She wants something real. He wants something now. Together they’re trouble in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s sexy and funny twice-in-a-lifetime love story.
With his shameless grin and let’s-play swagger, carpenter Penn Etling leaves women wanting in Dogwood Lane. What do they get? Avery Perry knows: a one-night stand. She’s been there. She remembers every hot pulse as if it were … hot pulse as if it were yesterday. But Penn? He doesn’t remember a thing. Now he’s making new moves, and Avery’s not falling for trouble…again. Is she?
How could the beautiful stranger resist him? Avery is going to be a challenge for the bad boy. She’s the kind of woman who digs deep—deep enough to see there’s more to Penn than meets the eye. But first she has to give him a chance. She has to say yes. Could she also be the woman to make him change his playboy ways?
When these two come together, it’s hard to pull them apart. But with love and trust on the line, can Avery and Penn get what they both want? This time for keeps?
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That sounds like a dare.” She presses off the car. There’s heat in her eyes that I can feel in my blood. “It’s not a dare. It’s a fact,” she says. “You can’t woo me. I’m un-woo-able.”
I have to be honest. I didn’t think Adriana Locke would ever top Peck in Crazy, but darn it if I didn’t love Penn and Avery just as much if not more. Her eccentric and independent personality up against the oh so cocky playboy was an explosive match! This story was totally engaging from beginning to end. Every single character in the book was fantastic, and I can’t decide if I loved wacky aunt Harper or over the top Meredith more, I am truly looking forward to more from this crew (Matt?????!!!) and all that Dogwood Lane has to offer.
4 Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Support Group
Up All Night With Books Blog
Trouble aka Penn, is nothing but trouble. Trouble is the third story in the Dogwood Lane series by Adriana Locke. There is just something about this story that makes the heart swoon. This story can be read as a standalone but so much more enjoyable reading them in order, as we get to meet Penn earlier in the series and during his story, we get to visit our previous friends too.
Penn and Avery’s story is almost a second chance story. But not in the traditional sense. Sometimes life can be hard and we get that second chance at life. And when Avery and Penn meet, chemistry flies along with can’t help yourself verbal sparring.
Adriana Locke has brought amazing stories for this small-town romance series. So well written that you will fall in love with these characters right from the start to the very last page. Such a sweet romance that has realistic situations.
Really enjoyed this heartwarming, sexy, fun and action packed second chance journey filled with engaging charters, witty dialog, heart racing twists and undeniable passion. Was a great read from beginning to end.
OMG, I am so unbelievably in love with Penn!!! He has definitely made the list of my favorite book boyfriends! The banter with Avery is amazing and I adore their journey through the story. Another amazing book from Adriana Locke!
Take a boy who doesn’t believe in love. Take a girl who wants someone to see her for who she is and not who she knows. Put them together and explosions will set your kindle on fire.
Trouble is exactly what Penn when he meets Avery. Avery does everything to slide past the playboy of Dogwood Lane. But when two people have an unseen connection it is bound to start a great love affair.
Adriana writes from heart and bring life to her characters. Characters that a reader can relate to, where you can see the story play out and want to be in the moment with them. Trouble makes your heart melt and mind swoon. This is a must read for any one looking for a good home romance book.
Avery and Penn and Dogwood Lane
Avery Perry has had it with living in the big city of Los Angeles. She’s done with dealing with her celebrity parents, their so called friends and all of the antics in the name of publicity. Avery is ready for small town life so she has moved to Dogwood Lane to be near her Aunt Harper. She takes a job at Harper’s hair salon and on her very first day she comes face to face with Penn Etling. Avery and Penn have met before, ahem, in the biblical way , when she was eighteen and rebellious. Unfortunately for Penn, he doesn’t recognize her. It’s been ten years after all and she told him her name was Abby then.
Penn is an all around great guy. Thrilled to live in the small town of Dogwood Lane. He’s easy going and easy on the eyes. Kind of a playboy, definitely a flirt, he loves women but he’s never going to settle down. He’s also a conscientious worker and skilled at fixing and building things. He works for his friends Dane and Matt who own Madden Carpentry.
Both Avery and Penn have scars from their childhood that drive their adult lives. Can they work through them and find happiness?
Avery is done with one night stands and non comittal relationships so when Penn askes her out she turns him down…several times. It seems Penn just can’t stay away from her though so they agree to be friends, only friends. Hahaha yeah, let’s see how long that lasts! I have to say I really enjoyed the game these two played while fooling themselves that they could just be friends. Please take a chance on Avery and Penn and let yourself get hooked on these people and this dreamy small town full of heart.
