A Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller.From USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a witty romance about first love and second chances.After being burned by her dream job in New York City, sports journalist Neely Kimber suddenly finds herself jobless and paying a long-overdue visit to her hometown in Tennessee. Her plan? Relax, reset, and head back up the corporate ladder. … and head back up the corporate ladder. There’s just one unexpected step. Neely’s back in Dogwood Lane for barely a day when she sees the man she ran from nine years ago: the bad boy next door who was her first kiss, her first love, and her first heartbreak.
Devoted single dad Dane Madden knows he hurt Neely in the worst way. He’s got a lot to make up for. And as passionate as their reconnection is, it’s a lot to hope for. Having her back in his arms feels so right. But falling in love all over again with a woman who wants to live a world away is bound to go so wrong.
What’s it going to take for Neely to give him—and Dogwood Lane—just one more chance?
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“There’s a wall between us we can’t skirt. It’s built with just as many tears and just as much betrayal as it is any good times we shared.”
It has been almost two years since I read my last book by Adriana Locke, and I am really happy that I decided to read Tumble. The blurb was exciting enough for me to give it a try, and I have to be honest and say that the single dad part really was the deciding factor in this case. Also I am a sucker for second-chance romances, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this book. Tumble was a no-drama fun and light contemporary romance. I was expecting some cliché things to happen, but I was really happy when the author didn’t take the usual route. I loved that the couple didn’t get back together right away, and it took some time for them to get over their old hurts. This made the romance feel much more organic and made it easier for me to connect to them.
Both Neely and Dane are great characters, and I especially loved both their interaction with Dane’s daughter Mia. Neely is a very strong and independent woman, and I really liked her personality. I loved all the characters and I am really hoping for everyone to get their own HEA. They were fun and great friends to the main characters, and I am looking forward to many more books in this series. I do have to mention that the epilogue in my opinion was just a regular chapter, and it kind of left me wanting a real epilogue. Overall Tumble is a book I recommend to any romance reader, and especially readers who like me love single parent/second-chance romances.
They should sell this book with a complimentary box of tissues. Tumble is my first time ever reading one of Adriana’s books, and it set the bar. A second chance romance CHOCK FULL OF FEELS, I was totally hooked on every moment. Finding out the reason Neely left in the first place broke my heart, but seeing how much the whole town still loved a girl with one foot out the door was just as hard. Dane is such a sincere sweetheart of a daddy, and his little girl is so easy for everyone to love. I was rooting for these three to find a way so hard. I’ve been in a bit of a book funk lately and I think this story cured me. Looking forward to the rest of the series and many more stories from this author.
Absolutely love Dane and Neely. Mia is adorable. Can’t wait for more of Dogwood Lane. I hope to see more of this couple in future books. Could not put this book down. I am team Penn though. I can’t to see if he gets a book.
Adriana Locke can write great romances, with strong plots and wonderful characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. Tumble introduces us to a new set of characters that fit these characteristics!
I absolutely loved Dane and Neely (I love their names, too!)! They are so wonderful for each other, and you can’t help but root for them to work through their issues and fall in love. But it was Mia who stole the whole show for me- I love love a good story with kids, and Mia was such a treat!
Tumble is a great introduction to Adriana Locke’s Dogwood Lane series. I am looking forward to more in the future- especially Penn’s story!
It has been a long time since I read a book by Adrianan Locke and she nailed it with this book. Tumble is the perfect start to a new series and couldn’t get enough of these characters. If you are looking for a sweet second chance romance this book is what you need.
Neely had the job she loved and was living the life in New York. She decided to come home for a visit to figure out where to go next after quitting her job. It has been a long time since she came home for a visit. She never expected to see her ex, the one she gave her heart to. She was suppose to come home see her mom and relax but things never go as planned.
Dane is a single dad and hard worker. He never thought he would see Neely again and that old feelings would come back. He thought she was gone and that was it. Dane didn’t expect his daughter to like her. They both made mistakes in the past although Dane’s affected how their future turned out.
