I’ve yet to be disappointed by one of Carolyn Brown’s books and The Lucky Shamrock was no exception. I loved this small town story, in which Nana Irene brings the three cousins, Taryn, Jorja, and Anna Rose back to Shamrock to work in her flower shop. The cousins aren’t happy to learn they’ll be living in the trailer, since she let Clinton, who works at shop too, have the apartment. The cousins each have a secret they’re keeping and different ways in which they deal with their issues. Was it Nana’s hope that the working and living arrangements would have the cousins grow closer? No spoilers, so grab your copy and see what happens. I will say there were a few characters that I didn’t like, but they got what they deserved in the end. If you enjoy small town stories with bonus romances, you won’t be disappointed with this story.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Similar small town warm family story about family connections that the author is known for. Good mix of characters and a lighthearted read. While many others likely didn’t even notice, casual references to violence (made in humor) was a bit frequent for my liking, but overall enjoyable read.

This is a Women's Fiction/Romance. I had a hard time getting into this story in the beginning, and I have to say this book at times had trouble keeping me into the story. I found this book just ok. I did enjoy getting to know the characters in this book. I found parts of this book to be cute and funny, but I found the pacing of this book to be slow moving. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Montlake) or author (Carolyn Brown) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Cousins Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja all return to Shamrock, Texas to help run their grandmother's flower shop until she is able to return. They have never gotten along and each their own secrets that they keep close. Their grandmother hired a man named Clinton and with his help the cousins start to open up about their lives and past hurts. As the days pass and turn into months the girls start to see things in a different light with the help of an unexpected baby, tons of weddings, and a stroke of good fortune. Follow along and see how each young woman changes in the best possible ways.

I absolutely adore Carolyn Brown, both her older sexier romances and her newer more women's fiction. This was a delightful family story that is a must-read for any fan of Carolyn Brown.

Family doesn’t mean everyone has to like each other. That’s the case when cousins Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja return to Shamrock, Texas, to help manage their grandmother’s flower shop, the Lucky Shamrock. The reunion isn’t exactly a beautiful arrangement—considering they’re as compatible as ranchers and coyotes. Thank heaven for a handsome go-between like Clinton, who lives above the shop. The easygoing war vet, and most eligible bachelor in Wheeler County, is now throwing romance into the mix and setting the local women to gossiping. But as the hot months wear on, hidden secrets begin to surface for the temperamental Irish trio. And it’s bringing them closer together than they ever thought possible. With a flurry of weddings, a love story in the making, a surprise baby, and crazy good fortune, maybe that shamrock painted on the window does bring luck. Because for Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja, this could be the summer that’ll change their lives forever.

Carolyn Brown is one of those authors that has the magic touch when it comes to writing about families. I really enjoyed this story. The plot was easy to follow and the characters were imperfectly perfect. Will recommend to others.

The Lucky Shamrock by Carolyn Brown is the story of three cousins thrown together, unwillingly, to spend the summer together running their grandmother’s flower shop while she cares for her partner who has had hip surgery. They never have been able to get along and now is no different. Part of it is their different philosophies on life. Whatever it is, things slowly change and the three women began to have empathy for one another as they hear each other’s stories. Also helpful is the presence of a man who ostensibly makes deliveries for the shop but is also running his own veteran’s assistance program. One of the veterans he assists is a woman who leaves her baby with him so she can go to rehab. It is a charming story.

Each of the three has her own distinct, well-written personality: Jorja is the straight-laced Christian woman who can cut no slack for anyone. Taryn has been done wrong by a man in the service that she’d thought she was in love with. Anna Rose was another victim of love gone wrong but responded by drinking and bedding every good-looking cowboy she could find. All interesting and charming characters. Pure Carolyn Brown. Things start off rocky but get better as the summer wears on. Jorja loosens up and Anne Rose slows down. As they all tell their stories they grow closer. It is an inspirational read about learning to love people for their differences and walking in someone else’s shoes before judging. A terrific read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Lucky Shamrock by Montlake, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Montlake #CarolynBrown #TheLuckyShamrock

Loved this book!

How often have we said, "I really need to contact my cousin, sister, brother, close friend...and then we don't. This book takes us to Shamrock Texas and a flower shop. Three cousins come together after years apart to help their grandmother run her bookshop while she is ill. So many secrets are revealed through the forced proximity, and connections that had been strong then grew weaker, were made strong again.

A book that you just can't put down and really made you think.

The Lucky Shamrock by Carolyn Brown is one of the best books she has written since The Ladies' Room in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong there are definitely some good books in between these two but both of these books have stuck in my mind more so than others.

