush on Memphis even though he was 4 years older than her and he honestly had a secret crush on her too, but once they found out they were going to be step-siblings, they both knew that nothing could come of their feelings for each other than friendship. Besides, Memphis is now a country singer touring and she's on her way to college in Texas.
When Cara gets to Texas she makes friends quickly and the guys are just taken by her beauty. She is a loving, caring person who is not one of those self-centered egotistical girls who knows that the world revolves around them, nope she's nothing like that and the guys who fall for her all fall even harder when they get to know her.
Cara's dream has always been to join the sorority her mother was a part of in college, but apparently she's not wanted and the 'mean' girls make her do things that are way out there and until Cara has enough and walks out on them, she thinks their bullying will stop, but little did she know, they are only getting started. Just when Cara thinks her life can't get any worse....it does. How can she ever trust her guys when some of them have betrayed her in the worst way!
Oh my god, this book had me in pins and needles. I loved the boys and I especially adored Cara. She certainly grew close to all these boys quickly and she not only has looks, but she has a great personality and a heart of gold. I do hope Ms. Nicole makes these guys bleed for this girl and she gives them hell for what they put her through.
5 Forever Changed Hearts <3
**Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
Amber Nicole is a new to me author and I’m glad I took the plunge with this.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this so I was pleasantly surprised. I was drawn in and consumed from the first chapter and I loved it. The characters were great and I loved their dynamic and finding their way. I would have to say the only thing I wasn’t enjoying was the already established relationship that entered. I don’t particularly enjoy that aspect with an RH so I was a bit wary. Although it wasn’t particularly bad and overly dramatic with relationship issues I also thought it hindered the connection with Carson in some way so I didn’t feel that vibe between them as deeply at times but in others I could. But otherwise the rest was great and I enjoyed reading their journey. And omg that ending!!! What the hell?!
Amazing detailed world build and left a lasting impression. I enjoyed the banters the chemistry, the angst and the bully aspect. I enjoyed the plot and how it was paced out. And the writing was great. I am definitely adding Amber to my Authors to watch list and I look forward to what else she has coming next.
This book just toyed with my emotions and I’m not okay with it. I could physically feel my anxiety when reading some parts and the ending… please don’t hurt me Amber Nicole.
Our female main character is so sweet and growing into a strong woman. She finally left home, she’s on her own and she’s learning who she is. Will this be an easy journey for her? Of course not. Her best friend/ boy she has loved all her life is about to become her stepbrother, there’s a revenge plot that she has no idea she’s apart of, people are lying and toying with her and so much more. She does her best to overcome so much but I hurt with her as things are slowly revealed to her, and others around her.
I really enjoyed the characters’ confusion and trying to figure out the dynamics of the romance within this book. Different people are involved and in different ways so you don’t know who she is going to end up with. Some want fun, some want something serious or do some just have ulterior motives?
There are so many secrets and I need answers. Especially with that ending. Not so patiently waiting for the conclusion of this duet.
Ever since I stumbled across Ms.Nicole's books earlier this year I couldn't wait to pick them up! As soon as this one was announced I knew i had to read it first. This first book pulled me in right away! I enjoyed it!
This first book in Carson (Cara's) journey isn't an easy one. I liked getting to dig deeper with her. I so enjoyed what the men brought to this story! I loved that i went through so many emotions throughout reading. I wasn't sure what all was going to happen with these characters and that got me into this story even more.
With Forever Changed, Ms.Nicole has created such a good and different kind of read! I can't wait to find out what happens next in book two, Forever Yours! I am so looking forward to picking up more of her books as well!
*I volunteered to read and review a copy of this book from TalkNerdy2Me / the author*
This is the first book I’ve read from this author and to show you how awesome it was I started it last night and it’s already finished 🖤
The story follows Carson and a Harem of 5 beautiful boys with some very steamy MM action.
Carson is such an amazing character a sweetheart, friendly but also strong, funny and just all around fab. I love her dynamic with her best friends and the boys that surround her.
There is some bully (but not too dark) and by the end I seriously want to hurt a few certain characters (not saying though as I don’t want to spoil it)
My heart is my mouth with that cliffhanger of and ending 💔 I need the next book now 🤣
Really good plot, loved the characters, would like to see some more of Memphis 😍 very spicy scenes and just all around goodness from a college RH book.
A massive 5⭐️ and I will definitely be reading again when the next books comes out.
