Spilling the Tea by Brenda Jackson is a heartfelt romance.
The characters are easy to love and their story is very heartwarming. It has exactly what you are looking for in a light romance read.
I cannot even begin to explain how much I adored this fun book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review. I really enjoyed this story of 90 year old MaMa Laverne who is bound and determined to play matchmaker and find the perfect mate for her grandchildren before she meets her maker. So far, she has a 100% success rate and feeling very proud of that record, she is hoping to continue on this winning path. But, will her winning path continue?? The only way to find out is to read this book. I think you will enjoy it.

Brenda Jackson has done it again with another installment in the Madaris series. I could not put it down and it was good from beginning to end. The story was very well written and I loved the characters. It is always fun to catch up with the characters in the series. Brenda Jackson did not disappoint with this story and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Spilling The Tea by Brenda Jackson is an incredible multigenerational story of stories, 9f memories, and of a grandmother's love .... Definitely an enjoyable women's fiction story to be remembered long after the last chapter.

Spilling the Tea by Brenda Jackson is a heartwarming and charming romance that combines family dynamics, fate, and a little bit of matchmaking magic. The story centers around the beloved Mama Laverne, a ninetysomething matriarch with a perfect record in setting up her great-grandchildren with their ideal matches before "going home to glory." Her latest project? Chancellor "Chance" Madaris, a man who has already overcome tremendous physical and emotional obstacles in his life.

Chance, a former soldier who was told he’d never walk again after sustaining serious injuries in Iraq, credits Mama Laverne with giving him the strength to defy the odds and regain his mobility. He knows, however, that despite his success, it’s only a matter of time before he finds himself on Mama Laverne’s matchmaking radar. Enter Zoey Pritchard, a woman whose past holds more questions than answers. After surviving a traumatic car accident that killed her parents, Zoey is haunted by dreams and a lack of memories surrounding her early life. Her search for answers leads her to the Madaris family, and inevitably, to Chance.

The chemistry between Zoey and Chance is undeniable, though it’s wrapped in a layer of tension and resistance. Their instant attraction is complicated by a history neither fully understands, and the friction between them is both explosive and tender. The dynamic between Zoey, Chance, and Mama Laverne adds a delightful touch of humor and warmth to the narrative, with Mama Laverne’s persistent matchmaking providing both a source of conflict and comic relief.

Jackson skillfully weaves romance with deeper themes of family secrets, healing, and the complexities of personal growth. Spilling the Tea is a delightful, slow-burn romance filled with strong family bonds, complicated emotions, and a satisfying dose of drama. Fans of heartfelt contemporary romance will enjoy the layered relationships, memorable characters, and the charmingly meddlesome Mama Laverne. It’s an entertaining read that proves sometimes, fate really does have a hand in love.

For those who enjoy stories about second chances, family ties, and the unexpected paths to true love, Spilling the Tea is a must-read.

When I saw this I had to jump in for this ARC as the Westmoreland's have made Brenda Jackson and automatic read for me. An emotional, slow-burn romance with buried secrets, unexpected chemistry, and a meddling matriarch. A heartfelt story of healing, love, and uncovering the past.

I was incredibly excited about this book. I had binge read the entire Madaris Family Series a little while ago and fell in love with Mama Laverne and the entire family.

Chance got his heart broken and vowed never to love again. Then he saw Zoey. She was in town trying to find out more about her parents and some land that they owned. She lost her memory after an accident that took their life when she was just eight years old. It turned out that Chance lived on the land that she was starting to remember.

This book weaved in and out of the present and the past. There were flashbacks of when Mama Laverne met her husband Milton and how his sister loved Milton’s best friend Wayland. This part added so much to the story. It was great to finally hear about Mama Laverne’s love story. It was great seeing how the past lead to the things that were happening in the present.

Zoey broke past Chance’s wall and found her way into his heart. He broke all his rules for her. I really enjoyed watching those two fall in love.

I enjoyed getting to the bottom of the mystery of Zoey’s past and discovering the tea that was Mama Laverne’s secret.

This was such a good book. I really hope there are many more Madaris Family stories in the future.

The romance in this story had some good elements, besides the usual sexual attraction. That and delving into the past. Too many characters and too big of a family tree for me to keep track of or too care about.