Fabulous addition to a great series! #OneClick
Another great read by Adriana Locke! I have fallen in love with the small town of Dogwood Lane and the wonderful characters that call it home. This is the third book in this series of stand-alones, and I just can’t get enough. I adored Penn and Avery. How could anyone not fall in love with Penn? It was so much fun to watch him fall for Avery. His inner monologue had me laughing out loud. Who would have known how genuine and romantic Penn could be. He was not only sexy and fun, he was swoonalicious! It was great to see their story come together and to feel the love between them. Avery’s Aunt Harper was a hoot and of course it was great to hear from Dane and Trevor. I’m hoping Matt and Jake get a story. Sweet Matt and cocky Jake deserve a Dogwood Lane romance too! Whatever Adriana Locke decides to write next, I can’t wait to read it. Until then, I highly recommend this book, this series!
Review by Lys
Penn kinda stole my heart!
Trouble was just seriously amazing! I love Addy and her book world she shares with us. Her characters are always the best. Penn and Avery are golden. The universe was waiting to bring them back together.
Penn is trouble with a capital T! He had me cracking up with his self assured attitude. He makes me swoon and wish I was there being part of his crew.
Avery is a strong woman and I love every feakin’ moment. Her connection with everyone makes my heart happy. Her soul is beautiful.
All the characters in Dogwood are amazing and make you feel like you can be part of something special. I love it all! You need to read this book and get it now!! I promise you will love Trouble!!!!
Loved every moment of this book and think think this is my favorite in the series so far. This book had me laughing and crying. Great story.
5 She Gives Him A Run for His Money Stars!!!
I absolutely LOVED this book so much!! It reiterates why I love Ms. Locke’s writing and her ability to tell a small-town story with romance and laughs along the way to a fabulous HEA!!
Penn isn’t a man that’s used to being turned down but when Avery moves to his small town he’s ready to “put some moves” on her…except he doesn’t realize they’ve already met and Avery isn’t in the mood for romance right now…and so it begins!
I loved these two together especially with how she keeps turning him down for dates! And don’t think his friends don’t give him a tough time because they’re just as bad as women and their gossiping sometimes!!
What’s really clear to me is that these two just need to find the perfect moment to reignite the passion they shared that one night and once it does, will it lead to a forever or will they not be able to get out of their own way?
Ms. Locke has created characters and a town that I’d love to meet and live in and these are books that I’ll definitely be reading again because I can never have too much of Dogwood Lane!
*4.5 Stars*
I have enjoyed every book in this series. Dogwood Lane is one of my favorite small towns, though I admit, I have quite a few. I’m a sucker for small town romance series. I was anxiously waiting for Penn’s story after meeting him in the previous books and it did not disappoint.
Avery is new to town after leaving LA and her self absorbed celebrity family. Penn immediately tries to use his typical moves on her but she isn’t having any of it. They both have very opposite ideas of what they want in life. While Penn stays as far away from commitment as possible, true commitment is all Avery wants.
Watching everything happen between these two is so enjoyable even though they both have moments that make me want to smack them. Seeing everyone else in the town, from the previous books, was so great. I especially love Harper, Avery’s aunt so much! She knows just where to meddle, where to stand back, and I loved her personality that had me laughing out loud and rooting her on.
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
Penn Etling….oh how I’ve waited for this book. And Adriana Locke did not disappoint!
This book is aptly named. Penn is the best kind of trouble. He’s cocky, charming, and seemingly doesn’t have a serious bone in his body. He makes you laugh as much as he makes you swoon. And once he lets you get a glimpse of the man he is underneath all that sexual innuendo? You don’t stand a chance. Penn will melt your heart and melt your panties in equal measure. He’s absolutely irresistible.
Avery is fantastic. She’s so strong, much stronger than she gives herself credit for. And I love that she’s finally doing things that make her happy instead of focusing her attention on pleasing everyone else. She’s got a charm that matches Penn’s and can definitely keep him on his toes. She always gives back as good as she gets.
These two had palpable chemistry from the start. There’s never a dull interaction between them. Snark, wit, and sarcasm run rampant but it’s the slow-burning desire that will keep you reading. I loved watching these two change and evolve over the course of their story. This book is beautiful, sweet, fun, sexy, and amazing all rolled into one. I’d definitely deem it a must-read.