A crazy, emotional intense roller coaster ride! Whew. I really liked this reverse harem story because the heroine was so different. She's innocent, sweet, loving and has a beautiful soul. The guys...so many guys. A couple are from her hometown and loved her forever. And a few are from her new college. And then we have her new stepbrother who was her childhood crush. There's a whole lot of angst going on! Also, some steamy scenes mixed in between. Throw in some jealous bullying and we have a story that keeps you glued to the pages. I honestly didn't know where the twists would take us and why the villain has such a hate-on for Carson. Or why the guys don't just fess up and tell Carson what's going on? This book is a huge drama fest with blindsides that just keep coming. And I kind of was right there...unable to look away. Definitely entertaining and has you devouring the pages with an ending that stabs you right in the heart. Can't wait for the next book to see where the author takes us next!
Carson is innocent, smart, and talented. She’s her daddy’s girl, and her mom died when she was young. She made a promise to go to college and pledge her mom’s sorority because she’s a legacy but it not all sunshine and rainbows. The girls at the sorority have it out for her, and they’ve enlisted the help of 3 guys to help them. Freshman year was supposed to be fun, but when it turns into bullying, emotional warfare, and tears? Why do they have it out for her ? And how could it go so wrong?
Forever changed is a reverse harem novel, where Carson won’t have to choose….and at some point may get a happy ending. The fight is real for happiness when you can’t see it, and everything is hard. You’ll never see the ending coming, and you’ll ask how it all went so wrong. I’m obsessed with this book, and I’m already begging for more in Forever Yours.
Triggers : feelings of worthlessness, bullying, lying, non con.
The sex is hot, and I fanned myself several times. You won’t want to put this down, so find a babysitter and get ready to yell. Try not to break your kindle at the end. 😬
OMG Amber Nicole broke my heart, I highly recommend this book. Carson is a very sweet girl from Kansas. She goes to college in Texas, she meets three guys there. Easton and Jase are twins and Layton, of course there always has to be a mean girl in the bunch her Name is Penny. That ending was heartbreaking, I can’t wait for book 2.
Holy f-ing hell! Amber Nicole is a queen of ripping my heart out with her cliffhangers and this one was no different. Egh my heart hurts, and I may need a hug. This book will give you all the feels and leave you broken.
Carson aka Cara, is a sweet southern Kansas bombshell who is so innocent she sees the best in everyone. In love with her best friend who becomes her stepbrother. Deciding this won’t work now that he’s her stepbrother she goes to college and decides to live her life a little more freely. She meets her Harem there, and they are all so different. I love seeing how happy they make her for awhile. She meets Easton and his twin brother Jase. Layton who’s in a relationship with Jase. Conner and Xavier decided to go to college with Cara, on a whim.
There are so many twist and turns, lots of backstabbing. This book is filled with lots of steamy scenes, and some very swoon unworthy ones. The sorority girls are just awful, and their bullying is so over the top. The twin swap scene made me so mad at Easton and Jase. Sassy is adorable and love her character and their relationship.
I have so many questions and I know 2 guys, three of we’re being honest (Memphis) who need to do some serious gravely. How they’re going to ever make up for the things they did I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out. I need book 2 ASAP!
1) Other reviewers have made references to Wattpad, and well, it’s a good comparison. There is so much telling and virtually no showing, so we are never really immersed in the world.
2) The pacing is frenetic. Items are resolved in paragraphs and just constantly thrown at us. For example, one minute, she slams doors over her father getting remarried, only to happily be making plans with her new stepmom-to-be a few paragraphs later. The entire point was to make Memphis now “forbidden” since he was her stepbrother. Honestly, this could have easily been done through a phone call with Memphis talking about how their parents finally fell in love, that wouldn’t make Carson seem manic and let us see how the main characters interacted.
3) Are Carson and Memphis the main characters? I get this is RH, but 70 pages in, guys are flying around like we are in the Wizard of Oz tornado, and because of the pacing issues, we have no clue who we are supposed to connect to. Where’s Connor? Was Xavier just a red herring? Why are three more guys being introduced?
4) “Kippa” At first, I thought it might have just been the fact that I was a Texas sorority girl that made Kippa nails on a chalkboard for me. Then I saw it mentioned in other reviews. I also noticed that the author responded with a note this was a deliberate choice. I feel like I need the Chide gif with “you see how that’s worse?” A lot of authors make up sororities, which is easy to do by just playing with combos of Greek letters. However, Kippa is not a Greek word, which doesn’t make sense as a name for a sorority that is part of the Greek system, especially when you use Nu for the second word.
Read as part of the Dark/Bully Reader Challenge for August/September.
Carson is off to her mother's alma matter after her recent passing. She's generally a nice and carefree young woman maintaining a childhood friendship with Memphis, who is now an up and coming singer and playboy. But there are feelings... Carson encounters Layton, Jase, Easton, Connor and Xavier along with new college students, but everyone's intentions are not always good.