I was drawn to these characters and hoped Dane and Neely would find a way back to each other. This was the perfect small town second chance romance.
A great second chance romance! This read had all the feels! I loved all the interaction between all the characters. You felt the connection and chemistry between Dane and Neely. I absolutely adored Mia. Hooked me from the start and enjoyed the story. I highly recommend this book.
This has to be my favorite second chance book in awhile.
Dane and Neely were so cute together. When they meet up a second time, it is electric. Mistakes were made when they were younger but now they know themselves and where they belong in the world. These were two individuals who clearly weren’t over each other.
I loved reading about Neely falling back in love with not only Dane but with her hometown. She has amazing friends and townspeople who obviously care very deeply for her.
I really liked the central story line but there were two others that I enjoyed just as much. Neely and Mia and Penn. Reading about Neely taking a mothering role to Mia was adorable to read. Mia was an amazing little girl. I also really enjoyed Penn. He had some of the funniest lines. I think we all wish we had a friend like him. He was funny and loyal.
This is a second chance romance .
Dane Madden and Neely Kimber were sweethearts . He was her first everything.
But when he hurts her , she follows her dreams and moves to NYC. Ten years later, she is back home after a betrayal at work. Her stay is temporary as she “refuels” and finds a new job.
When they see each other on the first day of her return, it’s obvious that the hurt as well as the attraction is still there. But she’s now a “city girl” and he’s a single Dad.
As time goes on feelings deepen but will Neely leave again and leave him and her hometown behind, or will she realize that home is where the heart is and her town is really not a bad place to be?
It was a sweet story. Was it memorable? No, but it was entertaining and even keeled.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Montlake Romance. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
I’ve loved reading each of Adriana’s books. I’ve loved something different about each one of them, and Tumble is the newest addition to my Adriana library. This was a really well written second chance romance. The gist of the storyline is one that countless authors have written about, but Adriana put a fresh and unique spin on her story that made it stand out for me.
Neely and Dane were high school sweethearts that had their futures mapped out until a huge betrayal has Neely fleeing to New York City where she forges a successful career in the male dominated field of writing for a sports magazine. Ironically, a huge betrayal at work has her quitting her job and fleeing back to the little town of Dogwood Lane, Tennessee, to recoup and figure out what she wants to do with her life. Her first day back in town and she runs smack dab into Dane again. Seeing him brings back all the pain and heartache she’s managed to bury for the past ten years.
Even though Dane had done something really, really stupid and broken Neely’s heart, I quickly fell in love with him for many reasons. Reasons you’ll have to read and find out for yourself so I don’t spoil any of the story. Seeing him around his friends and family and how dedicated he was to them, even if some of them drove him nuts on a daily basis, gave me so many warm fuzzies! He may have come across as stern and almost stoic around people, but it became obvious early on that he had a warm and gooey center.
The chemistry between Neely and Dane was unmistakable, it was obvious their feelings for each other had not waned in all those years apart. Yes, they tried to live their lives and move on, but once these two were in the same space, they were like magnets who couldn’t stay away from each other.
What I really liked about this story was how diligent Dane was in trying to explain to Neely what had happened all those years ago that drove her away, and how sorry he was about it all. Oftentimes you read a second chance romance and the Hero has hurt the heroine really badly, and when they reconnect, he pursues her without first resolving the issue from the past. I was so glad to see how deeply important it was to Dane to rectify that wrong with Neely.
The big issue in the story that these two characters have to deal with is the fact that Neely’s life is in NYC and Dane’s life is in Tennessee. How are these two going to overcome this huge obstacle?
There’s a lot of feels in this book, a little bit of angst and a whole bunch of beautiful romance. I finished this book with a huge smile on my face. I can’t wait to find out who the next book in the series will be about!
***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***
I love second chance romance, I love that the connection is already there, but that it is one that has been lost, or buried, due to actions (or sometimes inaction) mistakes and time.
