I just couldn't get into this book - which isba shame because I absolutely love Mary Alice Monroe. I tried multiple times to start over and the storyline just didn't grab my attention. Maybe the reading of the physical book will make all the difference. t

Thank you to #netgalley #harperaudio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I just couldn't get into this book - and Cassandra Campbell is one of my favorite narrators! I tried multiple times to start over and the storyline just didn't grab my attention. I'm going to attempt to read the book (vs listening to it) and see if that helps.

Thank you to #netgalley #harperaudio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is going down as one of my favourites of 2025! My first Mary Alice Monroe novel. Oh why did I wait so long to give this author a try? Exquisite writing and the audio is hands down magnificent!

It's a dual-time line story about Eliza Rivers. In 1988 she is 88 years old and her son is trying to oust her from the board of her beloved family estate called Mayfield. At the board meeting a surprise guest appears. Eliza will later begin to tell her life story to this guest and her granddaughter. The timeline then shifts to 1908.

The story is set in South Carolina's Lowcountry and there's various snippets of descriptions of the landscape, flowers and birds at the start of the chapters. This is a family saga southern story with some harsh historical themes. Eliza Rivers is a strong female character and the story ends with a cliffhanger. This is Book 1 of a two part series. I can't wait to read Book 2 called, "River's End." Highly recommend this on Audio.

Published May 13, 2025

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for granting me access to this Advance Listeners Copy.

"You always see the world as you wish it to be not as it truly is; and you expect the world to follow suit."

"You know the beauty of fly fishing is you don't need to be particularly good at it. You just want to get to the river, to stand under the sky, listen to the water, and accept whatever comes...to fish is to hope."

The sweeping southern early 20th century family drama, Where The Rivers Merge, eloquently written by renowned historical fiction author, Mary Alice Monroe, is a story filled with drama, love, grief, greed and change.

In 1988, Eliza Rivers is the head of her family's fortune and the Mayfield Estate in the low country of South Carolina. At 88, she knows greedy hands, including her son's, wish her to step down and let the next generation lead. But she has fought too hard and long to let the land and rivers she loves be ruined for industrial gains.

With her granddaughter and great niece she escapes the boardroom and goes home to Mayfield. She explains this land is her life's blood. We go back to 1908 where 8 year old Eliza roams the land, loves the animals and lives for best friend Covey. But as the years go by life gets difficult. A young lady doesn't play in the fields, her best friend can't be the black daughter of the plantation's caretaker in the Jim Crow South, and she has no recourse as WWl, takes her brother and true love to fight a war far from home.

Voice actresses Jenna Lamia and Cassandra Campbell excel as young and older Eliza. Her pure heart shines as she breaks through social norms forcing change.

Where The Rivers Merge is between innocence and reality; acceptance and refusal to go along. It will have you wading in the river of hope.

Book 1: Where The Rivers Merges
Book 2: The Rivers End (2027)

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Harper Audio Adult via #NetGalley. for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I just finished listening to "Where the Rivers Merge" by Mary Alice Monroe. It is historical fiction mostly from the start of the 1900s in Southern USA.

I just learned at the end that it is book one of a set of two. The second book is "The River's End". The first doesn't end with a cliffhanger, but the story is incomplete.

Eliza Pinkney Rivers is both an elderly woman who is telling the story of her life and her homestead, Mayfield, to her granddaughter and grand niece. It is set in both 1988 and then back to 1908 when she was 8 years old and up to her early 20s.

It is set in southeastern South Carolina in the ACE basin, where the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers converge into St. Helenas Sound.

I enjoyed the story in this book when it went back in time. I was not so keen in the beginning, starting with a family fight about the land and property rights of Mayfield. Eliza had put a large part of the property into land conservation. I almost DNFd the book from the start. I decided to continue and found the story of Eliza's life as a girl much more interesting.

Eliza's best friend is Covey, the black daughter of the caretaker of the plantation. This was during the time of the Jim Crow laws of segregation. Eliza is a privileged white girl. They couldn't act like friends anywhere in public.

The narrators of the audiobook were Mary Alice Monroe, Jenna Lamia, and Cassandra Campbell. They all did very well.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 32/8 = 4 stars

I hope I can get a copy of Book 2 soon!

Thank you to Netgalley, Mary Alice Monroe, and Harper Audio Adult for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC of this title for reviewing. Set in South Carolina's Lowcountry for much of the novel, readers will be captivated by 88-year-old Eliza Pickney/Rivers/Chalmers/DeLancey, matriarch, as she reminisces through growing up during time of war, changing view of women, and marriage. Told in dual timeline, we learn about Eliza's past while seeing her future with her granddaughter. While this is the authors first historical fiction novel, she is not new to writing page turners. This one is no different. I was sucked into the story, loving the characters and Eliza's growth from her stubbornness to her forward thinking. You'll have a range of emotions from happiness to tears of sadness then of joy. Be ready to place the second book in the duology on your to-buy list. Monroe's love of place and conservation shines throughout, making you want to visit this beautiful area to see it with your own eyes. There is a trope included that is one I dislike, but historically accurate. The audiobook production with multiple narrators was fantastic! Recommend the audio!

