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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I will never look at the word “erect” the same again. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. Best scene punch lines EVER. Poor Dane.
Okay on to the other good stuff. I truly enjoyed Neely and Dane second chance romance and the way advice and actually looking at the situation with new eyes helped develop the storyline and the characters reaction and interaction. This is my first read book by Adriana and the secondary characters and action will have me following this series until the end.
A fun and sexy read.
Adriana Locke is one of my go-to authors since I’ve fallen in love with her Gibson Boys series, so I was just over the moon when she was releasing a new small-town romance series, Dogwood Lane. Throw in one of my favorite tropes, second chance romance, I just knew that I had to get my hands on Tumble. OH, and single dad
Tumble turned out to be a light-hearted read and thankfully, no major drama. I was calling it a win. To me, this second chance turned out to go at a much realistic pace between Neely and Dane. And that actually made the story more enjoyable to me. I liked the fact that they didn’t get back together as soon as Neely came back to town after being gone for so many years. Understandably might I add.
From the very beginning, it’s evident that there’s still something holding strong between the both of them. Neely is obviously extremely hesitant for any impending interaction she may have with Dane and would just love to ignore him at all costs. Dane; her high school sweetheart that completely shattered her heart. I was Team Neely all the way, but deep down wanted Dane to work his way back into her heart again.
I loved Neely so much, it’s clear as day that she’s still dealing with that major heartbreak she suffered from years ago. And it just makes me want to pull her in and hug her. But I admired her so damn much because of her determination to go after her dreams. She’s someone that knows her worth and wouldn’t settle for less.
Dane knows what a huge mistake he made back then, but having a beautiful daughter out of it is something that he’ll never regret. Having Neely back in town, he wants nothing more than apologize and get a second chance with her.
I thoroughly enjoyed their story, it was rather emotional at times, but I loved the road they took towards love, again. They have so much to work through, to forgive, but it’s all definitely a beautiful sight in the end. Such a solid contemporary romance read with characters you’ll absolutely fall in love with!
So excited for this series and can’t wait for the next one in the series!
Adriana Locke
This is the first book in the Dogwood Lane series. Tumble is about a romance and a second chance love story. I truly loved and enjoyed reading about Dane and Neely. I thought Dane’s little girl was adorable. The story was well developed and a heartwarming story.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for an honest review.
Tumble is the first book in the Dogwood Lane series by Adriana Locke. I love the way Adriana tells a story. She paints a picture in your head and you can just see the story unfolding as you read it. Tumble is a story about second chances in love. As in all second chance stories, with second chances comes forgiveness. Everyone makes mistakes and has regrets in their life, but it’s rising above them and owning them that makes taking a second chance worthwhile. Adriana writes a story about love, past hurts, forgiveness, and new beginnings. I truly enjoyed it.
Tumble is part small town romance and part second chance love story. At first, I was super curious about why Dane and Neely split. However, the most info was revealed, the more I was sure I was gonna be super pissed at Dane. Yeah, not happy with the decisions he made. Do I understand why a teenage boy would make the choices he did? Yes. Do I think it’s okay? Hell no. What an idiot.
Neely is a female sports writer who just quit her job after being screwed over by a coworker. I could understand why she quit and how devastating it would have been for her. However, impulsively quitting your job is a bit immature for a woman her age (late 20’s). But, she runs home to lick her wounds and finds out there were lots of things about Dogwood Lane she liked. She was a former champion gymnast and she got back into working at her old gym. I liked the small town aspect of the story-everyone is all in everyone else’s business.
Dane’s daughter, Mia, also adds a fun layer to the story. She is sweet and endearing and I loved that she and Neely had a sort of instant connection before either knew who the other was. Dane made mistakes in his past, but he has grown up in the years Neely has been gone and it was easier to forgive him. Neely fought forgiving him for a long time, and I understood why-they didn’t talk after their explosive break up because Neely went off to college and then stayed gone. So, while we find out what happened to them and there is a lot of hurt and anger, they also have both matured and are different people now.
