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?
more
Sigh….Dane is just…so swoonworthy. Yes, he’s made mistakes…we all do…he is doing his best to make up for them and man when that man loves…he really loves. But is it enough? Neely has dreams…and none of them really take place in Dogwood Lane…or do they? This a super sweet but yeah…that steam was…very very nice. Single Dad, second chances and a dog named Blue. What more could you ask for?
This book hits all of my favorite genres ~ small town romance, second chance at love, single dads and athletes. Sports Writer Neely Kimber lost out on the promotion of her dreams in New York City, which is where she’s called home for almost the last decade. So she heads back to her childhood home of Dogwood Lane, Tennessee to see her mom and regroup. What Neely was hoping not to happen, yet in a town the size of this one is impossible, runs into the guy who broke her heart nine years ago, within minutes of getting into town.
Dane Madden thought he was doing the right thing for Neely all those years ago by letting her go. She needed to go to college and not stay in their small town. But he shouldn’t have hurt her the way that he did. Even though Dane knows that Neely being back in town is only for a visit, the attraction between them is sizzling. They try to fight it for as long as possible, but eventually give in. Of course that’s when Neely’s old boss calls to make things right and asks her to come back to NYC.
Does Neely leave her hometown, Dane, her mom and her friends for a second time or does decide that Dogwood Lane is where she can start over again? I love the way this author gives us a great group of secondary characters, which will hopefully get their own books as the series goes on. I can’t wait to read what’s coming next. If you like any of the genres I mentioned up front, then this is the book for you.
This emotional second chance romance will pull at your heartstrings. Single dad Dane, with his adorable daughter, melted my heart. Neely, one must be impressed with her drive and focus. Getting to watch her come back into her own while back home visiting her small hometown was beautiful. Dane and Neely have a past, their stories that led them back to each other are filled with some emotional twists and make their coming together that much more sweeter. I loved the storyline and am always left with a slight book hangover after reading an Adriana Locke book.
Second chance romances are so my jam! And boy oh boy did Adriana Locke deliver a perfect second chance with Tumble! Dane and Neely clearly were meant to be together as their chemistry and love for one another was palpable. The hurt, the sacrifice, the forgiveness, and the love spilled from the pages of this book. I love everything about Dogwood Lane! I am a small town girl and could relate to so many things and it made my heart happy!
I love small town romance, and I love Adriana Locke!! She did an awesome job with Tumble, I loved Neely and Dane. Neely comes back to Dogwood Lane to visit her mom, and lick her wounds after losing a job she thought she loved more than anything, adding insult to injury, the first person she literally runs into is Dane Madden, her first love and her first heartbreak. Will Neely fall in love with not only Dogwood Lane again, but will Neely and Dane be able to put the hurt from the past behind and look forward? You’ll just have to read Tumble to find out!!
Very good second chance read, the main characters Neely and Dane has much to work through, the side characters was great and enjoyable. Hope to read more about Dogwood Lane characters with Neely, Dane and Mia’s future.
Neely Kimber returns home to Dogwood Lane after losing her job. She just needs a reset and hopes to avoid Dane Madden, the boy that broke her heart. Dane regrets that he hurt Neely but he doesn’t regret the aftermath of what happened. Now he has a second chance with Neely and he knows he has an uphill battle of trying to earn her trust, but Neely doesn’t plan to stay long and will Dane be able to change her mind?
I liked this story but the reason they broke up is a tough topic for me. 3.5 for me. I will say the chemistry between Neely and Dane is instant, it oozes with each page they interact in. Great story.
If you follow my blog, you know how much of a fan I am of Adriana Locke! As soon as I heard about Tumble, I got so excited! Every single thing about this book screamed “Must Read!”
This story had me swooning! Dane and Neely draw you into their second chance love story immediately. Dane is the perfect hero. He is sweet and caring, and always cares about Neely and what is best for her. Not to mention how sexy he is as a single dad. When you see him with his daughter, you can’t help but feel emotional. He has devoted his entire life to that little girl, and your heart bursts when you read about them together. He would do whatever he could to make sure she has the best possible life.
Neely was a more complex character to like. She was constantly going back and forth about what she wanted. Did she want this? Did she want that? Once you get to the part about why she constantly questions things, everything makes sense. She is cautious, protecting herself from heartbreak. Ultimately, she knows what she wants. She always has, she just has to take the leap, and go for what her heart desires.
I cannot wait to read the rest of this series! If they are anything like Tumble, I am going to devour them, and fall in love over and over again!
5/5 Stars!
Tumble is the first book in Adriana Locke’s Dogwood Lane series and it is such a sweet story. Neely and Dane were the town’s sweethearts in high school whose breakup was as big as their romance. This book not only has lovable main characters, but the supporting characters are just as fantastic, which really helped round out the story and pull me into life in Dogwood Lane.
Adriana Locke gracefully combines light-hearted and emotional moments to form this wonderful summer romance. As soon as I finished Tumble, I flipped my Kindle over to Tangle and started book 2 in the series!
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Tumble was my first read by Adriana Locke and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A small town, sweet, heart-warming story that had me hooked from the off.
I loved Neely and Dane – though some of both their previous actions and their reactions to things in the present made me want to strangle both of them a time or two….. but they got there in the end and finally got their acts together!
The reconnection and realization that they still had feeling for each other was further complicated by the fact that Dane was a single dad – add to that all things.associated with that fact…. yeah, that made interesting reading – but watching Neely develop a relationship with Mia was lovely.
I love both second chance romances and small town settings so this was total hit for me on more than one front!
A solid 4* read and I can’t wait to head back to Dogwood Lane to meet the next couple in the series.
4 stars
I am a sucker for second-chance, single dad, and city girls returning to their small town romances and Tumble has all of this.
