Look, I've read a lot of romance novels. I've been reading them since I was 12 -- historical, gothic, contemporary, paranormal, you name it. And I don't think I've read one quite like Small Change -- and that's why this book is so important.
(It's also freaking fabulous, but it's Roan Parrish, so that goes without saying.)
I won't reiterate the plot, but here's what I loved about this book:
Ginger
Um, I FLOVE her. I want to be friends with her, I want to hang out with her, I want a Tattoo B**** t-shirt and I want her to ink me. What a great, relatable, believable and complicated character she was! What I loved most about Ginger's story is that her concerns about being in a relationship were based on things like....you know, she was busy. She had her shop, her art, and sure, her vulnerabilities. But there were these practical concerns, too, that said this character has a life. She has her own shit going on, and fitting a relationship with another person into this life is not going to be easy. It was so refreshing to see a woman who was happy navigating the idea of a relationship. You didn't get the sense Ginger would be incomplete without a man or a woman (BECAUSE BISEXUAL FEMALE CHARACTER YESSSS), but you *did* get the sense that Christopher would be a happy addition to an already fulfilling life. But that wasn't going to be easy, and how could she make it work?
This was just like...revolutionary, to me, and SO REFRESHING. Ginger wasn't less because she didn't have Christopher and the beginning, and Ginger wasn't more at the end because she did. Ginger was Ginger, and together she and Christopher made a great team but they were totally equals. They complimented and brought wonderful things to each other, and as I say constantly my definition of romance is people who are better together than apart. That doesn't mean that Ginger-- or Christopher -- would be less without the other. One thing I always love about Roan's books is the theme of people who find they have to love all the parts of themselves -- even the prickly, vulnerable parts -- before they can love anyone else. With Ginger, I got the feeling she was there, she loved herself and yet still had some vulnerabilities to deal with that were realistic but didn't overwhelm the daily awesomeness of her life that she'd made for herself. Her agency in her own happiness and satisfaction basically pleased the hell out of me.
Also Ginger hi you are just hot (/superficial moment)
Christopher
LET ME TELL YOU MY LOVE FOR YOU, CHRISTOPHER. Here we have a strong, capable man who could hold his own, was HILARIOUS, sweet, charming and attentive and oh my god that scene in the alley *fans self*. I loved Christopher for his unfailing loyalty, his positivity, and his willingness to take Ginger as she was and not try and change her or force her to make a place for him in his life. But he never compromised his own sense of self, and that was just awesome. Christopher is the prime example of how a "nice guy" doesn't have to be a doormat or a sleaze, and my god, can we please have more male MCs like this in romance novels? Confident, assured men who are interested in being someone's partner? Because it was such a healthy dynamic, and I just feel like we need more of these characters in our stories. His clear respect for Ginger was so attractive, but so was his own self-respect. I just loved him, basically. Also, a ginger for Ginger!
Bi-rep
Oh my god I could write paragraphs on this one, how nice it was to see a bisexual/queer woman MC. And yes, her ending up with a man does not make her any less queer or bisexual. I will cut anyone who tells me I can't relate to male characters because I'm a woman, because I think that's nonsense and sexist. But it *was* pretty awesome to have a character like Ginger, who is one of the first female M/F romance novel MCs that I felt so connected to, in a way I haven't before. The queerness, her fierce sense of self and her genuine joy in the life she's worked so hard to build. This is me talking about Ginger again but look, I love her.
Anyway, as a bisexual-id'ing woman whose life partner is a man, this kind of rep is priceless and I love it.
It was hot af
Ummmmm....yeah. AGAIN. ALLEY SCENE. I loved the sex scenes in this book. They were playful, real, and...equal, if that makes sense? I basically loved their dynamic in bed, is what I'm saying here.
Queer found families
My. Favorite. Thing. Ever. Friendship and found families in addition to ALL THE ABOVE? Seriously, yes please. Ginger's shop! Her friendship with Daniel!
BASICALLY I LOVE THIS AND I THINK YOU SHOULD READ IT. It's a queer romance that addresses a lot of important issues and features two strong, capable people who find their way together, and ugh. It's basically perfect, so read it :D
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Top reviews from other countries
Helen George
Ginger and Christopher captured my heart
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2018
