Missing Dixie by Caisey Quinn

Missing Dixie by Caisey Quinn
Release Date - October 27, 2015
Publisher Website - Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages - 336 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received for an honest review from publisher**

**SPOILERS FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Fighting for redemption…

I've lived most of my life in darkness, beneath the shadows of secrets and addictions. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt the only girl I'd ever loved-the one who brought me into the light. In my entire life I'd made one promise-a promise I'd intended to keep. I've broken that promise and now I have to live with the fallout. Dixie Lark hates me, and I have to tell her that I love her. I also have to tell her a truth that might destroy us forever.

Can she love me even if she can't forgive me?

Learning to move on…

Gavin Garrison broke his promise to my brother and he broke my heart in the process. I may never love anyone the way I've loved him, but at least I won't spend my life wondering what if. We had our one night and he walked away. I'm finally beginning to move on when my brother's wedding and a battle of the bands brings us back together.

Our band is getting a second chance, but I don't know if I can give him one. How do you hand your heart back to the person who set it on fire once already? 

If you read my reviews for the previous books in this series you'll know how much I enjoy this series. Caisey Quinn has crafted an addictive love story in a world that is just as addictive. This is one of those series that you want to immediately know how it ends without it actually being over. In Missing Dixie she gives fans the perfect ending to the story that started in Leaving Amarillo and offers up more than a few surprises along the way.

The agonizing wait for the continuation of Gavin and Dixie's love story is one fans have been vocal about. The ending of Leaving Amarillo is brutal, and heart crushing. Loving Dallas offered no peace of mind either. Missing Dixie shows exactly why this had to happen. We needed the events of the previous two novels to get Gavin and Dixie to the point we find them at during Missing Dixie. They each needed to work on themselves before a relationship could be possible between them, and that is what Missing Dixie is about. It's about these two people growing and changing and hopefully finding their way to each other in the process.

Caisey Quinn is quite adept at making you feel the same feelings as the characters. You feel their heartbreak, their frustration, their joy, and happiness. She, through her writing, let's you take the journey with the characters. It's one of the strongest elements of her writing, and it ensures the connection to the characters is felt. It makes you invest in the outcome of the story and the invest in the characters themselves.

Music is a secondary character in this entire series. It's a living, breathing thing that consumes all of them. It's how they relate to things, how they express themselves, and something that binds them together. It's a force all on it's own, and one that is woven into everything. Music has the ability to move people, and that passion is felt here.

This novel, like Loving Dallas before it, is one of second chances. It's not just a second chance for Dixie and Gavin to get things right between them, but for the band too. Leaving Amarillo is just a much of a mess as the relationship between it's members. It's a sharp look at second chances and what it takes to move forward from the past. Having both the band and characters go through similar story arcs raised the stakes for both and made things just a little more complicated which added some urgency to the plot that I really enjoyed.

Calling Gavin and Dixie's relationship complex would be phrasing it mildly. Therefore, it is only fitting that their love story have an ending that is every bit the roller coaster their relationship is. Their own version of happily ever after is perfect for them. It's an ending that is just as complicated, just as hopeful, and just as right as the relationship between Gavin and Dixie.

Caisey Quinn wraps up this fun, sexy series with the perfect ending for this story in more ways than one. The wait to see how Gavin and Dixie's love story would end was made all the more worthwhile because of how satisfyingly their stories were wrapped up. If you like your books with music, steamy sexy scenes, and humour you'll love the Neon Dreams series.

Missing Dixie Cover Reveal

Today I am helping to 'reveal' the cover for the final Neon Dreams book, Missing Dixie. It's no secret that I've loved the other two novels in this series that blends music, romance, and drama into an incredibly entertaining storyline.

USA Today had the exclusive reveal earlier this week, and also had Caisey Quinn chatting with Sophie Jordan and Cora Cormack about all things New Adult. Be sure to check out the 'interview' as it's a fantastic read.

Here is the synopsis (spoilers for the previous books in the series)

Fighting for redemption…
I’ve lived most of my life in darkness, beneath the shadows of secrets and addictions. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt the only girl I’d ever loved—the one who brought me into the light. In my entire life I’d made one promise—a promise I’d intended to keep. I’ve broken that promise and now I have to live with the fallout. Dixie Lark hates me, and I have to tell her that I love her. I also have to tell her a truth that might destroy us forever.
Can she love me even if she can’t forgive me?
Learning to move on…
Gavin Garrison broke his promise to my brother and he broke my heart in the process. I may never love anyone the way I’ve loved him, but at least I won’t spend my life wondering what if. We had our one night and he walked away. I’m finally beginning to move on when my brother’s wedding and a battle of the bands brings us back together.
Our band is getting a second chance, but I don’t know if I can give him one. How do you hand your heart back to the person who set it on fire once already?

And now here is the sexylicious cover!

