Sweet Dandelion

by Micalea Smeltzer

Dandelion Meadows is cursed.
Horrible name.
Horrible luck.

At eighteen she should be headed off to college, all smiles and naivety.

Instead, a victim of a school shooting, she’s starting her senior year in a new city and living with her brother.

Nightmares of that terrible day haunt her, affecting her daily life and the relationships around her.

Forced to meet with the school counselor, Dani finds him chipping away at the walls she’s built around herself, and even her heart.

Lachlan Taylor doesn’t know what to make at first of the broken student he’s tasked with helping. She’s survived a trauma he’s not sure he can save her from, but he knows he has to try.

The more time they spend together, the more they learn about what it really means to live.

Some things are forbidden.
Some things are necessary for survival.

Their love is both.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, High School, Forbidden Romance, New Adult, Slow Burn

610 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 25, 2020

About the author

Micalea Smeltzer is an author from Northern Virginia. Her two dogs, Ollie and Remy, are her constant companions. As a kidney transplant recipient she's dedicated to raising awareness around the effects of kidney disease, dialysis, and transplant as well as educating people on living donation. When she's not writing you can catch her with her nose buried in a book.

Reviews

[❤️Court - Villains Do It Better❤️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 Stars

DNF

Me looking at all the five star ratings like 👀 this book was wattpad level to the max. Very cheesy and unrealistic. The heroine annoyed tf outta me with her throwing herself a pity party every chapter with some odd arcane dialogue every scene break. I know she went through a tragedy, but there is a difference between saying you're depressed, and actually being depressed, and your actions have to coincide with your thoughts. That means not being super depressed one second and then totally fantasizing about your counselor the next. Besides that, this was pretty much her whole thought process⬇

I stare at those blank white walls. Those God-forsaken blank white walls in my bedroom. Sage said I could paint them when I moved in. Decorate the space however I wanted. But I haven’t bothered to, because I don’t know how. The girl I was and the girl I am now are two totally different people. I still like yellow, but the cold oppressive white seems somehow a better option. Yellow means joy. Vibrancy. Happiness. I’m not happy. I don’t want my room to make it seem like I am.

ENOUGH ABOUT THE WHITE WALLS PLEASE. I could probably write a whole book for the amount of time she was either eating, talking about nail polish or white walls, or saying how depressed she was. Actually this book could totally be cut in half if it wasn't so repetitive with all those small random details. It was just unnecessarily long, and ultimately boring.

Then we have the hero who never intrigues me except him looking like Clark Kent👀, and even that wasn't exciting enough. Even her friend had more chemistry with her than the hero. I literally felt nothing for the hero. If anything, he was more like a side character. Also, who pinky promises their high school counselor the first time meeting? Or hugs them the fifth time? Or what counselor changes his shirt in front of a student because she sobs all over it in that fifth meeting, before they even have any feelings for each other btw(so weird)? Or who would randomly pound on someone's door at 10pm at night, freaking out about a cliffhanger and then doesn't even read the next book that night?? I know this is a student/counselor book, which normally I am ALL for, but let's make it a little less far-fetched please😅 if this is supposed to be a more serious book, I would just like some more realistic reactions and dialogue because it just became pure cringe for me and I had the hardest time feeling anything for the characters.

[Mali Mor ❤️ The Romantic Blogger · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS!

This is the story of 18-year-old Dandelion Meadows (Dani) that moved in with her older brother, who becomes her guardian, after being injured in a high school shooting incident in which their mother, who was a school nurse, was killed. 💔

📚 “𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧.” 📚

After that traumatic event, Dani is dealing with anxiety and depression, but after rehabilitation she starts a new high school in a new city - and is also forced to meet daily with the school counselor, 29-year-old Lachlan Taylor.
During the most difficult time of her life, Dani finds a person who understands her, listens and tries to help... and slowly, their feelings becomes forbidden. 💜💜💜

📚 “𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐝, 𝐌𝐫. 𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫.” 📚

This is a Slow Born forbidden romance with age gap. 💜
I really enjoyed it, but I gave it a 4.5 stars because I think it was too long and if it was up to me, I would cut at least 30% out of it... (it has 583 pages) 😱
There were quite a lot of descriptions that felt unnecessary to the story - what she wore, what she ate, where she looked and what she saw... towards 60%, I started skipping some of the descriptions and read only the dialogue.
Also, her best friend, Ansel's character was so dominant that at first I was sure the romance would be between them! 😂 (now I know that the author is working on his book)

