Mia Sheridan has a way of speaking about heavy topics in a way that is both purposeful yet “light hearted” (this is used very loosely). The blurb sucked me right in and the story thankfully did not disappoint.

While I have heard a lot about Mia Sheridan's books, this is actually the first one I have read. This is a high school age love story with a heavy influence from the setting. Poverty does not seem to cover the hardships of living in this small mining town in Kentucky. The main characters Tenleigh and Kyland live in the mountains with little to no electricity or running water and often go hungry. Both characters strive to be the best in school so they can win themselves the opportunity to escape their town, but their plans for the future start to morph when they become friends and eventually more. 

I was hooked throughout the first half of this book. It was written in a way that was easy to read and digest quickly and made me want to read more and more in one sitting. Sadly, I grew frustrated as the story progressed. It felt very predictable and cliche. The main conflict can be boiled down to the infamous miscommunication trope, which I am personally not a fan of. 

On a smaller and more personal note, I did not like how much importance virginity was given in this book. It was brought up often and only in reference to the female main character. One specific line in reference to her virginity: "Tenleigh, someday you're going to meet a man who wants to give you a life, a man who wants to give you everything he has to offer. And I'm not going to take the thing that's yours to give him as a gift." I hated this line. In this day and age, we are trying to debunk this societal pressure towards women and it was cringe-worthy just how often it was reiterated in this book. Personal preference but it definitely pulled me out of the story a number of times. 

All of this being said, I still enjoyed this book. It was good, not great, but still had fun moments. There were sections where the two characters would talk about different books they read and it gave me a lot of recommendations. I really connected with Tenleigh's journey, it was raw and inspiring, and worth the read despite my criticisms.

Read this if you like small town romance; second chance romance; a strong country setting; character driven stories that may make you emotionally invested; Appalachian Mountains and the folks who live there!

This book was perfect for me as a reader, living right off the AT in Virginia I absolutely loved every bit of these characters and their struggles with living in the coal mining town of Dennville, Kentucky. I think Mia Sheridan did a wonderful job of handling with care the topics of mental health, poverty and sexual assault.  In all areas but especially in high poverty country towns there can be unseen struggles that create a sort of vacuum on someone's life causing the circumstances to feel stacked against them with no "out" and this story really worked all those angles well.  As a reader you feel the pull for Tenleigh and Kyland to BOTH get out of there to live a better/bigger/more full life with education at their fingertips and potential growth in jobs/careers/etc. and yet you know it can't be the outcome for them both and you want their love to be strong enough to keep them together. It is really a fantastic love story, both of first loves and second chances. Also, who doesn't love a romance story that quotes the classics like Wuthering Heights!! 

Highly recommend and can't wait to read more by Sheridan.

As someone that grew up in poverty.this book hit home, I look forward to reading more from this author,

This is a beautiful and heartbreaking novel that shines a light on poverty and the lengths kids will go to try to make a better life for themselves. It is, at times, devastating, and yet it maintains a thread of hope throughout. This is a tough yet ultimately important story that all Americans should read.

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

So, this one was not a new favorite for me sadly. For me, this one spent a little too much time in the past, and the present didn't quite wrap up how I needed. Though I loved the second chance element of it, I felt like there was a little too many things that weren't believable. This book is beautiful in its own way, but not a new favorite for me. I love Sheridan's writing, and that is what kept me going.

The setting was described so well that I could see myself walking in the mountains with Tenleigh.

I enjoyed the dynamic that the mental health issues played on the family relationships. Mia combined a love story with challenging topics like poverty and misunderstanding.

I certainly did NOT expect what we learned about Kyland's mom! Not only were Tenleigh and Kyland likeable, but so were most of their neighbors and community members.

I didn't like how the scholarship award came about, but I also understand why Kyland did what he did. Not many would make the same sacrifice. These characters have stuck with me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kyland is a novel by Mia Sheridan.  Rarely have I been this emotionally invested as I was when reading Kyland.  I was thrilled when I discovered that this book takes place in Kentucky.  I live in a different area of this state; however, I am very familiar with the small, poverty-stricken, coal-mining towns where Kyland takes place.

Both Kyland and Tenleigh are dirt poor and living in untenable family situations.  These teenagers have nothing.  Having no support, they fight to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs.  Both Kyland and Tenleigh dream of a way out of this nightmare of a life.  A scholarship is offered for a full ride to the college of the student’s choice.  Once strangers, then friends,  then lovers, Kyland and Tenleigh are fighting for the same ticket out of an endless life of poverty and no options.