This is book 3 of the Dogwood Lane series and can be read as a stand alone. Everyone knows there is more to Penn Etling than being a playboy except Penn himself. When Avery comes to town and turns him down he is shocked. Penn falls hard for Avery, but ultimately does not believe he deserves her. Reading as they figure out this dilemma is the biggest treat. These two have sparks flying and Avery is Penn’s match; calling him out on stuff from the beginning. I especially enjoyed how Penn’s relationships with Dane and Matt contribute to his growth. The same can be said of Avery and her Aunt Harper, who functions as the mom her mom never was.
The book is very well-written and the characters feel like you know them. I really appreciate how well the story was developed and how realistic the trials are that they face. I read the first 3 books of this series in 2 days and I cannot wait to read more by this author.
That Penn Etling is trouble. Trouble of the best kind. This book- Penn and Avery’s story. I can’t even put it in words because I am laying here in bed bawling. Because apparently when Penn caught the feels so did I.
I think Penn might be my favorite of all of Adriana’s male characters yet- and that’s hard because it’s always been Walker. Others had come close but no one beat Walker until Penn Freaking Etling stole my heart.
This book five stars- I’d give it a thousand if I could.
I’ve been waiting to read Trouble since I finished Tangle back July of last year. I was late getting an ARC but I started it as soon as I finished another ARC I had. I liked Avery from the start. She was strong, confident, willing to do what she needed to do to be happy, and vulnerable as well. I could empathize with her even though I didn’t have a similar childhood and it made sense why she’d fled to Dogwood Lane to get away from her old life. She wanted something real and wanted a change. I liked how she stood her ground with Penn. She knew what she wanted which was a long term relationship, not just one night or a week. She held strong for a long time which made this a delicious slow burn with stolen touches and kisses that frustrate me and thrill me at the same time. I liked Penn too. His past I could relate to more and it was clear he thought the way he grew up and what his parents told him, made him think he’d suck at relationships and he needed to just stay single. I understood his hesitation because I share the same thing when it comes to relationships. Adriana did an amazing job of making real characters that you could empathize with no matter what they’d gone through.
I liked the storyline for the most part. Wanting to know when Avery would share her secret with Penn, made it hard to put the book down. And I also wanted to know if Penn remembered the girl he met ten years ago even though Avery gave a false name and looked different back then. I loved when they finally gave in to their attraction to each other but it wasn’t all perfect after that. Avery still needed to admit her secret and Penn needed to believe he was capable of love and worthy of receiving love. Eventually, they figured it out and I loved seeing the two of them together.
As always I like seeing past characters show up. It was nice to see more of Matt who wasn’t as big a character in the first two books. It was nice to see Trevor and Haley along with Claire, Dane, Neely, and Mia. I even enjoyed seeing Meredith and Jake again along with some other minor characters that make up Dogwood Lane and meeting Harper, Avery’s aunt. This was a fun read and I hope there will be more books in this series. In the meantime, I’m going to go read some of Adriana’s other books!
Second Time’s the Charm!
Trouble by Adriana Locke is a small town, second chance story. Avery knows what she wants in her life and she is not going to settle for anything less than perfection. Penn is a ladies man who only wants a little fun. And Penn generally has no trouble getting the women he is interested in. But Avery won’t fall for his charms … again … even though he doesn’t remember the first time!
I really enjoyed Avery and all the characters we meet from their town. Penn, however, seemed to act more like a teenager than his almost thirty years. He seemed too confident in his looks and ability to bed his target, than someone who has a heart below the surface. I wanted Avery to walk away too often to count! But when he became more mature and serious, I started to like him more. I couldn’t shake the “gotcha” feeling though.
Overall, this was a well-written book, with great secondary characters (many of which I hope will get their own love story).
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.
Brand new from one of my favorites, Adriana Locke!
Ohhhh! New release from Adriana Locke!
Penn friggin Etling, sweettttttt friggin niblettttssssss
Now now, Peck will ALWAYS be my favorite. But Penn is a very close second!!!
What a beautiful romance, two not so strangers who seem so perfect for one another, but can they get past the angst of their pasts & their doubts? I read this one two full times just so I could be sure I didnt miss a single detail, and I absolutely loved it! I love standalones inside a series, I love to read small continuations of other characters from previous books. Doesnt get better than that, one big beautiful love story with small pieces of previous romances. I only wish I could see the final result of the mural Avery painted.
Buy the book, read the book, DEVOUR the book.