I was given the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion through NetGalley.
This is the first book I have read by this author. But I'll be honest, it wasn't my type of book. It was a slow start to me. I loved the 'small town' feeling of this book, however, I just didn't enjoy the main character. Hattie just couldn't make up her mind about the men and it seemed we was back and forth the entire book. Also, most books make you fall in love with the 'correct man' but this one had me disliking both her choices. I also had a hard time following along at times.

Event planner Hattie Norwood only came back home to Mountain View, South Carolina to support her parents as they receive word that the family peanut farm is infertile. This news doesn’t come as a surprise to Hattie, and she plans to return to Charlotte at the weekend’s end.

But then the town councilwoman begs Hattie to use her event planning prowess to help Mountain View put on a musical benefit to stop the construction of the new Carolina Panthers stadium—a project Hattie is actually in favor of, much to the dismay of the locals—and she finds herself agreeing to stay until the town’s Founder’s Day celebration a week later, just as her old flame, former MLB standout Lee Lockhardt, materializes in town after a career-ending injury.

When the hunky and mysterious new owner of Fox’s Hardware, Fox Ryan, suggests the Founder’s Day celebration be moved to the Norwoods’ barn in an attempt to reinvent the failing farm as a music and event venue, Hattie agrees, unaware this move will thrust the town, her love life, and the brewing tension over the stadium into a very public spotlight.

This was a lovely cozy small town story that felt like a big warm hug. Lots of quirky characters. I loved Hattie. She was well-developed and likable. Highly recommend it! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.
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This novel follows Hattie, an event planner who returns home to help her parents with their failing farm, only to be recruited into helping the small town plan a Founder’s Day that will help prevent the opening of an NFL stadium on their land, despite believing that this business is just what Mountain View needs to revitalize their fading town. While back in town she finds herself unable to avoid running into her high school ex-boyfriend returning home from a career ending injury from the MLB and spending time with a curious new business owner in town who has quickly become a part of the community and agrees to help her with the Founder’s Day preparations.

I thought the book was really good and enjoyable. I would not change anything about it, and I thought it was really well written.

I was really looking forward to reading this book I I thought the synopsis for the story looked really interesting. Sadly, despite persevering for a good proportion of the book. I just could not connect with any of the characters. Sadly, I struggled to get into the story and was unable to finisg\h it.

I will not be giving feedback for this book. Despite trying to get into the story I was not able to finish as it was not gripping in any way.

Unfortunately I had to DNF at 30%. I was drawn to this book by its description and location. Any story taking place in South or North Carolina...I am in, however I just couldn't connect with the characters. I was hoping for a good, heartwarming small town story but I just didn't think the charm was there.

Thank you Alcove Press and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

SING ME HOME CAROLINA is a genre shift and a huge departure for Joy Callaway, a blossoming favorite of mine in the historical fiction market. In this cozy small town romance novel with all the Hallmark vibes you could ever imagine, Callaway gives us humor and hope and and second chance romance and new found love and love triangle vibes and just pure fun. I laughed and loved along with these characters as they banded together to save their small southern town from being encroached upon to build a new stadium for an NFL team.

While yes, the romance leads the plotline, Callaway gives us a full cast of side characters to root for and I think they steal a lot of the best moments of the novel! There's truly nothing more southern than scenes set in a beauty parlor! I can't wait to read the next book from Joy Callaway in this genre!

3.5 Stars. This was an easy, feel-good read. The characters were unique, and all of us can relate to having a first love. It reminded me of Sweet Magnolias. I do wish the book had moved a bit faster at times, but overall it was enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for my advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this. I enjoyed it throughly as someone who adores country music and all things country in general. With a love story mixed in, I loved this very much.

I absolutely loved this novel. This is my first time reading a book from Joy, and I can say it will not be my last. I was hooked from page 1. I haven't had a book that has had me laughing in some places and teary eye'd next. It tugged at my heartstrings and I love that she wrote it after visiting a small town in West Virginia.Being from a small town definitely made me love this book more and more and I would love to see for there to be another book after this one to see how much more there is to Hattie's story.I enjoyed how she told the story of Hattie a small town girl turned big city businesswoman who returns home to help her parents, only to find her heart being tugged between her old flame and the town's new mysterious new guy. This is a book that if you love Hart of Dixie and Sweet Magnolia's then this is a book that you will want to read.

This book is a page turner and if you are a small town girl and love a cute romance and a girl who has to choose between two men for her heart this book is for you. It's a small town romance, new love vs second chance love

This novel follows Hattie, an event planner who returns home to help her parents with their failing farm, only to be recruited into helping the small town plan a Founder’s Day that will help prevent the opening of an NFL stadium on their land, despite believing that this business is just what Mountain View needs to revitalize their fading town. While back in town she finds herself unable to avoid running into her high school ex-boyfriend returning home from a career ending injury from the MLB and spending time with a curious new business owner in town who has quickly become a part of the community and agrees to help her with the Founder’s Day preparations.

