Adriana Locke does it again with a somewhat-angsty, small-town, second chance romance (don't worry, despite my wordy description it's not overly tropey). Locke does small-town really well - and while it's fun to read about billionaires and CEOs, sometimes it's nice to read about people who have "real" jobs - like carpenters and waitresses (and not struggling waitresses in small towns who end up meeting a visiting billionaire CEO and falling in love).

So, I have to admit I failed to re-read the blurb before I started reading so I was caught somewhat by surprise by the fact that Dane was a single-dad. And frankly, there's not much I find sexier than a well-written single dad! Dane was pretty damn swoony - and the way he was with his daughter, Mia was just incredibly sweet.

There's a whole lot of history between Neely and Dane and frankly, I'm not sure I could be as quick to forgive as Neely was given what Dane had done when they were younger, but he certainly redeemed himself in the end! Neely is faced with a decision that many women feel they need to make. Maybe not to the extent or degree that she did, but it still often comes down to feeling like you need to decide between work-success or family-success, sometimes. Her ultimate decision goes a long way towards showing that "work success" isn't always what you (or society) has been led to believe it has to be.

I'm very much looking forward to getting stories for the rest of the cast of characters from Dogwood Lane that we met. And while I’m generally of the belief that the book is almost always better than the film, I'm going to wrap up my review by saying this could make a really AMAZING movie, if well done.

*Advance copy provided by the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.*

Second chance romances are kind of my thing right now. I have read many, loving each, and finding them each unique in their own ways. Tumble is unique not because of the second chance romance but because of Mia. Mia is Dane’s (love that name) daughter. She is smart, she is sassy, she is so fun that I loved how much of a role she played in the relationship of Neely and Dane. She kept them all on their toes and made them take stock of what they wanted.

Tumble is sweet and feels real to me. The characters have broken hearts that need closure. That closure has to come from the two of them being together, finding their happiness, and coming to accept what had happen in the past. Both Dan and Neely are strong, successful, and loving people who know what they want in life and know what has to be done to get there.

I look forward to more with these characters. There are many secondary characters that I’d love to see get their HEA’s.

4.5 sweetly emotional second-chance stars!

I love this book! An emotional, gorgeously sweet and chemistry-filled second-chance-romance, it’s a really strong start to a series that I can’t wait to explore further.

Neely has just been royally shafted for a promotion at work and in well-earned outrage, quit the job she has worked so hard for. Feeling lost and without purpose, she leaves NYC to return to her small home town in Tennessee for a break from her life. It’s a place she hasn’t been to in ten years since her heart was shattered by her first love, and though she’s happy to be reunited with her mother and her childhood friends, she knows that it’s only a matter of time before she is reunited with the cause of all of her heartache – Dane.

That reunion comes a whole lot sooner than she was expecting, and holy hell, from the first moment, the chemistry is insane! Dane is now a single father but he clearly never moved on from Neely, and though Neely is still hurt, she can’t help the way she reacts to him either. But the two of them have a messed up past. The true extent of everything that happened between them is revealed slowly, and given that it all ended so badly, there’s a lot for them to work through.

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.


But despite all of that, and the pain that they are both clearly in, I had a feeling of excitement about the two of them from the very beginning, and I read with a sense of blissful anticipation of all that is to come.

“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.”


It’s a gorgeous reconnection that is sweet and emotional with an underlying intensity, and I loved their slow development from pain and anger to forgiveness, acceptance, understanding and love. The feelings they had for each other never really went away, and it doesn’t take long for everything to resurface, and I loved watching it happen.

Along the way, we get to meet a fantastic bunch of side characters. Neely and Dane’s friends are a hilarious bunch, and I’m so excited to read more about Matt, Penn, Grace and Claire in future books. And Dane’s daughter, Mia, is an absolute scene stealer! I love her sass and her huge heart, and the relationship she has with her Dad is just gorgeous.

“Do we have garlic bread?” Mia asks, surveying the kitchen.
“Do I ever make spaghetti without garlic bread?”
She eyes me. “When you forget to buy it. But I’m not judging you because I can’t feed myself.”


But even with all that is happening between them, and all that they are feeling, Neely is only in town for a short visit. And just as she starts to recognise all that she’s left behind and the life she could possibly have, she is given the opportunity of a lifetime back in New York. Will Dane be enough to convince her to stay? Where does her heart truly lie? There are some truly heartwrenching scenes as they figure it all out, and I couldn’t put my kindle down, desperate to see what was going to happen.