📚 "𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚." 📚

Because of that, not everyone will like this book - but I fell completely in love!!! 💜
It touched my emotions... it was believable... it was sweet... the sex scenes (the few that were in it) were insanely HOT... and that cover is the most beautiful I have ever seen! 👏👏👏

I recommend this book if you like Slow Born and forbidden taboo books. 💜💜💜

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[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody hell, this book! I own the kindle but I’m getting the physical copy! (And I love dandelions)

"My sweet, Dandelion. May you always be as free as the birds, as wild as the flowers, and untamed as the sea."

I love dandelions so the book grabbed me right from the start with the name and beautiful cover.

This book comes full circle and it broke me heart in many places



Ok, I’m just going to make a list of my different reactions throughout the book, not in any order either.

*Poor Dandelion, how horrific
*Sweet brother, Sage
*Oh, I need me a Lachlan
*Sasha’s ok
*Ansel’s ok
*I love Zeppelin
*Oh God, this book is too long, it’s going to end badly
*She used the P word! I hate that word
*Sweet, sad, sweet, funny, sad, sad, funny, sweet
*Don’t do it!
*That bastard!
*I’m not buying this damn physical copy!
*Oh, they are so lucky to travel!
*Even though I have my own best male friend, I’d like an Ansel too
*Books!
*Sage, stop being a dick!
*Ansel is the best, best friend
*Sasha! How sweet!
*Sage you’re a hypocrite
*Omg! Teach them to cook!
*I want to go shopping
*Aww, she did it all!
*I’m so sad
*I’m not crying! You’re crying!
*What!?
*What?!
*Wait! Omg!
*My heart soars! And stuff!



I love you, you damn book!



Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (Semi-Hiatus-attempting return) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

"I suppose that's life. Nothing is ever simple. Or easy. It's all pain and heartache. Worry and fear. Stress and anxiety. If you have one sliver of happiness you have to hold onto it with everything you have."

"My sweet, Dandelion. May you always be as free as the birds, as wild as the flowers, and untamed as the sea."

╰┈➤ 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓯 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂

Our FMC Dandelion Meadows is a survivor of a school shooting. Her mother was killed during the shooting protecting her students and her daughter. Dani now lives with her older brother, moving from Oregon to Salt Lake City.

New school, new town, she's assigned to sessions with her school guidance councilor to help her navigate through her feelings and PTSD from the events at her old school. Immediately feeling at ease with Mr. Lachlan Taylor she finds herself depending on him for her own personal growth.

╰┈➤ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼

Alright. Full stop. I went into this so optimistic. I even went and bought the special edition for my shelf. I really think I just don't like the way that Smeltzer writes younger characters. I LOVED 11:11 but this one not so much.

Our FMC Dani is incredibly annoying. I mean she gets borderline stalker with the councilor begging and pleading with him to see her. I don't fancy needy female characters - maybe that's just a me thing but I find it so cringe.

Not much was explored about the PTSD or traumatic past. We know it happens, but the FMC seems real ass cool when Mr. Studly walks in to talk to her about her trauma. It's like it almost flies right out the window and then is replaced for her need for hot teacher. Ugh.

I didn't feel any chemistry between them AT ALL. ZIP. ZERO. NADA. It was an insta love situation. From hello, to chatting in 'therapy', to falling into bed together, to saying I love you more than life itself.

The whole second half was a slog to get through. Honestly, I wish Dani would have ended up with her best friend.

It's safe to say I expected more and ended up disappointed.

╰┈➤ 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓒𝓪𝓷 𝓔𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽

🌼Age Gap
🌿Forbidden Romance/Love
🌼Student x Teacher
🌿Mental Health Representation
🌼Traumatic Past
🌿PTSD Representation

[Sonya ♕Chatterbooks book blog♕ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know what it is about forbidden romance, but it always calls to us like a moth to a flame. We crave the excitement of knowing that a forbidden relationship is in the works, the passion is looming like a roaring flame and sooner or later, we will get heartbroken. But what do we do? We savor the story instead because deep down, we know that it’s going to be worth it.

