Everyone thinks Dean Collins is too old for Fallon Blackwood. Her parents, her friends, even Dean himself. In fact, he wants her to date guys her own age.But Fallon doesn’t care about that. All she cares about is that she can’t take her eyes off Dean, her neighbor, her best friend, the guy who taught her to ride a bike and to climb trees.And sometimes Dean can’t take his eyes off her, either. And … either. And sometimes he looks at her like he wants to kiss her.So it doesn’t matter that he’s thirty-two and she’s eighteen.
All that matters is that they belong with each other, and she needs to convince him of that. Good thing they’re taking a cross-country road trip together, right?
California to New York; three thousand miles and a love story in the making…
Featuring Simon Blackwood and Graham Edwards from the ‘Heartstone Series.’*This is a STANDALONE NOVELLA. This was released as a part of Mixtape Anthology. Since then, it has been revised, expanded and re-titled.
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What can I say? Saffron never disappoints. There’s something to be said about Ms. Kent’s writing, she, without a doubt brings it every single time. And this novella is no different. It doesn’t matter the length, be it a full length novel, novella or short story, you still get the full effect no matter the amount of pages.
California Dreamin’ gave me all those feelings that a forbidden romance can give me. Oh, and did I mention, there’s an age gap? I am a sucker for age gap/forbidden romances and holy moly did I devour this deliciousness.
Ahhhhh, *jumps up and down* I freaking loved-loved-loved Dean and Fallon. My heart couldn’t take all the emotions I felt for these two, I couldn’t get enough! Oh how I wished for more, I neeeeeeded so much more.
If age gap/forbidden romances are your jam, I most definitely recommend this quick read.
Dean and Fallon – a short but fun novella. I would indeed like a little more of them, and understand their story a little more. I was missing a bit of their character history, I didn’t understand the complexity between them until the end. True, they are not ready to give up their love, but I need to see more fight for this love.
like always, Saffron brings us some crushing sentences about the concept of love. and I was excited to see her other characters again from the previous books.
I hope to get Rosie and Brendan’s story.
Well damn. Kent gave us what we have all been craving for since the end of Medicine Man: a glimpse of Simon and Willow’s daughter Fallon and whether or not her crush as a 3 year old on Dean still held true. And I am here to say that yes (!!), 15 years later those feelings have not died, and with a car ride from California to New York in the cards for Dean and Fallon, it seems the time has come for truths and admissions of a love that was clearly fated right from the start.
I have to say that I am thrilled to see that Fallon has inherited both the good and not so good from her parents and handles all of her feelings and apprehension of being her age with a grace that could only come from such a great upbringing. She’s clearly her mother’s daughter and won’t stop at anything to make Dean see her as not just that kid he helped raise but as the woman with more to offer than just simple companionship.
Once again, Kent’s words flow effortlessly and I was beyond overjoyed to get more from these well-written characters. The all-consuming affection Fallon has for Dean is sweet and tender and truly touching. And as for Dean, let’s just say he’s definitely matured quite well and his devotion to his ‘Tiny’ is a beautiful thing to witness. I’m crushing him just as hard as I did for Simon.
And now with an expanded story-line from the original version called Guys My Age, that I read in the Mixtape anthology, we get the hard-fought HEA along with extremely heartwarming moments between Willow and Simon and the daughter they adore. I loved that Kent gave us multiple POVs with the added bonus of watching as Brendan Blackwood finds his own heartthrob in Rosie (Graham and Violet’s little girl).
It’s a great shorter read featuring a wonderfully written forbidden kind of romance Kent is known for.
5 solid stars!
I have loved Fallon and Dean from the moment she asked him to marry her on her third birthday. To see their relationship come full circle was beautiful. I loved that she understood him, and to know what’s going on in his head. I also love that we got more Simon, Willow, Vi, and Graham. I want Brendan’s story!
One of my favorite lines was “But this man in front of me, this man whom I’ve loved as long as I’ve loved my dad, needs this.”
