Kyland

Sign of Love #5

by Mia Sheridan

From the NYT bestselling author of Archer's Voice , Mia Sheridan, comes a small town friends-to-lovers romance. Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk. Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in the small, poverty-stricken mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the yearly Tyton Coal scholarship is all that keeps her going. With it, she would get a free ride to a college of her choice and finally escape the harshness of this life. Secure a career that could one day get her family out of Dennville. But Kyland Barrett has worked just as tirelessly to win this scholarship, desperate to leave behind the town that has brought him so much pain. Through near-starvation, deep loneliness, and against all odds, he'll let nothing stand in his way―certainly not the girl who's his main competition. Then, one moment changes everything. Tenleigh and Kyland find themselves turning from strangers to friends, then tipping dangerously close to love. They're both determined not to form any lasting attachment, but the longer they're together, the more hopeless it seems. Only one of them gets to win. Only one of them gets to leave. And when that day comes, what happens to the one left behind?

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Friends To Lovers, Second Chance, High School

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2015

Reviews

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED :::


WOW!! Mia Sheridan can do no wrong. I absolutely loved this book! A unique, deeply heart-wrenching, beautifully written story about hope, sacrifice, courage, and the endurance and strength of true love. It kept my heart racing and I could not put it down!!

There's a special anticipation you feel before starting a book by one of your favorite authors... and my heart was racing even before I started reading. I could just tell this was going to be an amazing journey.

Living in a dead end town nestled in a nearly forgotten part of the mountains, Tenleigh and Kyland grew up hungry every day, dirt poor, and with very little to look forward to. No hopes, no dreams, nothing. Just lonely hearts, broken families, and empty bellies. Their one chance at a building a new life outside their town was through a scholarship. And they both were working towards it with everything they had.

Despite their intense mutual attraction, neither one of them could afford the distraction or complication of a potential relationship. They both avoided commitment, not only from each other, but from everyone around them. The need for freedom and a better life being the one thing that kept them going through the desolation. Kyland knew he was getting out, and nothing -- not even love -- would hold him back.

“I’m going to leave here, Tenleigh. Nothing is going to stop me. Not you, not anything. Not anyone. Do you hear me? … I’m leaving this place behind when I go. Everything about this place. Even you.”

But as hard as he tried, as hard as they tried to fight the pull they both felt towards each other, their hearts didn't care what their minds wanted and falling in love changed the course of both of their lives.

“Kiss me back, Tenleigh,” he whispered, his voice strained. “God, please kiss me back.” He brushed his lips softly over mine.

“I understand that you’re leaving, Kyland. I already know.”
And I want you anyway. Maybe I shouldn’t. But I do.

You could almost say that their romance was forbidden by them. They did their best not to fall for each other. It was heart wrenching to see them try so hard, and yet I couldn't help but root for them to find a way to make it work. Somehow.

“You should tell me to go, Tenleigh. And say it like you mean it. Tell me to leave because I can’t seem to do it on my own.”

Oh gosh, you guys... I fell so completely in love with Kyland. What this guy went through broke my heart over and over again. The more I read, the more I wished I could just reach into the book and hug him.

“I do go to hell. Every day. For you."

True to Mia Sheridan's style, this book is not only emotionally charged, but it is also scorching hot! I could feel their passion and longing for each other. It was erotic and sexy, and oh-so-beautifully written.

“I wanted to mark her, claim her, let everyone know that she belonged to me and only me.”

“I’d dreamed about that damn kiss every night since. I wasn’t going to do it again, though. As much as I wanted to. I wasn’t going to take something from her I could never give back… She deserved better.”

Now, you know that feeling when you're reading where you get to a point and you just KNOW that something horribly painful is coming and you're almost terrified to keep reading because you just know that it's going to rip your heart out?! Well, that's how I felt at the halfway mark of this book.

“Please don’t cry… Anything but that. Please.” He sounded desperate. “This is what I’ve been trying to avoid. This. I don’t want either of us to feel this way.”

“Well, I do! And you don’t get to take that from me. I love you, and you don’t get to say anything about it. The love I feel for you is mine. And I’ll feel it if I want to.”

“Tenleigh,” he repeated, his voice cracking. “Don’t love me. Please don’t love me. I can’t stay here. Don’t love me.”

I knew something was coming and I knew it would hurt but OMG, I was not expecting that!!!! I read a certain few lines and just gasped in shock!!! My exact words that I shouty-caps screamed at a friend was "WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK JUST HAPPENED??!!" ... heh. If you get to that point and have the same reaction, I'm going to tell you to just trust me and keep reading. Ok. Deep breaths. Just keep reading.

I did keep reading (obviously) since despite the fact that my heart had been ripped out, I was LOVING this book!! But, let me tell you, I pretty much did not blink from about 50-80%. I just sat there flipping pages as fast as I could with my heart lodged firmly in my throat... needing to know what happened next.

Ohhhh Kyland. I fell hard for him! When you love someone with all your heart and soul, you'll sacrifice anything for them. Everything. No matter the cost. And, this guy was honestly probably one of the noblest, most self-sacrificing heroes I've ever read. The world would be a better place with more guys like him in it.

I have loved every single book Mia Sheridan has written. I love her stories, her characters, and the pure raw emotions she conveys. I love that her stories have layers and depth and always stay in my heart long after I've finished reading. She is truly one of the most gifted authors I've ever read. All her books are always auto-buys for me. I honestly don't even need to know what they're about. I have complete trust in her as an author. If she wrote it, I'll read it. And I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Rating: 5 stars! Standalone Adult contemporary romance.

_______________________________________

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[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 + Stars!!!

“Someday, when I’m living my dreams, I’m going to think of all the things that broke my heart and I’m going to be thankful for them.”

I love all kinds of books. Reading is an experience for me. And books like Kyland are my most favorite types of books to read. I want to feel. I want to be so far immersed into a story that I lose track of the time and the place I’m at because I’m completely and fully invested in the lives of my characters. This book hit me right in the feels from the very first page. There are parts that broke me, but by the end every single decision had a purpose and every feeling I had was replaced with love and hope. This book moved me. It touched my heart.

To read about characters that are less fortunate than you is one thing, but to read about characters to struggle to have enough money to eat, to heat their homes, to buy shoes for their feet… it breaks your heart. Tenleigh and Kyland both live in a small mountain town in Kentucky where unfortunately, this is the norm.



Tenleigh has her sister and her mother. Kyland doesn’t really have anyone. Both are struggling to survive, but working towards a bigger goal. Both have dreams and aspirations to make something of themselves. To get out of this town and go to college. There is one thing they both desperately want that can help them get there. The Tyton Cole Scholarship, given to one student from their graduating class would change everything for one of them.

“What keeps your fire burning?”


“The hope that life won’t always hurt so badly. The belief that I’ll get out of here some day- that I won’t be cold or hungry forever. It keeps me going.”

Kyland is one of those guys who keeps to himself. He doesn’t form attachments to anyone in this town. When he’s gone, he doesn’t want to leave anyone behind and hurt. So when he starts to fall for Tenleigh, it’s a problem. There is only one scholarship. And both of them are main contenders. As much as they try to fight it, the more time they spent together- the harder they start to fall. As much as both of them try to prevent it, they can’t.



Kyland and Tenleigh are outstanding main characters. They both had an incredible amount of strength and tenacity. Kyland was perfection. He really was. It shocks me to say this- but he is my favorite of Mia’s leading men. As much as I love my Archer, there was something about Kyland that won me over completely.



There were moments that Kyland straight up broke my heart. I was so upset and distraught. I was frantically messaging friends that have read this like WHAT is going on here?!? But really. In the end, I stick to my claim. Kyland is a perfect man. Everything he did that wasn’t so perfect, he did for a perfect reason. I just can’t rave about him enough.



This is such a powerful and beautiful love story. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a story of hope, of sacrifice, forgiveness, and it’s a story that will stay with me.

Tenleigh. Half agony, half hope. My love for her was everything… and all at once.

I feel like a broken record when it comes to my love for all things Mia Sheridan. Every review I write for her is just a major gush fest. But I can’t help it. Mia Sheridan is truly one of the most talented authors. She writes stories that aren’t your traditional every day romances. There is always something special about them. She puts her own unique stamp on everything she writes. I am never disappointed when I read one of her books. I just know it’s going to be amazing. So if you’re looking for your next amazing read, pick up Kyland.

