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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
Mia Sheridan is one of my new favorite authors. Her stories are engaging, heartbreaking, unique, and almost certain to have the perfect ending. This definitely wasn’t my favorite of her books (Archer’s Voice solidly has that position), but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Kyland and Tenleigh live in a dirt poor mining town, and the only way out is through one scholarship given each year. The depiction of poverty in the Appalachian mountains, which has the poorest county in the US, was distressing. I haven’t seen many authors touch this depth of poverty in a fictional romance.
I wasn’t completely sure about my thoughts on the main characters. Kyland grew on me, but at times annoyed me by constantly distancing himself from everyone in his hometown, including Tenleigh. Tenleigh was also not my favorite character as I thought her approach to their situation made her seem weak and too much like a stereotypical love-struck girl, willing to give up everything for a boy. That being said, I did enjoy seeing each of them ultimately make tough sacrifices out of love for each other.
“Don’t love me. Please don’t love me. I can’t stay here. Don’t love me.”
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.” –Persuasion
“I do go to hell. Every day. For you.”
The big “plot twist” for me was highly predictable.
The ending:
Kyland and Tenleigh live in a dirt poor mining town, and the only way out is through one scholarship given each year. The depiction of poverty in the Appalachian mountains, which has the poorest county in the US, was distressing. I haven’t seen many authors touch this depth of poverty in a fictional romance.
I wasn’t completely sure about my thoughts on the main characters. Kyland grew on me, but at times annoyed me by constantly distancing himself from everyone in his hometown, including Tenleigh. Tenleigh was also not my favorite character as I thought her approach to their situation made her seem weak and too much like a stereotypical love-struck girl, willing to give up everything for a boy. That being said, I did enjoy seeing each of them ultimately make tough sacrifices out of love for each other.
“Don’t love me. Please don’t love me. I can’t stay here. Don’t love me.”
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.” –Persuasion
“I do go to hell. Every day. For you.”
The big “plot twist” for me was highly predictable.
Spoiler
Of course Kyland had given her the scholarship. Of course he was lying about cheating on her. The deal he made with the “devil” took me a little longer to predict, but it was still not a surprise. But unlike some books, predicting the plot twist did not ruin this book for me. With the dual perspectives, I felt like the reader knew Kyland and knew his true character. It was just a matter of waiting for Tenleigh to also figure this out.The ending:
Spoiler
I always appreciate Mia’s HEA. But… he ends up in the coal mine???? WHAT!? And works there for years after?!? Tenleigh should have pulled him out of there IMMEDIATELY! And I hated that Kyland never gets to live his dream. I realize it was explained by his desire to stay, but the whole first 75% of the book was about his dream of escaping, and now they live there forever? And why are they so poor at the end with an engineering and teaching degree? I really hated that Kyland stayed in a job which terrified him and never got to truly explore the world outside their town. But still appreciated the happy romantic ending.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️ I cried more in this book than I did in Archer’s Voice. Mia Sheridan sure knows how to pull at your heart strings.
If you come from a background of poverty, frugality, having nothing, growing up starving, then this book will resonate so deep with you. I didn’t know whether to put a trigger warning for it or not just because it makes up such a big part of the story &can really cause strong emotions.
If you grew up “raising” your parents or grew up with parents with mental illness, this book will resonate hard as well. Mia Sheridan touched so many topics that I feel, aren’t seen so much in romance books. It just shows the harsher reality for a lot of individuals.
I loved every bit of this story. It sucked me in from the start. There was never a lull. The story was just so touching &really makes you thankful for what you have. I highly highly recommend everyone read this book!
I’d like to thank NetGalley &SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Themes:
Themes:
- Poverty
- Small town romance
- Second chance romance
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
I recieved and ARC from the author in exchange for an honest opinion
I love Mia Sheridan. It began with Archer's voice (which by the way will become a movie) and still continues. After Sagittarius, Leo, Scorpio and Pisces it's time for Taurus.
Ten and Kaylan live in ar rural poor town into the mountains. Life is hard and a scholarship is the only thing that seperates them. And brings them together at the same time. Told by two different POVs their story unfolds in all the tragedy which is enough to make you cry. There are some funny moments into the story, glimpses of joy and love, but soon everything shatters.
When Ten and Kayland find each other again they have to deal with the secrets which broke them apart and also they come to realize that love can win over anything; be it money, fame and any thing corporeal.
What matters is the love of another and that's how the beauty of Mia Sheridan's writting brings it to the readers. A heartful, complete read and one of the most emotional, I've read so far on the contemporary genre.
I love Mia Sheridan. It began with Archer's voice (which by the way will become a movie) and still continues. After Sagittarius, Leo, Scorpio and Pisces it's time for Taurus.
Ten and Kaylan live in ar rural poor town into the mountains. Life is hard and a scholarship is the only thing that seperates them. And brings them together at the same time. Told by two different POVs their story unfolds in all the tragedy which is enough to make you cry. There are some funny moments into the story, glimpses of joy and love, but soon everything shatters.
When Ten and Kayland find each other again they have to deal with the secrets which broke them apart and also they come to realize that love can win over anything; be it money, fame and any thing corporeal.
What matters is the love of another and that's how the beauty of Mia Sheridan's writting brings it to the readers. A heartful, complete read and one of the most emotional, I've read so far on the contemporary genre.
