Changes: Book 5 of The Fragile Line Series by Sarah Dawson Powell

  Absorbing, Unexpected, Powerful

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance, with themes of addiction and violence

Changes: Book 5 of The Fragile Line Series by Sarah Dawson Powell- author

Witnessing the devastation reigning over New York City, Jenny and Corey from the front desk of Tresses, the hair salon where Jenny works, Ryan and Sadie from the home they share, and Trevor alone in the two bedroom flat that he shared with Corey, it would have been reasonable to assume that the fragility of human life, the ability for it to be extinguished and the importance of cherishing the people we have, would have resonated……and in that moment, the immediate aftermath of the deadliest attacks in human history, it did, at least for four of five of the ‘frangible frenemies’ who had spent the last decade in and out of each other’s lives. Jenny’s first thought being for the safety of her family, particularly that of her daughter, likewise Corey’s reaction was to check on his best friend who, it seemed had more important things on his mind…..and Ryan and Sadie, well, they deal with it the way they always deal with things, separately and by concealing their real emotions until they come back together, when whatever they are feeling is conveyed in the dark and dangerous way that only Ryan and Sadie know how. And once again, life returns to the way that they had all known for so long. Where would it end, and would things ever change?

I liked that this book began with a real life recognised incident. It made me feel more connected to the story. However, I felt that more could have been made of it, perhaps. I hoped that it might have brought about a more sudden shift in the narrative from the outset or a dramatic change in dynamic amongst the quintet. However, the ‘changes’ build much more subtly, with Eric taking his place much more as a main character and the bombshell that Evy drops on Ryan that was, I felt inevitable, as was his reaction which was actually very satisfying to read.

Trevor’s thoughts revealing that he felt like ‘a fifth wheel’ came as no surprise, as I had seen him that way since he had been introduced to the series, and therefore, for him to be reluctant to leave with Sadie when she’d said she was ready, was really frustrating after all the pining he had done for her during her continued refusal to do as he been hoping. Trevor has always felt like a bit of a weak character, used as yet another plaything for Sadie, but in this book when Sadie decides what she wants and takes action and leaves Trevor to deal with the consequences, I actually began to respect him.

Meanwhile, Jenny’s logic that having another baby would help her to come to terms with things if it didn’t go her way with Angel, I thought was ludicrous. It seems that Jenny’s preferable way to deal with problematic situations is to add to them, therefore making them more complicated and giving herself more issues to deal with. However Jenny’s responsible reaction to Ryan phoning her after Bobbie leaves him to play ‘Daddy’, showed that maybe she was ready for such a responsibility in her life. The time that Ryan was forced to spend with Aurora, did reveal a better side to him which was nice to discover, yet it was disappointing that he let that mask slip once there were adults present.

Corey’s feelings for Jenny drive him to concede to whatever Jenny decide she wants, but I am pleased that at times throughout this and the last book, he has proved that he is able to assert himself when required. However the ongoing unhealthy fascination that Corey and Sadie have for each other, I look forward to seeing come to a head, which I feel it will. Sadie is like a time bomb waiting to go off which was evident as she rang Corey when she found herself wanting to drink. Sadie seems to realise that a life without Ryan would be the better option but her state of mind is so shaky, she requires a clean continuous break from him if she is ever going to achieve moving on in any way and whilst physically it seems to be achievable to a point, something that I never saw happening, the emotional baggage will take considerably longer to unpack and to discard what is no longer needed. Will she ever get the closure that she needs with the way in which their lives are so intertwined?

Ryan has been left emotionally damaged from his time in the Marines, his subsequent feelings of worthlessness, his feelings towards Sadie encompassing the passion in their relationship which is revealed violently due to his bitterness and resentment of her wild behaviour losing him his career and his inability to separate the two. Then on top of that, his feelings towards himself, shame at the way that he has conducted himself and where it has got him. When he is given potential life altering news from Evy, he is sent into a tailspin as he doesn’t want Sadie to find out. However, she is one step ahead, her expectations of her boyfriend being so low, knowledge of a person that only a long association can provide. Unfortunately for Ryan, he appears to have no such sixth sense when he takes a gamble with Sadie’s loyalty. Pound

Eric’s character appears to have developed rather quickly as one of the main group which is not currently sitting well for me as a reader, but it will be interesting to see where the Author takes his story.

Jenny and Sadie’s relationship as ‘best friends’ seems to me to be a wildly inaccurate description for the most part, and only comes into play when it suits either of them. My favourite line in this novel belongs to Sadie responding to Jenny’s apathy towards Sadie’s ‘Trevor vs Ryan’ conundrum…….’Go pee on your damn stick and diagnose yourself’.

This is like a novel of two halves, one in which the same old issues are repeatedly played out in the relationships of both couples with Trevor finding himself caught in the middle……and another where relationships in the group shift and the title of ‘fifth wheel’ is no longer Trevor’s, but someone the readers, the character and maybe even the author, never thought they would become.