In the absence of Sarah Addison Allen I felt a longing for a book with for a good story sprinkled with magic. In my search I found Heather Webber. In the Middle of Hickory Lane is her best yet. That says a lot because I adored South Of The Buttonwood Tree and The Blackbird Cafe. In her latest novel we are introduced to Emme. Emme has had a rough start in her life and wants so badly to have the security and comfort of a family. A life she couldn’t have with her Mother. The warmth of the characters along with the mystery and family secrets make this novel a page turner.
May we all have Glory in our lives.

Read the book and you’ll know what I mean. I love curling up with a Heather Webber book and she has a reader in me for as long as she writes.

In the Middle of Hickory Lane is southern fiction at it's best. Heathers Webber is a master at character development. Her characters are so real that you almost feel their feelings along with them. Her descriptive settings along with the warm characters seem to invite you into the garden to spend time with them. Mrs. Webber is a magnificent story weaver - this one incorporates family, drama, loss, grief, acceptance, forgiveness, mystery, magical realism, whimsy, and a bit of romance! A fun and entertaining read!

Heather Webber has been a favorite of mine under many different names, but since Midnight at Blackbird Cafe, I've been captivated by the wonderful magical realism, the sense of community, and the gorgeous writing of her latest books. In The Middle of Hickory Lane is the latest of her books to find a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf.

The secrets of Hickory Lane and the healing needed for the Wynn family wove a story that lingered in my mind long after the book was finished. Heather's characters, as always are multi-layered and charming. Add in the secrets surrounding their family and a fascinating magical garden, and the result is one of those books you can get lost in and never want to find your way out.

There has always been something special about Heather Webber's writing, and this book is another glowing example of it.

Thank you to Forge Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I truly love this book, it has interesting loveable characters and a very sweet storyline with a bit of mystery thrown in. The story flowed beautifully and was very engaging. A really lovely novel. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Emme Wynn has wanted nothing more her whole life than to feel like part of a family. Having grown up on the run with her con artist mother, she’s been shuffled from town to town, drawn into bad situations, and has learned some unsavory habits that she’s tried hard to overcome. When her estranged grandmother tracks her down out of the blue and extends a job offer—helping to run her booth at an open-air marketplace in small-town Sweetgrass, Alabama—Emme is hopeful that she’ll finally be able to plant the roots she’s always dreamed of. But some habits are hard to break, and she risks her newfound happiness by keeping one big truth to herself.

Cora Bee Hazelton has her hands full with volunteering, gardening, her job as a color consultant and designer, and just about anything she can do to keep her mind off her painful past, a past that has resulted in her holding most everyone at arm’s length. The last thing she wants is to form close relationships only to have her heart broken yet again. But when she’s injured, she has no choice other than to let people into her life and soon realizes it’s going to be impossible to keep her heart safe—or her secrets hidden.

In the magical neighborhood garden in the middle of Hickory Lane, Emme and Cora Bee learn some hard truths about the past and themselves, the value of friends, family, and community, and most importantly, that true growth starts from within.
#netgalley #inthemiddleofhickorylane

This was such a sweet book, filled with engaging characters a little bit of mystery and just the right amount of heart warming happily every after.
Emme shows up on Hickory Lane, looking for family and to plant some roots. Despite the secrets she hides, she falls in love with her new found family and neighborhood.
Cora Bee is nursing a broken heart, and some of her own secrets.
Well, everyone on Hickory Lane seems to have a few secrets!
But with a little bit of trust, and a little bit of magic, things just might work out for the best.

I received a copy of In The Middle of Hickory Lane from NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.

Reading this book felt like a big, warm hug! I absolutely loved this hopeful, wise and heartwarming tale of families and friendship and rebirth and romance, sprinkled with flowers, mystery and a bit of magic. Set in a small Alabama town called Sweetgrass, this story is beautifully written. The colorful residents of Hickory Lane - human and canine - are so well drawn they come alive on the page, and I was wholly invested in their health and happiness. I felt transported to the homes and gardens of Hickory Lane and to a local market I would visit in a heartbeat if real. I could feel the Southern heat and humidity and see the lush landscaping as I read, and found myself craving matriarch Glory Wynn’s sweet tea, cupcakes and flower bouquets in Mason jars. On the topic of posies, the organization of chapters by individual flowers and their respective meanings was a device that added interest and fit the story well. Highly recommended! I read and similarly adored Heather Webber’s Midnight at the Blackberry Cafe, South of the Buttonwood Tree and The Lights of Sugarberry Cove. Fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Karen White (Tradd Street series) should likewise enjoy this charming tale. Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for the ARC of this book. Opinions are my own.

One of my favorite books this year! The characters were well developed and the story flowed beautifully. The touch of magic in the gazing pond and the special gifts of the family members gave the story a little glimmer. The sense of place was palatable and left me wanting to sit in their garden and watch the bees dance among the flowers. Truly loved this book!

In the Middle of Hickory Lane by Heather Webber is the story of a family with a mystery, well, several really. Glory Wynn was an old lady, looking death in the face and doing it with dignity. She had a good life and all the people she loved were near except her granddaughter, Emme. She had been looking for her for years, as had her father before he died, using private investigators. Now she’s been found and was coming here today. Right in the middle of this police mess out by the gazing pond. There was a sinkhole and it had uncovered some bones. Was it Glory’s sister, Bee? Glory refused to discuss it until the DNA was back and they knew for sure. The plan had been for Emme to live above Glory’s garage, but her cousin, Cora Bee, invited Emme to stay at her house, mostly because Cora Bee’s mother was coming and planning to stay as long as it took to figure out to whom the bones belonged. Cora Bee could do a week with her mother, but not months. So Emme moved in and they both decided it had been fate. They were a lot alike and lived well together, both going their own ways.

Emme had had a crap childhood, no question. Her mother was a con woman with questionable taste in men. On Emme’s 18th birthday her mother had given her fifty dollars and told her it was time they parted ways. Emme hadn’t heard from her again but she got busy, got herself a GED, a job, a hobby, and a place to live. Things had not been going so good for her when Glory called, so here she was, looking for a family. She knew it wasn’t her family as her mother had told her when she was fourteen that Glory’s son was not her father. She would soak up the love until Glory passed, then she would leave. It was a complicated story with plenty of characters. And they were good characters, unique and entertaining. Lillian, Cora Bee’s mom, did come to town to stir things up. She succeeded. It worked out, though. It was a good story with twists and turns, like many families but more love than a lot of them. I enjoyed every minute of it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of In the Middle of Hickory Lane by Forge, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #forge #heatherwebber #inthemiddleofhickorylane

Emme Wynn has arrived on Hickory Lane to a gathering in the cul-de-sac and police lights. Her paternal grandmother has hunter her down and invited her home but Emme has her secrets. In the Middle of Hickory Lane is the story of an Alabama family that has the ability to read people but has managed to keep their own secrets from each other. Soon that might all change and it is unsure if that will be from the better or not.

This is one of those easy reads that contain suspense and mystery but are very character driven and these characters are pretty interesting. If you like light reads or need a palate cleanser novel then grab this one. The characters are great and the story uplifting.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked how it blended together friendship and family and had so many different elements of interest throughout the story.

Emme has only ever wished for one thing…a real family. With her con artist mother always on the run, Emme has never truly had a real home. When her grandmother Glory finds her and reaches out, Emme can’t help but move to Hickory Lane in hopes of being welcomed into her family. Between Glory, her cousin Cora Bee, and the neighborhood, things are starting to feel right, but Emme still holds a secret that could ruin it all. Will the magic of Hickory Lane give her the family she has always wanted?

Dang. Heather Webber truly has such a way with words. She is so fantastic at creating just slightly magical places filled with some of the most loving, caring, accepting, and heartwarming characters. One thing is for certain with each book of hers I read….I want to move to the town and be surrounded by everyone in the book! That’s not to say the books are without hardships. The backstory of each character was so heartbreaking, but seeing their healing through Hickory lane and each other just filled me to the brim in hope. I don’t even know what more to say about this book. Webber truly hit me in the small town feels with this one and I highly recommend it!

Loved this riveting and well written story that mixes family, friendship, healing and some magic.
Great characters, a plot that kept me turning pages, excellent storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Heather Webber has done it again. She done a wonderful job of writing another Southern family story with a touch of magical realism thrown in. There is just something a little magical about the South so it makes sense.

Like most of her books, this book centers around a little mystery in the past of some of our characters. This book is set in modern day Alabama, but we get little snippets of the past through diary entries told along the way. The main story of this book is not this little mystery though. It is mostly about finding out who you truly are and strong family ties.

