MEADOW FALLS is a tale about the past finally catching up with the present residents of Meadow Falls a peanut ranch that has passed down several generations. Now it is Angela Marie’s property, business, and problem. No mention of passion or love since those elements of life had been lost to this place for generations. When the last son is gone, Angela Marie’s father, the fate of this property falls into her hands. The daughter whose father was determined to shape her into the consummate peanut farmer. The family name and reputation were important and crucial to Hamilton. That’s where his life centered. Life is also void of love, happiness, and passion.

As the book goes on we are treated to stories that help dig up the dirt and secrets of those that have lived at Meadow Falls. Misery does seem to love company and there is plenty to pass around when Mandy, hired help for decades, is asked to clarify things about the family of Angela Marie. In doing so Mandy is certainly dredging up memories about her own family as well. Her daughter Rory and granddaughter Celeste had been brought up in Meadow Falls and had their share of unsettling memories as well.

All and all the folks need to get the facts separated from memories and in today’s world having a DNA test is one of the surest ways to locate any missing or unknown relatives. Will that be a blessing or a curse. No one can absolutely guarantee either outcome.

Is it better to stay in the dark about your past that may be more unsettling than knowing the truth. But both women, Angela Marie and Celeste need some questions answered. After all Mandy’s stories have opened up the proverbial mystery. Exposed.

What Mandy wants for the two women who were brought up together by Mandy is for them to gain trust in men and fall in love. Tall order but Mandy has invested a lot in both of them. They’ve grown up to be strong and independent. But both are missing a satisfying personal life.

In MEADOW FALLS Carolyn Brown used her creative soul and heart to help the characters dredge up their past. Albeit just might be for the best but it is surely a gamble. MEADOWS FALLS compares two quite different periods in time with her usual panache. Incorporating very modern ideas with those deemed acceptable in the not-so-distant past. Great characters shore up a wonderful story about love and loss, regrets, and acceptance. All done with the stokes of a talented storyteller, Carolyn Brown. Fans are going to love MEADOW FALLS.

This book offers a touching exploration of family dynamics, forgiveness, and the art of moving on from the past. The author's talent for crafting relatable characters and placing them in realistic situations shines throughout the story. It is both heartwarming and empowering, featuring strong female protagonists who undergo transformative journeys. Set in Meadow Falls, Angela Marie is thrust into a position of responsibility following her father's passing, taking charge of the peanut farm and assuming a prominent role in the town. However, Angela yearns for change - to dismantle the figurative castle on the hill and infuse her life with love and positivity. With the support of her lifelong best friend Celeste and their shared duty of caring for their nanny, Mandy, Angela sets out to enact these changes. Along the way, she encounters two charming men, Devon and Jesse, and their interactions ignite sparks of romance. Together, they form an unbreakable, joyous bond, leaving readers with a heartwarming feeling. A particularly enjoyable aspect of the book is the wisdom imparted by Mandy through her sayings and words of advice. Overall, the novel addresses the crucial themes of forgiveness and acceptance, with Carolyn Brown skillfully teaching us these valuable life lessons. I highly recommend this wholesome and uplifting book, as it offers a delightful escape into a world brimming with second chances, love, and happiness.

Meadow Falls is a book about fractured relationships & family secrets how do you forgive your parents who had no love for each other and then brought a child into their lives to just let someone else raise you.
Angela Marie has found at 35 she is now the soul owner of Meadow Falls after her dad died suddenly of a heart attack. Cleaning out his bedroom she finally realizes that maybe she wasn’t an only child to her father. She decides to take the bull by the horn and discover who she really is and what her dad left behind.
Her old nanny Mandy tells her time and time again to listen to her heart and do what’s best for you.
Thank you to NetGalley for Arc copy of Meadow Falls. I throughly enjoyed reading this book.

You can't go wrong with a Carolyn brown book. Small town Texas woman has to take over the family farm. This was not in Angela's plan. Family secrets abound in this moving tale of family and what makes one.

