Dandelion Meadows is cursed.
Horrible name.
Horrible luck.
At eighteen she should be headed off to college, all smiles and naivety.
Instead, a victim of a school shooting, she’s starting her senior year in a new city and living with her brother.
Nightmares of that terrible day haunt her, affecting her daily life and the relationships around her.
Forced to meet with the school counselor, Dani … meet with the school counselor, Dani finds him chipping away at the walls she’s built around herself, and even her heart.
Lachlan Taylor doesn’t know what to make at first of the broken student he’s tasked with helping. She’s survived a trauma he’s not sure he can save her from, but he knows he has to try.
The more time they spend together, the more they learn about what it really means to live.
Some things are forbidden.
Some things are necessary for survival.
Their love is both.
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I don’t know what it is about forbidden romance, but it always calls to us like a moth to a flame. We crave the excitement of knowing that a forbidden relationship is in the works, the passion is looming like a roaring flame and sooner or later, we will get heartbroken. But what do we do? We savor the story instead because deep down, we know that it’s going to be worth it.
“You can only fight gravity for so long and the two of us have been falling together from the start”
Eighteen year old Dandelion meadows has been through hell for the past year. Now attending a new school and under the guidance of her older brother, she’s trying her best to move on and get back some kind of normalcy in her life. Speaking to a counselor everyday is a first step and she knows that as much as it’s painful, she has to try. What she was not expecting was to feel a kindred spirit for the man whom she’s going to be sharing an hour of her time with. They say you can’t help you fall in love with and that saying has never been more true for Lachlan and Dandelion.
I have thought a lot about what I wanted to see in this review and I’ve come to the conclusion that what whatever I write, will not do this story justice. No words can capture the love that was literally seeping through the pages of this book, I cant explain to you the way my skin felt heated one minute and was filled with goosebumps the next because of THAT love. It’s unexplainable and I cannot capture the beauty of something as amazing and pure and passionate as their love.
What first drew me to this book was of course reading the blurb and if you follows my reviews, then you know that I get straight up weak in the knees for forbidden romance and that is not going to change any time soon. I knew what I was diving into and I was more than prepared for that but was not expecting to fall head first for every single one of these characters. This story was written as a forbidden romance should be: slow burn, passionate, witnessing these characters slowly falling for each other, and battling their own struggles at the same time. They were not perfect by any means and I’m glad that this author never glossed over their flaws and she took her time showing us all of their sides which was perfect for me.
I will admit that the story is a bit long and certain parts did drag on a bit for my liking but overall, this became by far one of my favorite reads of the year and I’m now a life long fan of this author. If you love a slow burn romance that will guarantee to give you ALL of the feels, this is your book!!
*Arc received for an honest review
Sweet Dandelion will suck you in from the first page and won’t let go until the last. Although this book is long, every page is worth it. Dani went through an unspeakable tragedy, one that changes her life. After starting out at a new school, she starts attending sessions with the counselor, Lachlan. The two form a bond, strong and pure, yet forbidden. I felt so many emotions while reading this story, and I know for sure I’ll be rereading it soon. There are a million things I could say about this book, but I’ll narrow it down to two: Must. Read.
Talk about being consumed by a book! Emotional, raw, forbidden and beautifully heartfelt Sweet Dandelion completely mesmerized me.
Dani is one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever met and her struggles were ones I can’t even imagine having to deal with. She broke my heart and I wanted nothing but happiness and sunshine for her and Lachlan gave her that and so much more. I completely fell in love with both Dani and Lachlan and in all honesty didn’t want their story to end. Their love may have been a bit complicated and forbidden but it was truly amazing to watch as it grew into a soul deep love neither expected.
This author was a new author for me and I enjoyed how she wove a story that evoked so many feelings from me. I must admit I laughed, swooned, cried, hollered in frustration, shed a few more tears yet was left with a huge smile on my face in the end. I love when a book moves me like this one did because stories like Sweet Dandelion are ones that weave their way around my heart and take me on a journey I won’t soon forget.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to write a review that will do this book justice but I still couldn’t come up with the words. All I can say is that I loved this book. I felt every emotion that Dani did and then some.