Book: Standalone (Dual POV)
Adventure: 0/5
Spice: 4/5
Angst: 5/5
Synopsis: Tenleigh and Kyland are two teenagers growing up in an impoverished town with big dreams of getting out. They each have a chance at escape via a scholarship that is awarded to the highest academic achiever, but what proves to be harder than winning the scholarship is letting the other person stay behind.
Review: This book was heartbreakingly sweet, sometimes too much so. The length some of us think we’d go to for love can sometimes be best represented in a fiction book. However, I felt like the characters/author went too far in this – and it did kill my enjoyment a tiny bit. I don’t enjoy misdirection or miscommunication tropes very much because they make me feel very anxious. This book had a plethora of both. I still don’t understand why it couldn’t have been different, because it could have been had they simply just talked. One thing I really enjoyed about this book, was the aspect of found family and how a community can band together to help their fellow humans. It was a good read, and my heart was swimming in mushy feelings often. I kind of wish the reunion would have been more slow-burn and drawn out, and maybe that we would have had less of the teenager fluff, but again, over all this is a good read and I do recommend checking it out. Mia Sheridan really does know suffering in love. :p Happy reading.
Favorite quote: “thing things you did to survive were the most personal of all-” ~Kyland
Adventure: 0/5
Spice: 4/5
Angst: 5/5
Synopsis: Tenleigh and Kyland are two teenagers growing up in an impoverished town with big dreams of getting out. They each have a chance at escape via a scholarship that is awarded to the highest academic achiever, but what proves to be harder than winning the scholarship is letting the other person stay behind.
Review: This book was heartbreakingly sweet, sometimes too much so. The length some of us think we’d go to for love can sometimes be best represented in a fiction book. However, I felt like the characters/author went too far in this – and it did kill my enjoyment a tiny bit. I don’t enjoy misdirection or miscommunication tropes very much because they make me feel very anxious. This book had a plethora of both. I still don’t understand why it couldn’t have been different, because it could have been had they simply just talked. One thing I really enjoyed about this book, was the aspect of found family and how a community can band together to help their fellow humans. It was a good read, and my heart was swimming in mushy feelings often. I kind of wish the reunion would have been more slow-burn and drawn out, and maybe that we would have had less of the teenager fluff, but again, over all this is a good read and I do recommend checking it out. Mia Sheridan really does know suffering in love. :p Happy reading.
Favorite quote: “thing things you did to survive were the most personal of all-” ~Kyland
Another great Mia Sheridan book! Such selfless love. So much innocence and hope. I loved it!!
Kyland is a heartfelt and emotional love story that will captivate readers from start to finish. The story follows Kyland and Tenleigh, two young adults living in poverty in rural Kentucky, who are both determined to escape their difficult circumstances and make a better life for themselves.
The chemistry between Tenleigh and Kyland is electric, and their growing attraction is portrayed in a way that is both realistic and heartwarming. The author does an excellent job of balancing the romance with the more serious themes of poverty, family, and sacrifice. One of the most compelling aspects of this novel is its portrayal of the harsh realities of rural life in America. The author does not shy away from depicting the struggles that many people face in small towns, from financial insecurity to lack of opportunity. However, despite the bleakness of their circumstances, Tenleigh and Kyland are incredibly resilient and determined to make a better life for themselves.
The chemistry between Tenleigh and Kyland is electric, and their growing attraction is portrayed in a way that is both realistic and heartwarming. The author does an excellent job of balancing the romance with the more serious themes of poverty, family, and sacrifice. One of the most compelling aspects of this novel is its portrayal of the harsh realities of rural life in America. The author does not shy away from depicting the struggles that many people face in small towns, from financial insecurity to lack of opportunity. However, despite the bleakness of their circumstances, Tenleigh and Kyland are incredibly resilient and determined to make a better life for themselves.
4 Stars of tears
I adored Mia Sheridians other book Archers Voice so I was super excited to read Kyland. I was a bit hesitant due to the blurb, kinda iffy BUT I wasn't disappointed either!
So many FEELS!
A perfect story of selfless, unconditional love.
They make you feel, they make you think and question, and they envelop you in in such a way that you won't be the same after you reach The End. Kyland blew me away (swoon), and I fully adored Tenleigh. This is a story of sacrifice, and desperation and as much fight as you can muster against all the challenges thrown your way.
All around great read, well written!
I adored Mia Sheridians other book Archers Voice so I was super excited to read Kyland. I was a bit hesitant due to the blurb, kinda iffy BUT I wasn't disappointed either!
So many FEELS!
A perfect story of selfless, unconditional love.
They make you feel, they make you think and question, and they envelop you in in such a way that you won't be the same after you reach The End. Kyland blew me away (swoon), and I fully adored Tenleigh. This is a story of sacrifice, and desperation and as much fight as you can muster against all the challenges thrown your way.
All around great read, well written!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
holy fucking shit. this book is officially another favorite of mine, right next to archers voice because HOLY FUCK. HOLY. FUCK. this book is an absolute work of art. the story was completely heartwrenching at times but my heart is fucking whole after finishing it. kyland is officially the loml because holy shit. i don’t even know how to put my feelings for this story into words; i felt so many emotions reading this. mia sheridan has absolutely outdone herself with this story and these characters ❤️
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes