ARC Review: Leaving Amarillo by Caisey Quinn

I am a huge fan of Caisey Quinn's but I have to admit that I put off reading this book for quite awhile. I wanted to read Leaving Amarillo as soon as I saw the gorgeous cover, and honestly I had no idea what the story was even about. But then I heard that there was a cliffhanger and I decided to wait. Usually cliffhangers aren't my favorite, but I can deal with them easy enough. I was really glad that I waited here though, because as soon as I got to the end I was ready for the next one! Luckily now that they have all been released, there is no waiting if you haven't already started the series. Just make sure you are ready to spend some time reading though as once you start you are not going to want to stop! I couldn't put this book down, and I barely came up for air. 

Dixie and Dallas Lark lost their parents when they were kids and were raised by their grandparents. But with the inspiration from her grandfather, she learned to play the fiddle and grew up with an appreciation for music. Now ten years later, Dixie and Dallas are in a band with their best friend Gavin, who Dixie has been in love with since they were kids. Though Gavin has never made a move on her and they have never crossed that line, Dixie is determined to finally get him to see her as more than just his friend's little sister. So when Dixie decides to put a plan in motion to spend one night with him and get him out of her system, she has no idea just how much everything will change.

I was frustrated with both of these characters throughout this story and they did several things that had me wanting to slap them around a bit. That isn't to say that I didn't like them, because I really did. I just had some problems with some of their choices and actions. Dixie is talented and sweet, and I loved how much she cared about those in her life. She would do anything for anyone she really cared about, and yet that was also what drove me the most nuts about her. She would fight for Gavin and refused to hide her feelings from him, yet she also gave up everything for both him and Dallas. She always put others first, and sometimes I wanted her to focus on what she needed and wanted. Gavin had a rough childhood and the bright spots for him were Dixie and Dallas. He had made a promise to Dallas to stay away from Dixie, and I liked that he was trying to be a good friend. At the same time that bothered me as Dixie made him happy and was always there for him and yet he refused to let himself go there for so long because of a promise he had made to Dallas. These two had such intense chemistry, and it was clear that it had always been there between them. I don't know how Dallas didn't see what was happening right in front of him with the sparks that were flying. Dixie and Dallas had a great connection, and I really liked that they had a lot of history. They had grown up together and knew each other really well, yet they were still getting to know one another and their bond just continued to get stronger. 

If you have read anything by Caisey Quinn, you will know that her stories definitely have angst and Leaving Amarillo was no different. There was a lot going on here for the characters to face, and I will admit at times it was a lot. Their band was beginning to take off and they had issues there, then there was the stuff going on between Gavin and Dixie and them worrying about Dallas finding out. All the while there was something going on with Gavin that Dixie was in the dark about and yet Dallas knew about it. I really thought that we would get some sort of explanation about that here, and while we did get clues and I could make some guesses, there wasn't anything actually revealed besides some bits and pieces. If I didn't have the next book ready to read when I finished this one, I think I would have been extremely frustrated. I also have to say that I really wanted to throat punch the band's new manager and Gavin's mom. Each of them definitely deserved it at times, and I hated that neither of them were dealt with here. I can only hope that they each get what is coming to them as the series continues. I love Caisey's writing style and I am a huge fan of her books even if they are filled with angst and frustrate me at times. The stories are good though and Caisey Quinn has a way of drawing you in right from the start and not letting you go until you have read the entire book in one sitting. I would recommend this book and I think a lot of readers will really enjoy this one. Just keep in mind that this book is not a standalone and be prepared to dive into Loving Dallas as soon as you finish Leaving Amarillo.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Missing Dixie by Caisey Quinn

Missing Dixie is the third book in the Neon Dreams series from Caisey Quinn. These books should be read in order as Missing Dixie picks up after the events of the first two books. The first book in the series, Leaving Amarillo, focuses on Gavin and Dixie while the second book, Loving Dallas, focuses on Dixie's brother Dallas. But Missing Dixie is again about Dixie and Gavin, so readers might feel lost if they haven't read the previous two books. I really loved Dixie and Gavin in the first book, despite all their issues. But I have to say that this book wasn't what I was hoping for, and if i'm honest I was disappointed here. This book was exhausting and I just felt tired by the time it was over. 