Ok. I have to start my review with this statement: Thank you Micalea Smeltzer for writing this story, for creating a character that feels so heartbreakingly real that you just want to reach out and hug her and tell her everything will be alright.
Dandelion ‘Dani’ Meadows is a survivor. She has suffered so much in her 18 years but she is still fighting through her fears so she can finish high school. Living in a new town and starting a new school could be overwhelming for anybody, but for Dani it is terrifying. Luckily, she is assigned a school counselor to help her get through her last year of school. Lachlan Taylor. I loved the easy friendship that develops between them. But their innocent friendship slowly starts to become a complication that neither of them can handle. A forbidden complication.
I love forbidden romances, but I really felt that storyline was lost within Dani’s tormented life. I was more focused on Dani’s trauma, her nightmares, her need to please her brother in the present while living in the past than Lachlan and Dani’s forbidden, angsty love. Also, the chemistry between Lachlan and Dani seemed forced and at times I really hoped that these two would just remain friends.
With that being said, Sweet Dandelion is beautifully written and emotionally complex. I loved everything about Dani and I admired her strength in the face of so much tragedy.
I’ve read pretty much all of this author’s books and I’ve loved all the books that I’ve read from her! I always look forward to a new release from her, so I couldn’t wait to read this book! I then received an early copy from the author and started reading it as soon as I could! After reading this book, I can say that I loved every second of reading it! The plot sucked me in right from the first chapter and I couldn’t put it down until I had finished reading! I also felt like this book was quite lengthy for a contemporary book because it took me longer than I expected to read lol! The plot had a lot in it and it held my attention all the way through! There was also plenty of romance in the plot, which I loved! It allowed for a few seriously hot scenes between the main character and her love interest as well! There wasn’t any action and suspense scenes in the plot, but there didn’t need to be because the romance was definitely enough! The characters were also amazing and made this book even better! Dandelion ‘Dani’ was the main female character, and my heart went out to her in this book because she had been through a traumatic experience and she had lost someone very, very close to her! I felt like Dani came a long way in this book and she was able to take back control of her life and have new experiences! She also found love unexpectedly and her love interest helped her a lot! Lachlan was the love interest of Dani! Lachlan was a very intriguing character because he was in a place of authority when it came to Dani and they started a relationship! I learned a lot about Lachlan in this book and I really liked him! It was also easy to see that he felt deeply for Dani and he wanted to be with her! There was also a bit of a love triangle in this book between Dani, Lachlan and Ansel! I really liked Ansel and I felt like he was an amazing friend to Dani! I could also understand why there was a romantic connection! This book was only written from Dani’s point of view, which did surprise me a little! I was expecting this book to be written from dual point of view, but it wasn’t! I understand why it was only written from Dani’s point of view because it was her story and her journey to finding herself again and coming to terms with what she had been through! I can also completely understand why this book is a standalone! Everything was wrapped up and all the questions raised in the plot were answered! The ending was also left at the perfect place for the characters and summed up their story! I now can’t wait to read this author’s next book! I’m not sure what her next release is going to be, but I always look forward to her next release, so I’ll definitely be reading it! The cover for this book is also absolutely stunning and so pretty! I loved it as soon as I saw it and I love how well it suits the feel of the book! The cover model is the perfect Dani as well!
This is the first book that I’ve read by thus author and omgawwdd it is remarkable. From beginning to end I just couldn’t put this book down, my life had to stop literally so I could see what was going to happen. Its so emotionally raw and intense that it will have your heart hurting for the characters in this book wanting you to jump on in and hug them.
Dani has been through an extreme tragedy, something no living person should ever have to endure and my heart aches for her totally.
Dani is a young woman and at 18 years old has survived an extreme tragedy. She has things very tough and needs to go and stay with her brother Sage. Her life is not supposed to have gone down this route but by some twist of fate it has and this is the journey she is on.
Dani is about to start a new school in a new city, is about to make new friends but in reality she knows that things will never be the same again now matter how many things change.
Dani, her brother Sage is so loving, so caring and very sweet and he will do everything in his power to help Dani in anyway he can. Dani is forced to see the school counselor and surprisingly to her things start to change for the better. She’s not expecting what she actually starts to feel.