This was my first read from author, Brenda Jackson.

Emphasis on family pride, legacy, and relationships that paved different futures. The story was woven with some past flashbacks that were needed. Everyone needs a Mama Laverne in their life. This didn't end up like I thought it would, but I certainly was not disappointed.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC!! I suggest this a story to read!

Ninetysomething Mama Laverne is determined to find all of her great-grandchildren their perfect match before going home to glory. So far, her success rate is 100 percent—and she intends to keep it that way.

After sustaining injuries in Iraq, Chancellor Madaris was told he’d never walk again. Chance credits his great-grandmother Mama Laverne with giving him the will to heal and prove the doctors wrong. He has a healthy respect for her meddling ways and knows he’ll eventually end up next on her matchmaking list.

When Zoey Pritchard was eight, she survived a car accident that took the lives of her mother and father, and was sent to live with her great-aunt who refused to speak about her parents. Zoey has no memory from before the crash, but she’s been having the same dream over and over…

Searching for answers, Zoey travels to Houston, where she uncovers a scandal involving her parents and the wealthy and powerful Madaris family. Her trail leads her straight to Chance’s door. The dislike and intense attraction are instant and simultaneous. But to help Zoey restore her memory, he grudgingly introduces her to his great-grandmother…

In her 150th novel, Jackson excels at what she does best: focusing on family, intrigue, and love in a concise narrative. About a third of the way through, I knew I must obtain the audio version for my mother to enjoy. Whether you are a long-time reader of Jackson's works or this is your first, Jackson provides an accessible entry point the Madaris history (or satisfies any curiosities you may have had). While I am tempted to "spill the tea" about more details about this book, suffice it to say that the summary is thoroughly fulfilled—and thensome. I recommend this for book clubs, collectors of Jackson's work, or new readers.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this title.

Was it chance, or Mama Laverne’s plan, that threw this pair together?

A sweet romance about a woman looking for her past and a man looking for a future. And over it all, a matriarch who holds all the secrets about a multigenerational feud. Zoe, now an orthopedic surgeon, lost her parents in an accident when she was a child, as well as her memories of them. Chance was seriously injured while serving in the military and now he's back on the ranch. Mama Laverne likes to meddle. That's really all you need to know, especially if you are a fan of Jackson, who is a favorite of fans of the genre. It might be a bit predictable but it's also enjoyable. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This marks book 150 for Brenda Jackson and she didn’t disappoint. Spilling the tea takes you through the journey of love, scandal, and heartbreak. We are given a story we didn’t know we needed of Mama Laverne and Milton Sr. We were shown that love does conquer all with Victoria and Waylon. And Chancellor and Zoey’s journey of love is chef’s kiss. This story bought out all the feelings and left no crumbs. This story is true testament of Jackson as a writer for she is still able to tell a story without readers feeling like not this again. It was great to see cameos of some our favorite Madaris friends and family. I can’t wait to see who is the next Madaris to fall in love.

Spilling the Tea shares multiple epic love stories from different generations of two families. Only problem is, these families have been feuding for several decades. After many years of secrets and lies, Mama Laverne is spilling the tea of what started the long lived feud/scandals of the Satterfields and Madaris. Mama Laverne is known for not only her matchmaking skills but also the keeper of all the family secrets.

This was a fun and enjoyable read. I enjoyed the main story line and the relatable MCs. Zoey, an orthopedic surgeon looking for answers of her past, and Chance, a Texas ranch owner and great grandson to Mama Laverne. But I really enjoyed Mama Laverne’s character. The family patriarch, matchmaker, secret keeper and the one who keeps the family legacy going. She was hilarious, strong, loving, and created a family bond like no other. She really kept the story interesting and kept me invested.

This story is heavily on characters due to it being centered around two large multigenerational families. At times I had a hard time keeping them all straight and felt like many were just a name drop but didn’t have much to do with the main plot except to show how big these families were and how long this feud had lasted. However, there is an image of the Madaris family tree on the author’s IG page, which definitely helped.

The narrator did an impressive job with all the different character voices needing to be portrayed. He had a great voice for story telling and kept the story entertaining. However, in my opinion, I think this would have been even better with a full cast of narrators, and told through multiple POVs, specifically for audiobook narration purposes.

