Okay y’all, Spilling the Tea was my very first Brenda Jackson book and I totally get the hype now. This was such an entertaining read, I was hooked from the start and genuinely caught up in the story. The drama, the secrets, the relationships... it had me flipping pages faster than I expected.

What really stood out to me was the dual timeline POV. I’m a sucker for that kind of structure when it’s done well, and Jackson nailed it. Watching how the past and present wove together made everything hit a little deeper emotionally. I loved seeing how the choices made years ago still echoed in the characters’ lives now.

Brenda Jackson, you’ve got a new fan. Already adding more of her books to my TBR. If you love a solid, emotional family drama with just the right amount of mess, you’ll want to pick this one up.

This on will pull on your heartstrings and make you cry! I literally was crying at some parts of this book. So much love and heartbreak for no reason other than hate. I can’t imagine this story being any better! The characters were amazing and you will become invested in these characters and the family.

Likes: I liked the timeline from the past the most. As usual, there are strong themes about family and love woven throughout the story as we get glimpses of characters from other books. I loved all of the “tea” that was spilled.
Dislikes: Charlotte Satterfield……can’t stand her.
Rating: 4
Do I recommend? yes

Spilling the Tea by Brenda Jackson 
This was my first time reading this author. The story started nice but there were so many characters that I had a hard time keeping up which made me loose interest in this book. I DNF this one

Spilling the Tea by Brenda Jackson is a delicious yet moving story that blends family, romance, and a touch of mystery in the best way. Mama Laverne, the ninety-something matriarch with a matchmaking streak and a heart full of wisdom, is unforgettable. Determined to see all of her great-grandchildren happily matched, she sets her sights on her next target: Chance Madaris. The ending was heartfelt and uplifting, and the epilogue wrapped everything up perfectly.

A huge thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the ARC. Spilling the Tea is a must-read for fans of Brenda Jackson and anyone who loves romance with strong family ties, depth, and a touch of intrigue.

Brenda Jackson has written 150 books, hitting both the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists in the process. Spilling the Tea, in my opinion, is one of her best and one of my all-time Jackson favorites.

Jackson has a way of luring readers into her stories with intriguing characters, relatable circumstances, and emotional engagement. In this book, she offers up two couples for the price of one. I connected with Zoey and Chance almost immediately but I was equally connected to the earlier couple whose ill-fated romance set off scandalous shock waves that rocked two families, a scandal unknown to all present-day characters with the exception of Mama Laverne and one of her sons.

Jackson seamlessly interweaves the two stories together using flashbacks of the past with unfolding events of the present and the unlikely twists that bond the two together. The end result is an emotional dual-timeline story with strong family dynamics, heart-wrenching emotion, sensual romance, closely-held secrets, and another Madaris HEA.

Fans of Jackson's Madaris family will no doubt enjoy the many cameos in this book by beloved characters (now the older generations) from earlier books while those readers new to this universe should have no issues jumping in here. Spilling the Tea stands beautifully on its own.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

Thank you to the publisher as well as NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. Since reading my first Brenda Jackson Eternally Yours (out of order I might add), I fell in love with the Madaris Family and Friends Series. I found the preceding books and have been sold ever since. I love this family, reading about their triumphs, their honor/loyalty, and how they stick together no matter what. This book did not fall short of all things Madaris, however, it gave us the biggest story of them all…Mama Laverne’s. I love all of the gems that were dropped in this story. I loved reading about how Mama Laverne and Milton ended up together. I loved reading about Chance and getting updates about past cousins/family members from previous books. This book made me love Mama Laverne more than I already did. Brenda Jackson does it AGAIN…I love her and her books. This is a must read if you have read any of the Madaris Family and Friend stories.

First, Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Harlequin for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. Also - mad kudos and all the props go to Brenda Jackson - 150 published novels? I am absolutely blown away and the significance of this is unlike any we usually get to see these days!! This was my first by her, but will certainly not be my last.

Second - starting off a book with a recap of other books that have been in the series truly must be made more normal! It allowed me to jump in and understand the family, understand the entire family tree, and it gave me so much insight - I loved it and it made me so giddy to read this book!

Zoey starts the book off strong with so much heartache and pain from such a tender age. Chance is introduced as being heartless - but when they come together his true spirit comes and shines down. I loved how they explored grief and healing together, and I just loved their love story for how real it felt.