Meadow Falls by Carolyn Brown is a lovely and engaging read. I am an avid suspense/thriller reader so this book was not my usual reading genre, yet I found it enjoyable. Angela Marie Duncan, 31years old has inherited the family farm as a result of her 61 year old father's unexpected death from a heart attack. Angela Marie is unable to grieve as her father had been extremely cold to her all her life. Her mother died when she was a senior in high school, and sadly they didn't share a warm and loving relationship. Angela Marie would have left Meadow Falls if it were not for the loving relationship she had with the family housekeeper/nanny, the very elderly Mandy Murphy, who essentially raised and genuinely loved her, She also treasured the sister/friend relationship she had with Celeste Murphy Butler, Mandy's great granddaughter. This is a story of family, loss, love and ultimately forgiveness. The storyline is well crafted with believable characters; it is a fast paced novel and a satisfying read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of Meadow Falls, that in no way influenced my review. 3.5 stars

For much of this book, it gave me a distinct sense of melancholy. I don’t have a problem with angsty books, but this wasn’t angst. It was sadness. Sometimes, that’s what a reader is looking for, I understand that. But I wanted to put that out in front so if that’s not something for you at this time you are warned. I will let you know it does have a happy ending though.

The characters, for the most part, are lovable. Sometimes the main character, Angela Marie, can be a bit too focused on herself. Yet I cannot blame her for that due to her upbringing. After her last relative, her father, suddenly dies it’s understandable that she is doing all she can to get the truth of her family’s history from the only person who can give her that, the woman who raised her, took care of the house, and everything else for her rich family, Mandy. Even with a spat here and there among the characters, there is a lot of love. I enjoyed their connections as a made family. When a few outside characters are added to the mix, there are romantic sparks and an opening up of the world for Angela Marie that wasn’t there before her father died.

That all being said, there was a bit of repetition and continuity issues. All of which were pretty minor. Until a character says his grandpa wasn’t from Mexico but close…Baja, California. Having lived in the San Diego area for 10 years I can attest that Baja, California is in Mexico and is not part of California. It’s a rookie mistake made by a well-established author and it flabbergasted me that it wasn’t caught in editing. I live in Michigan where we have a Norway, but it’s nowhere near the country of Norway. We have Milan, East Jordan, London, China, I could go on and on. It’s such a minor blip in this story, but it put a mistrust in me with the author and how the rest of the story would go.

Angela Marie has a beautiful awakening in this story after being held back her whole life. It is wonderful to witness her strength and her light come shining through. But overall I found this book to be slow and not quite cohesive.

I enjoyed this Texas drama very much. It is written by Carolyn Brown, a favorite author of mine, and I liked her delving into the story of Angela Marie Duncan, new owner (since her father just passed away) of a large peanut farm in rural Texas.

Angela Marie was raised by her father to run the peanut farm from an early age. Since her mother was long dead, any affection in her life came from her nanny Mandy and Mandy's great-granddaughter Celeste.

This is a story of dysfunctional families and relationships, of forgiveness, of love and growth. I highly recommend this story.

I received this Digital Review Copy from Montlake Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review. This is that review.

Carolyn Brown, as always, has woven her magic in her latest book "Meadow Falls". Meadow Falls is the name of a peanut farm somewhere in Texas, of which Angela Marie becomes the sole proprietor after her father passes away suddenly and unexpectedly. We meet her and her nanny Mandy on the day of her father's funeral and we see that the event does not affect Angela greatly owing to her fraught and distant relationship with him.

Lots of things begin to change for Angela as her closest friend and Mandy's great- granddaughter Celeste lands, at her doorstep after going through a divorce, as well. Through Celeste, she meets Devon, a man of charming and gentle manners and Jessie, a cousin of Devon and an incredible person; each of whom are attracted to Angela and Celeste respectively.

Will these lovely people find a chance at second chances? Will they embrace the change that life brings forth after forgiving the people who have done them disservice?

I loved this story very much, particularly the bond between all the women; Mandy was sure an interesting character. Reading this book was an engaging and interesting experience. The various characters and their dynamics was a treat to read and the development of relationships are very organic and believable. The final chapter was a heartwarming and fulfilling conclusion to a wonderfully told story.

First off I want to say that I enjoyed reading this book so much more than I anticipated I would! I’ve read other books by Carolyn Brown but this story was extra special. Perhaps it’s because I really liked all of the characters involved. Meadow Falls centers around 2 young women, Angela Marie and Celeste, who were both raised on Meadow Falls but came from different mothers. Neither had the best of childhoods, but thanks to Celeste’s great grandmother Mandy, they both were loved and taken care of. Mandy along with her husband Edward had lived at Meadow Falls and was hired to take care of things around there. This is a story of finding forgiveness, finding love and even finding family that you wasn’t aware you had. It was a wonderful read, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. The ending with a look 2 years into the future showed happiness and made me feel very optimistic about how life can turn out if you put all the bad behind you. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I obtained off the Read Now section. I’m giving this book a 5 star rating and I plan on reading more books by Carolyn Brown very soon!