Hello, Gavin! Be sure to check out both Leaving Armarillo and Loving Dallas before Missing Dixie goes on sale on October 27th. 

If you haven't gotten yourself a copy already be sure to enter the contest below to win a set! If you're a fan of New Adult novels this series is not be missed.

You can connect with Caisey Quinn via Twitter, Facebook, her website, and add Missing Dixie to your Goodreads.

You can per-order Missing Dixie from the publisher website, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Chapters.

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Loving Dallas by Caisey Quinn

Loving Dallas by Caisey Quinn
Release Date - June 16, 2015
Publisher Website - Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages - 360 pages
My Rating - 4.5/5
**received for an honest review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In the second novel in bestselling author Caisey Quinn’s Neon Dreams series, a country rock band and its members embark on the rocky road to fame and find love along the way.

Dallas Lark is so close to achieving his dream of making it big in country music that he can taste it. Arriving in Nashville after signing with sexy, successful manager Mandy Lantram, his life goes from tragedy and turmoil to one lucky break after another—except it isn’t really luck because Dallas has sacrificed everything for his career, leaving behind his band, sister, best friend, and high school sweetheart, Robyn, in the pursuit of fame.

Robyn Breeland is a successful marketing coordinator and promotions specialist for a thriving liquor distributor out of Texas. She loves every aspect of her job: coming up with new ideas, traveling, hosting promotional parties and exclusive events—until it brings her face-to-face with the man who broke her heart, prompting her to erect a steel cage around it.

When their paths collide and they’re forced to work together, Dallas and Robyn realize that the old spark they thought they’d extinguished might still be a burning flame.

Leaving Amarillo is one of my favourite New Adult novels that I've ever read. I went into Loving Dallas with some pretty high expectations and Caisey Quinn did not disappoint. The Neon Dreams series is an addictive roller coaster ride through the music industry, seediness and all.

Caisey Quinn adeptly balances her plot with the sexy elements that are found in the genre. She allows her characters to take centre stage, and the plot to carry them forward. The focus isn't on the sex scenes, and that makes a huge difference in terms of character development and connection. I think I connected with this series as much as I did because of this choice with the writing. It meshes everything nicely so that they all combine to create a delicious drama filled, sexy read.

I expected to love Dallas. His protectiveness of Dixie was charming and I was eager to learn more about him. Robyn, surprisingly, was the one that ended up stealing the spotlight. She's driven, focused, funny, quick witted, and imperfect. She's the type of girl you wish you had for a friend. Her sense of humour really stood out to me as I found myself laughing out loud a lot while reading. The ease in which I cared for her so early on in the novel shows Caisey's talent in creating characters. You'll leave the novel knowing exactly why Dallas couldn't forget Robyn, and that's probably the point. Caisey Quinn obviously recognizes that for a love story to work you have to make the readers fall a little in love with the love interest as well.

The dynamic between Dallas and Robyn is totally different from Dixie and Gavin. This novel is all about second chances and what you would do differently. While the wait for Gavin's story to close out the series will be nearly unbearable there was something endearing about the chemistry in this sequel. The relationship Robyn and Dallas have is one of second nature. Falling back into old patterns comes naturally and Caisey Quinn captures that familiarity and history without unnecessary flashbacks. You immediately believe their connection and that these two characters have a past. Their interaction and banter seem effortless.

The music industry once again feels like a character in this novel. The seedier aspects get a bright spotlight in this installment with Dallas struggling to find his way in this new world he's being thrown into. We see the temptation, and regret that a lifestyle like this can offer through various characters and it feels like something that will arc over all three books. The industry being such a big focus and the drama that it causes swirls around the characters causing havoc like a tornado.

A novel about how the journey we take to our dreams may not be quite what we expected, and how sometimes our dreams change into something else entirely from what we expected. It's the best kind of love story - the that makes you believe in second chances. Caisey Quinn once again writes a fun and sexy New Adult novel that puts the emphasis on characters and the plot. I'll be breathlessly waiting for the final novel in this series!

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

The annual Ottawa Blogger Meet Up was held last Sunday and as a result I have a bunch of amazing goodies that made their way in my mailbox!

Holding Strong by Lori Foster (goodreads)
Spelled by Betsy Schow (goodreads)
I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre (goodreads)
Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin (goodreads)
The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy (goodreads)
First Time In Forever by Sarah Morgan (goodreads)
All We Have Is Now by Lisa Schroeder (goodreads)
The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman (goodreads)
The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich (goodreads)
The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford (goodreads)
I Am Not A Slut by Leora Tanenbaum (goodreads)

Hello Goodbye and Everything In Between by Jennifer E Smith (goodreads)
Boo by Neil Smith (goodreads)

A huge thank you to all the publishers (Harper Collins Canada, Simon and Schuster Canada, Penguin Canada , Raincoast, Random House Canada, Harlequin, Scholastic Canada) for their amazing contributions to the gift bags. We had so much fun, and I cannot wait to read all these books. Thank you is not enough.