[Lady Vigilante (Feifei) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars!

I never thought there’d be a day where I would write a negative review for a Mia Sheridan book. Up to this point, I have enjoyed each of the Sign of Love books as they truly are refreshing and unique contemporary romances. But what really makes this author and her stories stand out to me is that for a reader who doesn’t really enjoy overly sweet and idealistic romances, I simply cannot get enough of her words. While I do think her stories are sappy, it’s these same stories that make me and countless other readers fall in love with the idea of love. She creates unforgettable characters and weaves heartfelt emotion into her books that we remember and our hearts will never let go of. Just like love itself, her books depict romances that are wild, unpredictable, and absolutely epic.

Except for Kyland. I’m sorry to say, but every fiber of my being is silently screaming how clichéd, predictable, and frustrating this book was for me. I have no doubt most readers will enjoy this book, but because it had several things I personally didn’t like, the negative outweighed the positive and I finished the book feeling extremely dissatisfied.

For starters, I felt like if you mixed Stinger (time gap) and Becoming Calder (isolated community) together the book baby result would be Kyland. It’s set in a small, dirt-poor town in Kentucky, seemingly isolated from the rest of the world in terms of commerce and communication. In fact, if it weren’t for a Kardashian reference, I wouldn’t have remembered the book was set in modern times. It’s in these rough times that two kindred souls reach out to each other and connect – Tenleigh Falyn and Kyland Barrett. Unfortunately this is where my first issue with the book came up: I never felt an emotional bond between our two main characters. Yes, I certainly felt the lust, the attraction. I get that because they’ve experienced the same kind of poverty, there’s an understanding between them. But I didn’t feel that special spark that marked the electrifying connection between the hero and heroine that I normally feel when I read this author’s books, and a big reason for that was the timeline of the story.

In fact, my biggest complaint with this book would be the choppy timeline. The way this book is written…I already had a hunch there’d be a time gap somewhere, which I’m not really fond of. But what surprised me though was the lack of details in the story. Every chapter in this book before the time lapse would have a ‘several weeks later,’ ‘few days later,’ ‘months have passed,’ etc…and there really wasn’t a time where the story was just set in motion and let it run out rather than jump around. I also found it odd that since the blurb chose to zero in on how desperate Tenleigh and Kyland wanted to get out of the town by winning the scholarship, not much about their school or academics was present. Instead, most of the book before the time jump was exclusively dedicated to Tenleigh and Kyland admiring each other’s looks and randomly running into each other every chapter. There really was no plot or background story. It’s like the whole book revolved on Tenleigh and Kyland, and only on them. And then when it came down to who won the scholarship…I don’t even need to tell you what will happen because when you read it, it’ll be obvious. The drama that led to the disbelief, the confusion, the heartbreak, and the hatred that follows after all left me frustrated and then the time lapse came in. If you didn’t know already, I HATE time gaps, and this one couldn’t have waltzed in at the worst moment.

But I think what made these parts especially hard for me to accept was that between the time that passed and the jump to the future, it felt like no time really had passed at all. One page before I was internally screaming at these characters for being so stupid and the next page it’s ‘_____ years later.’ The way the author wrote these parts didn’t give me time to adjust to the time jump and that everything was indeed fast forwarded, especially when the characters still acted immaturely and made rash decisions like when they were teenagers.

At this point in the book, I was at the 61% mark and briefly considered stopping because nothing about the story seemed to work for me. I wasn’t feeling the emotional connection, wasn’t digging the drama that led up to the time gap, and didn’t even find the jump in time to be a boost to the story. But nevertheless, I still decided to continue anyway and rest of the book didn’t get much better for me sadly. I found Tenleigh and Kyland’s reconnection to be super rushed and formulaic. I’m normally not a reader who is good at guessing plot twists and what comes next but from the point of their reconnection all the way to the epilogue, I was able to predict things right before they actually happened. For those that have read a couple of this author’s books especially, I’m sure you will have an idea what the epilogue is like.

In the beginning of my review, I brought up comparisons to Becoming Calder and Stinger because of the similar isolated community and time gap parallel. But what made those two work for me more than Kyland is that both of those aspects were developed in detail. It worked because Calder and Eden’s story was split in two and really pinpointed the pivotal moments and allowed fresh emotions from the first to carry through to the next book. It worked because even though there were dreaded time gaps in Stinger the author gradually dropped them in the story, not smack them immediately after a big drama blowout and expect a ‘____ years later’ to tide me over.

So as you can see, all the issues I had with the book were plot devices I personally didn’t care for. If you’re a reader who doesn’t mind them, this book may very well be a winner for you. And even though this one’s my least favorite of her books, Mia Sheridan is still one of my favorite authors and I eagerly look forward to her next Sign of Love book.

Kyland is a standalone romance in the Sign of Love series and is inspired by Taurus. It’s not related to any of the other books in this series.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Natasha is a Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I do go to hell. Every day. For you.”

Every Mia Sheridan novel I have ever read has left a small part of itself deeply impressed onto my heart, the memory of each story leaving a permanent footprint of the bouquet of emotions it stirred in me. With an uncanny talent for making readers feel so much no matter what scenario she gifts us with, I have learned to submit my mind wholeheartedly to this author’s extraordinary prose, expecting it to affect me and pierce through my composure effortlessly and without fail. But even knowing all that, nothing could have prepared me for the devastating effect that this book would have on me and my poor heart. This is a story I cannot and never want to forget. It is one of the most beautiful tales of selfless love and resilience of the human spirit I have ever come across, and it is a book I’d urge anyone to read as soon as possible.

“You had to appreciate the small things in life when the big things made you want to curl up in a corner in the fetal position and give up.”

In a small town in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, enfolded by nature’s breathtaking beauty and its perfect landscapes, lies a community marred by poverty and misfortune, a community wanting for everything—from food to warm clothing, from education to basic health care—and yet, this community survives, one way or another, their shared social condition reminding them each day that there is always someone who is worse off than they are, and that even a little bit of kindness goes a long way. And it is in the heart of these mountains that we find a young woman who dreams of seeing the ocean, of owning more than one pair of shoes, of living in a house with her own bed in it, of becoming a teacher and inspire others to love books as much as she does. And a young man who dreams of becoming an engineer, of never going to bed hungry, of doing something in his life that would make a difference.

“All my life I was a nothing, a nobody. My life was small and worthless. And it hurt so badly.”

Tenleigh and Kyland grew up dirt poor and both desperately determined to escape the lives they were born into, their only beacon of hope being a college scholarship that could change their futures. But while Tenleigh dreams of not only improving her own life, but also of those closest to her, Kyland’s tragic reality is very different to hers. Having lost everything he holds dear, he plans on leaving everything behind, all the pain, all the memories, all the despair, and on never looking back, at anything or anyone, especially a green-eyed girl whose smile makes him want to be a better person.

“A beautiful girl with a spirit so bright I wanted to squint when I looked at her was not going to derail me now.”

But they fall for one another, completely and irreversibly, and even though they both know their love would be short-lived and doomed from the beginning, they cannot help but seize the only happiness that life has ever granted them, losing themselves in each other, and for once, daring to want something just for themselves.

“…it was so hard not to dream that somewhere out there, there was someone strong and gallant who would dance with me under a starlit sky and call me his beloved—and mean it.”

When the time comes to make a choice, the love they both feel for one another is so overwhelming and pure, that a choice becomes not a choice at all, and their love manifests itself in the most heartbreakingly spectacular way there is—with a selfless sacrifice—because when you have nothing in life, the greatest thing you can give to a loved one is the future they would never otherwise have.

“Tenleigh, don’t love me. Please don’t love me. I can’t stay here. Don’t love me.”

I cannot tell you how deeply this story has touched me and how much it still hurts even just recalling some aspects of it. This is a book that drowns you in its heartache as much as it blinds you with it beauty. The inner strength and the dynamic nature of these characters is what drives this story forward, the ‘glue’ that holds a story like this together, and we can’t help but fall swiftly in love with them from the get-go and travel this journey with them willingly and wholeheartedly. Nothing in this story is rushed, or skimmed over, every aspect of the bond that slowly forms between Tenleigh and Kyland is given equal care, giving readers, in turn, the opportunity to get to know them, understand them, feel a myriad of emotions for them, the early scenes of them oh-so reluctantly falling for one another being as vital to our connection with them as are some of the later more dramatic ones.

Framed by a juxtaposition of nature’s beauty and human tragedy, we are given an unexpected story of a selfless and never-ending love, a story designed to churn emotions in us and make us ponder on our own lives. I swooned, I cringed, I smiled through my tears and I bowed from the pain, and every word of this extraordinary tale is sheer magic.

“Half agony, half hope. Half pain, half ecstasy. Half grief, half joy. Half my downfall, half my saviour.”

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[NMmomof4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 Stars (Originally Read 4/11/2015)

4.5 Stars (Re-Read 5/22/2019)

4.5 Stars(Re-Read 7/2/2021)

Overall Opinion: I'm so glad I decided to re-read this one! I'm not quite sure why, but the books full of hardships and extreme poverty like this one always pull on my emotional strings and I always seem to enjoy them. Maybe I'm just tired of the stereotypical bazillionaire that has everything available to woo the h with...it just seems more genuine for some reason for me. I f-loved the H and I really liked the h and I was really rooting for their happiness throughout the book. And that ending?! Finally a freaking epilogue that provides complete closure to the point that I believe that they will make it in the long run! I do recognize I probably sound like a crazy person because these are fictional characters, but I get so invested in the stories I read that I like to feel like they're in a good place when I leave them 🤷🏻‍♀️ This is the Mia Sheridan I love, and if you haven't read her works -- what are you waiting for?!?

2nd Re-Read Note: Enjoyed this re-read again! I didn’t get all that emotional for these characters this time around, but it definitely still made me appreciative of all that my family has! I don’t really have anything to add here — it’s just a good book 👍🏻🤗

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Tenleigh and Kyland's story. Tenleigh takes notice of Kyland when she spots him stealing someone's leftover lunch one day at school. Tenleigh is not a stranger to hunger, so she realizes that she might have more in common with the mysterious boy than she had previously thought. Situations put them together and the more time they spend together, the more they bond over their desire to win the prestigious scholarship to leave the small, impoverished coal mining town. Neither of them wanted to fall in love but they fell in love hard. There are sad moments, some sweet and sexy times, and a separation...and they get a HEA ending.

POV: This alternated between Tenleigh and Kyland's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.

Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.

H rating: 5 stars. Kyland. He is up there along with Archer (Archer's Voice) and Carson (Stinger) for my top MS Heroes! He was a great mix of alpha, sweet, smart, loyal, protective, and sexy!

h rating: 4.5 stars. Tenleigh. I really liked her. I appreciated her strength and how she wouldn't let her horrible circumstances mess with her ambition and inner kindness.

Sadness level: Low/moderate. I remember crying a good bit more with this the first time I read it -- but I still shed quite a few tears here.

Push/Pull: Yes The H pushes away a good bit, but I'd also say he pursues the relationship (along with the h) at times.

Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW/OM drama: Yes The H pushes the h away and uses an old f-buddy to do it.

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No **BIG spoiler**The h is made to believe the H cheated on her, but it didn't happen.

Separation: Yes They are separated for ~4 years, and neither of them were with other people during this time.

Possible Triggers: Yes Extreme poverty (on page), mental illness (h's mom - on page), loss of a loved one (H - off page), the h was a virgin, and assault/sexual harassment (on page)

Closure: This had a great epilogue with good closure all around and a HEA! they're married, have a son and she's pregnant with good closure for other aspects of the story as well

Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers

- Does Not have cheating (see above)
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have the H pushing the h away
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse
- Does have a HEA ending

[Jx PinkLady Reviews ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kyland is a beautiful story set in Dennville, a small impoverished coal mining town that’s experienced earth shattering tragedy and is plagued by a cycle of never ending gloom and poverty where affording the essentials of food and heat is a luxury. Mia Sheridan has taken this bleak setting and laced it with hope, survival, sacrifice and beauty, the contrast providing a deeply, powerful read with heart, soul and exquisite gut wrenching emotion.

The prose is stunningly descriptive and atmospheric and shows in the most enchanting pictures the power and appreciation of love, life and happiness and the exploration of all that entails.



Tenleigh Falyn and Kyland Barret are both prideful, ambitious, forthright, loyal and beautiful. They captured my attention from the very beginning. The dual point of view showcasing their honourable personalities.

The story begins when they're both seventeen. Whilst he’s no stranger to the opposite sex, Tenleigh is more focused on her studies and coping with being a carer for her mentally ill mother. Hope comes in the form of a college scholarship, available for one person only, this seems like the only way out of the poverty stricken hand-to-mouth life they live. There common goal is their strong instinctual ambition for survival and so they both strive to win and escape. Nothing will get in the way of their ambition and glimmer of hope.

Will they be able to resist the pull that will inevitably lead to heartbreak?



The way this story unfolds is flawless. The anguish of the main protagonists is palpable. I experienced the kind of reading hurt that makes a book epic. Mia Sheridan paints with her words the clearest pictures of her characters, their surroundings, thoughts and feelings, until I completely understood the motivation…... It’s all in the perfect execution of the writing. I was drawn to the characters from the beginning anticipating the angst… Reading on the edge, there’s nothing better. I had a head-in-hand moment, the heart flutters, the emotional feels. It broke my heart, twisted it and made me sob. Was my heart repaired? Yes, Mia Sheridan fixed my heart and then came the happy tears. Just wonderful. ♥

It’s beautiful, passionate and spiked with a sexy dose of sensual intense hotness exquisitely juxtaposed against the backdrop of impending heart break. It makes for a very special and intense read. One moment they gripped my heart the next I’d be laughing or smiling with them as they had fun together. I felt their excitement, enjoyed their humour, loved their flirting, experienced their blissful kisses, and shared their joy and gut wrenching sadness. Watching special moments with Kyland and Tenleigh gave me an overwhelming abundance of pleasure.



Each and every character has a part to play, adding a layer of emotion or sophistication to the telling, moving the story forward, creating depth, reason and motivation whether the reader comprehends it at the time or not.

I love the whole premise of the story, the symbolism and themes surrounding it. No moment is wasted, no time spent with the characters is insignificant. The very special notes and literary quotes delicately laced throughout, reflecting their feelings and emotions for each other are just beautiful. The way Mia Sheridan drip feeds the comprehension of the story to her reader making every word count is wondrous. I'm reflecting back on the words, actions and meaning of the story, thinking about the way this author weaved her story so eloquently with grace and beauty. For me, Kyland is simply executed to perfection, a story that never stops giving. I smiled, I laughed, I cried and I sobbed..... And most of all my heart burst with emotion.

I highly recommend Kyland to all lovers of perfectly written New Adult romance with a plethora of emotion.


**Note: Kyland is a STAND ALONE story from the Sign of Love series. It's inspired by Taurus


♥ BR with Terilyn who wrote the most beautiful
5 +++ "Everyday. For you" Stars review



Arc provided by the author, Mia Sheridan, in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read on 4/18/2022
Listening Length: 9 hours 43 minutes.
Still so good!!!
_______________

KYLAND is an emotional story of small mining town situated in the Appalachian mountains. Survival and loneliness are the backbone of this story. Being hungry is the norm and having heat and electricity is a luxury.

A rare ray of hope for those seniors in high school is the Tyton Coal Scholarship offered each year. That scholarship is the ticket out of town.

Kyland and Tenleigh are both top candidates for the scholarship and only one of them can win it. Both have their personal reasons for needing to win the scholarship and attend college. Kyland has pledged not to allow himself to become attached to anyone. That way it will make the transition of leaving that small town behind easier on himself. Once he’s leaves town he’s never going to think of it again. On the other hand, Tenleigh already has some attachments to the town. Her plan is to better her family's life by educating herself in college and getting a well-paying job.



One act of desperation has these two forming a friendship. Their friendship develops through books. The book notes back and forth were entertaining with all their quips to each other. When they argued books, such as Wuthering Heights, that had me laughing.

As with all books some readers will love the story and other’s won’t. But as our heroine smartly points out, “And maybe we all saw books differently based on our own hearts.” So true. What bothers one reader might not even phase another reader… all of our life experiences help shape how we react to a book. We got front row seats on that when the hero and heroine had their “book club” meetings.

