Penn Etling now has a piece of my heart.

Wow. Adriana Locke’s done it again. Trouble, the third book in the Dogwood Lane series, is everything a romance novel should be: a sweet but strong heroine, a charming and cocky hero with a vulnerable side, a little drama, and set in a gorgeous small southern town with great secondary characters too. I loved it!

Avery has moved to Dogwood Lane to escape the stress and pressure of her life in LA. As the daughter of a famous actress, she hates not knowing if people are using her for her mother’s connections so loves the anonymity of Dogwood Lane. She moves in with her aunt Harper, who she visited years ago when she was eighteen. On that visit, she met a boy, who she opened up to and spent the night with, and never saw again. The last thing she expects when she arrives on her first day at Harper’s salon is to run into him again.

Penn Etling is the resident playboy of Dogwood Lane, known for never wanting to settle down or commit to anyone. He is the joker of his friendship group and always sweeps ladies off their feet the first time they meet. So, imagine his surprise when he meets Avery, a woman he feels he already knows, and she refuses his advances. Avery has promised herself to not settle for anything less than what she wants and Penn’s philosophy on casual relationships are not that. She tells him from the start that they can only be friends.

Friends is not a word Penn knows when it comes to women but he knows there is something different about Avery so he agrees. AS they begin to get closer, they open up about their pasts and childhood, having both not had the most pleasant of time. Their chemistry grows, especially as they are working everyday together, until they finally give in and wow, is it explosive. However, when it all gets a bit much for Penn, can he push through his past hurt to really and truly let Avery in, especially when he realises who she is, or will he let his past continue to dictate his future?
These characters are great. Avery is amazing. I absolutely adored how she stood up to Penn at first and turned him down every time he asked her out, even when she knew she wanted him. She wasn’t afraid to stand up and put herself first, when she knew she should be treated better. I loved how she made sure to build a friendship with Penn before anything happened, it made their story that much better.

Penn, I didn’t expect him to be so three-dimensional. He had so many layers behind the façade he put out to the world and I loved seeing him reveal each one slowly to Avery as he began to trust her more. There were times when my heart ached for him and I wanted to jump inside the book and give him a hug. It was impossible not to fall in love with him and his heart of gold. Avery and Penn were perfect for one another and I loved watching as they navigated their new relationship together.

The friendships in Trouble were also a highlight, especially between Matt and Penn and Penn and Harper. Matt was there for Penn whenever he needed him, as a sounding board for his feelings but also to give him a kick up the backside when he needed it. You could feel how strong their friendship was and I can’t wait for Matt’s story, which I hope is next. Harper was there for both Penn and Avery too, but I think her banter and friendship with Penn was my favourite, you could see his charming ways come out when he spoke to her!

Trouble is a fairly easy read with little drama which I devoured in a day. It’s well written with great characters and a storyline that pulls you in, making you say just one more chapter until suddenly you’ve finished it. I can’t wait for book four!

*I received a copy of Trouble in exchange for my honest review.*

4 - "Roll with it…" Stars!

New author to me; Adriana Locke gives the perfect blend of chemistry, banter and sexy-times in book three; Trouble from her Dogwood Lane series.

I loved Penn and Avery, and because of that was rooting for them from the get-go to get together. The writing style was easy to get along with and the drama/angst was kept very much on a low boil, add in an entertaining cast of secondary characters and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book!

Amazon have done me a solid as well because the first two books in the series, at the time of writing this review are currently 99p, so that’s my weekend sorted too!

Does anyone write small town romance with such heart as well as Adriana Locke? I think not. Case in point, Trouble. I've been waiting for Penn's story since my first trip to Dogwood Lane and I was not let down at all.

He's always been in the periphery. Putting a smile on everyone's face with his jokes and lightness. However, below the laughter and good time was a man who had been hurt and felt deeply. But that was a side he didn't let anyone see, not even those closest to him. He didn't want to let anyone see it, until Avery showed up in town.