“You can only fight gravity for so long and the two of us have been falling together from the start"

Eighteen year old Dandelion Meadows has been through hell for the past year. Now attending a new school and under the guidance of her older brother, she’s trying her best to move on and get back some kind of normalcy in her life. Speaking to a counselor everyday is a first step and she knows that as much as it’s painful, she has to try. What she was not expecting was to feel a kindred spirit for the man whom she’s going to be sharing an hour of her time with. They say you can’t help you fall in love with and that saying has never been more true for Lachlan and Dandelion.



I have thought a lot about what I wanted to say in this review and I’ve come to the conclusion that what whatever I write, will not do this story justice. No words can capture the love that was literally seeping through the pages of this book, I cant explain to you the way my skin felt heated one minute and was filled with goosebumps the next because of THAT love. It’s unexplainable and I cannot capture the beauty of something as amazing and pure and passionate as their love.



What first drew me to this book was of course reading the blurb and if you follows my reviews, then you know that I get straight up weak in the knees for forbidden romance and that is not going to change any time soon. I knew what I was diving into and I was more than prepared for that but was not expecting to fall head first for every single one of these characters. This story was written as a forbidden romance should be: slow burn, passionate, witnessing these characters slowly falling for each other, and battling their own struggles at the same time. They were not perfect by any means and I’m glad that this author never glossed over their flaws and she took her time showing us all of their sides which was perfect for me.

I will admit that the story is a bit long and certain parts did drag on a bit for my liking but overall, this became by far one of my favorite reads of the year and I’m now a life long fan of this author. If you love a slow burn romance that will guarantee to give you ALL of the feels, this is your book!!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

“Life clips our wings. Everyone tells you to dream big, but then society does everything it can to keep you grounded.”

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! When I first started it, I thought (based on friends ratings/reviews) I would either love it lots or not much at all. I’m so happy that it worked for me. This is a long book and I listened to it in one day. I seriously couldn’t stop listening. This is one of those books that will stay with me.

First off, serious trigger warnings for some Dandelion is a victim in school shooting and her mother was a teacher and was murdered at same shooting. I think this is a difficult topic to read about and unfortunately it’s so relevant today.

Dandelion Meadows, or Dani is new to school. She is finishing her senior year at a new school in a new city, and even a new state. She’s living with her brother Sage and just wants to get school over with. She’s been through something traumatic and due to that, she spends a period every day with the school counselor. Mr Taylor.

This is a romance, but it’s so much more than that. Even though the romance was strong, so was the friendship, personal growth, and especially Dani’s journey of healing. I loved every character in this book. Dandelion, Lachlan, and even Sage, Sasha, and of course, Ansel. This is my first book by Micalea Smeltzer and I’m excited to read more.

"May you always be as free as the birds, as wild as the flowers, and untamed as the sea.”

Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 5 stars
Narrators: Ava Erikson
Narration Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 15h 33m

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW for school shooting and loss of a loved one

4.5 stars

I was so nervous to pick up this book. So many of my friends love it, but I know it takes place in a school setting with a forbidden romance. I had to ignore how this would look in real life (that's just too horrible for me to think about as someone who works in education), but I fell in love with this book and this romance. Dani survived a school shooting where she lost her mother, and she's not sure how to move on. Now living with her brother and attending a new school, she's required to talk to the counselor every day. Dani's not interested in making friends, but she finds Lachlan, her counselor, is the only one she feels safe with and who she has a connection with. Very slowly the two start to fall for each other and I really appreciated how slow burn this romance was. Neither one of them wanted to fall for each other, but it happened. I enjoyed how much they saw each other outside of school and I was so in love with Lachlan's dog! There was a desperation to their romance because they couldn't stay away from each other but they new it was wrong, and I love those kinds of romances. I also really appreciated how their love had some true repercussions and it was never easy to be together. I also loved Dani's journey as a character and her growth all throughout and especially at the end. There was just so much emotion in this book about a girl who has lost so much in her life, and it was truly a special story.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not for me.

Although I found Dani to not be a bad person, I also found her personally came off a bit flat. The book started out pretty much how you would expect. Dani is having trouble adjusting, because of the trauma she suffered in a shooting at school, where her mother and some class mates were killed. She has to see a school guidance counsellor every day, Mr Taylor who just happens to be extremely good looking and very kind.

