A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

DNF.

This is not what I was expecting…

I had super high hopes for this one for numerous reasons, but I had to stop reading this about halfway in. There was too much filler and not enough of what was promised in the blurb.

No hate to the author! This just wasn’t the right read for me.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾.

I absolutely loved this book! I’ve read a lot of books set in a small town, but this one truly captured the unique aspects of a southern small town and all of its charm. The characters, the language, the descriptions….i felt like I was actually there. I loved the characters and their history and growth, and balancing family and individual lives. It was everything I had hoped it would be.

Yet another charming novel by Joy Callaway! Atmospheric, engaging, and a satisfying ending. What more could you want!

This story is perfect for fans of Sweet Home Alabama! The community is full of characters that make you smile, laugh, shake your head, and yell at the pages. It was great following Hattie on her journey and seeing her grow. I was so happy she ended up with the character I wanted for her. I loved this southern romance.

Joy never disappoints. I thoroughly enjoyed this different take on her writing and enjoyed the plot and characters. Thank you for the arc and I had access to an arc in hand to enjoying the end with my bookclub!

Sing Me Home to Carolina by Joy Callaway is a story of going back home. An intended short visit home to help her parents turns into a soul-searching return for Hattie. Encountering her high school love after not seeing him for eleven years resulted in her wondering could they recapture what they once had. On the verge of accomplishing all she had ever dreamed of in her career, a family emergency has everything coming to a screeching halt. What will Hattie's future entail? Will she return to her job, or will she give up her dream?

Strong characters, excellent plot, and a surprising ending.

Releases June 10th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a sweet, cute smalltown romance. I couldn't decide most of the book which guy was the right guy for Hattie!

This was a sweet story of family & community that I don't think most people get to see or experience. Overall, it was a good read!

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing this ARC for my honest review.

#NetGalley #SingMeHomeToCarolina #JoyCallaway

Event planner Hattie Norwood lives in Charlotte and she returns home to Mountain View, South Carolina to support her parents as they receive the devastating news their family peanut farm is infertile.

Hattie agrees to stay for a week and until the town’s Founder’s Day celebration, which is to be held in Mr. Norwood’s barn located on her family property and with help from Fox the new owner of the hardware store and volunteers it’s transformed and it gives her an idea for how her parents could make money and not have to sell or walk away from the farm.

Hattie’s former high school boyfriend Lee Lockhardt returns after his career ending injury and he’s keen for her to stick around and give their relationship another chance. Hattie’s torn between her dream job and progress as the NFL want to build a stadium in the area, her parents, Lee, and Fox who she finds intriguing and everyone have no idea the gigs in the barn will bring everything to a head and into the public spotlight and the situation escalates.

I received a copy of Sing Me Home to Carolina from Alcove Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The author Joy Callaway is known for writing historical fiction and I really enjoyed her foray into penning a romance novel and it's full of funny and charming southern characters.

A narrative about saving a town from developers, it makes you think about what’s really important and that's; heritage and history, family and home, old barns and using them as a venue, bluegrass music and the foot tapping energy it brings, and if you like books by Sherryl Woods and Viola Shipman I suggest reading Sing Me Home to Carolina. Five stars from me and I highly recommend and the story would be perfect for the Hallmark channel.

This was an enjoyable feel-good book.

I really liked the writing, the story, and the overall tone of the story. It felt believable, and full of love for a small town and all the people in it.

I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

For anyone who loves Hallmark movies, Joy Callaway’s Sing Me Home to Carolina, is the book for you. Beautifully written and a gorgeous homage to the picturesque Carolinas, this is a quick and light read that will leave you smiling and optimistic after finishing. And bonus points for all of the fun Charlotte, NC, shoutouts.

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read. On paper, this is right up my alley: NFL stadium, southern set, similar to Hart of Dixie, second chance romance. But I found myself really struggling to get through this. I thought the romance was a bit stilted: I dont completely understand: the lead is indecisive but also confusing: I can accept indecision, but the rest is a bit difficult. I think Hattie was just hard for me to personally love, and I struggle when I can't connect to a lead. The small town is cute though, reminds me a lot of Stars Hallow.
I was excited for this book. I’m a big fan of Hart of Dixie and Sweet Magnolias and enjoy those stories. I can definitely see the connection in this book.