What is so great about The Lucky Shamrock is the three cousins Taryn, Anna Rose, Jorja who come together to support their grandmother, and the vet Clinton and baby Zoe who lives above the flower shop. Carolyn Brown gives us three distinct women who don’t get along and threw peacemaker Clinton into the middle to make an unforgettable story. I couldn’t put this book down as I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

I can’t say enough about this great story without giving away its plot. This is a Carolyn Brown story that you definitely don’t want to miss reading.

Many thanks to the publisher Montlake via NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this awesome story. I was under no obligation to write a favorable review and all opinions are my own.

I can't go wrong when I choose a Carolyn Brown book to read. She is a pro at creating strong female characters, small community settings, and fun storylines. Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for an advance copy to read and review.

Terrific story of family, secrets, love, and healing. Three cousins, Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja, return to Shamrock to help run their grandmother's flower shop, The Lucky Shamrock. The three women aren't close - they can barely go five minutes without squabbling. Nana Irene forces them to live and work together to get them to learn to get along. The initial reunion among the three women doesn't look good for a peaceful summer.

Easygoing war vet Clinton lives in the apartment over the shop and helps Nana Irene with deliveries and heavy lifting. He's on hand to run interference among the three women. Clinton is the most eligible bachelor in the small town and is the target of several husband-hunting women. These women relentlessly pursue Clinton, using homemade goodies to try to win him over. I loved his focus on helping others and got a kick out of his grandfather's vociferous support.

I loved watching Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja throw themselves into the work. One of their first challenges is setting up a big wedding whose wedding planner is an old nemesis from their school days. Their encounters with Kaitlyn are full of sass and stick-togetherness, including a satisfying post-wedding confrontation. Though the three women bicker among themselves, they stand should-to-shoulder against outsiders.

As they settle into working and living together, their contentiousness slowly evaporates. I loved seeing them share the secrets that have had such long-lasting impacts on their lives. Burdens shared are burdens lifted, and I loved watching them share their coping strategies. I loved their box-burning scene and laughed out loud at their dog-toy-throwing episode.

I think Jorja changed the most. The daughter of missionaries, Jorja is the religious one of the trio. She focuses on trying to gain redemption for a traumatic event in her past. Her prim and proper façade hides the broken and hurting woman inside. I loved the support she received from Taryn and Anna Rose as she faced those memories and moved past them. It was fun to see her do everything from drinking beer and letting loose with some cussing to confronting the person responsible for her demons.

Anna Rose has gone the other way. She is a brilliant photographer who constantly travels, never staying anywhere long enough to put down roots. She is loud-mouthed, sassy, and believes in living life to the fullest. But that spirit hides insecurities stemming from a relationship that turned toxic and made her wary of settling down. Her cousins' support helped her see she was tired of running away.

Taryn left Shamrock in the dust after graduation, tired of the unfair reputation of troublemaker gained by trusting the wrong people. But life away from Shamrock wasn't always better. A bad relationship has made it difficult for her to trust her judgment when risking her heart again. But with the help of a baby, she learns to open her heart again.

The setting of small-town Texas and the drama that accompanies everyone being up everyone else's business made this a fun book to read. From the trio of mean girls to Nana Irene and Ruby, there is never a dull moment. I loved the surprise at the end and its effect on so many lives. I especially enjoyed seeing a particular person finally have to face the music.

While most of the story was spent on Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja and their pasts and relationships with each other, there was a subtle romance going on in the background. I loved watching Taryn and Clinton grow closer thanks to caring for baby Zoe and Clinton's kindness and support. I liked that they took their time and became friends first. The epilogue was terrific. I loved seeing where everyone was a year later.

The Lucky Shamrock is a story of family, healing, and forgiveness. This small Texas town is stuffed full of drama at every turn, with villainous residents and meddling, albeit concerned neighbors.

As three cousins come together to help their grandmother out in the flower shop while she's away, they have to learn to get along with one another. But maybe bickering is their love language? Each one has major trauma from her past and as they sort through their issues, they discover a camaraderie and healing.

There is a slight closed door romance as a bonus, but I would consider this a women's fiction. The self-discovery was heartwarming and it was nice to see them able to move on.

Content: very mild romance, but mentions of being drugged and raped, miscarriage, affair with a married man, and domestic abuse.