Are you new to Ms. Sheridan’s books and wondering how the Sign of Love series works?
Ms. Sheridan wrote the books as standalones but a couple books have another book with them.
✻Leo and Leo’s Chance➜ You can either read Leo as a standalone or read both books but make sure to read Leo first. Leo’s Chance is the hero’s pov of the first book. It is a companion novel.

✻Stinger ➜ standalone

✻Archer’s Voice ➜ standalone

✻Becoming Calder and Finding Eden ➜ 2 part series. To get the conclusion of the story you must read Finding Eden after Becoming Calder.

✻Kyland ➜ standalone

I’ve been a fan of Ms. Sheridan’s writing since 2013 when I read Leo. Looking at the list above of her work I realize that the only book of hers I haven’t read yet is Leo’s Chance. I hope to rectify that here in the next year. AND there are 12 zodiac signs so I’m looking forward to more awesome books by Ms. Sheridan.

STANDALONE

GIVEAWAY: 2 kindle copies. Find info here->http://wp.me/p4uAPW-16R

**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**

[Maditales · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea behind this book is great but the execution lacked in many things.
I wish the book was paced differently since the entire first and second act were in the past with no future scenes. I though that was a bit weird because we had so much focus on their 2 months relationship that it seemed like insta love and I couldn’t take their “love” for each other serious because of it.
Idk but the way they acted and reacted to certain things made zero sense and the entire scene with the mom was brushed off too quickly.
Now we get to the big “third act” or basically 55% break up scene and it was awful. That’s all I will say.
And then the ending just made me sideeye the book Bc no one does that after 4 years

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS! ★★★



"Someday, when I'm living my dreams, I'm going to think of all the things that broke my heart and I'm going to be thankful for them."

No doubt that Mia Sheridan's way with words is what I loved most about her books and never fails to tug at my heartstrings but sadly, this book didn't wow-ed me as I'd expected it to be. The romance between the two MCs in this one barely managed to evoke any kind of powerful feels from me. There were some sweet fuzzy moments, the attraction and lust was there but overall it lacked some sort of spark. It just didn't have the all-encompassing kind of love that Mia usually brings and I never really felt the depth of their love despite the sacrifices they were willing to take for each other.

"I do go to hell. Every day. For you."

What I did love about the book a lot was the depiction of poverty and the mountainous setting of the book which really struck a chord in me. It was rather painful at times to read their struggles, making ends meet and above all, fighting for a life outside of it. Watching these teens learning to survive under these circumstances definitely fleshed out the emotional bits of the book for me.

"Hope gripped me. Love, that's what I wanted. And I was willing to fight for it, I was willing to be a fool for it."

Personally I felt that the time jump of 4 years didn't serve much of a purpose except to accelerate the timeline and having them reunite again to be at the almost same place where they left off. I wanted to be left feeling a sense of joy and relief being in that pivotal moment but sadly, I had none :(

Also, I think it's safe to say this would be classified as NA because even with the time gap, majority of the timeline in the book happened in their teens & a small portion in their early twenties.

It still goes without saying that Mia Sheridan will still be one of my top fav authors and I'll still be eagerly waiting for her other works. Rest assured, Kyland still makes for a decent and rather emotional read, so please don't let my mediocre rating deter you from reading this. I'd think fans of this series would still highly enjoy this one but for me, this just wasn't my most favorite one from her.

ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kyland is the story of two impoverished teens who refuse to allow their past and socioeconomic background to dictate the future they will have.

"I think you're amazing, and so brave."

"I'm not brave, Tenleigh. I get up and live my sucky life. What else can I do?”

I don’t even have to begin to tell you how refreshing it is to read a story about young people who are choosing to overcome the stereotypes, family history and demographics. The story begins with us meeting Tenleigh. She is the younger daughter of a single mother with mental health issues. Tenleigh and her sister basically have been raising themselves and looking after their mother.

"Sometimes my life felt so small. And I had to wonder why those of us who were given small lives still had to feel pain so big. It hardly seemed fair."

Tenleigh’s home life broke my heart. Her mother’s illness completely robbed her of a childhood, she has been working after school, walking 6 miles to school, and barely getting by on their limited resources. Tenleigh uses all of that to motivate her into achieving her goal: getting out of her small town. Where there is a will there is a way and Tenleigh knows her exit plan, to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship. There is just one thing standing in her way: Kyland.



Kyland is the last person she thought would be her competition. At first glance it appears he is an easy going guy who likes to flirt, hook up with girls, and doesn’t take life to seriously. On the inside is his strong willed, determined and hellbent on getting away from the life that stole his family. In Dennville, Kentucky there is pretty much only one way of life for the uneducated: coal mining. As if that job isn’t terrifying enough, Kyland knows firsthand how dangerous that job is since the mine collapsed a few years prior and he lost his brother and father.

So two people who have basically ignored each other for years now have a reason to notice each other. Competition mode kicks in and both are ready to fight it out, until one day they form a friendship over their circumstances.

First, I loved the innocence and purity of Kyland and Tenleigh’s relationship. They are both so young, but have been forced to be adults for years. I think it’s easy to forget that when you are reading this, they are just young adults. However, they are willing to sacrifice so much for the other.



Additionally, neither of them have any idea how to go about having a healthy, successful relationship so mistakes are made. Sometimes a mistake is just a speed bump, sometimes it’s a brick wall.

This story is told over a 4-5 year time period. I really loved the part leading up to the end of their senior year, but was frustrated with the roadblock of this scholarship being the only way to higher education. I actually read that a lot in books and I think that is where my frustrates comes from. These are two people who were completely dedicated to rising above their raising, but never explored the option of student loans.

Anyways, you might be thinking why did you give this 5 stars then and I will tell you: Kyland.



The ending of the story was absolutely beautiful to me. I felt like Kyland was the perfect guy. He loved Tenleigh unconditionally and without measure, and I found that to be so refreshing. I don’t read a lot about this type of love and I definitely don’t hear about it in real life. So by the time I finished this one any annoyance I made had about student loans was gone, flew out the window because in the end even that was explained.



I highly recommend this read. It is a beautiful story with so much heart and will leave you with a smile.

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

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Mia Sheridan delivered a heartfelt story that was very enjoyable. This is the tale of two high school seniors who fall for one another despite both characters opposing feelings to form a relationship. The story is set in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. Trinleigh and Kyland are both striving for the same college scholarship which will gift one of them the chance to leave the poverty and pain of the mountain.

”Sometimes my life felt so small. And I had to wonder why those of us who were given small lives still had to feel pain so big. It hardly seemed fair.”

Attraction, respect lead to these two falling in love. What will happen when the recipient of the Tyton Coal Scholarship is announced?

Kyland tries his hardest to have only a friendship with Trinleigh because he's very confident that he will win the scholarship. His attempts to not fall in love with Tinleigh are fruitless their connection and love is just too strong.



Immediately after the scholarship winner is announced the couple falls painfully apart and the story goes four years into the future. From this point on Mia Sheridan delivers some terrific twists and a great but short ending.

This one quote says it all and my poor heart took a direct hit…

”“I do go to hell. Every day. For you."

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I enjoyed Kyland and Tenleigh’s banter and the unique way they talked through novels. Their love scenes were hot and tender. I only wished that the author spent a bit more time in the present. Nevertheless, this was a sweet story that I really enjoyed.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope."



An emotional story set in a poverty stricken area of the Appalachian mountains. For Kyland and Tenleigh, life is a struggle, for food, for warmth, and for an escape from the endless cycle. That escape comes in the form of a scholarship awarded to the top student in the class, a scholarship both Kyland and Tenleigh have spent years working toward.



These two form a relationship, even as Kyland tries to resist forming any attachments, love blooms. But the scholarship looms in the background, and Kyland and Ten struggle to come to terms with the choices they must soon make.

"Someday, when I'm living my dreams, I'm going to think of all the things that broke my heart and I'm going to be thankful for them."



I enjoyed Kyland. It was predictable at times, and I found myself frustrated with some of the choices the characters make, but overall it was a fast, entertaining read for me.

[Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Lavender Stars.