This is definitely a 5 star read for me. If you like Sarah Addison Allen or Karen White, pick this book up. You will not be disappointed.

I love everything Heather Webber writes and this is no exception. There are few books that I will never part with and all of hers are part of that collection. This book is amazing! I love the magic in the book. I love the characters, who are all so flawed they seem real. I love the relationships that develop, and I love the storyline arcs. This was an amazing book. I loved every page.

In the Middle of Hickory Lane was another captivating entry by Heather Webber into the magical realism and women’s contemporary fiction genres. Emme Wynn comes to Sweetgrass, Alabama seeking a place to belong and people to love. Her mother disappeared with Emme when she was a baby, using her to punish her father and grandmother. After years of searching, her grandmother Glory Wynn finds her and invites her to work in her booth at the local open market. When her cousin Cora Bee is injured, she lets Emme move in to help both of them out, forging a family bond. The relationships that develop, remind us all of the importance of building a family and friendships.
The narrative of this book was visually descriptive and I admired the tenacity of all of the women in the book. Their characters were well-developed and vibrant, just the sort of women that you would want for friends. The seemingly related mysteries of the disappearance of Glory’s sister Bee and a recently unearthed unidentified body compelled me to continue reading deep into the night. The magical realism was subtle but powerful, making the neighborhood garden seem like a character itself.
This book touched my heartstrings, caused me to shed a few tears, and I loved every minute of it. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Don’t hesitate buy it now.

EXCERPT: In the middle of Hickory Lane grew a neighbourhood garden, a circular patch of vibrant land that fit snugly into the footprint of the wide dead-end street, a cul-de-sac. The landscaped island rose from the surrounding asphalt road, lush and verdant, beckoning for a closer look, a long stay. It was impossible for me not to notice, however, that among its gravel pathways, trees, shrubs, planter beds, trellises and flower meadow, a secret had once been planted as well. One that was slowly being exposed with each thrust of a shovel into rich soil as a newly discovered grave was unearthed.

ABOUT 'IN THE MIDDLE OF HICKORY LANE': Emme Wynn has wanted nothing more her whole life than to feel like part of a family. Having grown up on the run with her con artist mother, she’s been shuffled from town to town, drawn into bad situations, and has learned some unsavory habits that she’s tried hard to overcome. When her estranged grandmother tracks her down out of the blue and extends a job offer—helping to run her booth at an open-air marketplace in small-town Sweetgrass, Alabama—Emme is hopeful that she’ll finally be able to plant the roots she’s always dreamed of. But some habits are hard to break, and she risks her newfound happiness by keeping one big truth to herself.

Cora Bee Hazelton has her hands full with volunteering, gardening, her job as a color consultant and designer, and just about anything she can do to keep her mind off her painful past, a past that has resulted in her holding most everyone at arm’s length. The last thing she wants is to form close relationships only to have her heart broken yet again. But when she’s injured, she has no choice other than to let people into her life and soon realizes it’s going to be impossible to keep her heart safe—or her secrets hidden.

MY THOUGHTS: My bags are packed - I'm moving to Sweetgrass, Alabama. More precisely to Hickory Lane. I can't imagine a more delightful neighbourhood, a more wonderful bunch of neighbours than I would have here.

Glory is the matriarch of the family. A wonderfully wise woman who sees far more than she says, she has finally succeeded in tracing her estranged granddaughter and bringing her back to the family fold.

But Emme has a secret, one that weighs heavily on her, and as much as she has always wanted a home, a family, she isn't at all sure that she can stay. She also has a peculiar talent, one that she puts down to the way she was raised - she can always tell when someone is lying.

Cora Bee is Emme's cousin. She also has a secret, a time of her life that she is not proud of but that she can't let go. She uses it as a barrier, a way of keeping others from getting to close. She also has a particular gift, that of seeing people's colours.

As Glory's life comes to an end, all she wants is to see her granddaughters happy and settled, and she will move heaven and earth to do it.

What can I say about the characters in this book? They are simply wonderful and from the moment I first started reading, I just wanted to move in with them and be a part of this beautiful story. I couldn't help but love them, particularly Emme who has had such a hard life, and Glory who is so loving and giving. Even Dorothy, who is falling prey to dementia is a wonderful character, and perhaps some of the strange things she comes out with have more meaning than her family realises!