I was good with all these details no worries sounds interesting. But there is just so many mundane chapters that make the book drag that I just got so frustrated with, I ended up not enjoying the book at all. Had the slower chapters been edited I could have actually enjoyed the book but as it is no, sorry, not for me.

Happy Reading 📚📙📓📗📖📘📘📒📚📚📙📕📕📗📓📚📚📖📗📓📒📒📘📓📃📙📚📓📒📘📗📖

[⚔Irunía⚔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first, let's say, 20% of the book made me falsely believe it would turn out to be an amazing story. Then, the further I submerged into the story, the more incredulous and deceived I felt. I'm so incredibly happy that, judging by the book's content, this author has no experience in dealing with depression as a medical condition and not a mass pop culture romantised notion of what depression is, presented more often than not in films. But I cannot say I share the same sentiment about the fact that the author didn't bother to research the topic before writing this. The ridiculousness of the heroine' talk therapy with the hero probably deserves a large dose of reality check comments and sarcasm but my lazy ass won't even bother writing them.

Also the unnecessary drama of the second part was more cliché than Anastasia Still herself.

Why wouldn't they talk like normal people instead of writing letters? Okay then, why not reading the letter instead of throwing it into the trash? (HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE, I WOULD have DIED OF CURIOSITY, lol)
Why the fuck thinking that you know better what another person needs?

I just wish someone banned forfuckingever the trope "I will leave you for your own good" because it is a total bullshit.

[nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of age-gap and teacher/student romances, so everything about the blurb for SWEET DANDELION spoke to me. Dandelion Meadows is an 18yr old high school student, and Lachlan Taylor is her 29yr old school counsellor; I was so looking forward to reading their forbidden love story.
For the most part, it was enjoyable, particularly the first half...unfortunately it kind of went down hill for me after that. It dragged on too long and I ended up skipping all the descriptions just to read the dialogue. I think the book would have benefited massively if we got to hear Lachlan’s POV too.
As much as I liked reading Dani’s story, I just felt like something was missing, and it didn’t quite excite me as much as I had hoped.

[Mika Auguste · Rating 5 out of 5]

i started this book last night and COMPLETELY devoured it. something about forbidden romances keep me so enthralled and i absolutely loved everything about this one

tw: death/ptsd

[Melluvsbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, so I tried this one once and DNF'd... then a friend in a book group asked me to give it another try. It was rough going, and I ended up skimming quite a bit, but I did finish.

What I liked:
- h is an 18-yr old virgin - she's vulnerable

- what few smexxy parts there are, are pretty hot

- Ansel, the guy that attaches himself to her and becomes her best friend is an interesting character. He steals the show.

- 11 yr age gap - not exaggerated, but significant

- there are some sweet moments between the H and h

- my favorite part of this book is around 50-70% - that’s where we get the most interaction between the MCs

- single POV - h


What I didn't like:
- there's a whole lot of book here that was completely unnecessary - just filler - we get pages and pages and pages of discussion about what they are going to eat, where they are going to get it, and how they are going to get it, then them eating it... it happens virtually every chapter. It became comical - you could cut this book down by half if you got rid of the extensive filler

- it was boring - the only character that had some personality is Ansel, her bff.... everyone else was drab and uninteresting - plus all the filler... how many times do we need a description of her bus ride or her looking out a window?!

- the H - I don't even know where to start. He's described as a 30-yr old Adonis... and yet there isn't a single other woman in his orbit. No teacher looks at him with interest, no ex girlfriend, no dates. Its completely ridiculous. A hot 30-yr old man would date. And if he doesn't date, there would be a significant reason. No explanation is ever given. - he came across as very weak to me. There was no chemistry, so that may have been part of the problem. His actions didn't make sense because I never saw where he developed feelings for the h, so him starting a risky relationship with her was just cringe. - there's no jealous/possessive aspect here. He's just tepidly sad he can't date her in public and be the one to take her to prom.

- there is no chemistry here. None. No sexual tension. The MCs barely talk to each other for the 1st half of the book, besides him lending her books and asking about her day. I was very confused when he confesses he loves her mid-book. WhYYYYYYYY??? The h had way more chemistry with Ansel.