Lachlan Taylor is the person who is helping Dani and he wants to really get behind the walls she has placed around her heart to try and help her. He know s that this is a task that is going to be very difficult but no matter what he knows he needs to help her to try and get a little bit of normality back. He knows it isn’t going to be easy as her mind is stuck in the past. However they start to spend tine together and they both get more than they bargained for when they both start to have feelings for one another and a forbidden love begins to blossom and it helps them both.
( NO SPOILERS )
This book, the story is very emotional and heartbreaking you really feel what these characters are going through, they take you on there journey with them. This author has really brought these characters to life and has made you heart ache with the painful heart wrenching emotion of this story. Seeing Dani trying to overcome the hurt,the pain and the heartbreak to enable her to be strong is powerful.
I really liked this authors writing style and I will be recommending this book to everyone when it gets released but you’ve been warned this book is very emotional and you will defiantly need to have the tissues handy for yourself. I will defiantly look out for this authors work in the future.
Thank you to the author and the publishers for allowing me to read an early copy of this book.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review,
This book is expected tot be released on 25th March 2020
Sweet Dandelion by Micalea Smeltzer was a beautifully tragic and angsty as f*ck forbidden romance that wholeheartedly captivated every inch of my soul. My heart gave off this painfully intense ache the entire time I was reading and it has yet to disappear even weeks after reaching the end. The author’s storytelling ability will cause you to experience an emotional overload as you devour all of the words of this addictive tale. You will laugh, cry, swoon, and shout out in frustration more time than you can count throughout this unique journey of healing.
Dandelion “Dani” Meadows and Lachlan Taylor have stolen a special place in my heart and I never wanted their story to reach its end. Their love was destined to be complicated and those heartbreaking moments left me breathless at times. Lachlan had my entire body swooning in overdrive because of his compassionate demeanor towards Dani. I mean come on, why do all the good guys have to be fictional? I want my very own Mr. Taylor and I want to one day find a man who make me feel as loved as he made Dani feel. One can only hope! Their journey will test even the strongest and you will surely find yourself overwhelmed by the emotions you will experience.
This story was EVERYTHING and I am so FREAKING excited that you all can FINALLY get your hands on one of my TOP READS of 2020! This is hands down one of Micalea Smeltzer’s best stories to date and it makes me so happy to see how far she has come as a storyteller over the years. With each new release, I find myself falling even more in love with her writing and the characters she is creating for us. Make sure to clear your ENTIRE scheduled for the day so you can read all the words in one sitting because you won’t be able to put it down!!!
** ARC received in exchange for an honest review **
“ I love you Dandelion Meadows. Despite it all, despite myself, I love you.”
How do reviewers deal with wanting to put the whole freaking book into the review? I mean, I have so many highlights from this book, I basically highlighted the whole thing.
I was very lucky to be able to get an ARC from Micalea Smeltzer. I am eternally grateful for that, because this book… no words, just… no words can describe how amazing this book is.
I was very excited to get my hands on Sweet Dandelion and just could not wait for it. There were a lot of teasers posted in the social media and I could barely contain myself not to read them, but for once I wanted to just read the whole book without knowing anything more than the blurb.
Sweet Dandelion is a long, slow-burn romance. It’s told from the POV of Dandelion, who was shot in a school shooting and lost her mom it in. Now, in a new city, with just her older brother, she’s forced to meet the school counselor every day for the rest of the school year.
The young counselor quickly earns her thrust and their sessions soon become more on the friendly side than on the professional. And one late night after a party Dani went to, everything changes for them.
Previously innocent touches are turned into sparks that threaten to turn into fires that can burn both of them to the ground.
“You can only fight gravity for so long, and the two of us have been falling together from the start.”
At ~48% in, I knew, without a doubt, this is a 5 stars book.
I could not get enough from Dani and Lachlan (I still cannot pronounce his name, lol). There’s a feeling of rightness you get from the moment they meet, like they’re meant to be, and later, we learn they kind of are.
The romance was good and the erotica was just enough to make it 18+ appropriate and hot as hell.
“I love you, Dandelion Meadows. I wasn’t expecting you. I sure as hell wasn’t searching for you. But then there you were, standing in the doorway of my office with your wary eyes, and something about you spoke to me. The more you talked, the more I got to know you , and I found myself saying to myself this girl is mine.”