“I know you love us, Neely. I know you love us as much as we love you.”


This book seems to have some mixed reviews, with people unable to move past their breakup. I’m not judging anybody’s opinions or experiences, but here are my thoughts on the subject - I’m never a fan of the whole ‘I broke up with you for your own good’ storyline, and there are other factors which lead to Neely and Dane’s break up becoming a major clusterfuck. Dane messed up in an epic way, changing both his and Neely’s lives forever. Was it unforgiveable? For me, no, but it was pretty damn close. It was bad, and I could completely understand Neely’s pain and why she fled and stayed away for so long, and I actually wouldn’t blame her for avoiding him forever. But I could understand Dane’s reasoning and how things snowballed the way they did – especially with them both only being teenagers. And I could understand Dane’s feelings on his past – he’s so incredibly sorry for how much he hurt Neely, but he can’t regret the actions which gave him his daughter. It’s a messed up situation, but it shows the connection between the two of them that they are able to move on from their past and forge a new way forward.

Life is not about what happens to you, but how you react to it.


I loved this book, and was hooked from start to finish. I would have liked to have seen more of them actually together and experiencing a relationship as adults – especially considering the depth of their feelings and the major life decisions which hang on their brief time together. But I thought their reconnection was just gorgeous, and can’t wait to continue on with the series.

4.5 stars.

This is the first in a new series for the author. We meet the town folks of Dogwood Lane and get to see a chance for second chance romance between Dane and Neely.

Neely heads home because she is in between jobs. Dane has never gotten over Neely. Neither are very sure that they should take a chance on mending their hearts. They separated for dumn teenage reasons. Once you can get past that, the adult versions of this couple are able to look at things more rationally.

I liked that this was a bit of a slow burn. I really liked many of the secondary characters and look forward to seeing them again. I was happy there was very little angst and a fair bit of humor.

Good start to a series. Looking forward to reading more!

I love these second chance, small town romances that this author writes. Its like she is living it as she writes it. This author has a way to suck me in and keep me cheering throughout wanting the H to get what he wants...I know, I know most want to see the h get her HEA but this author writes men that makes me fall absolutely in love with them.

4.5 Stars

Tumble by Adriana Locke is the first book in the all new series Dogwood Lane. All I can say is wowwwww! I could not put it down for the life of me! Ms. Locke has an extraordinary way with words that catapults you into her fictional worlds and you never want to come back out. Tumble was an amazing second chance romance full of forgiveness, and friendship, and love.

After quitting her job, Neely returns to her hometown lost and needing to find her purpose. She hasn't been back to Tennessee in a decade. She figures she’d go home for a few days and then be back in NYC with a brand new job. What she doesn’t count on is running into her ex, Dane. He broke her heart in so many ways and she’s never fully recovered. Neely doesn’t know what the future holds but she tries to tell herself Dane is not part of it. But what happens when she learns the truth of why he did what he did? Will they both be able to move past it?

I loved this story sooo much! I felt so many emotions while reading it. Dane and Neely were two amazing characters that were well developed and their chemistry was hot as hell!! I am so excited to see what’s next! Highly recommend reading this book!

Loved this second chance romance. Adriana Locke did not disappoint with this new read and begins of this series I could not put this book down. I read in one setting. I can’t wait fo th next installment. Dane and Neely are so great.

Yes, I just fell hard for this book. Some could say I may have taken a little...tumble. Dane and Neely will have you cheering them on and wanting the best. And Dane? Dane. What can I say about Dane that hasn't already been said? He's fantastic. He's a single dad. He's fantastic. Swoony. Single. Sexy. Dad. That's almost all I needed to hear before my one-click finger got all twitchy.