- there as odd extra character in here... Seth... I have no idea what the point of just having some dude hanging with them that never contributed anything to the plot or conversation. It was weird... every time he's mentioned, I'm all... "oh, he's here... huh." I kept thinking that maybe he'd come through as a dark horse and provide some catalyst in the drama, but no. He's just THERE. Weird

- the h is very sexually aggressive for a girl who's never been kissed. It was not believable and really off-putting.

- she's been through a major trauma and the H is supposed to be her counselor. She meets with him every day, yet this scenario was never used in a way that moved the plot forward. They don't really talk about her issues at all. He doesn't provide insight. It's very odd

- it was depressing. The h is depressed and she just goes around depressed. It's very blah.

- you know how she is just a downer most of the time? Well, in the midst of crying over her dead mom or being traumatized, she takes time out from her emotional break to admire the H’s ass… something of this nature happens several times. Completely ridiculous.

- the h spends 90% of this book hanging with her friends. It felt more like a coming of age novel than a romance.

- really didn't like the ending. I thought the author really effed over the best character. Ansel didn't deserve what he got. I thought the way the H and h end up together was very anticlimactic. This is a 600 page book. I expect a spectacular emotional ending. We don't get that here.

- there are several times that a plot point was introduced then dropped… like she sees an old picture of him on the wall and amazingly the h is in the background as a child 👀… that’s a pretty big coincidence… but that never goes ANYWHERE. It’s very odd.

- Considering the subject matter, I would expect some angst. There is none. There's barely any conflict at all, beside his position/age... very little emotion. That takes some talent and effort in a book of this nature. The h is very emotional, but the reader is never made to feel any of that with her.



Bottom Line? I was not impressed. If you want a book with sexual tension, drama, and passion, there are much better options out there. This aint it. It gets 2 stars because I finished and liked the 2 sex scenes ok. 🤷🏼‍♀️


SAFETY SQUAD WARNINGS
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama

[swedishruler B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long and boring.

[Tiana · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a terrible, terrible book. Pathetic, unrealistic, unbelievable, lacked any real skill and the characters were boring.

This is a teacher/counselor and student romance. I generally don't enjoy these types of books as they're never done well or realistically, however I read reviews that Sweet Dandelion was different; it was meant to be moving, emotional, and a genuine love story. I did not get any of that and I am honestly pissed that I wasted my time.

It starts off well, I'll give credit there. There is a slight hint of technique in regards to showcasing grief, however it lasted maybe two-three chapters, and then it all went south. After that, the author does not consistently portray grief well; the female lead was involved in a school shooting where her mother was killed and she suffered an injury that left her with a limp. It's almost a year after when we're first introduced to Dandelion and she does appear as though she is mentally and emotionally tuned out from the world. But as I said, it does not last long as the story starts to focus on the "connection" and "romance" between Dandelion and her school counselor, Lachlan. That is when all technique and believeability goes out the window. Dandelion and Lachlan don't actually talk about anything; there are no moving scenes between them from a counselor/student perspective. Lachlan comes across as bland and unintelligent and not at all professional. Dandelion stares at his ass when they first meet, so that gives you one insight into how this is all going to play out. They say a few sentences together during their "meetings", but nothing of substance. The author sometimes tried to be philosophical but it came across as forced and only made Dandelion sound, well, dumb. Early on Lachlan moves his entire office to somewhere else that has a window, all for Dandelion; unrealistic, as surely she is not his only client/student.

There are moments where Dandelion and Lachlan hug, or touch each other briefly, which is entirely unprofessional once again. That would not happen in real life unless it was a predator/grooming situation. At one point in one of their meetings Dandelion cries so much into his shirt it ends up wet, so he changes his shirt in front of her! I'm sorry, what!? It's also found out that Lachlan lives in the same building as Dandelion and her brother - big surprise there, never saw that coming (sarcasm). She goes over to his place and cries into his shirt a few more times, and he gives her books to read, hugs her, comforts her in every unprofessional way. They begin texting, forming a "connection", and then things become sexual and "romantic". Professionalism and realisim clearly aren't used in this book.

I was hoping for an emotional read; I wanted to be on a journey with a character that had gone through a traumatic event and the aftermath of it. I wanted to feel how the character would struggle and overcome mental and emotional battles. I wanted her to actually have a counselor that helped her, offered professional insight and support. I was hoping for depth, substance and meaning. If romance were to unfold, I was hoping it would be done in a way that made me believe that it was a genuine, real and profound undeniable connection between the characters that was not without its struggles. Instead I got a pathetic school girl fantasy story that was never believable.