I loved that Avery didn't bow to Penn's charms. But she wasn't immune. Little by little he wore down her defenses. It was his kindness. His wit. His ability to make her laugh even when she didn't want to. But Avery had a secret, one that was bound to come out sooner or later. When it did, Penn's defenses all went back up.

Cue the misty eyes and aching chest. Gah! I am just so enamored by this small town and the people that dwell there. The sense of community. The friendships (and let me take a moment to say GO MATT! He was a rock star in this book). Penn and Avery's slow-burning romance gave me all the feels and made me swoon for days.

Trouble is the third book in Adriana Locke's, Dogwood Lane Series. Trouble can be read as a standalone read, but in my opinion, books are always better when read in series order.
Adriana Locke, is an author who is new to me, and is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
Trouble has everything I look for when reading a book. The characters are well written and compliment each other to make the book very enjoyable to read, and the story line flows nicely.
If you are looking for your next, new read, I recommend Trouble l, by Adriana Locke.

Adriana Locke writes small towns that just steal your heart. Trouble is third in her Dogwood Lane series but could easily stand alone.
Avery Perry, the daughter of a famous actress, moves to Dogwood Lane because she is completely done with LA. Penn Etling is a sexy and confident man local to Dogwood Lane who is known for outrageously flirting with every woman around but never getting serious. When Penn walks into the hair salon where Avery is working, their connection is instant. Avery remembers Penn from an impactful visit to Dogwood Lane years ago, but he doesn’t seem to remember her.
I really enjoyed watching Avery and Penn’s friendship develop, and their emotional growth. The innuendo and jokes were great fun, and as always, Ms. Locke’s town and characters feel tangibly real. The friends and supporting characters serve as a lovely foundation for this couple. After the build up of Penn’s playboy ways in the prior books, the payoff of his deeper thoughts and feelings does not disappoint. These two have a lot in common and they find a match in each other that goes deeper than physical attraction. We get to see them be flawed and real. This story was very sweet (sometimes almost too sweet) and rewarding.

Penn!! Yes! I've been waiting and waiting for this one. I knew he'd be Trouble when he first graced us with his presence.
This is the quintessential Adriana Locke book. You'll love the small town, you'll love the characters, and you'll love this book.

Penn is everything I've been waiting for.

The perfect small town romance. Heart, heat, friendships and lots of laughs.

Penn Etling is the carpenter playboy of Dogwood Lane. He's a charmer with his looks and likes his life just fine. He's not a relationship type of guy. Avery Perry is new to town, escaping from her old life in LA. Penn is instantly attracted to her but she's looking for something real and knows Penn isn't the guy for that. She holds out as long as she can before finally giving in to Penn's southern charm.

I loved these characters so much!! The secondary characters are awesome too. Matt is the perfect best friend to Penn and the only guy to knock sense into him when needed. Southern charm and small town friendships at it's best.

Penn is his own worst enemy when it comes to finding true love, folks. Despite having friends quick to point out what he’s doing wrong, it still takes this knucklehead quite a while to come to his senses.

Avery does a good job at first of repeatedly turning down this Casanova, confirmed bachelor/ONS, perpetual flirt, player, which only makes him want her more. As you can imagine, the game is on and both have their minds and hearts set on controlling the outcome. The back and forth banter was amusing as she kept putting him in his place.

We are given the full details on how this couple first met as teens. With a ten year separation, it’s not surprising neither were celibate during that time. Avery has had enough of lying, wayward men and is determined to settle only for a Mr. Forever Good Guy, who wants her for her alone. Penn starts to feel trapped between a rock and a hard place because he doesn’t want to let her go, yet doesn’t believe love lasts. Fortunately for us, he loses his heart but ultimately stomps on Avery’s in the process. Yeah, this guy’s got some groveling to do.

Title: Trouble, Series: Dogwood Lane (Book 3), Author: Adriana Locke, Pages: 296, stand-alone but part of a series, turns him down repeatedly, steamy late in book, no OM drama, no significant OW drama, stomps on her heart, briefly grovels hero, HEA, both not celibate during ten year separation, had a ONS as teens, writing flows.

