4 stars

Tumble by Adriana Locke drew me in from the first page and held my interest until the end.

The writing is beautifully done, the plot well paced and the storyline brought out all the feels.
I enjoyed watching Neely and Dane reconnect and forgive past mistakes and open their hearts to each other.

Overall, Tumble is a good start to The Dogwood Lane series and I highly recommend it.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.*

This is a second chance story that is fun and interesting. Neely Kimber decides to quit her job in NYC after she found out that the concept she had created and worked on was being handed to someone else when she should have been the one given the job. Neely hasn't been home to Dogwood Lane for the last 10 years after she found out that she was betrayed by the person that loved her.

Dane Madden was the love of Neely's life until her betrayed her. Dane is now a single dad who adores his little girl and would do anything for her. When Neely first met Dane's daughter, she didn't know she was is so it was a shock to find out that information. While Neely tries to figure out what to do next in her professional life, she decides to help out at the gymnast place that she took lessons at when she was young. Dane and Neely are constantly thrown together so they finally talk about what happened in the past. Their love and attraction is still there but neither one wants to take the risk of getting hurt again but love prevails and they restart their romance, even it is short term since Neely is determine to go back to her life in NYC. But as Neely gets into the routine of life in Dogwood Lane, she starts to realize that what she had wanted in her professional life maybe isn't what she really wants in life. When an opportunity comes for Neely to return to NYC to the job that should have been hers, she must decide how to deal with her love for Dane and his daughter and her professional goals.

Tumble is a swoon-worthy small town second chance romance with so much heart! It's utterly human and plausible with the the perfect timing of a great romance novel. It quickly became one of those books that I stayed up way too late to finish reading! And that's saying something, especially for this type of story: I usually shy away from single-parent romances, but Adriana as the author convinced me to give this one a shot, and I'm so glad I did.

Neely and Dane's chemistry jumps of the pages, and the emotion runs deep, too. Things aren't immediately and easily fixed--instead, both have to work to process their feelings and figure out where things truly stand. Neely's sports writing backstory gives awesome depth to her character, and I loved getting to know a bit about her professional life as well as her personal one.

A pet peeve of mine is when authors try to mix too much religion into romance, and Tumble's got a noticeable amount of prayer references... but they honestly work. They're well-timed and add a spiritual level to the characters that makes sense, especially for the small town setting, without being awkwardly woven into the romance parts.

Overall, I highly recommend Tumble, and I plan to continue the Dogwood Lane series of interconnected standalones.

I'm a fan of small town romances and I really loved this one. Heroine came back into town after she lost her dream job, only to find a man she never forgot right in front of her not only a day after she came home.

I liked the side characters in this story: friends Penn and Matt, Claire, Grace etc. I love how connected they were to each other, how they made fun of each other, and even though Neely was gone for nine years, it was like she never left once they got together. Penn was by far my favourite side character.

I adored little Mia, she got along great with Neely. She was so fun and adorable!

As for Dane, damn. The chemistry between them was scorching hot!

My first book by this author and definitely not the last. It's how the readers would say - unputdownable!

5 stars.



Slovenian review and full post here: https://slovenianbookworm.wordpress.com/

Great story and great characters. I found myself giggling and swooning the whole time! Amazing first read by this author!

New series. New characters. New town. Tumble is a second chance romance with a single dad that regrets many things about his past and what he did to cause heartbreak for himself, but one thing Dane doesn’t regret his daughter. We meet him as a single dad running into the one that got away. Neely is returning home after years of being gone, dealing with the aftermath of leaving a job that disappointed her. Going home also means confronting her past.

Neely isn’t prepared for their meeting any more than she’s prepared for how he still affects her. Dane too is rocked by seeing Neely, but he isn’t ready to give up a second chance at the girl he never forgot. But can two people who experienced such heartache once, find happiness in the now?

Painted in the backdrop of a small Tennessee town, Tumble is full of heart, laughter and all the things you want in a happy ever after! There is angst and laughter and passion. Good friends, sweet daughters and mommas that bake pie. There is also a fight to find and acknowledge what really makes us happy. 4.5 stars

Tumble is a small town, second chance romance with a single parent story-line.


After quitting her job in the big city, Neely comes home to the Tennessee town she grew up in. She hasn’t been back since she left for college, and a bit part of that is her ex-boyfriend, Dane. She loved Dane, and Dane loved her, but he broke it off with her when she went to college. Though she’s moved on in many ways, her heart has never been the same. And seeing Dane again, she’s not sure if it ever will be again.

Dane regrets a lot about his life. His biggest regret will always be letting go of Neely. He’s got a great job, and a daughter her wouldn’t trade for anything, but something has always been missing for him. Or someone. When Neely comes back to town, Dane is sure he doesn’t have a shot. But maybe, just maybe, a second chance is in order for the both of them.