This is something that would be written on a site like Wattpad; written by someone with a weird fantasy for student/teacher romances. Sweet Dandelion is not a deep story, it is not a gut-wrenching, soul-searching story. It is not an inspiring story or a romantic story. It's barely even a story at all, to be honest. I cannot comprehend how a book like this could be published and how people can actually enjoy it and believe it's worth more than 1 star. Mind-boggling, really.

Sweet Dandelion is not written remotely well. It is not worth your time, I do not recommend.

[Vanessa (nessreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had been days since I picked up a book and was able to concentrate and read. But as soon as I opened Sweet Dandelion everything was thrown out the window. Every part of me was consumed and I couldn’t read fast enough. Obsessed—completely and utterly captivated.

The forbidden aspect is what drew me in from the start to this book. But I had no idea that the story of Dandelion Meadows would be so much more than I expected. This wasn’t like any other forbidden romance between a student and her school counselor—it isn’t made to feel dirty or wrong, it’s utterly beautiful.

Dani has been through an unimaginable tragedy. She’s had to learn and reacquaint herself after that horrific event. She’s scarred from her experience and she’s trying, but only existing and not actually living. Now living with her brother, Sage and starting her senior year at a new school, she needs to try to acclimate to her new normal. Dani is assigned to meet with the school counselor daily, but she never expected the unexplainable connection.

Lachlan Taylor unequivocally captured my heart. He is the epitome of a good guy. He never expected Dandelion Meadows nor planned the connection he felt for her. The overwhelmingly feeling he has to protect her, help her, and save her is extremely strong. I can’t even explain how taken I was with Lachlan. He surpassed everything—I couldn’t help falling, and falling hard.

The events and feelings that transpired between Lachlan and Dani are anything less than ideal, and they both struggle with what they’re feeling. Lachlan tries his hardest with his feelings for Dani, but it was inevitable. There was no question that Lachlan and Dani were made for each other. When Lachlan entered Dani’s life it’s as if the heavens opened up and light shined through. I loved Dani and Lachlan with all my might—these two beautiful souls etched themselves in my heart forever.

Sweet Dandelion is an emotionally-charged story about love in all forms. It’s a story full of pain, healing, and heart. It’s about relationships, be it familiar, friendship, romantic, and most importantly the relationship with yourself. Impactful, raw and heartachingly beautiful. I couldn’t get enough of this story or enough of Dani and Lachlan. And the secondary characters were just as amazing, especially Sage and Ansel. Ansel, oh my heart I was amazed by him and need more, more, more. Micalea wrote a beautiful and profound story with an abundance of feelings. The journey Dani and Lachlan took wasn’t easy, but lord was it so worth it in the end. This book has made my favorites list and it will most definitely be one of the best books to make my list of 2020 favorites.

DEFINITELY RECOMMEND

MUST READ

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book*

[logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

ooooh i really enjoyed this one. i love a forbidden romance, so their dynamic (guidance counselor/student - she’s 18, he’s 29) was super intriguing. dani is a new student, starting at a new school after surviving a traumatic event and losing her mom, and she’s forced to spend an hour a day with the school counselor. they get to know each other and connect way beyond what they anticipated.

i could’ve used a bit more build up, and more resistance on his part in the beginning. but i ultimately loved how it all played out. i love dani’s personal journey and watching her find herself again. so glad i finally read this one!

[Ingerlisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know those books that should just DNF but like can't stop hate reading... yeah me too

Honestly this book was as cringe as her name: Dandelion Meadows. Like ew. This was not good.

[Seline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVED the first 40% but then I started to skim because it kinda got boring. This book was TOO LONG..
I’m giving this 3 stars because I really loved the characters and the first 40%.

[𐙚 Khareema 𐙚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read so many negative reviews on this and I was expecting to hate it like most people, but IT WAS TOO GOOD TO BE HATED ON. this story is about Dandelion’s survival from losing her mom in a school shooting. The forbidden romance between her and her school counselor was just everything you would want from a forbidden romance. The slight slow burn between her and Lachlan was phenomenal . I enjoyed the side characters also. My heart really hurt for dandelion and sage.
Ansel and sage’s relationship was definitely amused me in many ways.
Lachlan was portrayed so perfectly for school counselor and he was always there for Dani. I loved him too much. Kinda want him for myself tbh 🥵Let’s not get started on zep , I love him with my heart.
The writing was so simple and flowing. This book definitely wins best cover for having a person on it and yet it’s beautiful.
I so badly needed a pov from Lachlan tho. Felt like I would have understood their relationship more in a way.