The Lucky Shamrock is a standalone novel by prolific author Carolyn Brown. Set in Shamrock, Texas, this is the story of cousins Taryn O’Reilly, Anna Rose Duquette, and Jorja Butler. Their dear Nana Irene O’Reilly has asked the three for their help over the summer to take over the running of her florist shop, The Lucky Shamrock. Irene is nursing her best friend Ruby after an injury necessitated a hip replacement. The two ladies have been best friends forever and next door neighbors almost as long.
While the cousins do not get along in the least and are diametrically different, they are set to spend the summer working days in the florist shop and living in the single wide behind it. Luckily, veteran, perhaps hero, Clinton McEntire also works at the shop and lives in the small upstairs apartment. He will also become a bit of a buffer as the cousins put away their childhood animosities and develop adult relationships. However, Clinton and the fact he is heir to his very wealthy grandfather, has set a community stir of women set to rope Clinton into a trip down the aisle to take advantage of those riches. Never fooled, all Clinton does is share the many dinners and desserts with the three cousins.
As the cousins learn to talk, Clinton’s veteran services nonprofit brings a little bundle from a PTSD suffering young mother to share their space, and Taryn steps forward as a positive leader and foster mother for this precious child, this lovely story touches all the feels. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it.

Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja are all back in town to run their grandmother's flower shop, Lucky Shamrock, for the summer while she is helping someone recover from hip surgery. The women don't get along on a good day so they all assume this summer is going to be tough, but they soon discover that they just might be able to work together and maybe even like each other a bit. The women have to navigate getting to know one another again, working through their demons, and lots of small-town shenanigans.

All three women have interesting back stories that have shaped how they feel about each other, the Lucky Shamrock, men in general, and small-town living. The author did a great job developing each of the characters and showing how they changed over the course of the story. Taryn got the least amount of growth and change but she also got the romance that was on the page. Both Anna Rose and Jorja had big growth curves, but both got romances off the page. I guess it’s all a balance. The author had some excellent twists and turns in the story. There is a bad guy that was believable. There are small-town women looking for a husband. A sweet baby who needs a stable home. There’s even a funeral with small-town drama! Clinton is an employee at the flower shop. His past makes people think he’s a hero, but he always tells them he’s not. He has a plan for the future and he’s scrambling to make it happen. I thought he had a back story and his romance with Taryn was really sweet and touching. I was really rooting for him to succeed and to win Taryn’s heart.

My one issue with the story is that there are three romances, but the author didn’t really give any information on the two men that won Anna Rose and Jorja’s hearts. I guess I wanted to know that they are good men and deserve the women. What can I say? I’m protective of characters I like.

This book is a total feel-good small-town story. It’s less about the romance and more about the strength of family ties. I will admit to being a fan of this author so I might be biased but if you are looking for a sweet small-town story with lots of heart, give this a try.

EXCERPT: 'Good morning, or maybe I should say afternoon,' Clinton said, backing into the shop with a baby carrier in his hand and a diaper bag over his shoulder. 'I'd like you to meet Zoe. She will be joining us for the next six weeks.'
Taryn hadn't been knocked speechless very many times in her life, but she was right then. A thousand questions ran through her mind, yet when she opened her mouth, words would not come out.
Clinton set the carrier in the middle of the worktable and slid the diaper bag off his shoulder with such ease that Taryn wondered if Zoe was his daughter. Was that why none of the women who had put up their money in the contest had a chance with him? Was he involved with Zoe's mother?

ABOUT 'THE LUCKY SHAMROCK': Family doesn’t mean everyone has to like each other. That’s the case when cousins Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja return to Shamrock, Texas, to help manage their grandmother’s flower shop, the Lucky Shamrock. The reunion isn’t exactly a beautiful arrangement—considering they’re as compatible as ranchers and coyotes. Thank heaven for a handsome go-between like Clinton, who lives above the shop. The easygoing war vet, and most eligible bachelor in Wheeler County, is now throwing romance into the mix and setting the local women to gossiping. But as the hot months wear on, hidden secrets begin to surface for the temperamental Irish trio. And it’s bringing them closer together than they ever thought possible. With a flurry of weddings, a love story in the making, a surprise baby, and crazy good fortune, maybe that shamrock painted on the window does bring luck. Because for Taryn, Anna Rose, and Jorja, this could be the summer that’ll change their lives forever.

MY THOUGHTS: I'm always excited to see a new Carolyn Brown hit the shelves. She's my go-to author when my heart needs warming and I need a little sassy sweetness in my life.

I always just want to jump straight into her family situations and be a part of them. Brown places the emphasis of her stories on family loyalty and sticking up for and supporting those you love and those who love you.

There's a definite similarity between this and a previous Carolyn Brown book I have read which dropped my rating a half star, but despite this feeling of deja vu, I enjoyed this read; the squabbling between the cousins, the sassy dialogue, and the reminder not to forget the older members of our families, the ones who have always been there for us, when we spread our wings and head out into the world.

⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheLuckyShamrock #NetGalley.