This was my first book by Brenda Jackson, but it's her 150th book, what an incredible accomplishment!

Zoey lost part of her memory during a horrific car accident that claimed the lives of her parents when she was 8 years old. She was taken in by her aunt that refused to speak of her parents or answer any questions she may have. Confused and frustrated, Zoey decides to investigate her past in the hopes that she may regain some of her memory. She travels to the ranch property listed on the paperwork she found in her aunt’s effects and enlists the help of the ranch owner, Chance. Chance is former military and has experienced a similar trauma. His family has been in the area for generations and he asks his great grandmother to help Zoey. Along with Chance’s family, Zoey is in touch with her mother’s best friend and finds a wealth of information - way more than she bargained for. A captivating story for sure. I found the stories of Zoey’s past and her family’s past more intriguing and romantic than the current story of Zoey and Chance. I wish that more of the ending details would have been spread out a little more throughout the book, rather than doing an informative dump at the end. A really good read!

This was a great romantic novel with a twist. The characters were strong and upbeat even considering the trials and tribulations they had faced. It grabbed me from the first page and I really wanted to get through it to see how things turned out. The ending was fabulous and tied all of the loose ends from the plots in the books together. I love multi generational books and this story had good plots and good subplots. A great read!!!

Terrific book. I have read a few of the Madaris family books, but I need to read the others. Mama Laverne, matriarch of the family, vowed to find perfect matches for all her great-grandchildren. She has a 100 percent success rate so far, but some of the guys are determined to foil her efforts. The prologue of this book opens with Chance and his cousin, Corbin, discussing the problem. Corbin's precautions are over-the-top, while Chance accepts that he will eventually end up on her list.

Thanks to a broken engagement, Chance is in no hurry as he has trust issues. He served in the military, and when he came home in a wheelchair, unable to walk, his fiancée walked away. He credits Mama Laverne with motivating him to prove the doctors wrong. He's back to normal, physically, but limits himself to one-night stands.

We also meet Zoey. Injured in a car accident that killed her parents when she was eight, she has no memory of her life before the accident. Zoey was raised by her aunt, who refused to discuss her parents. She is now an orthopedic surgeon and professor at Johns Hopkins. When her aunt dies, Zoey finds some information about her parents that sends her to a ranch near Houston, looking for answers.

The first meeting between Chance and Zoey doesn't go well. Chance jumps to conclusions about Zoey, which angered her. I enjoyed watching her tear into him and call him out on it. Once he learns what she is looking for, Chance introduces her to Mama Laverne.

The book is a terrific mix of present and past, as Laverne remembers the events that happened between the two families. The past is rife with tragedy, lies, and heartbreak, and I ached for these ancestors of the present-day characters. Laverne kept these secrets for many years, but it may be time to lay the past to rest.

I loved watching Zoey learn about her past. For the past several months, she's had flashes of what might be memories of her parents. Those flashes occur more frequently now; she believes they are actual memories, not wishful thinking. Zoey receives family photo albums and diaries that her mother's best friend saved. These items play a critical role in Zoey's discoveries.

I enjoyed seeing Chance and Zoey's relationship develop. Underneath their initial antagonism were intense sparks of attraction. But Chance doesn't do relationships, and Zoey doesn't do meaningless flings, so they try to bury their feelings. However, they spend a lot of time together, and as friendship grows, so do their feelings. It was amusing to see Chance work so hard at denying what he felt when everyone around him could see he was falling for her. Zoey recognizes her feelings sooner. Things start to look up for them until Chance's ex-fiancée shows up, determined to take him back.

As more of the past comes to light, Laverne must decide how many secrets she will divulge. Matters become complicated when a surprise connection turns dangerous to Laverne and Zoey. That confrontation was intense and unexpected, and I was on the edge of my seat until it was over. The ending was sweet and emotional. I loved seeing Zoey and Chance overcome the obstacles of their pasts. The epilogue was fantastic. I loved the conversation between Zoey and Laverne.

The author writes about wonderful family relationships. The relationship dynamics of the past were fascinating, with love, jealousy, honor, and stubborn pride playing a role. The current family illustrates its close ties with how they support each other, look out for each other, and occasionally call each other out when needed. Throughout it all, it is clear that Mama Laverne is the glue that holds them together.