I heard that there will be a book about ansel and i honestly can't wait.

Would recommend this to those who love age-gap romance, teacher/Student

[Michae · Rating 5 out of 5]

4/23/2025 audio reread

[Kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sorry, but just no.

[Karla Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal!!! I can gush about this story for hours. This is a 600 page book and every page was so worth it. This story gave me everything I needed in a story. It was angsty, sad, emotional, steamy, there was chemistry, and love!! Their chemistry shined through the pages from the very beginning. I love how he is with her. Let’s her get out as much as she wants and always takes interest in anything she has to say. Even though it’s in Dandelions POV we still see when his interest about her is shown. Like he knows her favorite color, studies her personality and so much more.

I adore Lachlan so much. He’s one of my favorite hero’s. The way he speaks to her and loves her is just pure beauty. He’s such a beautiful man and is such a softie. I love the way the author describes him as Clark Kent and I had no ideas who that was, when I looked him up I fell even more in love with Lachlan. SO. HOT. He also loves to read and has a dog and that just makes him even more hahaha.

I want to talk about Ansel because he’s pure beauty too, but I’ll talk about him in his edit. Coming tomorrow. He’s Dandelions best friend and he deserves recognition.

What Lachlan goes through to help Dandelion chose and heal is just beautiful. In the beginning you’re hurt with her, but once you understand you adore him even more if that’s possible.

This author gave me two epilogues and I couldn’t be happier. I feel like I got the whole story. This book was beautiful as much as it was raw and real. There’s trauma and heartbreak. Every emotion under the sun. This has become one of my favorite books of all time.

[Samantha Schwerin · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know, a few years ago I really enjoyed reading romance books about student/teacher relationships. I was young and dumb. I guess it's my fault because I didn't read the summary of this carefully enough so I went into this thinking that another student (Ansel) would be the one to help Dani through her trauma. I got to the part where we find out Lachlan lives in the same apartment complex as Dani and I was just like 'ohhh nooo'. Bottom line: This wasn't cute. A 30 year old man getting with an 18 year old is not cute. A 30 year old man getting with a student he is counseling is not cute. And I know tv shows and books continue to try to make this trope happen (See: Pretty Little Liars/Riverdale/Gossip Girl etc)...but you guys-look up what a normal everyday eighTEEN year old looks like and look up what the average THIRTY year old person looks like. It doesn't look as cute as it does on your screens when teens are portrayed by actual 26 year olds. I guess since entering my 30's and looked around at the world which includes so many gross ass creepy men grooming young girls (and a few women to young boys-looking at you Mary Kay Letourneau), I realized how much of an age gap that is. Your 20's is a huge vast ocean of character growth and learning...It's not until your late 20's that you actually wake up one day and go 'You know what...I was super emotionally dumb and immature at 20 years old and I have grown so much since then'. And people will come at me with 'well my husband and I met at that age and we're still together blah blah blah' or '11 years isn't THAT different in the grand scheme of things' but at that age IT IS a big difference! 30 to 40 is not that big of a deal because people are generally done with their mental growing and have done what they need to do in their 20's...two people in their 30's and 40's are *generally* on the same mentality level. 18/19 is a CHILD. I mean...at least wait until she graduates college?! Whatever...people may disagree with me but I will always turn to said people ask them seriously if they would be okay with their 18 year old daughter dating a 28/29/30 year old...most of them would not be okay with that. What even does a 30 year old have to talk about with an 18 year old?? Can book topics really keep their conversations going for years to come? This is a hill I am willing to die on.