There was a lot about this story I really loved, a part of the story-line I wasn’t crazy about, but overall, I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading more in this series! I’m hoping either Dane’s brother or best friend are next!

A second chance romance that definitely has it share of angst.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Tumble. I’ve found that I’ve always enjoyed the books I’ve read by Adriana Locke. She seems to do the small town romances so well and her characters always seem to draw me in.

Tumble is no exception. The beginning had me intrigued as it’s clear that Dane and Neely have a past. There’s a ton of hurt surrounding that past and I was so curious as to what could have possibly happened to drive these two apart.

Let me tell you it’s a doozy. And my heart just about dropped when it’s revealed. I’m still not even sure how I feel about it, if I’m being honest. The hurt is raw and rough and it lingers even with me.

That being said I wasn’t sure if I would be ok with these two moving forward. I’m all for second chances, but this one had me definitely teetering on the edge and whether or not I wanted these two together or not.

I mean we all make stupid mistakes when we are young. I will say that I do love the characters in this. It’s a small town romance that gives those giddy feelings that I love when I’m reading.

Throw in Mia, Danes daughter who just stole my heart and I was sold. I’m looking forward to the next book.

I love Adriana Locke!!!! Like I mean I love everything this woman writes. Tumble was absolutely no exception. I absolutely loved Neely and Dane. The story was great, I flew through this one honestly!!! Great development the story didnt feel rushed at all. I love this world and can't wait to read more from it! Top notch work!!!

Looking for a small town second-chance romance with lots of laughs and plenty of feels? Then this is the book you’re looking for!

Aside from Graham (Switch), Dane is right up there as my favorite Adriana Locke hero. This man… He’s amazing, but he’s not perfect. He’s made his mistakes but he owns them. He’s a stand-up guy dripping with charm and oozing sex appeal, but he’s still down to earth, a simple guy trying to do right by his daughter.

Neely is...complicated. She's stuck on the past and her anger often leads her astray. But that doesn't make her a bad person, it makes her human. And to see her true personality come through as the story goes on is beautiful. She’s funny and sweet, sassy and extremely stubborn.

I love the back and forth from these characters. You can feel the history, the chemistry, and the hurt that binds Dane and Neely. It bleeds from the pages. And with a supporting cast like this one, you never find yourself short of laughter or a smile, which makes this a perfectly balanced book. I have so much love for this story. AL always packs in plenty of feels to her stories and Tumble is no exception. This one gets all the stars from me.

Dane and Neely's story was really a heartfelt small town romance. These two get a second chance at a love that they lost years before when Neely comes home for a few days. Things are the same yet different. These two get to know each other again and realize they still love each other.

This town has great characters that we have come to expect from Ms. Locke. The characters are well written and a close knit family group. I loved getting to know each of the characters and can't wait to get all of the different stories from this group. It was a great second chance romance. Of course Dane's daughter, Mia, stole the show. Well written and a great read.

On the whole I Enjoyed this book it is a sweet small town second chance romance. The story is quite predictable but It’s one of those books that gives you a warm fuzzy feeling with a HEA if you don’t read too much into the characters

On the negative I’m not sold on the character of Dane. I think he often comes across as quite selfish and expects quite a lot from Neely considering the timeframe of this book is only a few weeks.

I like the character of Neely but I don’t think I would become as forgiving as she is. Seems like every other character in the book expects her to instantly forgive Dale which is unfair considering what he did. This does make her come across as quite weak. I would have liked to have seen her still keep her career alive in some way as it seems she is the one who has had to give up everything.

On the positive I would read another book in the series as some of the other characters were fun.

***4 "Erect!!!" stars (Bahahaha!!!)***

What do you have to give up to get what you want?"

This was my first book by Adriana Locke, even though a have a couple books of hers in my TBR list, and it was a lovely reading...
It was a second chance story, with a heroine that in a point in her life, she lost herself and the things that actually meant something and a single dad who had made several mistakes in his life, but by THE result, he couldn't regret them!!!!
This was a wonderful story about a girl and a boy who sacrificed their love for the wrong reasons, but when you are young, it's inevitable to not make these kind of mistakes, even though they could change your future!!!

“Life isn’t fair. If it was…” He looks around the porch before coming back to me. “If it was fair, you and I would’ve ended up together.”

Well, Neely returned in her hometone, at Dogwood Lane, Teneessee, after ten years of absence, because she quit her job and she was seeking something else to ease her mind...
But her idea to return back home, maybe is not so good after all, since in there, they are people who made her run away from... and specificaly, there is Dane.
Her first love, her first heartbreak.... Someone who never forgot and who can't never forgive...

"It's the second time he's burned me. It'll be the last."