In a small town hidden somewhere in the middle of Kentucky, one boy and one girl fight extreme poverty every day. Their only hope is one scholarship they can win and have an opportunity to escape that life and start fresh somewhere else. Until their paths crossed and they fall in love, but while for Tenleigh that love is a sign of hope, for Kyland means have a reason to stay… and he wants to go away more than he wants he next breath.
So when the time comes, one of them goes away, one of them stays. But when their love was field not only with happiness and hope, but also with pain, fear and betrayal… how they will react when life throws them in the same path again?



I’ve got to say that despite this book being, by far, not my favorite Mia’s book so far, it was still an amazing story.
It was sweet, emotional and once again she took us in a heart aching and at the same time heartwarming journey and she did it writing these amazing worlds when love means hope.
There were some aspects of the story that made me “itch”, but in the end of it, it was a great romance story. So if you’re in the mood for a unique romance journey, this book is a great choice. Well, all Mia’s books are.



Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: These two were such an amazing couple. I love how selfless they were and how they connected through books. Tenleigh was strong and sweet and impossible not to like her, and Kyland was an amazing guy. When all his actions are explained it was impossible not to love him.
Steam: Some hot scenes.
Sensible Subjects: Depends. Do you consider extreme poverty one?
Love Triangle: No.
Cheating: No.
HEA: Yes.

[Beatriz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustó. Es un libro muy emotivo, lo que tampoco es extraño al considerar las condiciones de extrema pobreza y soledad en que viven los personajes principales de la historia y, en general, casi todos los habitantes de este pequeño pueblo minero. También es una lectura muy dulce, en que el primer amor se describe con mucha intensidad y ternura. La pluma de Mia Sheridan es muy cuidada y es imposible no enamorarse de sus personajes.

Por lo mismo, el fuerte de la novela son los sentimientos que transmite, ya que argumentalmente es bastante simple y previsible, tanto así que a pesar de sus apenas 270 páginas, en algunas partes comencé a leer en diagonal. Toda la trama gira en torno a una beca anual a la que aspiran tanto Kyland como Tenleigh, como única forma de tener alguna oportunidad en la vida. Así, la primera mitad se transforma en un tira y afloja permanente para que los sentimientos que empiezan a nacer entre ellos no interfieran con los sueños que podrían ver cumplidos si ganan la famosa beca.

A la mitad, el libro da un giro que sorprende pero que a las pocas páginas es imposible no advertir de qué va. De todas maneras, es una lectura recomendable, de esas que te rompen un poquito el corazón y te lo vuelven a armar con mucho mimo.

Gracias a Andre y Pikolina por la recomendación.

[Allison ❤️Will Never Conquer Her TBR❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Uber-Emotional Stars.

If you asked my husband (who always seems to have a snarky comment about my emotional state during books I'm reading)..."How did Allison fare with Kyland?" You'd likely get this response from him....





Followed by, "Al, you read this for enjoyment?" Yes! Yes, I do! I love a book that makes me feel!

But I digress....
Kyland is one of those books I find very difficult to rate because it's not necessarily a book a reader enjoys. It's chucked full of angst, struggle and strife. If there's one theme 'word' for this book, it would surely be STRIFE. But I follow that up with HOPE.


Kyland and Tenleigh live in rural Kentucky. Tucked deep in the coal mining parts of the Appalachian Mountains.m Poverty doesn't begin to describe their existence. Unfortunately I've seen this part of the US, and Mia Sheridan depicted it to perfection. It's everything I've seen from an outsider stance, I just had no idea what an insider had to endure to survive. This is a huge focus of the book- the struggle for food, for heat, for survival. But this this fair amount of human suffering there's also a strong sense of community where everyone does what they can to not only survive, but help their neighbor however they can in times of need. Nobody is immune...







Kyland and Tenleigh are seniors in high school. Both living up on the mountain, walking six miles to get food, both surviving as best they can with what little they have. Both of them strive for one thing...getting the heck out of Dennville, KY. One scholarship is awarded each year and neither is willing to lose that one chance to get an education and succeed. Ky, to get out and never come back. Ten, to return for her mentally ill mother and sister. Kyland and Tenleigh form a friendship on those long walks to and from town...a friendship that grows. The lines slowly blur because they know one of them will win and leave here and one will lose...be left behind.







Kyland is alternating POV which just adds to the angsty tug of war for each character. Their bond forms and you can feel the stress of upcoming graduation and scholarship award announcement. My heart broke for both characters because dammit, they both deserved happiness and to get the heck out of such squalor. Even the loser was so poor, moving wasn't an option. Simply finding food each day was priority...not hailing a cab for bigger and better.


The setting almost sounds like it's from the olden days. No modern luxuries like electronics, heat, transportation, or phones. It's heartbreaking, one page at a time. Again...STRIFE...yes HOPE.

"You pierce my soul. I'm half agony, half hope."


The bulk of the book is more YA-ish to me. We get a fast forward of a few years at 65%, making it more NA (21 years old). I take YA in almost ZERO doses but Mia Sheridan just made this work for me. I think her drama is based more on outside influences like their life situations/ stresses and not drama from immaturity (which kills me). The time jump disconnected me a bit...like, bam, now we're 21! So it felt a bit like she cut pages out of the story and felt kind of disjointed.


Overall, if written by any other author, I probably couldn't stomach this book. In fact, I know I haven't finished similar tropes by other authors. But I love Mia Sheridan's writing. She hooked me with Archer's Voice and has been an auto-buy since. She artistically paints a beautiful background or story setting (that wasn't so beautiful in this story) and the reader can't help but get emotionally connected to the characters. This book tugs on the empathy within the reader. You can't help but wish for a happy future for both of them amidst all their pain and suffering.


I can see how this book may not work for some readers. It's virtually a constant struggle for 95% of the book. Some people this may just be too much of an emotional toll and I wholeheartedly agree I couldn't read a book like this often. But this is a love story, a story of sacrifice, a story of perseverance, a story of survival. And I truly 'enjoyed' it.

A quote I loved that sums up this book for me...


"...what I knew in that moment was that the size of your home, your car, your wallet, doesn't have one single thing to do with the size of your life.


***Kyland is a standalone full-length novel within the A Sign of Love series.


And I thank you!




Advanced reader's copy graciously received by author in exchange for an HONEST review.

[Pikolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhhhhhh que historia tan tierna, dulce y bonita ... me ha gustado muchísimo.
Tenleig y Kyland me han encantado, y Kyland .. ufff, todo generosidad .... recomendable 100% porque es una historia cortita, se lee muy bien, es sencillita, sin muchos enredos y al grano ...

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Kyland
Series: A sign of love
Author: Mia Sheridan
Release date: 24th January, 2015
Rating: 3-3.5 "bobcat protection" stars
Cliffhanger: Standalone
HEA: Yes





What I enjoy most about Mia Sheridan’s storytelling is her ability to find beauty in the most tragic of situations. I found Kyland to be a story of loneliness, isolation, loss, sacrifice but above all the beauty of the human heart.

"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever . . . I have loved none but you,"

I found it an incredibly sad story, Kyland and Tenleigh come from an impoverished community, the harsh winters reflect the harsh realities of life and the only chance they have of making it out brings them both heartache and pain.

Even though it has a happy ending, I couldn’t shake the lingering feeling of sadness for Kyland after I’d finished. Although he does not achieve what he deemed success in his youth he still has the future he daren't have wished for.

Tenderness filled her expression and she brought her hand up to my cheek as I leaned in to her caress and she ran her thumb over my cheekbone. "Is it enough?" she whispered. I leaned forward and kissed her, never in my life feeling more sure about anything. I whispered against her lips, "It's more than enough . . . it's so much more than I ever dreamed."

It was an enjoyable read and my rating is reflective on the fact that, they both had hardship heaped on them their whole lives and I would have liked to have spent more time with them being explicitly happy.

ARC kindly Provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank You!!

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[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ -- Beautiful, heartrending, eye-opening, unique, graceful, soul-stirring, unforgettable -- stars – Contemporary/YA/NA Romance

This book broke my heart, mended it back together, and filled it to bursting with sheer contentment and gratitude. It’s one of the best, most poignant romances I’ve read in quite a while and a definite top favorite of this year. I absolutely loved it! Another memorable, heart-tugging keeper from this gifted author!

[Bookadmirer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hero sacrifices a lot for the heroine. It's astonishing how much a man can sacrifice for the woman he loves.