EXCERPT: I agreed with a nod and took one more look at the two pictures before I tucked them back into my pocket. If my father had been protecting Mandy, he would have burned those pictures. I figured there was more to that story than met the eye. I would have given away the title to the farm - all of Meadow Falls - to know why my father would hide the pictures or even keep them. Had my mother known about them? Was that why they'd had separate rooms? I slipped the pictures out of my pocket and studied them harder. Was (X) my father's daughter? Could she be my half-sister?

ABOUT 'MEADOW FALLS': Angela Marie has spent all of her thirty-five years on Meadow Falls, the farm that’s been in her Texas family for generations. It wasn’t her plan. It was an obligation. Now that her parents—less loving kin than strangers—have passed, the whole shebang belongs to Angela. And a legacy she never wanted is hers to uphold.

She can’t forsake it now. Her beloved nanny, Mandy, who was always more of a mother, needs a caregiver herself. And Mandy’s great-granddaughter, as close to Angela as a sister, has returned to roost. When a handsome veteran arrives seeking work as a farmhand, Angela thinks the future might not be half-bad after all.

But it’s the past that proves enlightening. Mandy is revealing secrets Angela never knew about her parents. As the clouds on her family history begin to part, the inheritance feels more like a precious gift, and Meadow Falls more like the home Angela’s been looking for her whole life.

MY THOUGHTS: If you like books about fractured family relationships, family secrets, forgiving and new beginnings then you're going to love Meadow Falls by Carolyn Brown.

I loved the characters. Angela's nanny Mandy and her best friend Polly, both nonagenarians, are an absolute hoot. They manipulate Angela and Celeste shamelessly. Carolyn Brown writes great characters and has the small-town vibe nailed. There's the town gossip grapevine, and relationships that stretch back generations. I love how everyone rallies around to help out those whose luck has turned for the worse.

You might know that you are getting a HEA when you pick up a Carolyn Brown book, but the journey to the ending is a wonderful one. She manages to make each book she writes a different journey peppered with pitfalls and pleasures. Her books are full of hope and love and Meadow Falls is no exception. Angela may not have felt loved or wanted by her parents, but she has always had Mandy in her life. Now that Mandy is in her sunset years and falling prey to the early stages of dementia, Angela is determined to make Mandy's last years pleasurable ones.

Brown's characters are easy to relate to and the situations they face realistic. Both the plot and the dialogue flow smoothly. A lovely satisfying read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#MeadowFalls #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Carolyn Brown was born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma. These days she and her husband make their home in Davis, Oklahoma, a small town of less than three thousand people where everyone knows everyone, knows what they are doing and with whom, and read the weekly newspaper to see who got caught.

A plaque hangs on her office wall that says I know the voices are not real but they have such great ideas. That is her motto and muse as she goes through the days with quirky characters in her head, telling their stories, one by one, and loving her job.

She has been married almost half a century to a retired English teacher that she calls Mr. B and he does not read her books before they are published because she cannot afford a divorce. They have three grown children—and enough grandchildren to keep them busy and young.

When Carolyn is not writing she likes to sit in the back yard and watch the two tom cats protect the yard from all kinds of wicked varmints like crickets, other cats, spiders and blue jays.

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

I can always depend on a Carolyn Brown novel for fun characters and a heart-warming story. Meadow Falls lived up to my expectations with a contemporary story about family and forgiveness. Thanks to NetGalley, Montlake and the author for an advance copy to read and review.

Meadow Falls is a drama. Written in Angela Marie's perspective, you'll follow her on a journey of forgiving and moving on from her past to finding her joy and her place in the present.
Unanswered questions plague her thoughts and her hope of finding some of those answers is through Mandy, a hired hand who helped raise her as a child and is now suffering from Dementia.
This story will shine light on how "family" is not always linked by blood but by love. Forgiveness is key to finding joy and contentment in the present. Sadness is a definite in certain circumstances but silver linings are there if you look for them.

Thank you Montlake and NetGalley for this ARC of Meadow Falls. This is my personal review and I was not compensated for it.

I love Carolyn Brown books they are so uplifting. Angela Marie is thirty five and life is about to change for her. Wonderful characters and a lovely story.

Love Carolyn Brown books!! Never misses! A heartfelt story about love, family, friends and people who are there but don’t care for you and the people who weren’t always there but absolutely cared about you. Two girls who grew up together come back after having separate careers later in their lives. A death in the family brings everyone back and helps them find even more love and caring people. Closing doors from the past and letting go to opening up new beginnings that’ll change their lives. I can’t wait for whatever book you come up with next!