Oh!  These characters!  Mia Sheridan captured the quiet dignity and fierce stubbornness of the Appalachian people.  Kyland and Tenleigh want to break the cycle of their lives by getting the scholarship and never looking back, not even for love.  Kyland was proud but vulnerable with Tenleigh.  Tenleigh battled her mother’s mental illness while trying to be the breadwinner, a good sister, and an excellent student.  The bond Kyland and Tenleigh forge is stronger than the forces trying to tear them apart.  What is the truest test of love?  This book answers that question perfectly:  sacrifice.

It was apparent the hard work and research the author did in every little detail, from the authentic dialogue to the description of the breathtaking scenery.  The author captured the fierce pride and indomitable spirit these generational coal miners have.  This powerful romance on page one ensnared me.  This is a hauntingly beautiful, heart-achingly poignant story of struggle, love, and sacrifice.  This is my favorite contemporary book I have read.  I beg you to read this book!  It tells the story of the overlooked, marginalized, and neglected in a way that’s both vulnerable and fierce.  Mia Sheridan captured the heart of Appalachia and I’ll never forget this book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spicy and emotional, "Kyland" is the kind of work that Mia Sheridan is famous for. Any fan of Colleen Hoover or Lucy Score will love this book.

Kyland has my entire heart. I don’t know how Mia does it but she writes some of the best male main characters and has me falling in love with them so quickly! I can’t even explain it! Another amazing one. She has quickly become one of my top favorite authors!

Kyland by Mia Sheridan was the first book of hers that I had the opportunity of reading. I went into this book completely blind not wanting to know what I was diving into. 

From the very first page I knew it was going to be full of angst and goodness I was right. Not only was this book full of angst but it was full of the hope of first love, the reality of being in an impossible financial situation and the deep loneliness that can come from either losing your family or having to watch a parent crumble from an illness. Heartbreaking is putting it lightly and @miasheridanauthor does such an amazing job of tackling subjects that we may not always want to think of. 

At the end of this rollercoaster of angst was a beautiful love story about sacrifice and working like hell to to go back to your person and fighting to make it out together.

Read if you like:
🏘️ Books Set in Small Towns 
🐎 Books set in Kentucky
♥️ Romances

This story much like Mia’s other stories was so heartwarming! I truly loved the way that she writes her characters with such depth! She truly makes you feel all the emotions in how she writes her characters and their storylines. 

This one focuses on two individuals living in extreme poverty while falling in love and the impacts the poverty have on them both. 

If you are looking for an emotional romance, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you so much Bloom Books for my ARC! in exchange for my review!

This book started off strong, but I felt that it dragged on for ages and ages before finally getting to the time jump. At the same time, though, I felt like large parts of the story were missing. I found the relationship between Tenleigh (awful name, by the way) and Kyland to be boring and lacklustre. I hated the spice - especially considering they were seventeen in the first 75% of the book. I hate spice involving minors. I liked the characters for the most part, but I hated how much back and forth there was between Tenleigh and Kyland for the first while too. I also really didn't like the conflict that caused them to part ways. I didn't see the plot twist coming, but I also didn't like the way everything happened. This book was about 100 pages too long and yet, their reconnection four years later happened so quickly and barely had any development. There was no chemistry or tension. It was just kind of underwhelming to me.

Thank you Sourcebooks Bloom Books and Netgalley for providing me the e-Arc.

I really want to love this book, but sadly i can’t.

The thing is the idea of the story was good. I did enjoyed the i want to get out from this city type of thing, their effort to get the scholarship and the pain in their life. It was good, i could feel their desperation and hope.

I don’t like their rushed sexual tension and attraction. They got intimate in one night, and Kyland already said 
 “And you make the darkness go away. You bring me some kind of peace.” in their second night.
I jusy don’t get it. You barely got initimate and the second night you easily feel peace? 
The smut scenes feel so bland because rushed plot to get into this part.

And there’s Kyland line that didn’t sit right with me.
“I allowed my eyes to roam to her breasts. My dick surged to life in my jeans and I shifted uncomfortably.”

Overall i couldn’t enjoyed the story, even the idea of the book was good.