Tumble was a good start to this new series and I liked the supporting characters! I can’t wait for their stories!
This was so good I read in one sitting! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Dane is the Hottest Single Daddy Ever! Elizabeth @Carolina Chic’s Read
From the moment I started to read this book, I knew the other shoe would drop. I actually didn’t read the blurb and went in blind. I felt like Dane did something big to hurt our girl Neely, and he did! But, I felt protective of Dane… not sure why. He definitely came off as a dominant, caring, and loyal man. So being a single daddy was not something I prepared for… and I loved it!
Not only did this man go all in with Neely but he protects his fantastic daughter as well. It’s like he was born to love them both. Talk about swooning! Ahhhhh!
Neely just has to learn to trust the man who has always held her heart!
5 Fantastic Stars!
Dane and Neely’s second-chance romance in Tumble has heart-felt tension, light-hearted humor, and some sweet and swoony moments.
“I’ve wanted this my entire life, Dane. How am I supposed to not take a chance of a lifetime?”
“This is was I’ve wanted my entire life. This was my chance of a lifetime [Neely].”
Torn apart by mistakes and heartbreak circumstances have Neely coming home after ten long years. Sometimes you can’t forgive the past, sometimes you can’t risk your heart to being broken again, and sometimes coming home is exactly where you need to be to find forgiveness and take a chance at love again.
“Every good love story has a moment that makes you swoon.”
While I enjoyed Tumble, I just felt like the whole story needed some more oomph to really make it pop, to really capture the emotions, and make readers feel connected. Locke captured the swoony second-chance feeling, but missed for me on the buildup, back story, angst and tension, redemption and forgiveness, and struggle of the heart that makes for a really great second-chance romance.
A good introduction to a fun new series with a great cast of characters that I’m looking forward to reading.
Dogwood Lane may be a small time town but it has more heart than NYC has streets. Adriana Locke always makes me want to move. I fall in love with her towns, her characters, and her love stories. Tumble isn’t any different.
Dogwood Lane is home for Neely though it’s been ten years since she took off. Running from heartache and to a future, she never looked back. Now it comes crashing in on her drive back into town. The one that used to be everything. The mom she left behind. He friends she hasn’t spoken to but feels like she just left. Everything is different and yet so much the same.
I love that this is a second chance with The One. I am not gonna lie I was devastated before learning why and even more heartbroken after but love…love makes this hard and I’m some cases…It makes them easy.
Tumble is just the beginning of the story. I look forward to more news from Dogwood Lane and it’s cast of loveable characters. Even the ones you want to shake to wake up!
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
5 Star review of Tumble (Dogwood Lane #1) by Adriana Locke
Adriana Locke is a new author to me and I have absolutely no idea why that is.
I love small town romances and when you throw in a single dad I just couldn’t resist. Adriana Locke had me from chapter one as I was anxious to see how the story panned out.
When Neely returns to her hometown of Dogwood Lane she has no idea that the man who shattered her heart will be one of the first people she sees. Not only that but Dane has an adorable little girl named Mia.
I loved how swoon worth Dane was and the fact that Neely was strong, feisty and determined. Mia was just too adorable for words and almost steals the book away from Dane and Neely. The secondary characters were just as interesting and I look forward to reading more from Dogwood Lane.
Tumble was well written and full of love, romance, laughter and the opportunity for a second chance at love. I appreciated that although Dane and Neely had history which had shaped their present, they did not fall instantly back into a relationship. In fact if I am being totally honest, I am not too sure I would have given Dane another chance.
Can Dane convince Neely to take another chance on them or are these two destined to lives their lives apart?
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley.
I fell hard for this charming small town, second chance love story! Dane & Neely were high school sweethearts who ended their teenage romance with a devastating breakup. Ten years later, she returns home after losing her job in the city to find she still has feelings for sexy single dad Dane. Watching them rekindle their romance was sweet & hot, their chemistry combustible and Danes devotion to his daughter downright swoon worthy. All the secondary characters were written with loving detail as well. From the adorably precious Mia & loving brother Matt, to mischievous womanizer Penn and hopeless romantic Haley, their friendly banter & commitment to each other made me want to read more about each & every one of them. This heartwarming love story gave me all the feels and I hope there will be many more books in the series.