This is a story about dealing with loss and grief, about falling in love, finding yourself and growing up. Sweet Dandelion is the first book I’ve read by Micalea Smeltzer but it for sure goes to my favorites list and will not be the last book I read from this author.
{I received this as an ARC in exchange for an Honest Review}
“Sweet Dandelion” is a book about growth and healing and finding love where you least expect it. I have a lot of feelings about this book. I really loved Dandelion and her journey to finding herself again. This story was heart breaking and powerful. Once you start reading you get sucked in and the book fly’s by and that’s amazing considering this book has 601 pages. My only issue was that I just could not feel the connection between Dani and Lachlan. I did feel it in some scenes but most I just didn’t and I don’t really know why. I am used to extreme angst and turmoil when it comes to teacher/ Student relationships and I just didn’t feel Lachlan’s fight enough. I did love this story in all the other aspects and in the end Lachlan and Dani made me so happy. It was such a good story and I think a lot of people will absolutely love it. I enjoyed my time in Dandelion and Lachlan’s world. It was powerful and heart breaking but also inspiring. This book is a journey that you should take.
P.S. Ansel {Side Character} is my dream man. I LOVE him so much. I would literally die if Micalea ever writes his story.
After a traumatic life-changing tragedy, Dani is now living with her older brother in a new town & new school. She finds an odd sense of comfort with her school counselor, Mr. Taylor. She soon realizes that her feelings of comfort are turning into something else, something dangerous & forbidden.
Lachlan Taylor wants nothing more than to help Dani move past the sadness, guilt & grief that haunts her. He wasn’t prepared for his feelings to turn into more as he spends time getting to know her.
Both know the ramifications of what can happen if they act on their feelings. But they also can’t help who the heart wants, which is each other.
This is another fantastic read from this author. An emotional story where you feel what Dani goes through. The guilt, anger, sadness, hopelessness, and fear of losing someone again. The love that grows between Dani and Lachlan is so much more than a forbidden, age-gap romance. These two people, who unknowingly crossed paths before in the past, were destined to be together. I absolutely loved this book!
This has been one of my top anticipated reads of 2020 and I’ve been counting down the days ever since I read the synopsis! This story hooked me from the very beginning and kept me glued to my kindle until the very end. I felt everything under the sun throughout reading! I loved this story!
I have read almost all of Micalea’s books. Sweet Dandelion is definitely one that keeps the reader hanging onto every word. I started the book Sunday morning and had it finished by that afternoon. It was so good that I couldn’t walk away from it. It is truly a story that shows people that no matter the experience a person goes through, it doesn’t have to define their whole life.
I received a copy for review purposes.
Wow! Micalea did an amazing job of writing the story of Dandelion and how she survived and grieves a school shooting. Her struggle broke my heart but as she gained friends and found love my heart healed along with hers. There were moments that I didn’t see coming but were what was needed in the story. I say get this and read it today!!!
Finishing Sweet Dandelion made me angry with myself that I have never read a book by Micalea Smeltzer before. This is my very first, and this beautiful and extremely talented author had me swooning at moments, frustrated and anxious, and definitely managed to over heat my kindle….(if you know what I mean.)as well!
Dani is a survivor of a school shooting that killed someone close to her.
&After losing both parents, she is forced to move in with her older brother.
She begins school within the town right away, but a stipulation was put in place, and Dani has to meet with the school counselor once every school day.
Now Dani and Lachlan will be in close private quarters everyday, and those feelings that they figured were just little crushes, it turns out it was ALOT more than just a little crush.
Grab Sweet Dandelion today, and take that crazy ride right along with Dani &Lachlan while they navigate their feelings for one another, and search for ways to make their relationship work, along with watching these character’s growth in so many ways.
Sweet Dandelion is in my top 3 reads of 2020, and if you give it that chance, I think you will find that it will be joining yours as well!
Dandelion Meadows survived a high school shooting. Some days she wishes she hadn’t.
After moving 700+ miles to live with her twenty-something workaholic brother, Dandelion enrolls in the local high school to finish her final year of high school. As the new girl in town, Dandelion sets out to get through each day avoiding everything and everyone that might trigger a nightmarish vision of her past.