This story had a rich plot line, from the development of romance to themes of coming of age and the complexities of side characters' individual issues, relationships, and their interconnectedness. There was also abundant intrigue sprinkled with angst, often provoking a feeling of discomfort as you close your eyes out of the turmoil you anticipate. And even though the book was written in first person, there was a sense of omnipresence, perhaps lending to the multiple perspectives (thank you).
This story felt mature while in some ways lighthearted due to Carson. Spice level was high and much appreciated. Yaas, MM and all the variations in between. My only issue was the story was overly descriptive, a fair amount of telling -- a style dissimilar to previous reads from this author, and as a result, the storyline wasn't as progressive. Not a question of being a slow burn, more a matter of written style in depicting events. Still, intrigue was high, but the story was bloated. Lost interest due to the unneeded detail of the minutiae. A story that had an appealing plot lost me because the author needed to describe the characters making coffee, walking across the room, etc., filler.
The story a little dark, steamy and romantic with a lot of drama. It is a dark, bully, reverse harem, coming of age romance novel that ends with a cliff hanger. It is narrated in multiple POVs that might be confusing for its readers at times. There are many heart wrenching scenes in the book that will make the readers sympathize with the characters. Nevertheless, the end of this book will make the readers as to know what will happen next.
Personal Take: The story was a little slow for my taste and I was so confused as to who is who most of the time in this one. There were about 7 POVs in this book. This book did not have a strong female protagonist, that was one of things which I didn't like in the book. Nevertheless, I am curious as to how the next part will pan out now.
Thoughts throughout/after this book… 1- my low opinion of most Greek Life has continued 2- I feel like I did college wrong… haha Cara was really on to something there! 3- cliffhangers are the devil and I need the next book ASAP!
But also, this book is kinda a lot. A few moments seem a bit out there and as if every trope was trying to fit in. But in the end, I feel like it all worked. I loved the imperfect characters main characters and truly hate the vile b!tches that we’re written so well.
Wow. I had no idea what to expected when I began this book. I'd read Amber's The Forest Witch book and thought it was amazing (though cliffy hello? *tears hair out*). So a cliffhanger was expected. But Fantasy books, especially RH< are my jam. I hadn't expected to get so deeply involved in Kansas girl Cara's story and her life. The steam is hot, the emotions run deep, and imma need to go soak in the tub and listen to sad music for a while.
Forever Changed by Amber Nicole is part 1 of the Forever Changed Duet. This is a College Bully RH romance. Carson, the FMC, is from Kansas. Her mother passed away when she was fourteen and since then it’s been just her and her dad. Carson has heard about her mother’s college sorority years since she was a child and has vowed to honor her mother’s wishes and attend her alma mater. Carson has been in love with her best friend for years, but as he explores a career as a country singer and she attends college, they drift apart. College was supposed to be a new beginning and a wonderful experience for Carson, but lies, betrayal, and heartache have ruined that for Carson.
RH is a fairly new romance trope to me, but I’ve enjoyed every single one I’ve read so far and this one is no exception. Forever Changed has an RH with a bit of taboo mixed in. The overall plot, mystery, and intrigue kept me hooked from the first page to the cliffhanger ending.
There are 7 distinct points of views in Forever Changed which makes this a rather complex novel. Carson, the FMC, is a gorgeous, friendly, naïve, kind-hearted, country girl. She gets involved with multiple different guys. Each of Carson’s guys and their relationships vary in nature. We have Memphis, her best friend and childhood love turned step-brother. Connor and Xavier are Carson’s high school friends. Then there’s Easton, Jace, and Layton who Carson meets in college. Easton and Jace are twins and Jace and Layton are in an open relationship.
Each character has a complex past and we’re briefly exposed to some of it. Easton, Jace, and Layton are flawed, broken characters involved in something dubious. They’re being blackmailed to run Carson out of the school, but they end up falling for her which makes things more complicated.
Amber Nicole does not hold back on the heart breaking bits and I couldn’t help, but feel for these characters. There are MM, MMF, and MF scenes which means there's a bunch of steam, spice, and I’m here for it!
There were a few issues I found with the book. First, there were multiple instances of inconsistencies in the details in the book. The multiple points of views (7) and the sometimes frequent shifts between characters was confusing at times. Additionally, I felt there were moments where scene shifts were not properly conveyed adding another level of confusion. There were multiple instances where I had to reread paragraphs because of the sudden scene shift.
Multiple love interests, annoying sorority girls, hazing, blackmail, secrets, and betrayal made this an overall pretty good read and I’m looking forward to part two after that epic cliffhanger!
Triggers Warnings: bullying, blackmail, non con/dub-con, mentions of child abuse and PTSD