Review: Loving Dallas (Neon Dreams #2) by Caisey Quinn

Loving Dallas

Author: Caisey Quinn

Series: Neon Dreams #2

Pages: 360

Publisher: William Morrow

Release date: 16^th June 2015

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.

Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Loving Dallas is the second book in the Neon Dreams series and begins right where Leaving Amarillo left off. It is Robyn Breeland and Dallas Walker Lark’s story, a couple who have a history and a strong connection and are both embarking on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.

Dallas is now in Nashville after signing with Mandy Lantram and is the opening act for big name Jase Wade, times could be tough on him – he is without his band-mates and he has now come face to face with his high school sweetheart Robyn and old sparks reignite. We are given small snippets of their shared past in the first book but it was only touched on so I was more than eager to see them reconnect and to find out why they had drifted apart.

I enjoyed both of our MC’s, Dallas was a bit of a mystery in the first book but he was driven and determined which we also see in Loving Dallas. Robyn was a strong-willed sweetheart; she is a marketing executive for the sponsor of the tour and is also motivated to achieve her goals. The chemistry between them was off the charts and the smexy moments were written well.

Second chance romance is one of my favourite storylines, and this was done well but it also came with the miscommunication and angst which at times did become frustrating, resolving their issues wasn’t without drama.

The writing is entertaining, I felt Casey Quinn wrote the musical references and band details well, I found these parts to be interesting; the struggles they faced felt quite genuine. Some of the dialogue came across as a little cheesy at times but I was able to overlook this to enjoy the overall story. 

What I enjoyed about the first book was the band dynamic but it was missing in Loving Dallas, Gavin and Dyxie were noticeably absent but we do have their book up next which I’m really excited about.

Thank you to William Morrow via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review Loving Dallas.

  

About the author: 

Romance Writer fueled by coffee, music, and love. Bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series. 

I love hearing from readers and other writers, and those freaky hybrids like myself! You can email me at caiseyquinn @ gmail (dot) com or follow me on Twitter @CaiseyQuinn. You can find me on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AuthorCaisey..

 

Review: Leaving Amarillo (Neone Dreams #1) by Caisey Quinn

Leaving Amarillo

Author: Caisey Quinn

Series: Neon Dreams

Pages: 352 

Publisher: William Morrow

Release date: 17/03/2015

Amazon

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

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.

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

I originally grabbed a copy of this title because I love the cover! it portrays our MC perfectly. The blurb also sounded quite original and interesting so I started this book the moment I downloaded it.

Nineteen year-old Dixie Leigh Lark is a fiddle player and eager to get out of the orchestra pit at her prestigious music school so she returns home to look after her grandfather and play in her brother Dallas and his best-friend, Gavin’s band – Leaving Amarillo. When an opportunity arises for them to play at MusicFest they jump at the opportunity but it also forces Dixie to announce her feelings to drummer, Gavin who has always been warned by her brother to keep away since they were kids.

What I loved initially about this book was the dynamic between the trio, the tidbits we get about their childhood was great and I found their friendship to be refreshing but when Dixie felt the need to announce her feelings in a not so subtle way I inwardly cringed; I wasn’t a big fan of how she went about it all, it could have played out completely differently but it felt unexpected and sudden and to me, didn’t flow naturally.

I really liked hot tattooed drummer Gavin, my heart broke for him and his childhood. Dallas is still a bit of a mystery – I am eager to learn more about him, I felt sorry for the self-imposed responsibility he gave himself to protect Dixie when their parents passed away.

The smexy times were written well but they did become repetitive; I preferred the subtle, stolen moments that little bit more.

I was pleasantly surprised by a few revelations and I’m eager to see them play out in the next book – the mystery surrounding Gavin has me curious, the beginning of the book felt a little slow but by the half way mark things became interesting and I was more invested in the story.

The writing is engaging, some of the dialogue came across as a little cheesy but I was able to overlook it to enjoy the story. We are left hanging at the ending of the book so I am more the keen to get hold of Loving Dallas, the second book in the Neon Dreams series.

Thank you to William Morrow via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review Leaving Amarillo.

About the author: 

Romance Writer fueled by coffee, music, and love. Bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series. 

I love hearing from readers and other writers, and those freaky hybrids like myself! You can email me at caiseyquinn @ gmail (dot) com or follow me on Twitter @CaiseyQuinn. You can find me on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AuthorCaisey...