October 28, 2015

BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Missing Dixie (Neon Dreams #3)


This series - goodness, it may be one of my most favorite new adult series ever. Certainly one of the most angsty and emotional and... wonderful. Read on for more gushing, and then don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end.

Missing Dixie (Neon Dreams #3), by Caisey Quinn
Publish Date: October 27, 2015
Publisher: William Morrow
Format: e-galley, provided by the publisher via Edelweiss
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(From Goodreads) 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?

This book - hell, this whole series - has been a total emotional rollercoaster. Of the very best kind, too. Despite the slight detour in book two, Loving Dallas, this story has been all about Dixie and Gavin. They are the heart and soul of their country rock band and the loves of each others' lives, but, gosh - it seemed as if these two just couldn't catch a break, you know? In book 1, they were fighting their attraction and chemistry because of an ancient promise Gavin made to Dixie's brother. Once the cat was out of the bag and that promise was negated, it seemed like the road should be clear for them to finally be together, right?

But, UGH. GAVIN.

Okay, first of all, I loved that MISSING DIXIE was told in dual POV. Leaving Amarillo (Neon Dreams #1) was not, so it was deliciously wonderful being inside Gavin's head for the first time. But, it was also totally frustrating, too. It was clear that this boy was totally gone over Dixie. He has been in love with her since they were kids and she would make sure he had enough to eat when his own mother didn't. The kind of love he felt for Dixie was huge and real and epic.
She's everything I ever wanted and the one thing I was never supposed to have. Now she's all I can think about. The scent of her, the taste of her, the feel of her.

It was these intense feelings that motivated Gavin to try and right all the wrongs in his life - mostly the wrongs that happened during the year Dixie spent away from him and Dallas when she was in college. The mysterious year that he won't tell her about, and yet, she wonders about constantly. But, in doing so, he keeps more secrets from her, and - boys, listen up - secrets KILL. They kill relationships and feelings and friendships, because the other person always finds out, and it's always much worse when it doesn't come from the source.

So, when Dixie finds out that Gavin has been around for months and hasn't contacted her, she's so upset. OF COURSE SHE IS. Especially when, the first time she sees him, he's got another woman hanging on his arm, and it's clear she knows him. And, all of a sudden, Dixie is just done. She's wasted most of her life loving this man who, she thinks, can and will never love her back.

Life is too short to spend it pining for someone who will never come around, wishing for something you will never have, and holding on to something or someone that doesn't want to be held.

And, Gavin, being the martyr that he is, decides to let her go. To let her continue to think things about him that just aren't entirely true. And, he does this mostly because he's scared that the real truth will be even worse for her.

Now, of course, at this point, I was ripping my hair out, yelling at both Dixie and Gavin to just get over it already! Never have I ever wanted two people to be together more than these two, and never has that seemed like such a remote possibility than in Missing Dixie. Dixie spends a lot of the book sad and angry at Gavin because of his secrets and his lies. Gavin spends a lot of the book sad and dejected because he wants Dixie so badly, but thinks that there's no way she will ever want him.

So, they ban together to try and give Dallas this one last thing - success for Leaving Amarillo - before parting, possibly for good. It forces them to have to be together in the same room, and to talk. All good things, because finally there seems to be hope. And sexy times, which were amazing. The chemistry between Gavin and Dixie has always been so volcanic. I love that they were friends long before they were lovers.

Rest assured - Gavin's secrets do come out, and wow. They are doozies. Thank goodness for my friends Kim from Kimberlyfaye Reads and Jen from Jenuine Cupcakes. They took the brunt of all my "OMGGGGGGG"s and "I just can't even..."s and "WTF just happened?!"s. Sorry, girls, for the extreme unloading of all my emo baggage. :)

I loved the ending. Gavin and Dixie, with the help of a new character, forge ahead and have somewhat of a non-traditional, yet no less awesome and happy, HEA. Dallas and Robyn are with them the whole way, so it was great that we kept up with their story even after their book was over. This rich, incredible story is going to stay with me for a long time to come.


Caisey Quinn lives in Nashville, Tennessee and is the bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series and several other New Adult Romance titles. Her Neon Dreams series about a country rock crossover band paying their dues in life and in love on their rocky road to fame is now available from Avon/William Morrow.

Connect with Caisey:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCaiseyQuinn
Twitter: @caiseyquinn
Website: http://www.caiseyquinnwrites.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/CaiseyQuinn


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