Chance keeps to himself. Lucky for him, he isn’t on Mama Laverne’s long list of relatives she plans to marry off. He loves working on his ranch and occasionally finding a woman for a night. He doesn’t need more than that. Zoey lost her parents when she was very young. She was raised by her aunt who never told her anything about her parents owning a ranch in Texas. She and Chance slowly get to know each other as she explores Chance’s ranch. Can the two of them find love as they uncover uncomfortable truths about their families? This story is told in both the present from Chance and Zoey’s perspectives and the past through Mama Laverne’s memories.
Chance was an army ranger. After an injury that left him in a wheelchair, he returned home to Texas. His great grandmother, Mama Laverne, pushed him to walk and learn to live again. He bought his ranch because it was something he’d always wanted. He loves spending time with his large, extended family. He didn’t know the history of the ranch and how it ties into his family history.Zoey is a successful doctor at Johns Hopkins. She has the summer off after teaching a class. Spending the summer in Texas wasn’t on her radar. She is hoping that spending in time in the town where her parents used to own a ranch will help her get back her memories. She has suffered from memory loss since the accident that killed her parents. It was smart for the author to give Chance and Zoey ties from many different angles. It made their falling in love that much more meaningful. There are a LOT of side characters both present and past. The unraveling of the family ties and the lies was very good. I felt so bad for the people affected by bitterness and anger. Is there a bad guy in this story? Yes but it’s not a typical bad guy. Sometimes people make terrible choices that lead to multiple generations of unhappiness.
This story takes place in Texas. This story is about the unlikely meeting of two people who should have known each other their entire lives but generations of lies and anger kept them apart. There are family secrets that have to be uncovered and they will affect everyone.

Thank You Netgalley. LOVED IT. With this book, you get more than one romance story plus a little mystery, which kept things interesting the entire time. I loved what Brenda Jackson was able to do within a book of this length.

The first half of the book switches between the present-day story of Zoey (the FMC) and Chance (the MMC) and flashbacks to their ancestors. I loved that Chance’s family matriarch was the one helping Zoey since she had knowledge of Zoey's family past. The flashback chapters were some of my favorites. I got attached to those characters so fast and was fully invested in their love stories and the family scandal. I could’ve read a whole book about just them.

Brenda Jackson did such a great job with both time periods that it felt like I had two full stories in one. The representation of family and community really stood out to me. I also enjoyed how the drama between the Madaris and Satterfield families tied into everything happening in the present. I love the Madaris family and definitely plan to go back to the beginning of the series and read through their family history. The characters were mostly easy to love, but I stand with the Madarises. The Satterfields were a different story.

There was even a murder mystery in the mix, which added a fun and unexpected twist. When all the pieces came together at the end, I was genuinely shocked. The history and tension between the two families caused so much confusion. Chance and Zoey's love ended a family feud that began so long ago. And I have to say, I loved how intentional and respectful the men in this story were about their women. It gave very old school, and I was here for it. Review can also be found on Instagram @book.bybook_ , Goodreads, Fable, Storygraph, & Tiktok.

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.

When Dr. Zoey Pritchard was eight, she was in a car accident that robbed her of her family and of her memories of them. Twenty or so years later, the paternal aunt that raised her passes away, and when she’s cleaning out her aunts papers, Zoey finds records pertaining to the sale of a ranch in Texas, a ranch that belonged to her mother. Zoey figures it was to help pay for her care as she recovered for many weeks and months in the hospital after the accident, but maybe it’s the place she keeps seeing in her dreams of her parents.

Chance Madras has a similar story of loss of mobility, only in his case, it was while he was serving in Iraq. And then a loss of fiancée when she breaks off the engagement, not wanting to be married to ‘half a man.’ And as fate would have it, Chance bought the ranch Zoey’s mother owned, although not directly from her aunt. When Zoey shows up on Chance’s doorstep, wanting to look around and see if it jogs her memory, his reaction is to first thought is to throw her out, but then he realizes his great-grandmother Mama Laverne might just provide some answers - even as he fights his growing attraction to her.

I had never read anything by Ms. Jackson before, and honestly, I was a bit disappointed in this story. Based on the description, it sounded marvelous! But then I felt the main story was a bit flat, drowned out by too many subplots, one of which was much more interesting (at least to me) than Zoey and Chance’s story. I do think that long time fans of the series would throughly enjoy this book, especially the part set in the past. I just think it would have been better without some of the subplots, especially the one involving the ex-fiancee.

Recommended to fans of the series. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.Com which I voluntarily reviewed.

While this is Brenda Jackson's 150th book, it was my first of hers. I think I'll go back to the beginning of the Madaris family books because I love a good family saga! I really loved how she went back and told the story of Mama Laverne and her man MIlton so that we could really know the back story of their lives and how that fit in with Zoey's family. The whole story-line and romance was wonderful! Chance was such a good guy and just the man who Zoey needed!

I also listened the audiobook....Ron Butler did an amazing job narrating all of the characters! I will definitely be looking for more books that he narrates in the future!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 1 April 2025

What if your healing, your answers, and your happily ever after all started with one woman’s divine plan?