Book 1 - Tumble
Book 2 - Tangle
Book 3 - Trouble

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review. There is no affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

The small town of Dogwood Lane is just where Avery wants to be, away from the superficialness of L.A. with a slower pace.  Avery is looking for a new start.  Penn, born and raised in Dogwood, the town's consummate bachelor player with a charm guaranteed to make the panties go *poof*.  Throw these two together and you get off-the-charts chemistry but people who are coming from polar opposites of the life spectrum.  One looking for forever, one looking for a good time.

Trouble is a sweet easy read that is a quintessential contemporary romance.  A smart, sassy heroine who knows what she wants and isn't afraid of who she is and a slightly broken hero who has to come to terms with his past to get the future he deserves.  There is a bit of heat, interactions between both the leads and the secondary characters which are, at turns, flat out funny and heartfelt and a happily ever after to make you smile as you close out the book.

Ms. Locke's Trouble is a good addition to her catalogue of sweet, sexy romances.

This is book 3 in the Dogwood Lane series but each can read as a standalone. This is the first that I have read of the series and I really enjoyed the book. Loved Penn and Avery. The chemistry between them was so good. I can’t wait to go back and read the first 2 books of this series and to read more of her work.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is it, this was the story I was waiting for and it was worth the wait. Penn has been the player, the comic relief for the past two stories in the Dogwood Lane series. He always had me laughing out loud, but toward the end of Haley's story, he started to show another side. Did we want him to clash with Grace? Sure!! But this story was even better as far as I'm concerned. Kind of brings in a second chance, with a truly wounded character...because that is what Penn really is. He doesn't really believe in love because he doesn't remember ever really having it. His story was painful to read....Avery and Penn's history was both beautiful and painful. Seeing Penn become MORE was worth every word.

I hadn't read any of the other books in this series and I wasn't lost at all. Penn is funny and made me laugh pretty much throughout the whole book. He could turn any conversation into a naughty one, everyone thinks he's this player and he is BUT there's more to him. When he first lays eyes on Avery he REALLY wants to know her.

Avery just moved to town and is working on who she wants to be. She doesn't need any distractions not even good looking ones that make her laugh. She turns him down for a date on many occasions and I have to laugh with his reactions and his friends reactions.

I love small town romances where everyone knows who you are, and what everyone's business is. Throw in laughter, good advice and love and I'll read it. This book runs through your emotions and I freaking loved Penn and Avery, separately and watching them grow throughout the book. I will definitely be reading the previous books in this series!!!

I love small town romances and Adriana writes these so well. Back we go to Dogwood Lane in this book for Penn and Avery's story and how wonderful this trip was. Once I started it there was no putting it down.

Penn is the gorgeous and he knows it stud around town. He has women falling at his feet but fortunately he is not too much of an ass about it, he seems to take it as his due, and makes sure that he just wants to have fun with no ties. Avery is the daughter of a famous actress. She leaves behind the fake world of Hollywood and arrives in Dogwood Lane to live with her Aunt. But it is not the first time she has been here, ten years ago she met Penn in what became a night changing night by the lake for both of them, but at the time she told him her name was Abby.

When Penn and Avery meet again there is immediate off the charts chemistry. Though Penn thinks he has met her before he is not sure because her name is different. Avery is so upset that he doesn't remember her and because she is sick of feeling used and unforgettable to men, that she refuses his advances time and again.

Fate has other ideas for them and they keep running into each other and finally decide to compromise and become friends, but with no benefits. Penn cannot believe that he is doing this, but he is willing to do anything to spend time with Avery but is terrified of it becoming more. Avery wants a future with someone who will see only her, and she refuses to compromise.

This story is both heartbreaking and hilarious as these two dance around each other, both of them having suffered in their pasts are unwilling to admit their feelings for fear of hurt and rejection, even if their friends and the rest of the town think that they are an item. Adriana paints such a realistic picture of a small town and it's residents with everyone cheering them on just as I was. A very enjoyable installment to the Dogwood Lane series, probably the best one for me. I might just have to go back and read them all again!