Lachlan Taylor has never met anyone more broken and beautiful than Dandelion Meadows. As the school’s resident hottie guidance counselor, he is assigned to meet with Dandelion daily to help her through the school year.
“He’s the sunshine, I’m the rain, but we’re no rainbow together.”
The more time they spend together, the more the walls between them start to crumble and the clouds begin to clear.
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Fan’s of Micalea Smeltzer’s ‘Bring Me Back’ will love her newest emotional love story. I seriously couldn’t put this book down. Of the 20ish books I’ve read by Micalea, this is my second favorite after ‘Bring Me Back’! This story never felt forced, rushed, or anything but perfect.
If I had to say something negative about this book: I wish the cover art was a bit different. The sketch overlay and pastel colors don’t seem to fit the weighted emotions of this book.
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Sweet Dandelion is a fated, emotional, and forbidden romance with an age gap.
I’ve read a lot of Micalea’s books and she never fails to amaze me when it comes to her captivating story lines and amazing, real characters. Sweet Dandelion was no different. This book is different from her other books but probably one of my new favorites and no less amazing. This book was a breath of fresh air when it comes to the books I’ve been reading lately. It drew me in and captivated me from that beautiful, unique cover all the way to the end when I was left wanting more. This is one of those books that will stay with you long after you finish reading and definitely one I will be recommending to everyone I know. This book has a little bit of everything thrown in from angst to emotion to laugh out loud funny to forbidden romance.
Dani is a survivor in every way and struggles with finding herself until she meets Lachlan Taylor, her guidance counselor. While struggling with the ups and downs of her new reality, they form a bond. He manages to connect with her on a level that no one else has been able to. I really enjoyed how their relationship evolved. It was slow and tentative at first and then turned into something more profound and passionate. I love how both characters not only grew stronger together but as individuals as well. Their love story was tragically beautiful and just shows you that beauty can come from the ashes of a tragedy and when you least expect it.
I fell in love with every single character in this book and definitely did not want to say good bye to any of them. They all worked their ways into my heart and I cannot wait to see what else the beautiful and amazing Micalea Smeltzer has in store for us next.
I have said it before but I feel like I need to state it again Micalea is amazing in her stories. She lets the character be real to themselves. This book was simply captured my attention and didn’t let go. Lachlan and Dani. My heart watching them grow both apart and together gave me the feels that I don’t know if I have recovered from. I am a sucker for forbidden love stories and this was simply wow.
Wow.
Dandelion’s story is one that will stick with me for a long, long time. I experienced a similar situation to hers, only on a smaller scale, when I was younger, and it did shape the way I viewed the world. But it also allowed me a completely different perspective than most people that will read this.
I know, it’s strange, but I think Sage might be my absolute favorite character, followed closely by Ansel. They were both pieces to Dani’s puzzle, giving her strength and a support system in the ways they knew how.
Dandelion is the definition of strength, and I loved her journey. Lachlan was a piece of her puzzle, not the whole picture, and the fact that he allowed her the room to grow, and gave her what she needed in that respect was perfection.
This is more than a romance. This is a coming of age in all the ways that count; mind, body & spirit. This is a story of growth, and healing, and love in all its forms.
I absolutely recommend reading this.
It has been awhile since I read a book by this author and it has reminded me what an amazing writer she is. From the beginning of the book I knew this was going to be special. I knew this was a teacher forbidden romance however i had no idea just how complex and multi layered it would be.
Through flashbacks we learn what consumes Dandelion and it’s a truth that when revealed stopped my heart. Dani starts her senior year living with her brother Sage, new town new school but struggling to live with her new reality. Mr Taylor is the school counselor who manages to connect with her on a deeper level. I really enjoyed how their relationship evolved , it was slow and tentative then passionate and loving. Lachlan is a character who I fell for so easily his commitment to Dani is breathtaking. With love comes sacrifice, what would you be willing to do or give up for the one with love.
I went through a range of emotions whilst reading this story. At times I had to stop because it made me feel so much but at the same time I didn’t want it to end. I have no idea what the author is writing next but I hope that some of the secondary characters get their own books, her brother Sage and her best friend Ansel who truly deserve to tell their stories.