TO SUM UP: It's not so much the age gap that grosses me out, but the actual ages that are presented. A 30 year old getting with an 18 year old just because it's legal is gross. A 30 year old guidance counselor getting with his 18 year old traumatized student is on a wholllleeee other level of exploitative and gross. And it's my fault I am getting worked up about this right now because I picked this up without reading the summary fully and willingly kept reading after I figured out what was going on. The *only* way this pairing might have worked is if Lachlan quit his job as soon as he saw things progressing with Dani and he moved away and they came back together is a quasi-meetcute later on after she's learned to deal with her trauma and done a little growing up on her own. I am sorry, but traveling for 6 months, while GREAT and certainly growth-enabling, doesn't fix the fact that he went away for a measly year (and is still working with children)....it was certainly a step in the right direction, but she needed a few more years IMHO.

So:
The Plot: Problematic on so many levels.
The Characters: Ansel is the only character that didn't piss me off in some way or another. He deserved better. I hope he found the love of his life in Paris and is living his best life. Sasha was selfish and annoying and why was Seth(?) even included? He brought nothing to the table. He could have been left out completely and nothing of value would have been lost.
The Writing: A whole lot of telling and not showing; A lot of sentences that began with 'I': "I walked down the isle", "I knew I had to...", "I open my eyes...", "I pause and inhale the scent"...etc. It comes off as a very juvenile writing style and is one of my writing pet peeves.

[fatima mth · Rating 2 out of 5]

4,25!
Okay... wow! 😳First of all, I don't think I've ever finished a book with 600+ pages this fast! It took me a day... Anyway, it was surprisingly good! TW though for school shootings, death, trauma, and PTSD! I loved this book though. The characters were not my favorite fictional characters ever written, but they weren't bad either! (although, Ansel, a side character, IS SO PRECIOUS CAN I HAVE HIM?????).
I will definitely be giving the author another chance, and this book was actually good.


changed my rating because opinions change lol

[whatsfordina · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is a masterpiece. i laughed, cried, screamed.. tbh this book made me feel everything. i couldn’t put the book down because of how addicting lachlan’s & dani’s story is and i highly recommend it!!

[Aviva’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

Even though this book was 601 pages long and definitely could have been shortened, I somehow didn’t really skim it. I think what saved me from that was the really short chapters which I thought worked really well for the way this story was paced out.

It covers a long period of time and for the majority of this book, I really appreciated the flow of it timeline wise. I flew through this somehow and I was definitely captivated almost the entire time (until the last 100 pages or so) … so I’ll say that’s a win.

I don’t really want to start psycho-analyzing the relationship in this book but I do have some mixed feelings… Did he not work hard enough to be with her? Was it paced out well enough throughout the entirety of the book? I liked their beginning… but once they started to get involved with each other, I feel like the growing connection sort of haulted in a way and we just jumped to the forbiddenness/I’m crazy in love with you moments.

Do I wish something could have worked out with Ansel? I’m not so sure. Maybe? I kind of liked him. But I don’t want to overthink this. It was a good read and I really enjoyed the story. Im happy I picked it up at the right time though, because you definitely have to be in a specific mood to read and enjoy this one. Overall, I would recommend reading it if your interested in the topics of this story because it was really good for more than just the romance. But the romance was good too 👍🏼

[aNneMarLi - Chatterbooks Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

No words can express how beautiful this tale is. I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.HARD.! I am new to Micalea Smeltzer and with me being gone for far too long in the book world, I must say I missed a lot. This woman carved into my heart as one of my new unicorn author. With this beautiful and emotional story, she had me in tears, tugging my heart strings one by one.

Slow burn at its finest! And you know what's amazing with books like this? It will burn you with all the FEELS. It really did mine.

Kudos, Micalea!

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a major fan of forbidden romance -- especially with large age differences. Somehow Smeltzer took Dani and Lachlan to another level and I fell hard for their story. The extraspecial touches were everything to this story. I loved the strength mixed with the hurt and pain, the decisions, although heartbreaking, were purposeful. The friendships were unique and made for some interesting reading filled with wit and laugh out loud banter. And the emotional ties between a sister and brother that cemented the entire story together. And some surprises that I would have liked to have explored a little more.

[Ｄｒｅｙ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this book which I assumed because many people highly recommend this. I liked the book, no doubt. I just don't like the hero, I felt off. We fully know the past of Dani, which makes her as she is in the story. But from Lachlan's side, I really have no idea what kind of life he grew up from. The story would be great if I am acquainted by Lachlan's personal life. Overall, I enjoyed the book, I loved the essence of true friend (Dani and Ansel) that was shown in the story.

[jazmin ✿]

DNF at 78%

This book just isn't for me lol