This is another hit from Ms Locke and I cannot wait to read the next book

Nothing makes me more excited than when one of your favorite authors starts a new series! Adriana Locke is a one-click for me. Tumble is book one in the Dogwood Lane series. I fell hard and fast for these characters, the main ones and the secondary ones! In my opinion, Adriana's writing just keeps getting better and better and I'm already wanting more! Second chances and small town romances are my favorite and Adriana is the Queen of them. Neely is home after ten years but it's only temporary. She's in between jobs and has no inclination to stay in her home town. But she came home for a reason. She's looking for something, but she's not sure what it is. She's always had dreams and things she wanted to accomplish and she hasn't reached her goal yet. But after seeing Dane, her ex, who broke her heart the last time she was home, things get cloudy. It just feels right to be with her mom, her old friends. Dane. And Dane's adorable daughter. Dane had never forgotten Neely. He made a mistake when he was young and heartbroken, but he can't regret the outcome. He still can't stop thinking about Neely. How beautiful she is. How much he still wants her. Dane is hopeful Neely will change her mind and stay home. Neely still has something to prove to herself. What happens when Neely wants to go back to NY and finish what she started? Will Dane fight for her? For them? I loved this story! Everyone deserves a second chance! Dane and Neely were just destined to find each other again. But it happened the way it was supposed. They are better together. Add in Dane's little girl and I just loved this family! I couldn’t get enough of Dane and his backward hat(swoon!) and Neely's fierce determination.
Adriana never disappoints her readers with her lovable, fun and sexy characters! Already looking forward to more from this town.

After a devastating turn of events at work Neely quit her sportscasting job and left NYC to spend some time in Dogwood Lane with her mother. The one person that she doesn’t want to see is the man who broke her heart her high school sweetheart Dane.

It’s been ten years since Dane made the biggest mistake of his life which he has regretted ever since but it also gave him the greatest gift of all his daughter Mia. When he and Neely see each other again the feelings and chemistry between them is stronger than ever but is it enough to overcome the pain of the past?

This is a sweet and sexy second chance at love story. It is filled with emotion, heat, humor, healing and great secondary characters that leave you wanting more of this new series. Although it took me a while to forgive Dane for his past actions, he redeemed himself in the end. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Had me at the beginning, lost me at the end, skimmed the last 1/4. Loved the concept but not the execution.

At first, I was unsure if I would be able to finish this story after the big reveal how Dane broke Neely's heart,. But I love Adriana's writing and the story line was coming together. I only wished Neely made Dane "work for it" a lot more than what he had too. But that is where the rant ends for me.

After I got over that part, I felt the romance start to pick up. I was not expecting Mia and how developed her character was. Dane had me swooning over him. Neely broke my heart a time or two. The emotions were raging through me with Tumble. From being angry, to heartbroken, then surprised, to the major heat factor, to finally a HEA. Tumble has it all!

This is a small town second chance romance. Tumble will have you stumbling over each and every page!

I’m of two minds about this book. With one “I love with the single dad/second chance”, the other is “I loathe a cheater”. Conundrum. How to write this review. Adriana Locke is one of my go-to authors and I was really excited for this book, but to say I’m confused would be an understatement.

Dane, as much as I wanted to like him for his being a stellar single father, it was really difficult. His actions made him, well, less than likable. Neely was a little easier to understand. After she got hurt, she ran to the city only to return home when things didn’t work out there.

The story line was not what I expected, it wasn’t the unique or have any surprises that would draw my interest. It just was so predictable.

Adriana Locke’s Tumble is the first book in her new Dogwood Lane series, and it has all the Southern, small-town charm you’d expect from her. Neely and Dane were deeply in love when he broke her heart, and she hasn’t spoken with him since. Now, she’s jobless and back in Dogwood Lane for a spell and facing Dane and their painful past, and it’s quickly apparent that they’re very much still in love. They slowly take steps to heal the past and reunite but old fears threaten their tentative happiness, and you’ll feel everything along the way. I loved every minute of this sexy and sigh-worthy second-chance romance.

No, I am sorry I didn't like this book. I DNF at 30% I didn't like the plot, characters and the way it was written. I appreciate the opportunity to have had to read it, but this wasn't for me. I am not into drama,. angst, breakups.

Oh my gosh! This was such a sweet, heartwarming book with a big splash of sexy!

"I had to let her go for her own good. I had to let her memory go for mine."

Neely Kimber is back in her hometown of Dogwood Lane to take a breather from her hectic life in NYC and review her options, as she's just quit her job. She left ten years earlier with a broken heart, and wasn't quite prepared to come to face to face with the man who broke it.

"He's a couple of steps away, but it feels as if he's right up against me."

Dane Madden thought he was doing the right thing when he broke her heart because if he had his time again, he wouldn't change anything. However, having Neely back in town and fitting right back into the spot in his heart that's always belonged to her is too good to be true because she's still the same ambitious girl he knew when they were kids, and she's already told him that she's not staying in town.

This was a fab read. I loved the small town setting and the characters of Dogwood Lane. Neely and Dane had chemistry in spades - their attraction was compelling and undeniable. I just got the feeling that they were meant to be. I adored little Mia, too. She was a hoot! Such a smart little girl and pretty adorable! I got such a lovely warm feeling reading this story and I can't wait to read the next story in the series.