Glad everything works out at the end. The epilogue was very sweet and satisfying. Overall, a very pleasing story with awesome protagonists.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's safe to say I love Mia Sheridan. Her writing style is flawless ! My heart gets so involved with these stories of epic love .... I can barely cope. I went through every emotion while reading this book. This story of Kyland's love for Tenleigh will stay with me forever.

You pierced my soul. I am half agony, half hope.


Half agony, half hope. Half pain, half ecstasy. Half grief, half joy. Half my downfall, half my savior.


Someday, when I'm living my dreams, I'm going to think of all the things that broke my heart and I'm going to be thankful for them.

[TeriLyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Kyland generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**


5+++ "Everyday. For You." Stars

This book was NA PERFECTION! It was just....everything.

Mia Sheridan stands as a master of her class. Her New Adult stories evoke the rawest emotions from me to the point that I'm glued to my Kindle reading her beautiful prose; laughing, crying, hurting, and peacefully rejoicing.

In Kyland Sheridan made me HURT. She made my heart race with this story of finding love in the place you believed you'd never find anything redeeming again. I was nothing short of fully invested in this romantic journey of finding freedom, hope, and peace in most unlikely of places.

Sheridan's writing perfectly balances love vs. angst with challenges and questions leaving the reader sitting on the edge with her unpredictable plots and expanse of emotions. Kyland is layers of meaning and symbolism embedded in every action and reaction. It's subtle nuances full of emotion and depth. There isn't one sentence in this book out of place or useless in moving the plot. Everything has meaning, everything draws you into Kyland and Tenleigh's story further. You crave the heart break and pain as much as the happiness and love because Mia Sheridan makes you addicted to the story, to the feelings she so eloquently expresses.

As escaping a life of poverty and misfortune remains the focus of both Kyland and Tenleigh they form an unbreakable bond of love and trust muddling the once formidable stance of leaving Denville, Kentucky. Is it a bond that can withstand betrayal? Heartbreak? Tested loyalty?

Neither Kyland and his ambition nor Tenleigh and her hope expected each other but stormed into each others lives so effortlessly the end result could only be devastation. The ambition and pride they each hold onto despite their bleak existence turns into much more as Tenleigh transforms the desolate area they live in to something more majestic for Kyland.

I'd be remiss not mentioning the vivid pictures Sheridan paints of the dire realities Kyland and Tenleigh face. The way Sheridan portrays their reality links us to them in the most intimate of ways, she lets us into their minds exposing their most delicate vulnerabilities.

The characters themselves make the story. This is very much a love story focusing mainly on these two people. The secondary characters, while very important and interesting, don't compare to the beauty of Ky and Ten.

Kyland is simple. He's lonely. His existence suits itself towards false notions and tragedy. He's beyond smart and wants to start anew with a life he feels he can accomplish with hard work. In a beyond complicated situation loving Tenleigh is simple. The subtlety of Kyland holds his beauty.

Tenleigh is hopeful. She's an optimist. With an impossible situation at home, Tenleigh never gives up hope. Her brightness shines through the pages. Her honesty astounded me. The steadfast belief in Kyland in her heart provided good cause for the lengths she would go to protect him. An admirable heroine.



The way their story unfolds surprises you. There were times I thought I had the whole thing figured out only for Ms. Sheridan to twist and turn the plot in a completely different direction.

Kyland hails as a story of hope; hope Tenleigh naturally possessed, hope Kyland learned to possess. Masterfully, Sheridan gives glimpses of hope to her readers about a love soul deep, love you never even realized you had to give - just like she did with Kyland and Tenleigh. The simplicity of the story boggles my mind because of the complexity of the emotions enticing you with every turn of the page.

Mia Sheridan wrote this natural, all-consuming passion between a man and woman in the most complicated of circumstances - a story that rivals any in it's class. This is the story of Kyland and Tenleigh. If you're a lover of New Adult you MUST read Kyland.

Favorite Quotes:
"Frankly, it was exhausting, but it was the hand we'd been dealt, and we did what we had to because we had no other choice."

"I want to do something that matters - that really, truly makes a difference. And I want to recognize that thing when it shows up."

"This girl. My girl."


BR with my girl JxxxPinkLady. Please check out her beyond stunning review that does this book so much justice here:
JxxxPinkLady's Review of Kyland

[~♡AB♡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★ ★ 4 Stars ★★★★



Set against the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains in a poor mining community, Tenleigh and Kyland are just two of the people trying to survive the daily drudge. Both very studious, they are competing against each other for a scholarship that will enable the winner to get out of the hopeless town and work towards a better life. A life where they wouldn't go hungry anymore and have something other than old clothes and worn down homes.

Kyland has sworn to himself that he will do anything he can to leave town once he graduates, even if he doesn't win the scholarship he is going anyway, and his number one goal is to leave town without any attachments - to the people or the town he despises.

Tenleigh lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. She wants a better life for all of them but what she also wants is to be proven wrong about the men that have let her down in the past. She wants to experience love but being abandoned by her father and seeing men treat her mum and sister like dirt, she has lost hope that one day her prince will come.

Kyland and Tenleigh become friends, they communicate through notes left in books, depressing books at that, and they banter and argue but they eventually form a bond that you know is only going to end in heartbreak. Tenleigh sees how lonely Kyland is and will take what she can get even though she knows it will be shortlived.

"Tenleigh.
Half agony, half hope.
Half pain, half ecstasy.
Half grief, half joy.
Half my downfall, half my savior."

I really enjoyed reading this book, I loved watching Kyland fight his growing feelings for Tenleigh and even though some chapters were in his point of view and you saw how hard it was for him to suddenly have his plan be put in jeopardy by his intense feelings, you never really understood how much he really loved her until the end and that was what got to me emotionally, it was a beautiful thing to watch unfold.

My only complaint was that the second part of the story was a bit rushed, I feel it should have been a 50/50 split and if you are going to do time gaps then the second part should be as detailed and as intense as the first. We had so much build up and then when they finally came together at the end it all happened too quickly, in my opinion.

Still, for me it was a heartwarming read and I would recommend it to those who like an emotional read.

This is a completely standalone story in the Sign of Love series.

[Priya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book a day ago, but I was not able to find right words to describe this book. ( I still don't have enough words).
This book is emotional, heart wrenching, intense, sad, painful, everything, you won't miss out on any feelings reading this one.
The story was so beautifully written, though I have one complaint with time gap. I mean if you're doing a time gap then it should he divided as 50/50, not 75/25.
Whole story was build up in first half, it was detailed, intense, emotional. I wanted same intensity in 2nd half of the book, because I felt second half was rushed. But doesn't matter, the end matters and when everything got unfolded in the end I fell more in love with Kyland.




{You had to appreciate the small things in life when the big things made you want to curl up in the corner in the fetal position and give up.}

The background of this story was so painful to read, how they were surviving with no hope and nothing to look forward.
But Kyland and Tenleigh they were dreaming and putting all their efforts to get a better future. They were facing too much problems and hardships alone that I wanted to crawl into the books and hug them.
I loved how Tenleigh and Kyland started off, their banter, their light heartedness, their intense chemistry and most of all their Love.


{it was so hard not to dream that somewhere out there, there was someone strong and gallant who would dance with me under a starlit sky and call me his beloved—and mean it.}

They fell in Love hard and fast, it was good to see how Kyland was fighting his feelings towards Tenliegh (Stupid, Stupid Boy).
Tenleigh was so determined to love Kyland, she also tried to fight her feelings for Kyland but she was Smart, she loved him so much that she was willing to put everything aside for him.


{He had just shared a personal part of his heart with me. I knew better than anyone that the things you did to survive were the most personal of all—the fight to live would humble you in ways you didn't ever want anyone else to know about. Because sometimes it was unspeakable. Sometimes it was ugly and shameful and beautiful and courageous all at once. And he'd just given me some of that. I felt sad, horrified, anguished for him, but I felt deeply grateful, too. I squeezed him tighter. "I think you're amazing," I said, "and so very brave."}

I loved both of them, they both were fighting and growing. Their chemistry was off the charts.
I didn't see that plot twist coming and Ohh.. if that didn't make me cry.
It would have been nice ,if the second half would have been as intense as first half.



{"What are your dreams? Tell me," he whispered.