For the romance to work, I need to feel that the characters had a reason to stay apart, but that it was one that was not too much for them to move past it. And, for Dane and Neely, I believed this.
But, then, for the romance to work, there needs to be some angst, the push and pull of the romance, the past, and the 2 people who maybe realize they haven’t left the past totally in the past. Dane and Neely had a couple of conversations where even others could see the sparks, a couple of tense conversations, an easy apology (which is the part that worked for me) and then it felt like they fell back into a full romance, even though she was leaving. But, with as easily and without issue the romance fell back together, I don’t think there ever was the tension of her leaving. I don’t think anyone, readers or characters, ever actually believed she was going to.
Mia, Dane’s daughter, was too easy, too simple, there was nothing about her missing her mom that was really on yhr pages, and I felt that this was probably glossed over a little too much. No one needs ex drama in a book, but at the same time, a 10 year old girl isn’t going to just accept someone else in her father’s life, no matter how much she admires her, without at least a few questions.
For me, this was a second chance romance without any of the tension of getting back together. Everyone seemed to just be ok with them being together, the family, the friends, his daughter, the people she was leaving in New York in order for her to start her life again in the town where she grew up. Everyone saw this as a foregone conclusion, and it removed some of the delicious tension of a second chance romance.
I didn’t dislike the book, it just isn’t one of my favorites in the trope. I do recommend it as while I had issues with the characters within the story arc, I actually liked and enjoyed them as the people in the story…if that makes any sense.
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher**
Oh how I love small town romances and make it a second chance love story and that just sweetens the pot! Adriana Locke’s first book in her new Dogwood Lane series was totally up my alley!
Dane and Neely haven’t seen one another in a decade. Neely has returned to Dogwood Lane to get away from her life in New York City for a few days. She isn’t honest with anyone at first about why she’s returned, yet she seems to be finding that fitting back in where she grew up isn’t as difficult as she thought it could be. When she encounters Dane for the first time, the chemistry they’ve always had is palpable, but so is the hurt from the way things ended between them when she left for NYC originally. His life has changed significantly with his taking over his father’s business, but also with the addition of his 9 year old daughter, Mia, to his life.
As Dane and Neely reconnect, it’s clear that the feelings they had ten years ago have not faded away. While they have issues to work through, including the distance, it’s clear that they aren’t going to be able to fight their attraction. The question is, can they make this last for the long haul or will this be a flash in the pan while Neely is back in her hometown?
I adored both Dane and Neely. They were both strong characters and they truly seemed to bring out the best in one another. Dane’s daughter, Mia, was the star of the show though. She was absolutely adorable and I loved how she subtly worked to get what she wanted, which was her Dad and Neely together.
This book had everything you want in a romance. It drew me in from the beginning, had just enough angst to make you want to keep on reading, a great supporting cast and there were plenty of sparks between Dane and Neely. Adriana Locke penned an awesome start to this series and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!
Tumble is the first book in a brand new ‘Dogwood Lane’ series by Adriana Locke. I have to admit, the series title threw me for a bit as I thought this was a street name rather than the town. But, that aside, I freaking adored this book and every character within its amazing pages. Well, nearly every character, there were some who deserved a throat punch, but thankfully not the ones that matter.
Right from the first page, I knew this was going to be a good ‘un. The wholesome, small town feel, the quirky characters, including Blue, the hound dog all just mixed together to create something special. Something uniquely Adriana.
Dane Madden and Neely Kimber were once high school sweethearts, they were completely in love and meant to be together, but when it came time to leave, only one got in the car and drove away, with a broken heart and a misunderstanding that led to them spending the last ten years apart.
Neely has been in New York carving out a career for herself but at the expense of a loving relationship.
Dane has been hard at work building his father’s business up and making a life for himself and his child.
When they bump into each other for the first time, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The writing was that poignant and filled with old feelings, both good and bad. Neither has forgotten the other or what made them split up and it takes some time before they get over it.
