Avery Perry needs a major change in her life, fortunately for her, she knows just where to get away from the spotlight of her parent's careers. Moving in with her aunt in the tiny southern town of Dogwood Lane seems to be the perfect fit until someone from her past comes back. Penn Etling just wanted a haircut, but now he can't get the beautiful woman who's new in town out of his mind, she seems familiar to him, and she's the only woman to ever shoot him down. Not deterred by her dismissals he promises to be her friend, now all Avery has to do is keep her heart protected.

I loved this third installment of the Dogwood Lane series. Penn Etling was everything I dreamed he would be, bad boy on the outside, but with a heart of gold. Of course, he has a tragic backstory that makes him happy with a string of one-night stands or short term relationships until he meets Avery. I have to admit at their first meeting, and for a while afterward, where he didn't recognize her I was a little heartbroken for Avery. I admired Avery's strength to make such a huge move to have a better life for herself. This story has such a rollercoaster of emotions, I didn't expect so much angst, but it was definitely there. I adore Adriana Locke and her small-town romances, they make me a little homesick for the tiny town I grew up in. Trouble is funny, angsty (but not too much), sweet, and all the other feel-good words, highly recommend.

Well...holy smokes! Again, didn't expect to fall for Penn like I did - just like I've said about the rest of Adriana's characters. I should've known better!

I loved loved loved this story so much. It was just so REAL. The thoughts in Penn's head, the way he processed things just seemed so realistic and relatable. It was such a wonderful heartwarming feeling to just understand him the way I did.

Avery - she was cool as heck. Loved the way she denied Penn for so long. Her wit won me over, but her vulnerability kept me.

Favorite line of the book - "Being in a relationship with someone doesn't mean you promise to get it all right, Penn. It means you decided she's worth you trying to get it right more times than not. It's...It's a safety net, an agreement that you do your best and hope it works out." Matt is so wise!!! Are we getting Matt's book? Because I'm ALL IN for it.

Trouble is about Penn Etling, a playboy who doesn't see himself ever settling down.
That is until Avery comes to Dogwood Lane. She has escaped LA to find herself and what makes her happy.
What people don't know is that Avery and Penn have a history..Even Penn seems to have forgotten.

Trouble is cute and Penn is one of a kind. His past explains a lot of why he is the way he is.

Adriana Locke delivered with Trouble! Everything about this story is incredible! I want to live in Dogwood Lane. Penn Etling truly is all the things. He is funny, charming, sexy, confident, cocky and sweet. I legit could gush about him for hours. His one flaw is that he does not see in him what others see in him. Avery showed up in town and turned his world upside down. Unlike most women, she didn't fall at his feet when he turned his charms on her. I really loved Avery and the way she bantered with Penn!

I am so flipping happy Adriana Locke wrote Penn's story. I sure hope we get Matt's story next! This series makes my heart happy!

4.5 stars
This is my first read in this series of Dogwood Lane. I quite enjoyed it. Penn is the adorable bad boy, or so it would seem. I would term him as the innocent bad boy. I feel this way because there is so much he hasn’t been privy to before in his life. From a readers view you want to wrap him up and take care of him. Then there’s Avery. To me, she is the real hero of this story. Here’s a person who has been basically used as a prop her whole life. She’s made a decision and is determined to stick by it, even though she is more than tempted. Avery has grit. I would love to discuss this story but I don’t do spoilers. I don’t think it’s fair to the author. You should read the book. What you will get when you read this book is that we get to see behind the curtain and see how people are shaped into who they become and realize your can’t always judge a book by it’s cover, no matter how good looking they are. What you will see is there can always be so much more. People see what we want them to see and sometimes they don’t even know they’re hiding their true self. You should definitely take a trip to Dogwood Lane and discover all the beauty and down home charm that one little town and book can hold. I already know I will be going back to read the other stories in this series. Yes, it was that good.

My favorite of the three! Penn’s story is one that will leave your heart so full.

I absolutely loved seeing the many layers of Penn Etling. You see more to him and what an amazing character he is. Seeing him go through all the emotions and seeing him finally fall was the BEST EVER!!

Adriana Locke has given us a story of fighting for what you want. Making sure you stand up for what you want. Change. And how to love like you’ve never loved before.

I couldn’t put this story down. A definite one-click for any romance reader.

Highly recommended!

*I was given a free advanced copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.*

I could not have asked for a better way to return to Dogwood Lane! I love this town and all the stories in it and have been anxiously awaiting Penn's story. The bad boy player and group goofball, who will never be tied down, finally meets his match and it gives you all the feels. I am a total sucker for this kind of hero and my love for Penn was instant. Avery is making some life changes and I loved her commitment to herself and that she didn't cave or settle for anything less than what she knew she deserved. I also loved getting to see more of Matt and his personality in this story, he handed Penn's ass to him a few times and I hope he gets a story too, because he has unsuspecting Alpha written all over him. I anxiously awaited this book since meeting Penn in Tumble and it did not disappoint. This series is a must read!

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and voluntarily give my review.

This story was everything I wanted in a romance novel. I devoured it in one day. It was witty and funny, with plenty of heat. The character growth for the two main characters was natural and relatable. I adored Penn as a main character, as well as the small-town setting.