I read this book in under a day and loved all the references to Charlotte. This book is very fast paced and while I had an idea of how I wanted the book to go, I just wasn’t sure Joy felt the same as me (so of course I kept reading to find out). There are a lot of twists and turns and a kind-of-not-really love triangle

The small town of Mountain View, SC has a lot going on. Located right outside of Charlotte, home to the Carolina Panthers, Mountain View is being considered as the new location of the Panthers’ stadium. The town is slowly dying, yet in spite of that, the townspeople or townsfolk in southern, are vehemently opposed to the stadium making its home here.

Hattie, who grew up in Mountain View, but is now an event planner in Charlotte, is visiting her parent. Her parents get the devastating news that their farm is no longer able to produce peanuts. Hattie is there to help them figure out their next steps and sees the stadium as a way to reinvigorate the town. However being the one person in the entire town who isn’t against the new stadium makes her quite the pariah. The only people willing to speak to her (other than her family) are Fox, the new hardware store owner, and her ex-boyfriend and former major league shortstop, Lee.

Hattie struggles throughout this book trying to do what’s best for the town and her parents. She puts aside her own wants and needs to please others, and yet still feels like she isn’t doing enough. As the book follows her self discoveries and acceptances, it also helps her realize her past and future.

HattieNorwood, a professional event planner in Charlotte, reluctantly returns to her rural home in Mountain View, South Carolina. Her parents, who are farmers, are about to lose their farm to bankruptcy, and she needs to help them. She quickly realizes the town has not changed, and is itself in financial trouble. Her only true love Lee, who unceremoniously dumped her, senior year of high school, has returned to Mountain View after retiring from the Atlanta Braves. When she sees him, she realizes he still holds her heart.
The town of Mountain View wraps its arms around you, and you root for its survival. Can Hattie help save it? We root for her as she must decide where her heart and future belong.

This is a sweet small town romance story. Hattie comes back to town to help her parents figure out what to do with their farm that no longer can produce a crop and due to a bunch of different things happening, ends up staying longer than the weekend. Her high school sweetheart is back in town, too. Will she rekindle things with him or will she start fresh with a newcomer to town?

This was a cute love story with a mysterious background. It really reminded me of Sweet Home Alabama or Sweet Magnolias. I love the southern small town aspect. There were a few parts that I feel like were sped thru and would’ve gotten more attention. When Lee proposes and Hattie decides no, they have a quick 30 second conversation about why. And then he pretty much says ok and walks away and it’s fine. I think it would’ve been a longer conversation and more emotion with how in life they were.

Another fantastic, heartfelt story from Joy Callaway. A bit of a departure from her usual historical romance, this one has more of a Hallmark movie feel, but the story is incredible.

Hattie Norwood is an event planner working towards a promotion. And is back in her home town trying to help her parents after the soil wore out on their peanut farm and they're trying to find a way to keep the land and survive. She's only supposed to be in town a weekend, but it turns into longer when she's asked to help plan an event. On a night out with her friend, she runs into her old sweetheart and also meets Fox, the new owner of the hardware store. There is a lot going on in this story - the town is fighting for a new stadium to be built there, but Hattie is against it and that turns the town against her. She's determined to turn her parent's barn into a wedding venue and falls back in love with her old boyfriend - only to have him rush out of town to Nashville for a recording contract. It's a lot, but it flows easily and the characters are so interesting. It's a beautiful story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

"Sing Me Home to Carolina" has a lot going for it—a cozy small-town setting, a heartfelt story about family and home, and a love triangle that keeps things interesting. Joy Callaway does a great job of capturing the charm of Mountain View and the community’s fight to preserve its identity. The event-planning elements add a fun and unique touch, making the backdrop feel lively and engaging.

However, while the premise is strong, the execution fell a bit flat for me. The characters, including Hattie, Lee, and Fox, felt underdeveloped, making it hard to feel fully invested in their journeys. Their motivations and emotional depth could have been explored more, especially given the personal and town-wide stakes. Additionally, the pacing lagged at times, and some of the secondary characters, while quirky, didn’t feel fully fleshed out.

Overall, this is an easy, pleasant read for fans of small-town romance, but it left me wanting more depth and character development.

What an awesome story about a special small town and the people who love it. Things really can happen for a reason, even if it’s getting your truck stuck in the mud. The folks who live in Mountain View are wonderful and as in many small towns look out for and love each other. I love the way they come together. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

This is one of those rare books that once you pick it up you can't put it down until you have finished it. I highly recommend reading this story. There are so many surprises wiring for you

Thank you for allowing me to read this title for an honest review.
Review also posted to goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7432474792