Ninety-something Mama Laverne isn’t just baking pies and offering wisdom—she’s rewriting destinies, one great-grandchild at a time. Her matchmaking streak? Unbreakable. Her timing? Impeccable.

The latest mission? A decorated war veteran and a woman with a forgotten past. Was Mama Laverne alone in this one or did she have help from the past??

Chancellor Madaris walked through fire—literally—and lived to tell the tale. But he’s still learning how to live again.

Zoey Pritchard survived a childhood tragedy and lost her memory along the way. But now the truth is clawing its way to the surface, and it just might shatter everything she thought she knew.

Their meeting isn’t by chance—it’s orchestrated with love, faith, and some persistence. But healing the past means facing the kind of truths that don’t come easy.

Can love truly rewrite the past? Can a stranger become your safest place? And what if the greatest risk… is letting someone in?

"Spilling the Tea" is more than a romance—it’s a soul search dressed in southern charm, tender heat, and family roots that run deep.

Enjoyed this book, as I have read several of the Westmoreland family books. It was cool to see how the family began, and just why Mama Laverne is such a strong woman. It was also good to see Chancellor Madaris open his heart again to love. That foolish ex-fiancee never deserved him, and to see just how wicked she was ... he definitely dodged a bullet with her. Brenda Jackson rarely disappoints, and this is definitely top-caliber writing from her.

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc, which I voluntarily reviewed.

Spilling the Tea is Brenda Jackson’s the latest in installment the Madaris series and it was a page turning read. In this installment, we meet Chancellor Madaris and Zoey Prichard. Chancellor was injured while in the military and though doctors told him he would never walk again, Mama Laverne knew otherwise. Five years later, Chance is a successful rancher waiting to see when Mama Laverne will set her match-making sites on him.

Zoey Pritchard survived a car accident during her childhood, however her parents were not as fortunate and she has no memory of her parents prior to the accident. After her aunt passes, Zoey travels to Houston in search of her history, never expecting to meet the hot and sexy Chance or uncover the scandal that once darkened the Madaris family.

Mrs. Jackson did a great job crafting, weaving past and present events to tell a compelling story of love, lies, hatred, and pride. Readers will fall in love with Zoey’s spirit and determination. While she has been thrown curveballs during her life, it did not stop her from pursuing a career in medicine like her parents. When Zoey encounters Chance, the chemistry between them is evident. While Zoey wants to pursue it, Chance is resistant. Chance has been a loner since his injury and he is a Madaris so you know he has the “Madaris pride” so one wrong move and it’s a done deal. Lol. However, love is a strong emotion and Chance could not help is growing feelings toward Zoey. It was good to see cameos from a few favorites and a glimpse of who may be next on the horizon. This is a page turner as readers get to learn more of Mama Laverne and Milton Sr’s love story and the scandal. Overall, I enjoyed this was a very good read and page turn.

# ★★★★ Secrets, Love & Family Drama
I couldn't put down Brenda Jackson's 150th novel! Spilling the Tea hooked me with its back-and-forth between past and present, slowly revealing how buried secrets shape today's lives.
Chance and Zoey's romance grabbed me from the start. He's a wounded vet who defied the odds, she's a surgeon with eight missing years of childhood memories. True to Jackson's signature style, their attraction blazes fast and intense while they uncover some painful family history.
Mama Laverne steals every scene she's in. This 90-something matchmaker with a perfect record knows ALL the family tea and drops it at just the right moments. The way Jackson reveals these secrets broke my heart and then put it back together.
The Madaris family feels like people you know - they joke, they argue, they have your back no matter what. Jackson shows how one choice ripples through generations, changing everything.
The standout feature for me was the dual timeline. Following clues in both time periods kept me turning pages way past bedtime. I had to know how everything connected and what it meant for Chance and Zoey.
The ending ties everything together beautifully, giving both emotional satisfaction and closure to the family mysteries. Jackson fans will love catching up with familiar faces, and if you're new to her books, this is a great place to start.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This was my first book by this author and let me say it was an awesome read. The intertwining of the present and the past was weaves together in such an intriguing and eloquent manner. I was rooting for their love story just as much as the present characters. The matriarch of the family was a beautiful representation of the African American grandmother and how they lead their family. I also loved how the family from previous stories were interwoven as well. I must go back and read all their stories too. Lastly the love story between Zoey and Chancellor was one for the books. The details in the instant attraction that chancellor found himself trying to fight had me tickled pink. Their slow burn was just the right amount of push and pull between the characters. Awesome read.

I enjoyed reading Spilling the Sweet Tea so much. I couldn't put the book down. It was beautiful watching the characters journey to love. Love seeing Mama Laverne. Definitely would read it again.

Loved how everything came full circle with the Madaris family. Mamma lever’s is still sharp and I’m so happy that chance let go of his hurt to find true love