Dane had his own problems... When he let Neely leave, he made some mistakes that he couldn't take back... But he never truly forgot her....
Now, he is working very hard and he has another one person to take care... And when Neely is coming back in town, after all this time away, he can't seem to stay away from her, even though she is still angry with him and even though, he can't afford to let her in his life...

“I broke her heart. I broke her heart in the worst way I could, and the fact she didn’t tell me to fuck right off is more than I really deserve. It’s more than I would’ve given me.”

So, what will happen with those two???
Will Neely forgive and give Dane a chance???
Will Dane take the chance to let her in, when he already know that she is with one foot out of the door???
Neely didn't plan to stay long... Just a couple of weeks, until she could find another job...
After all, her job is her dream, or not???

“I had just about forgotten you.”
“I had forgotten you.”
“You hadn’t forgotten about me,” he says. “If you had, you wouldn’t be reacting like this.”
“Like what?”
“Like you know just how good it is between us.”
“It was good between us,” I admit. “Was being the key term.”
“I have a feeling it would be even better these days.”

Well, this was a wonderful story and near to the end, it became too much emotional... My heart was aching for everyone...
Neely was a stong and independent woman... Her heart was broken because of Dane, and i have to admit that she was a little bit cruel to him, some times, but i can give her justice!!!!
She had always big dreams and Dane let her go because of that, but he made that damn mistake and their chances together had vanished...
I think that Neely after heartbreak, she really forgot how it was in Dogwood Lane and that trip made her reevaluate everything in her life... And if she could add Dane and Mia in the equation, they were too many things that she could abandon when she would return back in the city... So what will she choose???

"I've wanted this my entire life, Dane. How am I supposed to not take a chance of a lifetime?"
"This," he says, motioning between us, "was what I've wanted my entire life. This was my chance of a lifetime."
"Don't say that."
"You have your truth. I have mine."

"You have waited your whole life for this... But which moment do you mean?"

I really liked Dane... He was doing his best with his child. He was a wonderful parent...
Neely was his dream, as long as he was remembering his self... But she was unreachable!!!!
And then, she came back, and hope flooded him, but will she abandon everything and choose him??? Will be for the best to let her in his life and mess up not only his life, but Mia's???

"The only thing i can't get around is my Achilles' heel. The chink in my armor. The one thing that screws me all up every time: Neely."

“Despite everything my heart is telling me to do, I don’t have a choice with Neely. I have to let her go.”

Before i close my review, i would like to talk to you about some other persons...
I loved Mia. She was adorable!!!! And a very clever girl!!!
I liked all Neely's friends... Especially crazy Penn and Matt... Claire and Grace...
I liked Hailey and her romantic side!!!
I loved Neely's mom so much!!!! And Dane's dad!!!
As you can see, there were very loveable people in here, except the main couple...
And of course, I'm praying for the next books to be about Hailey, Penn, Matt, Claire... Adriana make good matches, please!!! Bahahaha....

“She’s not moving in, but she did turn down a job offer,” I say with a hint of smugness.
“Yes!” Haley fist pumps. “I’m so invested in this.”
Claire shakes her head. “This is the way things should be. Neely back home, living with you. Pregnant, but I’ll give you some time on that.”
“Gee, thanks,” I croak.”

"I know you love her. Heck, I do too... But she's not really our family..."
But she is our family," Mia insists. "I feel it in my heart."

***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***

I don't think I can properly review a book where we get to have a man like Dane as the hero. First of all the "we were on a break" excuse is not a good one. Even when you are on a break you don't have sex with another woman if you love the person you are on break with. And the other woman is Neely's best friend. Couldn't he at least have done it with another preferably random woman? He wanted to shove Neely out of his life, but did he had to do it in that way? And the worst of all things is that he got the best friend pregnant and his now expecting Neely to be a mother to that child. Are you serious dude? Neely should have found another man who would appreciate her and not throw idiotic excuses to her. I would touch that man with a 10 feet pole no matter how many years had past. This was not a book for me.

The book had some good qualities and that's why I will give a chance to the series and read book #2.

If you are looking for an exciting second chance romance, with a nice combination of plot, heat, and character development, then Tumble is for you. This is the first book from the author's brand new series Dogwood Lane, and it can be read as a standalone. Adriana Locke is a new author for me, and I am so glad I made her acquaintance. Her earlier books are highly rated, so I am adding a few them to my TBR list.

Neely Kimber is a creative sports journalist whom has worked very hard to penetrate the glass ceiling. Her ideas are so good, her boss takes credit for them, which prevents her from reaching the next level in her career. As a result, she quits her job. With some newfound time on her hands, she returns to her small hometown for a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of New York City. She runs into her ex and first love, Dane Madden, and they once again discover that they are soulmates. After breaking Neely's heart way back when, Dane has to prove that he is worthy of her love. Dane's daughter Mia is adorable and she and Neely bond over their love of gymnastics.