Fallon has loved Dean her best friend and neighbour since she was a child, and she convinces him to take a cross country road-trip with her. This is a good story which is a short novella and is an entertaining and sweet read. I recommend for all.
This is an age gap romance in Saffron’s fabulous taboo style. It has been updated from the short story in th Mixtape anthology. The characters are a spin off from Medicine Man with Fallon being very much her mother’s daughter. Fallon, just like Willow knows what she wants and has made her decision to go for it. Dean doesn’t stand a chance. I adored this couple, so sweet and sexy.
I found all the additional parts that linked a lot of our favourite characters adorable, particularly the section with the Rose garden that was reminiscent of a previous connection. Whilst this is a standalone it will lead you to a number of other stories that you will want to know!
This romance has already been published in the Mixtape Anthology under the title GUYS MY AGE. It was a novella then. This is the revised, re-titled and EXPANDED version.
The characters are very complex. Fallon has mood swings, suffers from clinical depression, and Dean is the one who lightens her mood, always has. He protects her, is caring … he’s just purrfect, the guy you’d want to have by your side in real life.
And he’s fourteen years older, way too old for her, or at least that’s what he tells himself.
Fallon has been in love with him since she was a tiny tod, and now that she’s an adult, she has to convince him that she’s not a child anymore, that she’s grown up and knows what she wants and needs …
Holy Sweetness, this story is amazing, infuriating because of the stubbornness of the characters, elevating and scorching hot. It’s so intense that I felt what they feel … every single emotion … It made me hold my breath not only once.
And the side characters … Holy Molly!!! I’d love to read more about Brendan, and about Rosie, too!
Ms. Saffron’s writing is unique and in a class of its own! Even now that I have just finished this book, I am already longing for her next book!
No one does age gap quite like Saffron Kent does. I was so excited about Dean and Fallon’s story and I was not disappointed. Fallon was so much like her mother, and I loved Dean’s protectiveness over her over the years. This story was filled with angst and a whole lot of sexual tension, and much love. I also loved getting a look at past characters from other books.
Oh my gosh! I loved this novella so much. I’m usually not a big fan of novella’s and I don’t usually read them, but as soon as Saffron announced that she was expanding on this story and releasing a novella, I had to read it. Simon and Willow are my favorite characters that Saffron has written and I was so excited to read Fallon’s story.
“Love can only be given. It can only be given of free will and violation.”
And I was not disappointed. Even though this is a novella, it was so well flushed out and well done. None of it felt rushed, which is an issue I’ve run across with novellas, and the writing in this novella is spectacular.
I loved Fallon and Dean so much. I’m a sucker for the age gap romance when it’s done well, and Saffron definitely did this story justice. She sure knows how to write a damn good age gap romance. There’s tension between these two, sexual and otherwise, but the friendship they have before they are together was one of my favorite parts.
“It’s like he told me. Love is a burn. It’s an explosion, and with his mouth, his tongue, his teeth, his taste-citrusy and masculine-the way he’s holding me, all tight and almost aggressively, he’s showing me that.”
This novella was at times sweet, romantic, and most definitely steamy. It was so great getting to read from these two, and we get chapters from Willow and Violet too. I just love Saffron’s writing. It always makes me smile. And California Dreamin’ definitely had me smiling. It’s a quick feel good type of novella, that’s also intense in a way.
I think wether or not you have read the books that came before California Dreamin’, that you can still read and love Fallon and Dean’s novella. She gives just enough information in Willow and Violets chapters to understand and not be confused if you haven’t read their books. But, I of course highly recommend reading them. It makes this novella so much more fun to read. I loved seeing how intense Simon is as a dad.
I dont think she currently has any plans to write their book, but damn I would love to get Brendan and Rosie’s story. I want to read that so bad, but I’m just greedy. Lol
“Needing someone doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.”
Overall, this was a very good read. I loved the charcaters and the story. It felt really good to revisit some favorite characters along with loving Fallon and Dean’s story. If you want a feel good, romatic, and steamy romance with great writing to read right now, definitely pick up California Dreamin’.
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*