Gavin Garrison didn't have the best childhood growing up, but the bright spots were his best friends Dixie and Dallas Lark. They took him in as family and together they started a band and dreamed of a future together performing the music they loved. But Gavin and Dixie always felt more for one another, despite the promise that Gavin had made to Dallas about staying away from each other. When Dixie was at school, Gavin got into some trouble that changed everything. Believing that he wasn't good enough for Dixie, he did everything he could to push her away and ended up breaking her heart. Now Gavin is trying to get his life together and he will do whatever it takes to show her that he is better and is trying to be the man she deserves. But can Dixie forgive him for hurting her, especially when she knows that Gavin still hasn't told her everything that happened?

I loved these two together in Leaving Amarillo, and I couldn't wait to get more of them here. Gavin and Dixie had such a strong connection and such intense chemistry. That didn't change here, but I did expect some things to change when it came to their relationship. I was expecting growth and more improvement when it came to how these two dealt with one another. Their communication here though was still just as bad as it was before, and I honestly got sick of waiting for Gavin to finally talk to Dixie. He kept putting it off and yet he was constantly making a point of how he wanted to be the one to tell her directly. Yet he sure took his sweet time doing it, and it frustrated me to no end. I felt like the chemistry and connection between these two was still there, but this entire book just felt like it was Dixie and Gavin going around in circles. I also really hated the fact that Dixie continued to let Gavin get away with as much as she did, she still had problems putting herself before others. I love how much she cares and what a great person she is, but I honestly think that she needed to be more selfish for once. 

Besides just Gavin and Dixie going round and round, I also had several other issues here. I felt like this story should have focused more on their relationship, but there were so many other things being dealt with that I felt like the focus wasn't on Gavin and Dixie for the most part. We didn't see a lot of them together and when we did it was the same thing over and over. The way that Dixie just let everything go though was unrealistic to me and I kept wanting Gavin and Dixie to really make some progress which I felt like the reader never saw. I didn't care for the way the Ashley situation was handled, and I don't know how Dixie was as okay with it as she was...even going so far as to hire her for additional work for her and not just Gavin. I felt like there were several things here that were a large part of the story or series at the beginning only to be dropped, mainly her friend and ex Jag. Dude seriously just disappeared here! So as much as I wanted to love this book and close the series out well, I just didn't get that with Missing Dixie. I grew tired of the whiplash and constant games that were played here and I am sad to say I was ultimately disappointed though I did like how things were at the end of the book.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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Guest Post with Author Caisey Quinn and Giveaway

Meet Caisey Quinn author of Missing Dixie.

Caisey holds degrees in both Communications and Education from the Ohio State University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and has lived briefly in California, Ohio, France, and Germany before deciding that her heart would forever remain in the south. Thankfully you can go home again.

After teaching high school English, Theater, and Creative Writing for six years, Caisey decided to pursue her dream of song and novel writing more aggressively and is proud to announce that Avon/William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins, will publish her Neon Dreams series, a romance about an edgy country music trio, in 2015.

In 2013-14 both Keep Me Still and Girl in Love (Kylie Ryans #3) were Amazon Top 10 Bestsellers. The first novel in her Second Chance series, titled Last Second Chance hit #27 on Amazon and landed in the top 50 on iTunes and Barnes & Noble.

When Caisey isn’t writing or baking with her daughter, she can be found attending as many concerts as possible and spending entirely too much time on Twitter. She is an avid country music fan and supporter and spends copious amounts of time in Nashville, Tennessee and Austin, Texas.

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Cover Reveal: Missing Dixie and Caisey Quinn and Giveaway

Check out the cover reveal for Missing Dixie by Caisey Quinn.

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?

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ARC Review: Falling For Fate by Caisey Quinn

Falling For Fate is the second book in Caisey Quinn's Second Chance series, but each book stands alone. I really loved the first book in the series and couldn't wait to continue with Falling For Fate. This book was really good, and I am really enjoying this series. I am looking forward to the next book, and can't wait to read more from Caisey Quinn in the future.