To fall in love with someone who stays. To stop wishing so hard it could be you.}

Kyland was so selfless, so strong, loyal. And tenleigh was his better half, always there to support him to find some closure. They were there for each other, thinking about each others' well being and future first rather than their own.

This book was so emotional and many times makes you wanna think about all the stuff we take for granted.


{ I knew in that moment was that the size of your home, your car, your wallet, doesn't have one single thing to do with the size of your life.}

I will stop now otherwise I'll just keep writing.
A really great book with so much emotions, intensity and quite a bit, a few life lessons.
If you haven't read it, DO IT NOW.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was yet another wonderful read by the brilliant Mia Sheridan! There hasn't been any books that I have read of hers so far that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. Kyland was no exception..there were a few times I was very upset with where the story was going; but after read to the end I have learned to have faith!!! Things will all work out! LOL I think I need to develop some patience when it comes to my reading!!

I found the love story that developed between Kyland and Tenleigh was so heartwarming! It was hard not to fall in love with either one of these characters. They were just so amazing...and the inner strength that these two individuals had considering what they went through was nothing short of courageous.

The only complaint that I have with this story would be that I felt there was too much time spent on when they were teenagers..I wish we could have gotten more time to spend seeing these two as adults. It is a minor complaint though. I find that this author is able to transport me to another world so easily. It doesn't seem to matter what is going on around me at the time. I start reading and I am immediately taken away to another place. In the case of this book, there were definitely depressing times. What Kyland and Tenleigh lived through would be hard on any human being...and even more so as children and teenagers. I am so glad that they found each other, and through that they found their peace!

An absolute must read! It is one of those books that will grab ahold of your soul and you won't ever forget it! I can't wait to continue on the more of Mia Sheridan's stories. She truly is a mastermind when it comes to developing epic romances!!!

[Νόρα · Rating 5 out of 5]

Η Sheridan δεν ήταν μόνο η έκπληξη της εκδοτικής χρονιάς των εκδόσεων Elxis,αλλά και η δική μου προσωπική αναγνωστική έκπληξη.Διαβάζοντας την Ορμή του Ταύρου είμαι σίγουρη πως βρήκα τη νέα αγαπημένη μου συγγραφέα,αν και ήδη από την Φωνή του Τοξότη ήταν στη λίστα μου.






Σε μια μικρή πόλη στη μέση των βουνών των Απαλαχίων,που περιβάλλεται από την εκπληκτική ομορφιά της φύσης και τα τέλεια τοπία της,βρίσκεται μια κοινότητα που υποβαθμίζεται από τη φτώχεια και την ατυχία,μια κοινότητα που θέλει από φαγητό μέχρι ζεστό ρουχισμό,φροντίδα και όμως,αυτή η κοινότητα επιβιώνει,με τον ένα ή τον άλλο τρόπο,με την κοινή κοινωνική τους κατάσταση,που τους υπενθυμίζει καθημερινά ότι υπάρχει πάντα κάποιος που βρίσκεται σε χειρότερη μοίρα και ότι ακόμη και λίγη καλοσύνη μπορεί να αλλάξει πολλά.

Στην καρδιά αυτών των βουνών ζει μια νεαρή γυναίκα που ονειρεύεται να δει τον ωκεανό,να έχει περισσότερα από ένα ζευγάρι παπούτσια,να ζει σε ένα σπίτι με το δικό της κρεβάτι,να γίνει καθηγήτρια και να εμπνεύσει τα παιδιά να αγαπάνε τα βιβλία όσο και εκείνη.Και ένας νέος άνθρωπος που ονειρεύεται να γίνει μηχανικός,να μην πηγαίνει ποτέ στο κρεβάτι πεινασμένος,να κάνει κάτι στη ζωή του που θα έκανε τη διαφορά.



Η Τενλί και ο Κίλαντ μεγάλωσαν φτωχοί και απόλυτα αποφασισμένοι να ξεφύγουν από τις ζωές που γεννήθηκαν και η μόνη τους ελπίδα είναι μια υποτροφία κολλεγίου που θα μπορούσε να αλλάξει το μέλλον τους. Όμως,ενώ η Τενλί ονειρεύεται όχι μόνο να βελτιώσει τη ζωή της,αλλά και όσους βρίσκονται πλησιέστερα σε εκείνη,η τραγική πραγματικότητα του Κίλαντ είναι πολύ διαφορετική από την δική της.Έχοντας χάσει όλα όσα αγαπάει,σχεδιάζει να αφήνει τα πάντα πίσω του,όλο τον πόνο,όλες τις αναμνήσεις,όλη την απελπισία και ποτέ να μην κοιτάξει πίσω,σε τίποτα ή κανέναν,ειδικά ένα πρασινομάτικο κορίτσι του οποίου το χαμόγελο τον κάνει να θέλει να γίνει ένας καλύτερος άνθρωπος.
Αλλά ερωτεύονται,εντελώς και μη αναστρέψιμα και παρόλο που και οι δύο γνωρίζουν ότι η αγάπη τους είναι καταδικασμένη από την αρχή,δεν μπορούν να κάνουν αλλιώς,αλλά αδράχνουν τη μοναδική ευτυχία που η ζωή τους έχει ποτέ δώσει,χάνοντας τον εαυτό τους και για μια φορά,τολμούν να θέλουν κάτι μόνο για τον εαυτό τους.

Είναι απλά μικρά παιδιά όντας αναγκασμένα να φροντίζουν τον εαυτό τους,κάνοντάς τα να μεγαλώσουν πολύ πιο γρήγορα από ότι δυο δεκαεφτάχρονα θα έπρεπε.Αντί να ανησυχούν για τα κινητά τηλέφωνα και τα κοινωνικά μέσα δικτύωσης,εστιάζουν στην τοποθέτηση φαγητού στο τραπέζι και στο να μένουν ζεστοί.Οι δυο ήρωές μας βρήκαν χαρά στα πιο απλά πράγματα της ζωής,όπως η ιππασία,περίπατοι στα λιβάδια λεβάντας και τα βιβλία.













Παρακολουθούμε τη ροή της πλοκής μέσα από παράλληλη αφήγηση της Τενλί και του Κίλαντ με αποτέλεσμα να γνωρίζουμε καλύτερα τους χαρακτήρες κάτι που με χαροποίησε αφάνταστα μιας και ως αναγνώστρια αγαπώ την αντρική οπτική,σε ιστορίες όπως η συγκεκριμένη,ειδικά όταν ο πρωταγωνιστής είναι τόσο ενδιαφέρον χαρακτήρας, όπως ο Κίλαντ και δεν έχω πολύ συχνά την ευκαιρία να απολαύσω αντρικό Pov(point of view).

Εμπνευσμένη από την ομορφιά της φύσης και την ανθρώπινη τραγωδία,μας δίνεται μια απροσδόκητη ιστορία μιας ανιδιοτελούς και ατελείωτης αγάπης,μιας ιστορίας που σχεδιάστηκε για να αναζωογονήσει τα συναισθήματά μας και μας κάνει να σκεφτόμαστε τη δική μας ζωή.
Είναι μια όμορφη,μαγευτική ιστορία για τη θυσία,την ελπίδα,τη εσωτερική δύναμη και τη δύναμη της αληθινής αγάπης,την εύρεση ελπίδας σε έναν κόσμο γεμάτο απελπισία,την εύρεση ενός σωματιδίου φωτός σε έναν κόσμο που αγκαλιάζει το σκοτάδι και την εύρεση ενός ατόμου που φέρνει τη ζωή στην μαραμένη ψυχή ενός ανθρώπου.Δεν μπορώ να σας πω πόσο βαθιά με άγγιξε αυτή η ιστορία και πόσο ακόμα με πονάει όταν θυμάμαι κάποιες πτυχές της.Είναι ένα βιβλίο που σε πονάει στην καρδιά και σε τυφλώνει με την ομορφιά του.