Holy smokes this story was phenomenal! Seriously great! I couldn't put it down and read it in one day (while at work Shh!!).

Neely has worked hard every single day to get her chance to take her job and career to new heights. She left her hometown behind after going through heartbreak and hasn't returned in almost ten years. After her job lets her down in a huge way Neely comes back home to figure out what she's going to do with her life. When she comes face to face with the man who broke her heart she didn't expect for sparks to fly instantly or for her to fall back in love with the town and his daughter.

Dane messed up when he broke Neely's heart and had a baby with someone else, but he can't regret what happened since it brought his daughter to him. Now Neely's back and she's everything he's ever wanted.

I was for real rooting for Dane and Neely from the very first interaction. I was so excited about the ending and would love to read more about their happily-ever-after. I have to say that while I was rooting for their love story I also loved that Neely didn't take the predictable easy way out and that she went after what she wanted. I couldn't have been happier for her as she was my favorite character in this story. She grew so much and while she took a little bit to figure out her path it never felt strained or like I wanted to pull my hair out and yell at her.

Ah, this was such a nice refreshing story. The pacing was very nicely done; not too fast or too slow. I loved the build-up to their relationship; again not too fast but not "come the heck on" slow either. I very much enjoyed how this author revealed the big piece of news to us. So well done. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I will just say I thought she did an amazing job with that.

This is my first introduction to Adriana Locke's stories, but will definitely not be the last.

This second-chance romance does what it’s supposed to: it gives readers a sweet and sassy love story while also introducing us to the cast of characters that will be recurring throughout the series as well as showcase just what makes this small town in Tennessee so special. Book one is headlined by exes Dane Madden and Neely Kimber. He was the captain of the baseball team and she was the star gymnast, but their relationship ended after high school and any chance of getting back together ended with betrayal.

I liked Neely but I loved Dane. Yes, he did what he did, but as much as he regretted hurting the one girl he’s ever truly loved, he was blessed with the greatest gift of his life because of it. Having been away from Dogwood Lane for a decade had Neely more of a city girl, one who had a good life in New York, but you could still see bits and pieces of the country girl she once was. I appreciated that neither one of them was this beacon of purity and virtue. I like it when my main characters are perfectly imperfect human beings.

As always, Adriana Locke penned a heartwarming romance with a good amount of heat to it. The supporting characters were all standouts, but the one who stood out most was definitely Mia. I won’t say who she is and what role she plays in the lives of Dane and Neely, but she was such a ray of sunshine. There were parts that made me smile and some that had my heart clenching in empathy, and by the end, Tumble had me sighing in satisfaction and very excited to listen to my pre-ordered audiobook. Five stars! ♥

Dane and Neely’s story isn’t your average love story and that’s what I love about it! I loved neely’s good heart and forgiving soul. She was a strong willed woman who went after what she wanted but when life takes a turn she ends up in her home town and realizes the life she has lived might have been lacking all along!

Dane is definitely one man that you can’t help but admire. He is content with his life and has made it his mission to see a smile on his daughters face but when a face from his past comes home he can’t help but realize he’s lonely and only one person can fix that, only obstacle is convincing her she belongs home and not in the big city!

A great start to what I think will be a great new series. I love small town stories because they are about real down to earth people.

Neely's dream was to be a sports writer for a magazine in New York. She moves to the big city from small town Tennessee to live her dream but finds that after a few years she is becoming disillusioned with her life though she will never admit it not even to herself. After getting overlooked for a promotion, she quits her job and goes back home for a vacation and to decide what to do with her life.

The first person she runs into is her old boyfriend Dane who broke her heart many years ago. Although she wants to remain distant from her friends and her past, she is drawn back into small town life even helping out her former gymnastics teacher with classes. There she gets her biggest shock as she finds out that one of the girls is Danes daughter from the time that he slept with Neely's best friend.

This story was so well written by Adriana. It is full of emotions and angst as Neely finds answers to the questions about Dane that have haunted her life so far. At the same time she is struggling to find herself and what she really wants out of her life. Her decisions are made more difficult as she realises that she is still very much in love with Dane who wants to make a family with her.

Neely can see a future with Dane and his daughter but will she just be settling? Is there more for her outside of Dogwood Lane or is everything she wants and needs here? or is being successful a high powered career and life in New York? As a reader I couldn't help but sympathize with her as she struggles with these tough decisions.

I really recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading more in this series.