Penn Etling is just... *sigh*. This is probably one of my favourite Adriana Locke books ever. I devoured it in one sitting. I love her small town romances, and the previous two books in the Dogwood Lane series were amazing, but Trouble is another level of fantastic. A definite must read for 2020.

Finally we get to the story of Peck! Avery will give him a run for his money because she’s just as against relationships as he is. But when they are together sparks fly and they try to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of their friends. You will laugh and you will feel while reading this book. I love the Dogwood Lane crowd!

“Trouble” by Adriana Locke is the third book released in the Dogwood Lane series and can be read as a stand-alone. It features Penn, who is tough on the outside and sweet on the inside, and Avery, an artist and hairdresser who relocated from Hollywood, CA, to make it on her own.

Both of these characters are immediately drawn to one another, and Penn can not fight the pull he feels for Avery; the instant connection as well as the longing. He feels as if he knows her and he’s not sure from where.

These two do have a past and all will be revealed in this slow-burn romance. You will feel as if you are right there in Dogwood with them as they go about their daily lives and jobs, interact with friends and family, and let each other in bit by bit. Penn is someone you just want to hug and let him know what a great guy he is, because he doesn’t believe it himself. Avery is quick to realize this and lets him know in no uncertain terms just how special and desirable he is.

I really admired Avery who was almost 30 and knows what she wants in a relationship. She didn’t just want to a fling, she wanted to be someone’s forever and I really enjoyed the scenes where she voiced how she envisioned her future husband.

Adriana writes so well...you get all the feels and will be quickly wrapped up in their budding romance and all the happenings in this small town where everyone knows each other. This book did progress slower than the others, but the pace is important because all of the little details matter as they get to know one another. Things will be revealed about their past as they learn to trust and forgive one another, and you will be smiling ear to ear by the last chapter.

Penn and Avery's story is utterly "awesome." These two had me laughing, occasionally shedding a few tears and sighing in bliss at different times throughout this exceptional read.

Penn, oh Penn how I love him! What a great story, and another book boyfriend to add to my ever growing list. Penn and Avery are so fun to watch navigate getting to know each other. Adriana never disappoints.

Great book! Great Series! I loved every word of Penn & Avery’s book and almost had it finished in one sitting, but work got in the way!

Welcome back to Dogwood Lane. Penn is a man every woman in Dogwood Lane wants to be with. He's a right now kind of guy, not one for relationships or settling down. He's never heard the word no from a woman, that is, until Avery moves into town.

I really enjoyed this story. Penn is one of the sweetest characters that Adriana has ever written, and Avery is the woman who can bring him to his knees. If you like sweet romantic stories and a hometown feeling that creeps into your bones, then Trouble and the Dogwood Lane series is a must read.

My reading slump of 2020 continues. I really wanted to love this book, it had great promise and I love my romance novels but I just couldn’t get into it. I think the main area that bothered me was Penn and his sexual innuendos that were constant throughout the book but didn’t provide any serious steam to go with it. This book felt like a circle that keeps going around and around the same issues and doesn’t get resolved until the end. I’ve heard people loved this book, which is great, it just wasn’t for me.

3.5 Stars

I have loved everything that Adriana Locke has written. She has a way of developing characters that are so likeable and have such personalities- and Penn Etling is definitely one of those characters! One of my favorite things about Trouble, the third book in Locke's Dogwood Lane series, is the banter that Penn had with Avery. I loved how she constantly shot him down, and I loved Penn's persistence. I will say, I had more difficulty getting sucked into Trouble than I normally do with Locke's books, but as a whole, I very much enjoyed Trouble!

I really hope that there is more in Dogwood Lane (I'd love to get Jake's HEA!)

*4.5 Stars*

ARC kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been looking forward to Penn's story from the start. He's the loveable flirt of the group, so I was curious to see what we would get from him.

Penn and Avery are both quite independent characters, but with completely opposite views about what they want from life. They have an instant connection, and plenty of chemistry and sparks fly with all the banter that goes on between them.

Penn being the commitment phobe that he is, doesn't want to see what's staring him in the face, even though everyone around him can. Avery knows what she deserves and life is trying to make a positive change. She fits right in in Dogwood Lane, and it's great to have a strong character like her.

It was fun watching things unfold between these two, even if I did want to slap Penn silly sometimes. Loved having our other fun characters from the town in the story too.

Can't wait to see what comes next in this series.

A cute addition to the Dogwood Lane series! A quick, easy, small town read that you’ll definitely enjoy. If you’re into second chance romance this will be for you. I just adored Penn and Avery. Their banter between each other was fun and real. Penn, overall is just someone you would want to be with whether it’s romantic or platonic. He’s not that hot headed alpha or a doormat either. Avery is likable and someone you can see yourself being friends with. I would love to see more of them especially them asa couple.

Penn pulled at my heartstrings when I read him in previous books in The Dogwood Lane Series but in this book, he grabbed hold and became one of my favorite Locke characters. He had it all the charm, cockiness, silly, broken and a heart of gold. Avery was the exact type of woman he needed she was sweet but also a woman who knew what she deserved and wasn't willing to settle.