Beginning this story, I had to adjust to the authors writing style. The town and its festivities do remind you a bit of Stars Hollow at times with quirky characters sprinkled throughout from the mullets, to the WeinerMobile, to the Mother Good figurine decordated lawn…

I struggled a bit with the main character. At times, Hattie was resolute in her opinions without much cause to be, while at other times she allowed herself to be won over by pretty words, disregarding what people’s actions and history showed her, without much thought. During times when I felt a daughter who loved her family as well as her job away in the city should have shown the struggle to choose between the two, I found instead when the two began to pull her in different directions, that she felt as though her family was an inconvenience and her job checked her boxes rather than provided her satisfaction. I did not find Hattie to be a compelling character and felt her character development was superficial at best.

As for the romance, Hattie spends the majority of the book resisting one man in town, only to peruse something with him despite the red flags, then chooses the other man in the end with whom I felt there was no romantic build up to choosing.
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🎤Single POV
⚾️Small town romance
🎤Long triangle
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Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review! 📚
Publishers release date 6/10/2025

I do love a small-town romance so I had high hopes for this one. I did enjoy the characters, but one character Hattie frustrated me. She was so indecisive. I didnt really feel the chemistry between the characters.

This book was little a small piece of southern charm! It felt like a warm hug from a friend you didn’t want to break.

Joy Colloway was able to capture the small town feel and the sense of community and family in this book! Mountains View’s sense of family made you feel like you were part of the story. Hattie Norwood goes from big time event planner to small town girl by helping save her town and its history. Throw in a love triangle to really make the story captivate you!

This book gave a little bit of Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias. I definitely couldn’t put the book down and didn’t want the story to end!

Good read , about a girl visiting her home town, falling in love and not wanting to leave. There are a lot of trials in between. The only problem I had with the book is how drawn out it was, I felt my self having trouble staying engaged. I liked the setting , characters and idea of it all just wish it would have been wrapped up a little sooner .

This book was just okey. I could never figure out what anyone could possibly see in the main character Hattie. That her high school boyfriend was still in love with her ten years later, maybe. That the good looking stranger also loved her for absolutely no discerning reason, no. They really did not interact enough to have created this dynamic.
On the other hand, I really liked some of the other characters but felt that some of them could of been developed a little more. The small town feel was endearing.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I wanted to like this story but at times, the main character was frustrating. A small town romance, sometimes absolute in her decisions, Hattie was multi-faceted. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC.

A sweet story about small towns and first loves who might deserve a second chance. Can’t beat sweet southern romances!

I loved "Sing Me Home to Carolina"! This is such a sweet story about first love and the connections in a small town. There is power in a small town coming together, which Callaway lovingly conveys. Southern charm is also on full display here. I enjoyed the setting of Mountain View, SC and Hattie as the main character. Pitting the town's economic interests against the interests of Hattie's family is a great way to set up tension and keep us turning the pages! I was invested in whether the barn would be saved and how the proposed stadium would impact Hattie's family. As Hattie rekindles old relationships and embarks on new ones, she learns powerful life lessons. This is a feel-good story full of charm. I highly recommend it for fans of Viola Shipman and Hallmark movies.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Sing Me Home to Carolina
Author: Joy Callaway @joywcal
Thanks to @netgalley and @alcovepress
Pub Date : 10th June-25
Stars: 🎶♥️🎶♥️🎶

“The love we had was the forever kind, the kind that endures time and distance and lust. I think the only way it can break is if something equally as strong comes along and snaps it in two. After that, I don’t think it can ever be the same.”

Setup in a small town in South Carolina- Mountain View which is still enveloped in the beauty farming and old country music lovers and heritage of Robinson’s who were the founders of this town and country music legends. When Hattie the small town girl turned to city business event manager returns home to find that the town is dying and her parents farm is now infertile and the town is getting scooped up by Govt to build a Stadium.. The town councilwoman begs Hattie to use her event planning prowess to help Mountain View put on a musical benefit to stop the construction of the new Carolina Panthers stadium—a project Hattie is actually in favor of, much to the dismay of the locals—and she finds herself agreeing to stay until the town’s Founder’s Day. Her old flame former MLB standout Lee Lockhart returns tugging at her heart. But with time and complicated past between her and Lee .. She is in dilemma. In the process of reviving the barn, she is attracted to town hunk and mysterious new owner of Fox Hardware.. Fox..
The emotional turmoil of Hattie’s is so real., the
Tug between her old flame and the new hunk is convincing.. I loved how the story of the romance and the saving of the town goes hand in hand..and none of it looses the charm..it is so well written that the reader is eager to know what happens with Hattie - Lee and Fox and will this town be saved!! That is the charm of this story. All small town romance lovers will love and hold this book close to their hearts.. Read this charming story and loose yourself in the charm of countryside.. ♥️🎶🎶🎸🎸♥️