Dane Madden broke Neely Kimber’s heart ten years ago when he broke up with her. He had his reasons, but apparently were not communicated well. And then he made a stupid drunk mistake that made it even worse. So she left and never looked back. She is now a NYC girl and has been focused solely on her career. When some things happen at work, she comes home for a breather until figuring her next steps.
And of course she runs right into the man and the past she was running from. Their chemistry is still there, but so is their painful history. And as they find themselves drifting back together and she starts feeling like she is home again, will something rip them apart again?
It introduces us to quirky inhabitants of Dogwood Lane, TN and I am looking forward to more of their stories. His daughter, Mia was sweet and sometimes more mature than the adults. It is a sweet, swoony, and sometimes frustrating and angsty second-chance love story.
(****Spoiler alert****) A note about their past that has some reviewers feeling negative about the hero. Due to the extenuating circumstances surrounding it, I could understand how it happened and I was okay with it. He made a mistake and it had consequences. And he would not change the results because something good came out of it.
I really love second chance romances and thought this one would be right up my alley. While, I did like the story, it felt super rushed for me. I realize this is a light romance, but I felt myself wanting deep issues dealt with at a higher level and I felt that there needed to be more angst. If you are looking for low angst, this absolutely is the book for you. It was a quick easy read, but it just missed the mark with me on how quickly Neely and Dane got back together and started talking about the future. I felt like nothing was really dealt with to a degree I was comfortable with, especially with his daughter. I feel like this is a great little romance story if you are in the mood for a quick read.
I just loved this book. Even though I wanted to yell and scream at Neely for being so blind, and to kick Dane for thinking he knew what was best for Neely, this was one of those books you just can’t put down. So happy I got to read this book. Now, to read the next in the series.
I love all of Adriana’s books but Tumble might be one of my top favs! I’m a sucker for a good small town romance, and second-chances are one of my favorite tropes in the genre. I love Dane and Neely and can’t wait for more in this series 🙂
First love and second chances. This is IMO the best book she’s ever written. Get ready for an emotional roller coaster! It is very well balanced between romantic love and parental love: You can’t regret the outcome of a mistake, when the outcome is a child. This story is just everything.
This was such a beautiful second chance love story. There were even times the characters snuck up and pulled at my heart strings. I just adored the hometown feel I got from this story. From the moment Neely was driving back into town, I could feel the town’s character. Then meeting all her old friends…that just added to the story. Their personalities and the history they brought forth. I felt like I, too, was hanging out with them. Laughing and sipping beer. It was such a pleasant feeling.
Neeely and Dane were high school sweethearts with plans of forever. Until Dane had to be the typical guy and decide he knew what was best for Neely. Now almost a decade later she’s still angry and hurt but still longs for what could have been.
Last time she ran from Dogwood Lane but this time she’s running to Dogwood Lane in hopes she can get back on her career path plans. Her trip home was supposed to serve as a recharge while she plans to pick up her life in the big city.
But as with all plans, they don’t always work out. Being back in Dogwood Lane brings back not just the bad memories but also her good ones and that recharge reminds her of how simple, easy and pleasant life can be in a small town.
The story was sweet and adorable with the perfect blend to spice it up a bit. I can’t wait to read more in this series.
I absolutely fell in love with the characters in this book. Adriana Locke’s words truly brought her characters and the town of Dogwood Lane to life. Dane is a swoon-worthy book boyfriend, while Neely is a strong independent woman, whose heart has always belonged to her first love, despite their ugly breakup. After being passed over for a job that should rightfully have been hers, Neely comes home to visit and plot her future. Little does she realize, her future might not even be on her radar yet. Reenter Dane with his adorable daughter, Mia, and you have the makings of a heartwarming, at times breaking, small-town story of young love, betrayal, heartbreak, anger, hope, and passion. I adore the twists and turns the story takes and the pacing of the plot is spot on.
Ms. Locke layers the story with delightful small-town characters and sub plots that enrich the reader and makes them want more visits to Dogwood Lane. I also listened to this book and fell in love with the narrators who brought Ms. Locke’s characters to life. Aiden Snow delivers Dane’s POV with a delightful Southern drawl that makes my knees weak and reflects all the love and devotion the character feels for his daughter and Neely. Summer Morton does an excellent job with Neely’s POV and hits all the characters emotions head on. I will definitely be looking for these two narrators’ work in the future. I’m excited there is another book in this series coming because Dogwood Lane seems full of great stories.
I hate to say it, but I didn’t really care for this book all that much. That hurts me to say because I really love Adriana Locke. This wasn’t my favorite second chance romance and I honestly didn’t care for either main character and the reasons they broke up. I never felt connected to them or rallied for them to get back together. I thought Neely needed to either never forgive Dane and stop bringing up how he hurt her or move on and figure out if she wanted to be with him or not. The hot and cold stuff she had going on was annoying.
I need more Adriana Locke books in my life. Her writing is so relatable. I love second-chance romances. Small towns are my life. Single dad stories are the bee’s knees. Dane was swoon-worthy and how could I not fall in love with his daughter Mia? It’s always fun to read about strong, ambitious women like Neely, but I loved watching her fall in love all over again with her hometown and the people in it.
I want to go to Dogwood Lane! Especially with hunks like the terrific single dad, Dane. But he’s going to have to work to get a second chance with the beautiful Neely. He’s definitely was a bad boy with a lot to make up for but Neely is worth it. What a fabulous couple this wonderful author has given us to root for in this spectacular new series. I zipped through this one with the fantastic storytelling and swoony characters to love included a wee one. You know what you’ll get with this author every time and this story does not disappoint. I’m ready to get tangled up in the next one! Loved it! I voluntarily reviewed a NetGalley ARC.