“A part of me will never forgive him for what he did. I may have found the pieces of my broken heart, but they’ll never fit together the way they did before that Saturday morning when he destroyed it.”
Wow, don’t I feel stupid for not having read this author’s work before now. Tumble is amazing and I’ll most definitely be checking out the author’s backlist now that I’ve had a taste of her word wizardry. And I’ll be first in line for the next book in the Dogwood Lane series. I met so many colorful support characters that there’s no telling who will get their own story, but I’ll be excited to read any of them.
Neely left town with her heart broken and returned the same way. She’d managed to avoid facing her ex for years, but when the rug got pulled out from under her, home was where she wanted to be. The unconditional love and support her mother always offered was just what she needed while she reevaluated her future career plans.
Neely thought she was over him, but tell that to her heart. Just like before, her body could sense when he was near. The electricity still sparked between them. As a teenager, she thought he was her forever. When he broke her heart she couldn’t bear to be near him. Now, years later, being near him was just as addictive as before. Too bad her life was in New York, and his life was in Tennessee.
Dane knows he doesn’t deserve a second chance with Neely, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want one. He can’t undo the past and he wouldn’t even if he could. Not if it meant he wouldn’t have his beautiful daughter who is his world. As the distance between them disappears so does the hard feelings. They are both adults now and it’s easier to make sense of past choices that affected their futures. They are still drawn to each other, but the issue of her life in New York stands between them. Will he be able to convince her that home is where the heart is? Or will her career win… again?
***4 Stars***
You had me at Blue.
I know that sounds strange, but trust me, when you get there it’ll make perfect sense because that was when I knew this was my kind of book and I was right. It was sweet, frustrating, funny and ovary exploding and filled with characters I want to spend a lot more time with.
I loved Neely and Dane. Neely is determined, motivated and yet…lost. She knows what she wants, knows that in her heart it is something worthy, but she also knows that something is missing and is determined to find it. She’s sassy, has a good heart and does a really good job at verbal vomit at the most inopportune (or not…it’s all about the POV) times. Dane is a good man. (Note: I said man, not boy). He works hard, loves his family and has that good ‘ole southern boy charm that makes it easy to like him. He loves his daughter and isn’t afraid to show it in every way possible.
Dane and Neely’s second chance journey was a fun one, a little surprising at times, but I enjoyed watching as they kept colliding and the emotions those collisions stirred up in each other. I’ll admit that there were times when I wished things had gotten a little more…angsty, considering what happened and all that, but in the same breath, I loved that they acted like adults…for the most part and I liked how they finally came to terms with their past. Of course, there are a few more bumps in the road and when the one I was expecting dropped I was torn. I understood both sides of the issue and their reactions were valid, but I did love how everything turned out for them.
This was my first full length novel read by the author, I had read a novella not too long ago, and I really enjoyed it. I was hooked from the start and found myself not only invested in Neely and Dane’s, but the inhabitants of Dogwood Lane as a whole. Mia, is of course, absolutely adorable and I loved what she brought to the story. Penn, Matt, Haley and Grace were a lot of fun and I loved what they all brought to the story and cannot wait to get to know them better and see what the future holds for them all!
Tumble (Dogwood Lane #1) written by Adriana Locke is a second chance romance that will capture your heart from the first page to the last. I have a few of this author’s books on my want to read list but for some reason have not gotten around to reading one of them. So when this book became available on NetGalley, I figured now was a great time to read one of Ms. Locke’s books, and I am happy that I did.
Tumble is an emotional, romantic ride that will warm your heart and had me cheering on the two main characters, Neely and Dane. The story is told from the first person point of view going between the two main characters with both characters imparting their versions of the past. And that past holds a ton of drama, but unfortunately for you, I will not be discussing that past in my review as I consider that a spoiler. I love the storyline of second chance love. This book is well written and the storyline utterly believable even though it was a bit predictable, but sometimes it’s not about whether you are able to figure out what is going to happen in a book but the journey the books takes you on while you are reading it.