I: @carolynbrownbooks #montlake

T: @thecarolynbrown #Montlake

#christianfiction #contemporaryfiction #familydrama #friendship #romance #sliceoflife #smalltownfiction
#womensfiction

THE AUTHOR: Hi! I'm twenty five years old and movie star gorgeous. The camera added thirty plus years and a few wrinkles. Can't trust those cameras or mirrors either. Along with bathroom scales they are notorious liars! Honestly, I am the mother of three fantastic grown children who've made me laugh and given me more story ideas than I could ever write. My husband, Charles, is my strongest supporter and my best friend. He's even willing to eat fast food and help with the laundry while I finish one more chapter! Life is good and I am blessed!

Reading has been a passion since I was five years old and figured out those were words on book pages. As soon as my chubby little fingers found they could put words on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil, I was on my way. Writing joined reading in my list of passions. I will read anything from the back of the Cheerio's box to Faulkner and love every bit of it. In addition to reading I enjoy cooking, my family and the ocean. I love the Florida beaches. Listening to the ocean waves puts my writing brain into high gear.

I love writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.

I got serious about writing when my third child was born and had her days and nights mixed up. I had to stay up all night anyway and it was very quiet so I invested in a spiral back notebook and sharpened a few pencils. The story that emerged has never sold but it's brought in enough rejection slips to put the Redwood Forest on the endangered list.

Folks ask me where I get my ideas. Three kids, fifteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren. Note: I was a very young grandmother! Life is a zoo around here when they all come home. In one Sunday afternoon there's enough ideas to keep me writing for years and years. Seriously, ideas pop up at the craziest times. When one sinks its roots into my mind, I have no choice but to write the story. And while I'm writing the characters peek over my shoulder and make sure I'm telling it right and not exaggerating too much. Pesky little devils, they are!

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Montlake via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Lucky Shamrock by Carolyn Brown for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

A shamrock brings luck to 3 cousins who return to their hometown to run their grandmother's flower shop for the summer. They haven't been together for many years since they each left town after high school never to look back.

At first they argue and disagree about everything, but as the summer progresses and their friendship is rekindled they share experiences from their past that shaped their future lives. They grow stronger by relying on each other and sharing burdens.

Adding in a baby, a handsome but injured vet, and the luck of a shamrock results in a delightful story to add to your reading list.

Although I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love Carolyn Brown books. They always make me feel happy. This story is about three bickering cousins who are forced to work together and put their fighting to rest. It's also about them overcoming their pasts and finding love. Highly recommended.

🌺 Happy Pub Day & Book Review!! 🌺
Happy Pub Day to an author that has more than 125 published books and who happens to be a New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly best selling author plus a RITA finalist. 😉
📚 The Lucky Shamrock by Carolyn Brown Review 📚
5 ⭐️’s
💭 Absolutely love the way she writes her books and puts her own unique spin on each novel she writes and has published. Love how she showcases family is family even if that means you don’t like each other because I think there is always something like that in everyone’s family. The storyline was absolutely engrossing between the storylines of a flurry of weddings, a love story in the making, a surprise baby, and so much more. Carolyn Brown is a brilliant author who writes beautifully and uniquely told stories with her own twist to which I can understand why she has 125+ books published. All her books are on my TBR and I can’t wait to read them all. 🤩 I’ll be reading this one again because with the amount of books I’ve got on my TBR & the fact I’ve got poor recall memory I’ll definitely have to re-read this book again in the future. 😉 💭
#CarolynBrown #RomanceReads #TheLuckyShamrock #NetGalley

Three cousins who don’t get along must figure out a way to make it work. Throw in a single handsome war vet who counsels vets, a scheming grandmother and her friend ,a family flower shop, small town drama and you have the makings of a story you can’t put down. Cousins Taryn, Anna Rose and Jorja, all have pasts that they must reconcile as they learn to tackle their demons to run their grandmother’s flower shop. As the story progresses, the women realize that family is everything.
I really enjoyed this story. I couldn’t put it down. Carolyn Brown adds her usual dash of humor throughout the story. The different personalities of the cousins were interesting, but my favorite character was Clinton. Poor Clinton is single and the focus of every single female in Wheeler County. The women try to woo him by cooking and bringing him food of which he shares with the cousins. There are a few tearful moments as secrets are revealed, so have tissues ready. This was a great read.

Three cousins, Taryn, Anna Rose and Jorja, are summoned back to their home town of Shamrock to help out in their Nana Irene's flower shop, the Lucky Shamrock. Irene’s friend and business partner, Ruby has fallen and broken her hip, and Irene needs to care for her.

All three girls left the small town and bad memories as soon as possible, planning never to return. Their parents may be scattered in the wind, but Irene wants her granddaughters to set aside their constant bickering and learn how to be a family.

Heartwarming, poignant, and inspiring, this story of family, community, and second chances is the perfect read for romance and women's fiction lovers of all ages..