A full-length, standalone romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Archer’s Voice.Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk.Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and … the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going.
Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly–through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds–to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain.
They’re both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind?
Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love.
THIS IS A STANDALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY TAURUS. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
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Mia Sheridan brings her A-game with this wonderful book of underdogs – two smart kids form Appalachia – who fall in love while competing for a local scholarship. Sacrifice is a part of love, and KYLAND, more than any book I can think of, shows us the true depth and meaning of love.
Thais book…! I don’t even know what to say. I’m from Kentucky and I really loved this book.
Many stories we read are in settings we are a bit familiar with and sometimes we tend to “exclude” the feelings we get about the surroundings because we ARE so familiar with them. This book, for me, brought the surroundings and the plight of the inhabitants of that area of the country to the forefront. I know there are people who live in this kind of abject poverty and difficulties but Mia Sheridan brings a story that DESPITE the dismal lives they live, there is beauty to be seen, to be felt, to be had. There are always bad guys who prey on the those who can’t protect themselves but here we have good guys who will do ANYTHING to protect those they care about, love and even those they barely know. Kyland and Tenleigh’s story is not your average teen love angst story. There are adult situations that these teens must deal with head on and I believe Mia does what she does best. Bring that story to our eyes and hearts. I’ve not read everything she has written YET, but this one is definitely one of my favorites so far.
Living in the backwoods of the Appalachian Mountains is never easy. When you come from a town that is struggling to keep businesses open with limited employment prospects, things are even harder. For Tenleigh and Kyland, living below the poverty line is a fact of life. Each day holds a struggle to attend school and find enough food at the end of the day.
Both are students at the local high school and desire nothing more than to leave their circumstance behind. Tenleigh and Kyland are both exceptional students. Giving their all to academics. With a scholarship on the line, Tenleigh and Kyland dream of using the money to further their education.
Tenleigh dreams of becoming a teacher. Someone that children can look up to. An educator that helps the lives of so many through her love of books. Then there are the simple things…..more than one pair of shoes, a place to call home, and a nice bed to sleep on. For Kyland, his dreams consist of becoming an engineer. Creating projects that make a difference. To live each day without ever knowing the sting of hunger again. To leave his home in Kentucky behind and never set his eyes on his childhood home again.
Little by little, the two began to spend time together. Finding happiness in their friendship. As the two begin to spend more time together the unexpected happens….a romance begins. Both know that a relationship such as theirs can only lead to heartache. All the odds are against them, but Tenleigh and Kyland try to savor every moment that they can. Living for the moment…soaking up every moment before their lives change.
The time comes in their lives for choices. Kyland is so determined to leave that he can focus on nothing else. Tenleigh is determined to hold onto what they have and make their relationship work. Their future will be determined by one sacrifice so selfless that it will capture your heart.
What an amazing journey!! It never ceases to amaze me the way Mia Sheridan captures the heartache of real life and turns it into something beautiful. Kyland is one of the most beautiful love stories!! Each moment captures the desperation, pain, joy and beauty that exists in this world.
Nothing I write could prepare you for the way Kyland touches you all the way to the depths of your soul. It’s a story you will remember long after you turn that last page. A journey that really exists for some. Hopefully it will inspire you to be selfless in your own life!!
This is Mia Sheridan at her best. Fiction? I don’t think so. This book is real for many people facing the terrible problem of poverty. There are so many people out there who live just as Kyland and Tenleigh live. I have seen in real life the homes that are portrayed in this book. I have seen the people who just are getting by doing what they can to survive. I live in Tennessee so this hits pretty close to home. I’d have to say that within 50 miles of where I live there are people struggling just like Kyland and Tenleigh. We are sitting in comfy rooms reading on our Kindle about a story in which they live every day. This book will make you feel. First, it was cause you to cherish all that you have. Then it will make you feel so many emotions for Kyland and Tenleigh. I think of how smart that Mia made these two characters. They had no one to push them or to even ask if they were doing okay with their studies. These two shined. They have an inner drive. I know that their inner drive came from wanting to escape this life of poverty. I was totally slated at the love that these two young people have for each other. What love! What sacrifice! This book just clinched my heart. I sat crying and feeling for these two kids. I would love to share this story with all of our spoiled kids who whine and complain about everything. They need a story like this to keep them grounded. It would open their eyes and help them to understand that life is harsh. However, it’s how you approach that life that makes you who you are. Like Archer’s Voice, I will forever remember this story. Dual point of view. No cliffhanger. Stand alone.
This was recommended by a friend. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this author before. Now I’ll be reading through all of her work because this was fantastic. I loved the setting, the detail with which she described their gritty environment, and the characters. Hope in the face of overwhelming sadness and despair. Fantastic read
Amazing story
Haven’t read this one? Put it at the top of your list!
“And I had to wonder, should a seventeen-year-old girl be so tired? Just tired down to my bones … weary in my very soul?“
Although I didn’t grow up nearly as poor as the people in this story, I could totally identify with the people of this town. So many people struggling to make ends meet, keeping so much to themselves, and having that small sense of pride that keeps them from asking for help. This is a type of people I never envisioned being featured in a romance novel, but somehow I’m glad they did.
Kyland and Tenleigh are both competing for the same scholarship; a scholarship that will allow them to leave this poor town and never have to return. These two find their way to one another through a series of out of place events that cause them to invest their hearts in one another “And I fell in love. Deep, hard, utter, and complete love. And he was still leaving. And he still wouldn’t look back.” Both had the desire to move on, to move out of this place, but both couldn’t keep their hearts locked away.
This is a story of sacrifice, choice, pride, and ultimately love. I was absolutely enthralled by this story. I was aggravated, yes, but this was a story that seemed totally real. The struggles they faced, the choices necessary to keep going, and ultimately the sacrifices made to ensure a future were perfect, for me. A top read, for sure.
I loved this book! Kyland had me from the moment he sneaked the remnants of an abandoned school breakfast into his mouth on a Monday morning after a long–and apparently hungry–weekend. He was a great character, and I could easily understand his need to escape the grinding poverty he was experiencing. Tenleigh, Kyland’s competition for the full ride scholarship only one of them can win, was also desperate to get out of their dead end mining town. The two should be enemies, but fall hard for each other, and I fell hard for them. Good plot twists, and I loved the ending. For my money, no one does epilogues as well as Ms. Sheridan!
A true coming-of-age story about loss and finding your way home. Mia Sheridan never disappoints!