Neely comes home to Dogwood Lane, Tennessee, after living and building a career as a journalist in New York City where she was overlooked for her dream job. She comes home to regroup and center herself. Dane a hunky country boy on the one hand and on the other side a single father who is unconditionally devoted to his daughter Mia, but he has never forgotten what he had with Neely, and so the country version of seduction begins.
Tumble is a small town romance that hit all of my country girl buttons, and I thoroughly enjoy this book. Tumble has amazing support characters, and I look forward to reading their stories. This is an excellent start to, and I look forward to the next book.
***I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***
4.5 stars for me
This was a great easy read. Second chance small town romance with a gorgeous single dad & great strong female lead. Yes please!
I loved their banter. The slowburn feel of the book and the regrets, feelings that were exposed and explored. Neely and Dan were well rounded characters with well thought out dialogue and plenty of chemistry. Add in a super cute daughter, meddling friends and you’ve got a fantastic story.
I received an arc of this book.
What I liked:
The writing style
The supporting characters
Dual POVs
Part of a series: Dogwood Lane
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I had a hard time getting past what kept Dane and Neely apart, Dane’s explanation, and Neely’s reaction.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.
Adriana Sure knows how to pull at the heartstrings.
Neely has moved on from her life in Dogwood Lane. She has her fancy life in New York, and is only planning to stay a couple of days to visit her mother.
Dane has his life in Dogwood Lane and wouldn’t trade it for anything. He only has one regret, but even that regret comes with the greatest thing in his life!
Neely was strong willed and set in her ways. She knows what she wants and goes after it. She isn’t willing to settle and knows that she deserves the best.
Dane is such a great dad, he tries to put everyone else’s needs above his own. He is a care taker, and sometimes it backfires.
The chemistry between these two was apparent from the start. I was rooting for them from the first page, and couldn’t get enough of their story. If you love small town, second chance romances, then this one is a must read.
– Copy provided by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.-
Beautifully written second chance romance. Mia is the cutest kid. You could feel the chemistry between Dane and Neely from the start. Amazing start to a new series-can’t wait to see who gets their HEA next.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC received via NetGalley.
I think this is probably the best second chance romance I’ve read… ever!!
This, the first in a new series by Adriana Locke not only gives us a story to swoon over, she also ‘sets up’ other possible matches throughout Neely and Danes’s journey to HEA. I. Can’t. Wait.!!!
*4,5 stars*
You just never can go wrong with a book by this author! Tumble is the first book in this new series and trust me when I say that you will fall in love with Neely and Dane! Definitely a must read for me and cannot wait to read the next one 🙂
Neely has quit her job in New York after some recent setbacks and goes back to the one town she thought she would never go back to. It’s great to see everyone there again but even though it feels like home, she doesn’t want to stay too long and tries to find another job in the weeks she’s staying over at her mom’s house. But the past has a way of creeping up on you and when the one man who broke her heart so many years ago, that pull is still there between them. Even though Neely’s heart is still broken from what has happened between them, Dane is trying to figure out a way to make up for the past and mend their relationship but it’s not easy. When Neely meets his little girl, she finds out that they have a lot in common and the more time they spend together, it will pull even more on Neely’s heartstrings to maybe make amends with Dane. But the big city is still calling her name and when she gets the opportunity of a lifetime, she’ll have to make a choice to stay or leave again?… Will Neely and Dane finally get a chance to be together and find the happiness they both deserve?…
I was really looking forward to reading this book especially with it being the start of a new series.
From the beginning I was instantly drawn into the story and felt very emotional through out it.
A beautiful second chance love story that had me guessing what went wrong until it was finally disclosed – it is the perfect slow burn reveal!
I really enjoyed Dane and Neely’s story and I can’t wait to read more about Penn and Matt too. Great writing – a fantastic start to a new series!!