This new relationship grew slowly and organically. It was sweet and tender, and there were so many scenes where I just smiled happily or swooned, but when you add in their interactions with Dane’s young daughter, Mia, then it tops the ‘awww’ scale. Watching them become a unit was simply lovely and even though they hit a slight bump in the road, I just knew it would end well.
Who is up next for a wander through Dogwood Lane? I don’t know, but I bet they have an absolute blast while they are there. I know I did.
This is one new series NOT to be missed.
A determined career woman, a sexy single dad, and his precocious little girl-I was sold on this book by the blurb alone!
Neely is back home after an unexpected…hiatus from work. And of course, the Fates are laughing at her, because the first person she sees is Dane. Dane, who she split up with over a decade ago, leaving him over a mistake Neely couldn’t forgive and neither one could forget. So, what’s a girl supposed to do when she’s faced with a dilemma of going after a job she always wanted…or embracing a sweet homecoming, the likes to which she didn’t even know she wanted, much less needed?
I love a good second chance romance and I wasn’t disappointed! This was my first time reading Adriana Locke and I was impressed. I liked her writing style, the angst level was mellow, and I loved the characters. Neely, Dane, and his daughter Mia won me over with love, laughter, and a sweet chance at starting something new. The secondary characters were also absolutely hysterical with their small town, nosy charm and unwavering support! And the romance! I loved how Dane and Neely didn’t jump right back into things and took their time, which had me fully invested in the outcome. My only complaint was the epilogue. It was okay, more of a happily for now (HFN) kind of chapter rather then an HEA, so I am hoping to catch glimpses of these guys in future books!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What a great second-chance love story by Adriana Locke. This is the story of Neely and Dane, the last time they saw each other it was with heart-break, it is a decade later, and Neely is back and the hurt, regret and also love is still there. Neely’s presence in Dogwood Lane is supposed to be temporary. Her career in New York is up in the air and she needed a few days to figure out what her next steps are going to be. She knew she would eventually have to face Dane, but she was not prepared for all those emotions and also Dane’s resolve to win her back.
All the characters in this book made it such an engaging story. The chemistry between Neely and Dane is strong, Dane’s daughter, Mia is just adorable and all those friends and family who assist in their happily ever after made it so much more enjoyable. I actually can not wait to see what is in store next.
Thank you Netgalley and Montlake Romance for giving me the opportunity to read this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
I tend to like this author so when I see one of her books I grab but this one wasn’t for me. I liked Neel and thought she was a really good forgiving woman. I liked the secondary characters like Penn, Matt, Claire and Hayley and Mia. But I didn’t really care for Dane, I didn’t feel his remorse for his betrayal a simple I’m sorry after ten years didn’t cut it. I found him to be ballsy to think he can just pick up their friendship after what he did and finding her jealousy amusing and his smirking, huh he didn’t deserve Neely then nor now. I won’t go into it more not to give spoilers but I think he needed to show more to prove he really loved her because I just felt his selfishness and I wished she had someone else. So I won’t give it a 2 because of the writing but won’t give it more than a 3 because I didn’t agree with book.
Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) Voluntarily left my own opinions and thoughts.
Oh wow! I love a good old second chance romance and Tumble is truly adorable, as is Dane Madden. He’s the ultimate scrumdidlyumptious single dad, and a perfect book boyfriend. Living in Dogwood Lane, Tennessee, he has a wonderful Southern drawl too (the author describes it perfectly). Neely Kimber on the other hand has New York in her blood, after all, she left without a backward glance all those years ago, admittedly with a broken heart, but surely she’s over Dane now. Maybe not, because if she hadn’t just quit her job I’m sure she wouldn’t be anywhere near Dogwood Lane, she also has every intention of returning to New York when once she sorts outtake mess that is currently her career. Such lovely, interesting characters, from Neely and Dane to Matt, Penn and of course Mia, who truly was the star of the book. A wonderful story, great writing and so very addictive once I warmed up to Neely (I have to be honest and say it took me a good few chapters to warm up to her), but I did. I am so looking forward to more from Dogwood Lane. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.