This is a well-written book with some dramatic twists and turns that kept me engaged from beginning to end. All the characters are interesting, and I liked getting to know Neely, Dane, and Mia. Although Neely and Dane have amazing chemistry, their sexy times come few and far between. Overall, Tumble is a really good narrative and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

You can never go wrong with a book by Adriana Locke and once I started Tumble, I could not put it down. A single, sexy dad, a small town and a second chance are all some of my favorite things in a romance and this one had all that and more! There is a bit of angst and a lot of history between our main characters, and not all of it good, but the story flowed well and captivated from start to end.

Neely Kimber needs to regroup. As a sports journalist, she is determined and motivated, but everyone has their limits. Now she needs a fresh start and is going back home after ten years before moving forward. Her only goal? Avoid the ex that left her devastated and brokenhearted until she leaves.

Dane Madden and Neely were once sweethearts, but choices and bad decisions drove them apart. Mia left and had vowed to never return. Now, back after ten years, avoiding each other is better said than done. Their chemistry is as strong as ever and old feelings are hard to ignore. Dane wants a second chance with Neely, but he knows he hurt her badly. Can he show her what she means to him or was it over before it started?

Tumble by Adriana Locked was both sweet and charming and a bit angstly. Neely and Dane were great characters and had great chemistry, but so much bad history was between them. Could this truly be their second chance or is it too late? Another great read by Adriana Locke.

4.5-stars!

Tumble by Adriana Locke is the first book in her brand new series Dogwood Lane. Every book is about another couple and can be read as a standalone.

Meet Neely. She's a successful reporter, lives in NY and never goes home. Her heart was broken in a cruel and evil way, just after highschool graduation and she never had it in her to go back. But now the time is right. She learns pretty quick how much she missed her friends and family. And she can't avoid Him any longer, Dane Madden.
Dane was her boyfriend, destined to be her one and HEA, but in typical alpha manier he decided to throw fate a wrench and in this wake he destroyed everything. But now his girl is back.
I started reading and was glued to the pages. I read the book in one sitting and let me tell you, it gave me All the feels. I was sad, I was happy and at somne point I was so so angry at the characters.
Dane is not my favorite character. I didn't like him when was discovered what he did and later on I didn't care for him at all. He's weak and hides behind I'm sorries and I would do it again. This infuriating man.
But I loved the story and I get that a romance deserves a beautiful hea and Tumble got exactly that.
I recommend the book and give 5 stars.

*5 Stars*

ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read many books by Adriana Locke as yet (on my TBR!), but this one definitely makes me want to catch up on all those that I have missed.

Neely and Dane's story was fantastic. To each other, they're both basically "the one that got away" and there are plenty of unresolved feelings and issues attached to their story.

After a huge decision in her New York life, Neely ends up back home visiting her Mum in Dogwood Lane, and boy oh boy do I love that little town. The characters in this story were fantastic. All our secondary characters were lots of fun and had well developed personalities, and I really can't wait to read more about them in future books.

Dane and Neely of course have much to go through and discover about themselves and each other, and seeing them reconnect, and also meeting Mia, was wonderful. I fell in love with everything as I was reading this story.

The ending was also swoony and perfect and I highly recommend. Can't wait for the next one in this series.

My first book by Adriana but definitely not my last!!

Right now, one of my favorite tropes is a second chance with the first love and Adriana knocked this one right out of the park!! This book was so good, that I read it one day....I could not put it down!!

High school sweethearts that had their whole future planned out, until one night. Words that can't be unsaid or unheard. Neely ran away to the big city to pursue her dreams, but never let herself fall in love again. Jobless and confused, Neely goes home for the first time in years to get some clarity. Of course the first person she encounters is Dane Matthews....her first and only love.

Neely tries to steer clear of Dane and all of her old friends, but in a small town that's impossible. Once she allows herself to lick her wounds, she opens herself back up to old friends, including Dane and his precious daughter.

Just when it seems like Neely and Dane have everything they ever dreamed of and wanted, Neely is offered that dream in NYC. Will she choose the only job she has ever wanted over Dane and Mia? Will Dane let her runaway again or will he go after her this time??

I like a good second chance romance but throw in a single dad and oh be still my heart. While the writing was good, it took me a while to warm up to the characters and the story. It was interesting to see how Dane and Neely would progress as she spends more time at home, especially with how they first ended. When they were together it was nice and you can see how the basis of a friendship made the relationship work. I also liked reading about the relationship between Dane and his daughter Mia. It was sweet and he was such a devoted dad. I liked the small town feel to the story. It definitely added a warmth to the book-seeing the friendships between all. There were some parts better than others and I didn’t hate it nor love it. Overall this was a nice read.