One of my top favourites of Mia’s for sure! And definitely brought what I expect from her novels a heartbreaking beautiful love story that brings out all the emotions! In this one we have Kyland and Tenleigh they both have grown up on the Appalachian mountains and both know what’s it’s like to go hungry. Tenleigh lives in a trailer a few house up from Kyland, she lives with her mother who suffers from a mental illness and her sister who is a few years older. Together the two girls take care of their mother and everything else. Tenleigh is in high school and she has her eye on a scholarship that will get her out of this town and maybe a better life for her, Kyland is also competing for this scholarship to make a better life for him self after losing his father and brother in a mining accident years ago. These two try to stay away from each other, they know they can’t have each other messing up their chances of leaving but they can’t help but be drawn together, and decided to take the risk for a little sunshine in their dark dark lives. Even if it will end with disaster and heart break. I loved their relationship so much, you really felt for both of these characters and I love the connection they had together. After their highschool life we jump to 4 years later and this part was so good also, they both had such great character development! I loved the time jump! I loved everything about it! This book will forever be a favourite and live in my heart!

Tenleigh and Kyland are two teens who are living to get out of the small, impoverished Kentucky town they live in. The only way out is through the Tyton Coal Scholarship that the town awards to one graduating senior each year, and each of them desperately wants to win it. Tenleigh's mother suffers from mental illness that can't be managed well due to their financial situation. Kyland's family has suffered the immense loss of both his father and older brother in a coal mining accident. How will their relationship survive knowing that only one of them will be able to have their dreams come true?

This was a beautifully touching story of friendship, of love, and of loss. A look at the perilous lives of a coal mining community, and of the poverty and harshness that exists, but also of the wonderful sense of family that the small town has. Kyland made me laugh, it made me cry, and it really took me out of my comfort zone and into a world I've never encountered. I loved everything about it, even as it was tearing me apart at times.

Thank you to Bloom Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Kyland by Mia Sheridan hit me right in the feels and I didn't see it coming. This book was angsty, emotional, and I devoured it in one sitting. 

I instantly connected with book characters and experienced every step right along side them as their relationship develops. Their connection was visceral. Sheridan paints sucks you into their world, two young individuals who come from poverty, both determined to make something of themselves and leave the town they grew up in. 

The more these two spent with each other the more they seemed to fall and I fell right alongside them. My heart constantly in my throat knowing that at some point the shoe would drop and when it did my heart dropped with it. 
As the book continues we found out more about their back stories and man the strength these two have is admirable to say the least. 

Tenleigh is sweet, caring and so lovable, and Kyland OMG book husband material for sure. This man owned my heart by the end of this book, probably even before. I rooted for these two almost from the get go. 

I absolutely adored this book and the only thing I am questioning is why the heck did it take me so long to read it. If you love small town, friends to lovers angsty romance this one checks off all the boxes.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book made my heart swoon and mourn all at the same time. This hard-hitting, emotional novel follows the story of Kyland and Tenliegh who live deep in the Appalachia. They go through hardships separately and fall in love quickly. I loved both characters and flew through the first 30% of the book. It did lag in the middle but picked up my interest again around the 60% mark. I wish we had seen more of  Kyland and Teneligh when they were older and more established. 

Otherwise, I would highly recommend this emotional story to romance lovers.

I haven't read anything by Mia Sheridan before and since this took place in the Appalachian Mountains I thought why not. I live in West Virginia in a small town almost just like the one described I'm the book. So I really understood wanting to get out of a crap hole town like that. I could really relate to the characters about a bunch different things mentioned in this story. Other than that this story didn't really do it for me. I didn't hate or love it. It just seemed so slow or more like it lacked something I guess. It's just seemed so one note to me like do they or don't they love me. The smutt was kinda bland to me as well. I was hoping for something to pick up since what drama did happen was kinda foreseeable considering the personality traits of the characters. Just everything fell flat for me. 


Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.

Half Agony. Half Hope. 
Kyland was such a captivating story. From the very beginning I found myself wanting a HEA for Tenleigh and Kyland.  The story told is about two high school seniors who live in a small mining town in Kentucky. Both are poor, and both want nothing more than a prestigious scholarship (sponsored by the mining company) so that they can get out of their current situations and excel. What happens is a love story for the ages--what happens when two people who have nothing, suddenly decide they are willing to give everything up for the other person and what happens when choices re made for them that they never imagined. Mia Sheridan does an amazing job of introducing both MMC and FMC in a way that has you rooting for both of them. The side characters are relatable and the family struggles mentioned in the book are handled with such care. Read this book!