After checking her mom into rehab and getting used to the idea that her mom won't be there for her wedding, Fate Buchanan catches her fiance and best friend/maid of honor having sex the night of her rehearsal dinner. Having been betrayed by two of the people closest to her, Fate runs away and decides to do anything she can to escape for awhile. She meets a sexy stranger on the beach and the attraction between them is instant. Fate and her sexy stranger give in to the passion between them but then Fate runs again leaving before Dean is ever able to get her name. Dean searches for her all summer, but he is never able to find her. As he finally decides to let her go, there she is in front of him at the meeting where he announces that he is taking over his family's business and of course they have a policy against employees dating one another. Dean is determined to get Fate out of his system once and for all, and Fate isn't looking for anything serious after having been betrayed. But things quickly grow complicated between them as they spend more time getting to know one another, and soon they find themselves in unfamiliar territory.

I liked Dean. I thought that he ran hot and cold a lot, and even Fate pointed that out to him. It was clear that he had issues with commitment because of his father and his upbringing, but honestly it didn't make much sense to me why he acted the way he did most of the time. It seemed like he used his dad as an excuse, and he didn't even know the whole story when it came to what had actually happened between his parents. I wanted Dean to figure things out sooner with Fate, because I felt like he had these really sweet and caring moments only to be destroyed by this cold and unfeeling personality shift. Fate was easy to like and root for. She was honest and open, and she was such a genuine person. She wasn't looking for what she could get out of anyone or anything, and was truly happy with what she had and being a hard worker to get what she needed. She had been through a lot, and I thought that she was a true class act with how she handled things. I honestly would not have been able to do things that well had I been in her shoes. But I thought that she was really great for Dean and that despite his issues he was good for her as well. They had a lot of chemistry between them, and they just seemed to fit together. They were a great couple, and I never stopped rooting for them to figure things out.

Overall, this was a really great book. I enjoyed the characters, and I really love Caisey Quinn's writing style. It is so easy to get lost in her stories, and I always end up not wanting to put her books down. This book might be part of the Second Chance series, but it really is one that can be read out of order or by itself. While it does mention one of the previous characters, you really don't get to see anyone from that story in this one. I was kind of surprised by that, but it didn't bother me as much as I had expected it to. I think that because I was enjoying Fate and Dean's story so much, it almost didn't even occur to me to miss the previous characters. I definitely recommend this book and series though, and I think that both books are worth the read. I can't wait to get the next book and to continue this series.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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ARC Review: Last Second Chance by Caisey Quinn

Last Second Chance is the first book that I have read by Caisey Quinn, but I have been hearing really good things about her books. I figured that a book about a hot rock star was the perfect book of hers for me to start with, and I absolutely loved it! I loved her writing style, and I adored the characters. This book was so enjoyable and I didn't want to put it down!

After an accident, Stella Jo Chandler gives up riding horses and the dream of winning the Triple Crown. She heads to college and avoids going home to her family's ranch. When she is about to graduate she gets offered a job at the Second Chance Ranch as a client care coordinator. They cater to celebrities and high profile clients that need a private place for rehab. After visiting she accepts the job and runs into Van Ransom on her first day there. She is instantly drawn to the hot tattooed rocker, but with the no fraternization rule she isn't willing to to risk her job to just be another notch on his bedpost. Van is on his last second chance and needs to make this stint in rehab work. If he fails again his record label will remove him from the band and he will lose everything he has worked for. He finds himself drawn to Stella and decides that he wants her and he always gets what he wants. As Stella and Van are around each other more they realize that there is more between them than just attraction. But with both of them having painful pasts that they are trying to escape, and so much riding on Van's success in rehab can they find a way to make a relationship between them work?

I really loved Van! He was cocky and confident and super sexy. He was used to getting what he wanted and he never heard the word no. Because of his painful past he self medicated with women and drugs. I loved watching him start at such a low point and seeing how he changed for the better. Stella brought out the best of him and he wanted to be better when she was around. I was really glad to see that although he had his struggles, he really didn't have a hard time cleaning up his act for her. Stella was strong and smart and I really liked her character a lot. After her accident she shut everyone out and wasn't really living, but Van brought her walls down and brought her to life. They were really great for each other and I liked them together. They had off the charts chemistry and were smoking hot together! But what made their relationship so great was that they connected emotionally as well as physically.

This book was beyond fantastic and I really loved everything about it. Van and Stella were easy characters to like and relate to and they were so real. What made this story so great is that these characters were flawed and showed that anyone can overcome even the worst of things and make a future for themselves that they didn't expect or imagine. I really was invested in this story from the beginning and kept rooting for these two until I had read the last word. Van and Stella will stick with me and their story is a must read! I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more from Caisey Quinn!

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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