Another good book by Carolyn Brown, looking into the disfunction of families and what secrets from past generations do to the current generation. I usually find it a bit difficult to keep all of the players in their correct family and this book was no different. Friends, neighbors, family, and others all kind of meld together. Eventually you are able to keep them separate!

The story was good and held my attention. Nothing really hard hitting, although there were a few surprises. A good read for a cold afternoon/evening with a hot beverage. A great happily-ever-after.

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for an advanced readers copy of Meadow Falls by Carolyn Brown.

Angela Marie inherits the peanut farm that she grew up on after the sudden death of her father. She is confused and very bitter after his death. After the funeral, her nanny, Mandy and Mandy's great granddaughter, Celeste move into the main house with her. These ladies help Angela Marie through the journey of finding herself and moving forward from her hurtful past. Mandy raised Angela Marie. Her love is basically all Angela Marie ever had. After Angela Marie finds pictures in her father's room many questions are raised about his past. Now that Mandy has the beginning of dementia, Angela Marie and Celeste encourage Mandy to tell stories about when they were little girls growing up on the farm.

Celeste invites her retired Air Force friend Devon to the farm to visit and for a possibility of a job.

As Angela Marie begins to put the pieces of her past together, she is also falling in love with someone on the farm.

The author has written another small town story about family, love, loss and friendship.

Meadow Falls by Carolyn Brown is exactly the kind of book she is known for. All about family; natural and adopted. Mandy was the family matriarch, for all she was the “hired help.” She was 97 years old and had moved into the house a couple years earlier. It was one time Angela Marie had argued with her father, the irascible Harrison Duncan, and won. Now he was dead. Mandy insisted on walking to the graveside service despite her age and Angela Marie walked with her. It was later in the day that Celeste showed up. Celeste was Mandy’s great-granddaughter and had been raised alongside Angela Marie. She came with news of a divorce. She had joined the air force with her boyfriend, Trevor, right after high school graduation. He had cheated. She had tried until he found out his girlfriend had a child. She gave up. Celeste’s friend, Devon, appeared a few days later on his way to visit his grandparents before he figured out how to live his new civilian life. Many hired him on the spot, just like it was he place to do so. But hire him, she did, and it turned out his grandparents had owned a peanut far, a much smaller one, but he knew what it would take. It didn’t take long before he found his place at Meadow Falls.

This is a happily-eve-after, not surprise there. It wan’t long before Angela Marie felt her feet and started doing things her own way, instead of the way she’d been told. Her first project was to remodel the living room; she got rid of all that dark, wood panelling and she just went from there. Devon’s cousin, Jesse, came to help them and Angela Marie hired a couple from town as a house cleaner and all-around help. It was really happening. It was a fun story, full of interesting characters and full of history, told by Mandy as Celeste and Angela Marie listed, rapt. It all came together in a fairy-take kind of way. Carolyn Brown writes books that are uplifting and happy. It is her gift.

Thank you Mortlake for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. #Netgalley #Mortlake #CarolynBrown #MeadowFalls

Another feel good story by Carolyn Brown about the past, the present, and the future. A story about letting go and moving forward. This is definitely one to add to your summer beach bag!

Thank you #netalley and #montlake for the eARC.

A wonderful story, in typical Carolyn Brown fashion, about the resilience of family, finding true love, and second chances. Angela had parents that were aloof , although her daddy taught her all he knew about peanut farming . When he dies at a young age, unexpectedly, the peanut farm is all hers. With the help of her childhood Nanny, Mandy, Mandy's great granddaughter, Celeste and newcomers Devon and Jesse, they prepare the farm for another planting season.

Along the way friendships are forged, relationships begin, and family bonds are discovered. The group of strangers become as family when renovating the house . Along the way secrets are discovered and oasts revealed that can make it break the future. A wonderful story to start the New Year off!

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

Brown is my go to author when I need a feel good story.
Meadow Falls Carolyn Brown is a wonderful book filled with love, family, small towns and new beginnings.
She brings so many feelings to her wonderful novels! It felt as if I were magically placed within the pages of this emotionally charged novel.
Meadow Falls was a delightful read. I loved the characters, the story and setting.
This is the perfect little book for light, fun summer reading, or anytime you want a feel good pick me up read.

Thank You NetGalley and Montlake for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!