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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A second-chance, single dad romance from Adriana Locke!
second chance, small town romance, single father
Adriana Locke’s single dad romance is here!
Audio review:
Neely & Dane were a fantastic listening experience.
Their story was full of emotion. It was playful, full of banter, steamy, sad, heartbreaking at certain points, and Mia was the cutest little thing. Although it was full of uncertainty, and there were some really tough times during their story, it had the sweetest, most heartwarming ending.
Aiden and Summer did an amazing job with the narration.
Tumble was everything! Dane and Neely were absolutely beautiful! So many swoon worthy moments!! Dane and Neely were something fierce and I loved it!
With Tumble, Adriana Locke brings us another small town, second-chance romance.
After quitting her job in the big city, Neely Kimber is back home in Dogwood Lane, Tennessee for the first time in 10 years, since she left for college, and a part of that is due to her ex-boyfriend, Dane Madden. When Dane broke up with Neely neither she nor her heart has been the same.
Dane Madden comes with his own problems. When he broke up with Neely he went and did something utterly stupid from which he couldn’t come back from and now, 10 years later he is handling his father’s business and raising his daughter, Mia.
“Neely isn’t someone I can gamble with. There’s no kissing and forgetting. There’s only wanting more. Needing more. Desiring more. And not being able to have it.”
I loved the story and I loved the characters, especially Mia, who was an absolute sweetheart.
One of the things I love about second-chance romance is how the couple learn about each other all over again and re-discover themselves and with Dane and Neely it was a bit of fumbling, some anger and hurt and some laughs and lots of swoons.
Dane and Neely made a beautiful couple and with Mia in the mix, they were the perfect family. Now, while I did enjoy this story and its characters, I am not crazy about Dane, as I am for the other Locke Heroes, because of the mistake he made after Neely left and then getting frustrated with her when she had a hard time trusting him. Like, of course, you fool! Of course, she is hesitant. That mistake and a bit of Dane’s behaviour regarding it was the only issue I had.
Out of the lot, my favourite is the bonding between Mia and Neely and how their relationship developed. I love Adriana for not creating a rift between the two and how Neely never looked at Mia differently because she was the product of her heartbreak.
Being a Locke Reader from Day 1, one thing I’ve learned through the years is that Adriana keeps her romance real. The characters, the problems — sure, it is a fictional setting but the element of reality is something that I have come to expect and love.
Tumble is a feel-good romance and I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
4 Stars!
4* Second Chance Love Stars
I really enjoyed this small town romance story. The characters are so likeable and you will fall in love with them all. This second chance at love between Neely and Dane is heartfelt and realistic. I was rooting for them all the way.
I highly recommend this well written and easy flowing love story with low angst and a bit of sexiness.
I am excited to read what Adrianna brings us next in the Dogwood Lane series as there are a few very interesting characters who needs their story told, especially Penn!
I liked this story very much. It’s a second chance romance story but with enough angst, funny moments, drama, doubts, passion, great secondary characters and hot as hell chemistry between Dane and Neely to make this story an incredible read! I also loved Dane’s little girl, she made this story awesome too! This is a great start to the new series, “Dogwood Lane” and I can’t wait for the next story 😉
Tumble by Adriana Locke was one of the sweetest, dramatic and love filled reads that I’d ever encountered. The first of the series tells Neely’s and Dane’s story, and oh how sweet it is.
I loved the story. It was addictive, light, dramatic with angst. I loved reading Neely’s and Dane’s journey and seeing them fall in love all over again. It was bittersweet, and I fell in love with them.
It was angsty. With these protagonists story, it was to be expected. But, oh my, my heart was in my mouth, especially in a few scenes. If there is one author who can do angst, and do it well, it’s Adriana Locke.
It has a hint of humour in the novel, and it was so refreshing. It lightened up the tension in the book, and I loved. I also loved Matt and Penn, especially as a duo; so hilarious!
And as for Mia. So freaking adorable!!!
Tumble is a novel that has everything to cater your needs. You need an angsty, funny and sweet read that will mess with your heart in so many ways it’s not funny, then this is the read for you! Absolutely incredible!
Hold onto your heart because this is a story filled with raw emotion, a couple who could be anyone of us, your friend, your sister, where we learn our decisions of the past can be so right or just as easily so wrong that you are left with a hole that can never be filled, from an that author writes small town romance that bleeds into your soul.
She thought Dane Madden was her forever…. Until he shattered her heart and left her broken and betrayed.
He knew he had to set Neely free… and she left without a a second glance which left him broken …
Eleven Years later, Neely is back,a New Yorker, a determined successful woman at a crossroads in her career and Dane is a single parent.
I’m not sure my heart was prepared for Neely and Dane, their love leapt out of the pages as did their hurt and their anguish. Their personal lives so tied to each other, yet they so desperately tried to put on the facade that they were content with their lives. They just both stole my heart. Dane just blew me away, and i was cheering for them from the word go. I cried with them, I laughed with them, but i also wanted to knock their heads together. Life is always about choices and even with their back story i still rooted for them so hard. This author totally sucked me into their dilema’s and had me hot under the collar one minute (well SERIOUSLY? that man is so freaking hot !!) and at the same time i was deeply in despair at them ever breaking the deadlock. Sometimes we need a big jolt, to realise what is most important to us, and taking this journey right along side them had me devouring the pages. My heart broke many times with this book, but it also healed !!! You just can’t read this book and not fall in love with Dane, Neely, a particular adorable little girl and the whole town !!!!
If I’ve learned anything, it’s that Adriana Locke knows how to deliver these emotionally engaging, adorable, and deeply romantic stories. I can’t think of a trope she can’t work with, and she absolutely delivered on this second-chance romance.