I also have an e-galley that I received for review from Harper Collins. I LOVED the first book in this series and cannot wait to read this one.

Loving Dallas by Caisey Quinn (goodreads)

A huge thank you to Harper for the chance to review this one.

What books made their way into your mailbox this week?

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Leaving Amarillo by Caisey Quinn

Leaving Amarillo by Caisey Quinn
Release Date - March 17, 2015
Publisher Website - Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages - 352 pages
My Rating - 4.5/5
**received for an honest review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Nashville meets New Adult in Neon Dreams, a dramatic, sexy series from bestselling author Caisey Quinn, about a country band’s rocky road to fame—and the ambition, dreams, and love of the people who make the music.

Dixie Lark hasn’t had it easy. She lost her parents in an accident when she was young and grew up in a ramshackle house on a dirt road in Amarillo with her ailing grandparents and overprotective older brother. Thanks to her grandfather, Dixie learned to play a mean fiddle, inspired by the sounds of the greats—Johnny and June, Waylon, and Hank. Her grandfather’s fiddle changed Dixie’s life forever, giving her an outlet for the turmoil of her broken heart and inspiring a daring dream.

Ten years later, Dixie and her brother, Dallas, are creating the music they love and chasing fame with their hot band, Leaving Amarillo. But Dixie isn’t enjoying the ride. All she can think about is Gavin, the band’s tattooed, tortured drummer who she’s loved since they were kids. She knows he feels the connection between them, but he refuses see her as more than his best friend’s little sister.

Convinced that one night with Gavin will get him out of her system, Dixie devises a plan. She doesn’t know that her brother has forbidden Gavin from making a move on her-a promise he swore he’d always keep . . . a promise that once broken will unexpectedly change the future for Dixie, Gavin and the band.

My hit or miss relationship with New Adult novels is well documented. I had been looking for something more from them that just wasn't there. Leaving Amarillo grabbed my attention through it's musical ties, but won me over with it's charm, character and attention to plot over sexytimes. It easily became one of the top New Adult novels I've ever read.

Music is the heart of this novel, in so many ways. It breathes through Dixie and the story itself. It's a thrumming pulse of the story and there is good reason that this novel is being compared to the television show Nashville. It's a unputdownable look at the life of a band and one that takes you along for the drama filled, passionate ride.

Dixie is a good balance between the 'good girl' and the 'bad girl' tropes. She ends up seeming very genuine, flawed and real. She is someone who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. She stands up for what she wants, and what she believes in. She makes her own choices while still weighing the impact of others. Her passion for music is engrained in her so deeply that it feels like she couldn't breathe without it. Caisey Quinn lets her heroine make mistakes and stumble while keeping her relatable.

Gavin's introduction is rather steamy. From the moment he tells her that those 'pretty boys' she's been messing obviously don't know what they are doing to every aching, agonizing moment in between he lights up the pages. He's a bad boy who, shockingly, never treats his love interest without anything other than respect. It was refreshing to see in a novel of this genre. Gavin has his issues, and those issues are going to hurt Dixie, but Gavin is never anything but honest with her. He doesn't manipulate her, or use her for his benefit. His struggle with honouring his best friend's request and his attraction to Dixie created a delicious tension and allowed Dixie to be the peruser in a sense. This novel only begins to unravel Gavin's dark and destructive secrets and I can only hope that after this storm that he and Dixie will be making beautiful music together.

The romance is sexy and there are plenty of sections that blaze with the chemistry between Gavin and Dixie. Part of the allure is the will-they-won't-they nature of their relationship. You are breathless waiting to see if they'll give into the attraction that is between them. The tension is electric, and the sparks that finally fly are brighter than any stage lights. My favourite element is the way that Caisey Quinn balances the sexytimes with substance and plot. This novel is not just racing to the next sex scene. It has a dramatic plot, and character development. These characters are why you end up caring about the rest and that is because this novel manages to be both sexy and well written.

Fans of the New Adult genre, particularly those who love music, will not want to miss this sexy behind the scenes look at a country band on the rise. It's a novel whose focus is on the characters, and a solid start to a new series. One that left me eager to follow the rest Leaving Amarillo's journey to becoming country superstars.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

I received one physical ARC for review this week and some ebooks! Excited to check them all out.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (goodreads)

This is one that's gotten a lot of buzz as it's inspired by the big Royal Wedding that happened not too long ago. Excited to read it as I've heard it's amazing. Thank you to Hachette Canada for sending it along.

I also have two ebooks. One is an  ARC for review, and the other is an e-novella that I purchased.

Leaving Amarillo by Caisey Quinn (goodreads)
The Wizard Returns by Danielle Paige (goodreads)

Huge thank you to Harper Collins for the chance to review Leaving Amarillo. I've been told it's similar to the TV show Nashville! Excited to check it out.

What books made their way into your mailbox this week?

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!