Changing Lanes (Welcome to Grace #1) by Season Vining-Review and Guest Post

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 1, 2020

Stella Locke is starting over. After an ugly divorce, she picks up her Southern roots and transplants to upstate New York where the air is crisp and no one knows her name. She’s an enthusiastic reader and just so happens to pick the quaint little spot where her favorite author lives. The small town of Grace welcomes Stella with open arms, a new job, and a smoking hot neighbor.

Lane Holder is a bit mysterious with his midnight jogs and brazen flirting. He’s got an adorable corgi named Chap who immediately steals Stella’s heart. In time, Stella is blown away by Lane’s charm, maturity, and undeniable interest in her. Being out of the dating game for 20 years has filled her with self-doubt and the hurt endured from her marriage has made her want to keep that part of her past hidden. Still, Lane convinces her to take a chance on him.

Their relationship is a slow, steamy burn that seems to be building toward something special and permanent. But as with any relationship built on secrets, one wrong move and it all could come crashing down.

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REVIEW:Changing Lanes by Season Vining is book one in The Welcome to Grace series.

Stella Locke has recently divorced her cheating husband and has decided to pick up her life and move to upstate New York. Stella picks Grace, New York because that is where her favorite romance author Alaina Taylor lives. Her thinking is that if its good enough for Alaina its good enough for her to start over. Upon arriving in Grace she meets her next door neighbor Lane Holder. Mysterious, smoking hot man that jogs every night at midnight. Lane slowly breaks down Stella’s defenses and a beautiful relationship begins.

The sub-characters in this story were amazing and hilarious. Stella’s real estate agent turned best friend is outrageously hilarious and I am praying that she gets her own story soon. She is on of those characters that you want to know more about.

Stella and Lane have amazing chemistry, but when Stella finds out that Lane has been lying to her, all games are off. She has been betrayed before by her ex-husband, but this hurts way worse. Will she be able to forgive him?

And will she even want to take him back?

This was an imaginative, fun romantic read. The story pulls you in and you become invested in small town Grace and the characters that live there.

Looking forward to more books in this series. Recommend highly if you are looking for a boy next door romance with lots of laughs.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed By Erin K

What makes a cover?
by Season Vining

Along with the apparent upswing in romantic comedy novel sales has been a trend in illustrated covers to go along with them. Maybe both of these things coincide with the madness and chaos of the world today. People need a distraction—something light with moments of hilarity and heart. RomComs and illustrated covers seem to both fit the bill. Plus, they’re fun. And for those of you who like to carry around paperbacks in public, they are not sexually suggestive no matter what the content of the book is.

The first question when building a cover is, do I want a couple or just one person or just an object. This is completely subjective to the author/designer/publisher’s taste and what they think will sell the book. For RomCom, both members of the couple are almost always represented. Then, what do you want your audience to feel when they look at your cover? Turned on? Happy? Inquisitive? The answer will set the tone of the cover, which could covers everything from the style of illustration, background elements, and colors used.

Like in my new RomCom, Changing Lanes. I knew I wanted an illustrated cover and I knew I wanted the couple on there. But I also knew that Chap, the adorable and lovable corgi featured in the story, should have his place too. There are a lot of elements of the story represented on the cover. For example, you can see Stella’s work apron with the name of the bookstore she works at. Chap sits atop a stack of books, so you know that those are important to the theme of the story. There are fall elements, letting you know when the book takes place. And finally, a road to literally represent Changing Lanes.

When the book is part of a series, you’ve really got to think ahead enough to makes sure that you can create a cover for each book that is unique and appealing while fitting in with the rest of the series seamlessly. Changing Lanes is book 1 in the Welcome to Grace series. I added the fall elements, because there are four books and four seasons. Each cover will have its own theme.

In the end, the cover is usually what sells your book. It is what makes people stop and read the blurb. It is the first impression. So, make sure it’s a good one. Most importantly, make sure it represents the story and overall feel so that readers know exactly what to expect. Sure, there can be twists, turns, and surprises… but leave that to the writing.