I loved it. It was interesting. The chemistry was sparky and intense. And the little twists and turns that the storyline took kept me on my toes, tugging at my heart, and occasionally doling out those delicious butterflies in my heart and tummy.
I’m also a complete sucker for a single dad and a small town setting – so imagine my delight at getting these two things in one pretty package. I fell almost as in love with Dogwood Lane as I did with the characters themselves? And Dane’s daughter? Scene-stealer extraordinaire. The whole thing – from the setting, to the set-up, to the engaging way it’s written – just works as this lovely, slightly angsty, package of swoony delight!
I love a good second chance romance, but I wasn’t so sure Dane deserved a second chance. He hurt Neely in the worst way possible and has a lifelong reminder of that choice. I think if Dane groveled a little bit more instead of trying to excuse what he did, I might have accepted it more. But if we ignore that part, the book was really well written and interesting and they did have a ton of chemistry together. Neely had developed a close relationship with his daughter Mia and I think that showed great maturity on Neely’s part. The book was okay, I just wasn’t convinced the MCs should have been together. Maybe I am just not that forgiving of a person. I have never read any books by Adriana Locke before and I know this is an older book so I am going to give her another try with the next book.
A light hearted, sweet, and charming second chance romance. I liked it!
This book is funny, and sweet and all the things a good romance book should be. I really enjoyed it!
Slow start but great ending. Dane and Neely are great characters and I love Mia! Dane and Neely so easily fell back into their rhythm, their undeniable attraction and all of the feelings. Mia is his life but she became Neely’s future in a flash. History is about to repeat itself just when they give in to their hearts and bodies. Fighting for a future involving everything you didn’t know you wanted became Neely’s priority, albeit a bit late. For Dane, the fight for what you want do you don’t make the second biggest mistake of your life takes some prodding from the nanny and the child he has given everything for and to for almost ten years. The result? A spectacular public display and a HEA! Tumble is a great second chance romance.
A gorgeous second chance romance, full of emotional intensity and passion. There were so many moments that made me tear up, but also hilarious moments that made me laugh out loud. All of the characters were absolutely beautiful, but Mia stole my heart from the very beginning.
You cannot go wrong with anything this author writes, this book is another great example of her talent.
Let me start off by saying, I can understand how this book might be some people’s cup of tea. The writing and the pacing was good, the small town setting was cute, and there were some genuinely laugh out loud funny moments….
But I did not like Tumble. In fact, I hated Neely and Dane’s relationship. This is a second chance romance that I felt should never have picked back up. They dated as teens, he broke up with her so she would go to college (WTF?), and during that break he slept with Neely’s best friend and got her pregnant. Neely flees to New York and 10 years later comes back into town. This woman has been nursing her broken heart and her anger toward Dane for 10 years, and a couple of public outings and close interactions later they’re back together like nothing happened? WHAT? His apology was so insincere and flat, so I just didn’t buy it.
There was even a very similar Ross/Rachel moment. “You slept with my best friend”, “We were on a break.” Sound familiar? *insert eye roll*
Separately these characters are great. Dane is a fantastic single dad and Neely is a talented sports journalist. But when put together, it doesn’t make sense to me at all. And if I can’t get behind, believe in, or like the romance in a romance book…there’s a problem.
So yeah, this just did not do it for me but I will give Adriana Locke another shot because I enjoyed her writing style and her humor.
Overall rating 2 stars
Steaminess 1.5 stars
Tumble: A Dogwood Lane Novel
By Adriana Locke
I adored this single dad/second chance romance. Neely and Dane were Dogwood Lane, Tennessee perfect couple until he broke her heart and slept with her bestfriend who became pregnant. Leaving her small town and never returning until almost ten years later after quitting her job and needing a few days break. Unprepared for her emotions when she runs into Dane at the local diner she retreats back to her mother’s house. Everyone in town is dying to see her again which forces her out to socialize which brings up memories some good some bad. The one thing both of them can’t seem to run from is the pull between them the undeniable chemistry. They don’t make it easy on themselves or each other neither wants to be hurt again especially Neely so their relationship isn’t instant it takes time and work. I really liked that part of the story and how she didn’t know who his daughter was until later.
It really is a beautiful story of forgiveness,overcoming hurt and trusting in love again.
Five beautiful “erect”
(Once you’ve read it you will understand )
This was my first full novel by Adriana Locke after reading a short story and a novella. This books is the first in her Dogwood Lane series. It is well-written and was able to build the characters and town in a realistic way.
Though second chance romance is not my favorite trope, I found self feeling bad for the teenage decisions that made their break up occur ten years prior to the book setting. The pain caused to both Dane and Neely by the end of their relationship is palpable and their emotions are so raw. The struggle to understand and forgive are realistic, as is the comfort they have with each other because of the good history they share. Dane’s daughter Mia is delightful, and many other secondary characters are introduced and developed.
I really enjoyed the way this book was so incredibly heartfelt and I recommend it.
This was a wonderful small town second chance romance. Neely has come home after quitting her job after being overlooked for the promotion that should have been hers. Now she is back in Dogwood, the one place she was never going to return. Dane is still living and working in Dogwood and now raising his daughter there and running into Neely is something he didn’t think would ever happen again. After the way he hurt her he is not surprised when she wants nothing to do with him. However, his daughter Mia is a gymnast and when they form a bond during practice she is surprised when Mia’s dad picks her up and he turns out to be Dane. These two soon fall back into a comfortable and romantic time. All is good until her dream job offer comes. Oh, this was so good!