This is a lovely heartwarming story, a magical story, that enchanted and engaged me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#IntheMiddleofHickoryLane #NetGalley

I: @booksbyheather @forgereads

T: @BooksbyHeather @ForgeReads

#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #familydrama #mystery #romance

THE AUTHOR: Heather Webber, aka Heather Blake, is the author of more than twenty-five novels. She loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Macmillan - Tor/Forge, Forge Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of In the Middle of Hickory Lane by Heather Webber for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

After a rough start in life, Emme is thrilled to connect with Glory, the grandma she never knew. But will Glory and the rest of her long lost family judge her for her mother's failings?

This story was super sweet, and I enjoyed the magical realism portions, the loving relationships, and the touch of romance. There was also a mystery surrounding a couple gone missing decades ago and the recent discovery of a dead body. Whose body is it, and what happened? Even though I liked all of the characters (except for Emme's mom, of course) and much to my disappointment, it lacked the emotional depth and pull of this author's previous books. However, I did really like the ending and thought it fit the story perfectly.

3.5 stars

Midnight at the Blackbird Café (5 stars) remains my favorite by this author!

Location: Sweetgrass, Alabama

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book transported me right to the middle of Hickory Lane. I wanted to move right in with Glory and feel her love and kindness encompass me. Her unconditional love for her estranged granddaughter Emme made me believe in the genuine beauty of the human spirit. I was delighted by my visit to a small town filled with hope and the perfect characters with which to share a cup of coffee.

Feel-good read coming your way!

In the Middle of Hickory Lane gives us a town full of quirky but loving people, a splash of magical realism, budding romance, personal demons to overcome, a few tears, and lots of joy.

I want to move to the little town of Sweetgrass, Alabama and be real-life friends with all the characters. Truly, the best thing I can tell you about this book is that I want to climb inside and live there.

Heather Webber’s books always make me happy, and this one totally met my expectations. The characters are well developed and colorful. The plot is realistic and relatable. It’s a fun but also thought-provoking read with depth and complexities that will leave a lasting impression.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Well all that I can say is WOW! As an introduction to the writing of Heather Webber, In the Middle of Hickory Lane was a great first book to read. I was totally spellbound by the story as well as the characters. Each of the main character’s development and growth throughout the story was captivating. One of the interesting things about this story is that at the beginning of each chapter we get a short glimpse of the past, which certainly plays into the current events throughout the story. While I am not a huge fan – it was well done and I was not distracted by this feature.

The story begins with Emme Watson coming to Sweetgrass, Alabama to start her life over again (for the umpteenth time I might add – no thanks to her grifter mom) with the other members of her family, whom she has not had a chance to get to really know. Glory Wynn (Emme’s grandmother) sought Emme out and asked that Emme come to Sweetgrass to help her run her booth at an open-air marketplace. Emme meets her relatives and starts to develop real feelings and connections. There are certainly bumps along the way as everyone must come to terms with the past, present and the future. One will also witness the familial healing that will take place amongst the Wynn clan as everyone learns many truths! The reader will experience the journey first hand (and the deep, dark secrets hidden in Hickory Lane).

I found the author created characters which were relatable, having them live in a town similar to any readers’ neighbourhood with challenges and secrets. And lets not forget the magic that was thrown in. What is it with the bees? Well – you will have to read the book to find out (I know – I am teasing you…☺).

One of my favourite parts was when Emme first met Glory (we learn so much them both):

“I wasn’t sure when my ability to identify a person’s personality at first glance had started, but it wasn’t until I was older that I became aware the talent was something special. Special because it was never wrong.”

I enjoyed the unraveling of the family history and seeing how each family member worked, first from within, and then for the betterment of the whole family (including the extended family – i.e. – neighbors). The personal growth of Emme and Cora Bee was a journey well worth taking, even though it was fraught with some anxious moments.

And for the romantic at heart – there is more than one love story that is told. Each journey was fraught with the usual misunderstanding, etc. but I must say – the journey was worth taking for each couple. It certainly kept me rooting for the misunderstandings to be solved in a positive manner so that there might be one, two or more (?) HEA’s…?

I also liked that the artwork on the cover was eye catching and pretty ☺

Would I pick up another book by Heather Webber – yes. Would I recommend this book – without a doubt! If you want to read an engaging book with interesting characters and an intriguing family story – this is your book!