Επιπλέον αξίζει να αναφέρω ότι ο Κίλαντ ξέρει να φλερτάρει,το βιβλίο περιέχει έναν από τους πιο ωραίους και έξυπνους τρόπους φλερτ που έχω δει,πολύ θα ήθελα να με φλερτάρει ένας άντρας έτσι. ❤️

Συγχαρητήρια στον εκδοτικό οίκο για την επιλογή του.Δεν την ήξερα καν σαν συγγραφέα,δεν ξέρω αγγλικά και οι επιλογές μου είναι λίγο περιορισμένες.Ευχαριστώ που επιλέξατε να μου τη συστήσετε και έχω την εντύπωση ότι θα γίνει το εξής,θα βρίσκομαι σε μια συνεχή αναμονή του επόμενου βιβλίου της και κάθε φορά που κυκλοφορεί το νέο,θα ακολουθώ τα συνηθισμένα : το αγοράζω,το αρχίζω και μετά αρχίζει το μαρτύριο.Φτάνω στην τελευταία σελίδα,νευριάζω με τον εαυτό μου γιατί έχασα ώρες ύπνου διαβάζοντάς το και έτσι το τελείωσα πιο γρήγορα από ότι έπρεπε και τώρα τι θα κάνω;Να τα βάλω μαζί σας,μπας και μου περάσει και να προσπαθήσω να μην γκρινιάζω μέχρι να βγει το επόμενο.

[Auntee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I'm not going to do this one justice, but I'm going to try...




Oh...my...god...my head still hurts from the tears I shed while reading this beautiful story. I'm always a little unsure when I start a 'New Adult' book, wondering if the H/h are going to be mature enough for me to relate to. And I was doubly worried with this one, because the H/h are only 17 for over half this story, so that would put them squarely in the 'YA' category. No way could a story about 17 year-olds grab and hold my attention, right? Oh, but was I ever wrong!

Kyland...


The storytelling was just phenomenal. I could not put it down. I wanted it to end, yet I didn't want it to (if that makes any sense). I wanted to savor every word of it. I can't believe how it touched my emotions. It was a beautiful story of selfless love, by both the hero and heroine.

A small plot summation: Kyland and Tenleigh are both teens growing up in abject poverty in rural Kentucky. Their only way out and to secure any kind of future is to win the one scholarship their school is providing (from the local coal company). Both Kyland and Tenleigh are brilliant students and have worked for years to win this smidgen of hope and are in direct completion. But when they form a friendship, and that friendship turns to love, everything changes.

Tenleigh...


Can't say much more than that without giving things away. The writing is superb. Ms. Sheridan paints a picture with her words that will make you feel like you're in the heart of rural Appalachia. You'll feel the hunger that is constantly in Kyland's belly. You'll feel the chill in Tenleigh's tiny trailer. You'll feel Kyland's loneliness and you'll admire his strength. You'll admire Tenleigh's bravery and passion to make a difference. You'll feel the beauty of Tenleigh and Kyland's growing love for one another. And you'll marvel at the selflessness of both of them. You'll fall in love with both of them, and you will be desperate, desperate for them to get their HEA.



Hang on for one of the most heart tugging stories that I've read in a while. If you need a good cry, this is the book for you. If you enjoy a master storyteller, than Ms. Sheridan is the author for you. If you like a plot that has a few twists and turns (and on more than one occasion I cried "noooo...") then this is the book for you. If you enjoy a hero that is not only selfless, but mature, sweet, and hot, who puts his heroine (and others) before himself, then this is the book for you. If you enjoy a heroine who is equally selfless, strong and determined, loving and kind and funny, then this is the book for you. Jeez, I don't know who this book wouldn't appeal to...please give it a try and don't be put off by the NA/YA category. I'm so glad I finally took a chance on this author because Archer's Voice, Stinger, andLeo (also by this author) have all been 5 star reads for me. But Kyland tops them all! 5 + stars

*I feel sorry for the next book I read, because it's going to have a tough act to follow.

[* Meli Mel * · Rating 4 out of 5]

♥♥♥ 4.5 STARS ♥♥♥

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

'Half agony, half hope.
Half pain, half ecstasy.
Half grief, half joy.
Half my downfall, half my savior.'

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

Tenleigh and Kyland are teens from an impoverished small town in Kentucky. Both are just barely surviving and are doing whatever it takes to make sure they continue that way. They both have dreams of one day leaving Dennville in order to hopefully live the life they never had growing up. How will they do this? They both are working their butts off to make sure they win a scholarship that will give them a full ride to any school they choose. To make this happen they can't afford any distractions. But, one day they cross paths and their lives are never the same.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

“You drive me crazy,” he murmured. He brushed his lips across mine lightly and I shivered. “And you make the darkness go away. You bring me some kind of peace.” He let out a harsh exhale of breath and I drank it in. “I don’t know what to do with it.”

“Take it, Ky,” I whispered. “You deserve some peace. Let me give it to you.”

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

Kyland doesn't do love. Neither does Tenleigh. They both have witnessed to many people in their lives be burned by it, and have even experienced it themselves to know that they want nothing to do with it. What they don't want to admit to themselves is that they have noticed each other. And once they finally meet, there is a pull between them that is unavoidable. They become friends and grow closer each day they spend together. They didn't want to, but they fell in love. Both are selfless and loyal and want the other to succeed. They know that this is temporary and once the winner of the scholarship is announced, they won't see each other again.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

“I fell so damn hard, Tenleigh. Standing right at this bookshelf. I gave you my heart and you weren’t even in the room.”

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

This was such a beautifully written emotional story. I don't know how Mia Sheridan does it, but I love how much her books make feel. I cried from the pain but also smiled so big from the joy of this book. It was a unique story like all of Mia's books are. I loved both characters and how driven, compassionate and unselfish they were. Watching them fall in love so sweet and heart warming. Watching them suffer was heart shattering. I loved the message of hope that this book brings to the reader. Kyland was such an amazing character. He made mistakes, but you really can't help but love him so much for everything he did for Tenleigh. It was just such a wonderful story. I definitely recommend you give this book a read.

[Purrfect Novels · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️

"Go to hell, Kyland," I hissed.
"I do go to hell. Every day. For you."

Kyland, Kyland, Kyland!
What would the world be like without someone like you?
I can't find the words to describe your love for the people you care so much about. You make everyone around you feel a little special in those lonely Appalachian Mountains. 💜

This book makes me emotional every time I think about it. 🥺

[Raj · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+++ Stars



It seems as though all of Mia Sheridan books are rated 4 stars and up (according to me). I can't help but fall in love with her books and her amazingly developed characters. They devour me. Especial one of my all time favorite is.... Archer's Voice . That book hits me hard. No matter how many times I read that goddamn book, ill never get tiered of it. Second place scoring Leo's Chance , and my new top favorite scoring third place is Kyland .

Throughout this whole book my stomach was full of knots. That's how good it was. I cried, I laughed, and I enjoyed the hell out it.

So this follows Kyland and Tenleigh. They both come from a small mountain town in Kentucky. They are struggling daily to have food on the table. So that's why both of them are aiming to get The Tyton Cole Scholarship. Where they can finally Go after what they truly want. Freedom. They wanna make something for themselves, and the only opportunity that they might have is that scholarship. They'll fight tooth and nail for it and nothing can come in their way, but when they had what they had, do they still aim for what they always thought they wanted?



Sure there were some flaws here and there, but when you truly love a book, you'll look past it. At least for me. I was quite hesitant to read this. A lot of the reviews I read disliked it, and that's why I didn't read it any sooner. I suggest that you take a risk.

[Chantal ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 I FINALLY READ IT STARS

I did finally read this book because honestly it was in my kindle and I wanted to remove it. I got this book before I had KU so I actually had to pay for it. This was a big mistake with this book because I would have liked to have given it back. This book just did not work for me.
I read this book a few days ago but I did not know how to review it. Since so many had talked about the story line, the plot and even the epilogue. I was left with not much to say here except how this book made me feel.

Before I start I want to just state this was original take on this book.
_________________________Original Comment________________________________
After reading A few reviews about the words that the hero said to the heroine I find it too much for me emotionally to read this book at this time...Maybe some day but not right now.
Happy Reading all.

_______________________________________________________________________

I need to make it clear that I did not open this book blindly. I had some information and even some spoilers. Which did not spoil the book for me. In fact it prepared me for the content and how desperate their situation was.
I will be honest and say this is not my type of book.
LOVE THE WRITING but not the story.
Everything was a struggle and It was just so depressing that I took over 2 weeks to finish it. The hero and the heroine did not work for me at all. As a couple (until the last few chapters) they were a fail for me.
I don't mind struggle but this was OTT!
This type of story is draining and emotional, but it's well written.
Honestly I can say I would read more books from this author but I would not read this book again. It was just...