Penn is a one-night stand kinda guy. Avery is a forever kinda girl. The two have crossed paths before and had one incredible not, but Penn has no memory of it. He's working hard to get a yes out of her, but she's resisting as hard as she can. She says yes and gives him a chance and shows Penn that there's more to her than what meets the eye. Soon they both want more, but can they both get what they both want?

This was a sweet, small town love story. There was great chemistry between Penn and Avery. It could also sorta be considered a second chance romance. Loved being back in Dogwood Lane! Such a great read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for an eARC is this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been waiting for Penn’s book since book one in this series and I’m so glad I got the chance to read an ARC.

Penn was one of my favourite side characters since Dane’s book. I love his charm, humor, thoughtfullness. He’s funny, loud but not obnoxious. I love how he cared for other people. Avery came to Dogwood Lane to change the scenery. She knew what she wanted and I’m so glad that she didn’t fall for Penn immediately. I mean, yeah, he wanted her since day one but she turned him down which is something that doesn’t happen to Penn. Ever.

So they start as friends but we all know how that turns out eventually…;)

I love how this book turned out. It was a little slow burn which is not something I usually like but it was done perfectly in Trouble. I really recommend this book but if you haven’t read the previous books, my advice would be that you do that first.

5 stars.

I really think that there is not much that Adriana can write that I won’t like. Penn Etling is a shameless flirt and playboy. He has no desire to settle down with one person. That is until Avery Park arrives in Dogwood and refuses to fall for his charms, Avery just moved in with her aunt leaving the life she hated in LA. Instead of getting Avery in his bed, like he really wants, Penn settles on he and Avery become friends. The spark between Penn and Avery is undeniable but Avery refuses to fall for Penn’s charm since she has been hurt before. It is soo great to watch the ones who swear they do not want a relationship slowing realize that’s with the right person, a relationship can only add to your life. Such a good read. Their chemistry is electric, and so is their banter. Loved this book

Another sweet book by one of my favorite authors. Penn is hilarious. His confidence is sexy. The way he talks to little old ladies makes you fall in love with him. Avery and Penn are such a cute couple. She is exactly what he needs and vice versa.

I love Penn. I'm not sure if I really need to say anymore than that I feel like this sums up the book well.
He is just so amazing. I loved how he had to get in touch with his feelings, it was brilliant. I really enjoyed the storyline in this book and I loved the characters and the glimpses of the others in the series. I couldn't get enough of this story at all. It is just so good. I look forward to reading more about Dogwood Lane.

With chemistry that jumps off the page, banter that keeps you smiling, and intimacy that builds as the story goes on, this is everything you could want in a rom com. It gets deeper and more emotional as the story goes on, but doesn’t linger on the heaviness. Tangle was one of my favorite books of 2019 and Trouble does not disappoint as a follow up.

The story follows Penn, the endlessly playful and sexy player we met in the previous books (though this 100% stands on its own). He’s got some self worth issues that prevent him from ever taking things too seriously, and no one has ever pushed him to be more. That is until Avery enters the picture. Penn knows she’s not immune to his charms, but Avery won’t give in. And why would she? They slept together years ago, and Penn doesn’t even seem to remember her.

It’s a sexy slow burn with plenty of sexual tension, depth to the characters, and a hero you’re gonna love. I knew I’d like Penn’s story, but Locke hit it out of the park with this. He’s such a great guy - completely lovable - but his self esteem issues have held him back from expecting more for himself. Avery is the perfect complement to him - she’s strong and vibrant, but she also expects more from Penn. I loved this one from start to finish and can’t wait to see which resident of this small town finds love next. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC via NetGalley (then purchased it for my collection) and am voluntarily leaving a review of this light, sexy romance.

A lovely romantic comedy with more feelings than you can expect. I loved both Penn and Avery.
It’s a very slow burn second chance at love story that made me smile all the time while reading.
It’s my first book by the author but won’t be the last. It’s the third in the series but can be easily read as a stand-alone because I didn’t have any trouble connecting with all the characters.
I’ll recommend it for a great reading time.