Quite the family history. Lots of characters in this multi-generational story. The main couple are interesting and kept me engaged in their story. I did skip over the many intimate scenes. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Title: Spilling the Tea
Author: Brenda Jackson
Publisher: Harlequin & Canary Street Press
Publish Date: April 1, 2025
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 3.8/5
Spice: 🌶 🌶 🌶 2.5/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 350
Format: 📖 🎧
Narrator: Ron Butler

First, I would like to thank Netgally and Harlequin for providing me with this Arc as it was such a joy to read. I also would love to give Brenda Jackson a standing ovation as this marked her 150th published novel. Even though this was my first read book from her collection. I learned so much about her in such a short time.

I never knew she was the first African-American Romance Author to make the USA Today and New York Times Best Sellers List. This is huge and such an accomplishment as she paved the way for some of my favorite African-American Romance Authors.

I appreciated how the story started off with a breakdown (recap) or the other books in the series and how mamma Laverne came to be known as the Madaris Matriarch. She is quite the match maker and has had a 100% success rate. There was even a family tree to show how everyone was connecting. I have never seen this in a romance novel before. You usually see this more so in Fantasy so I thought her attention to detail was so iconic.

The story begins with us learning about Zoey Pritchard. When she was eight she experienced a traumatic event being in a car accident that ended the lives of her parents leaving her as the lone survivor. This also left Zoey with memory loss as she was unable to remember anything prior to the accident. She then was sent to live with her great aunt whom refused to speak about her parents or the accident leaving Zoey with so many questions as she consistently has been having the same dream over and over ever since. This was when I knew there would be ground breaking secrets that could change the course of everything.

Chance is introduced as heartless as he has sworn off relationships as his previous relationship ended with his fiancé running off and marrying someone else. He is content with being single and enjoying life until his ex-fiance' comes back into town with the mission of getting him back.

Zoey is new in town as Mama Laverne has been helping her get a fresh start. All is fair in love and war as Zoey catches the eye of Chance. Grief, Healing, Uncovered Secrets, Love, and Family drive this rollercoaster of emotions home. I hope you read this novel and enjoy it as much as I did.

The concept and book blurb drew me in from the start. I really enjoyed the authors writing style. I loved that there was a family chart within the start. This was my first time seeing this. In the beginning getting to know Chance’s history, more about Mama Laverne’s gifts - it was really enjoyable. However, I got lost in the middle between the characters, the back and forth, it was moving so so slooow and I couldn’t get back the story. There was a lot going on. I couldn’t finish it.

Mama Laverne, matriarch of the Madaris family, has a one hundred percent rate of finding matches for her many great grandchildren. Some of those great grandchildren have proved more challenging than others, like Chance who was injured in Iraq, and plans to stay off of Laverne’s matchmaking list. He’s vowed to be done with love, until a stranger shows up looking for answers about a tragedy during her childhood. Zoey is an orthopedic surgeon, who has no memories of her first eight years, but she finds a link to the ranch that Chance owns and wants to find answers that could help her regain her memory. Chance and Zoey have an immediate connection, but there are secrets that only Mama Laverne knows, that could definitely get in the way of the feelings between the two of them.

Spilling the Tea is my first read by Brenda Jackson. I really enjoyed the multi-generational storyline and family drama. Jackson does a great job writing characters you love and characters you hate. There is a lot of heartbreak caused by a feud that started between the Madaris and Satterfield families that goes back five generations.

Zoey is a likable character, and I enjoyed the storyline of her coming to the Madaris ranch to find the answers she’s been looking for her whole life. She and Chance have an insta-attraction, but deal with some issues along the way due to Chance’s past with a failed engagement.

I enjoyed the dual timeline, with the focus on Zoey in the present, while the past timeline reveals what happened between the two families and how Mama Laverne came to be the Madaris matriarch. Both timelines tell a story of tragedy, lies, heartache, and manipulative people.

I did feel like there were too many characters named that didn’t serve any purpose, and it took away from the focus of the story, for me. I understand that the Madaris family is a large one, but I just felt like so many characters being mentioned was confusing and that the story would have worked better without so many family members being named.

If you love family stories that include past secrets, family loyalties, and insta-love romance, then I would definitely recommend Spilling the Tea.