This was my first Mary Alice Monroe book. It was captivating, dual timeline, and historical fiction. I enjoyed it more than I even thought I would. I can't wait to try more of her books in the future.

Where the Rivers Merge
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was beautifully written. I felt like I was right there. It was like sitting with a friend. I loved it! It did start a little slow but picked up & was so good.
Thanks NetGalley!

This was absolute perfection. I have never had a book affect me so emotionally that I got goosebumps when talking about it to friends. It spans multiple generations and tells the history of the Mayfield Plantation located in the South Carolina low country. Eliza Rivers recounts the story of her childhood growing up in mayfield with her parents, 2 brothers, Winston (the foreman of the property) and Winston’s daughter Covey (Eliza’s best friend). While Eliza faces the pressure from her mother to be brought up a proper southern woman, Covey faces the reality of being an African American woman growing up in the south. While the Mayfield bubble allows them the freedom to be themselves, the outside world proves to pressure everyone into their intended societal roles. This book had me smiling, crying, angry….all the emotions. It is a book I will never forget.

Where the Rivers Merge is Historical Fiction at it's finest! Monroe is a beautiful storyteller, describing the Southern way of life on a South Carolina plantation in the early 1900's. The novel begins in 1988 with Eliza, the matriarch of the family, and the CEO of the family company. She is in her 80's and contemplating retirement. However, her greedy son wants to sell the family land, Mayfield. Eliza is attached to the land, and for good reason, is trying to set it up in a conservation so that the land cannot be developed.

The bulk of the novel takes place in the early 1900's into the 1920's where young Eliza Rivers, the middle child and only daughter of the Rivers family, roams the family farm without a care in the world, other than the fact that she wasn't born a boy. She is a free spirit- she loves adventure, all things nature, and her horse, Capitano. This part of the novel is where 1988 Eliza is telling her story and the importance of Mayfield to her granddaughter and great niece.

I quickly grew attached to Eliza and Covey, her best friend at Mayfield. I loved the relationship the two shared. Monroe did a great job of navigating the racism at the time and how naive young Eliza was to it all. There were so many heart breaking moments throughout the novel, I cried at a point. As an avid reader, I could deduct what was going to happen, but it still hurt nonetheless as Monroe made you attached to the characters. One thing that I did not see coming that I think should be told from the beginning is that this is book one in a series. It does not have a resolution and it ends on a cliffhanger. I was a bit disappointed that this was not disclosed from the beginning, but with only a few chapters to go, I knew the author wasn't going to be able to wrap it up neatly and figured something was up. I am looking forward to a continuation and having these characters back, but I am not looking forward to having to wait for book two!

The audio was fantastic! I loved the dual narration for young and old Eliza. Kudos to Jenna Lamia and Cassandra Campbell! They were very easy to listen to and understand and did a pretty good southern accent (and I'm critical of a southern accent as I'm from the south)!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the ALC!

📚 Title: Where the Rivers Merge
Author: Mary Alice Monroe
Genre: Historical Fiction / Environmental Saga
“1908: The Lowcountry of South Carolina is at the cusp of change.” - this opening line immediately sets the stage for Eliza’s journey and the historical setting.

A sweeping, multigenerational journey through land, legacy, and a woman’s fierce devotion to her home. Straddling 1908 and 1988, this saga follows Eliza Rivers as she fights to protect her family’s Mayfield estate in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. From youthful idealism through wartime trials to matriarchal defiance, Eliza battles storms, patriarchal expectations, and family strife to secure her land’s future.
Mood: 🌿🏡🌊🕰️
🌿Lush Lowcountry wildlife & nature
🏡 Generational family estate at the heart of it all
🌊 Storms, war, and resilience across time
🕰️ Dual timelines weaving past & prese

This is book-club-grade fiction with deep environmental themes, layered female strength, and a stunning sense of place. It’s both epic and intimate — ideal for anyone who loves character-driven historical sagas grounded in land and legacy.

This novel spans multiple generations and features a dual timeline from 1908 to 1988, centering on Eliza Rivers and her cherished home, Mayfield.
Eliza shares her stories, as well as those of her family and her childhood friend, Covey, to her granddaughter Savannah and great-niece Norah.
It’s a remarkable tale of strength, friendship, love, and sadness, all while providing rich details about animals, nature and land conservation. Discussions of war and racism are also prevalent in this narrative.
For me, the ending was unexpectedly abrupt since I was unaware of the sequel and I am now eagerly anticipating The Rivers End.
Mary Alice Monroe's role as one of the narrators added depth to my listening experience, creating a stronger connection to the story.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to listen to this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Exceptional book. I’ve said it before because her writing is just so sweet, sincere and true.

This is one don’t wait until summer is over to read. You can enjoy this book for many re-reading

The first chapter had me hooked as I wondered what Eliza was up to with her company, The story then goes back and forth in time as Eliza tells her great-neice and granddaughter the tales of Mayfair. Well told story, the part about birds and land conservation were interesting and added to the novel. Good pace. I was a little disappointed that with the ending, but now am eargerly awaiting part two.

I was fortunate enough to be able to both read and listen to this one. It’s a sweeping tale of the South Carolina Low Country. The timeline switches from the early 1900’s to 1988 and it concerns Eliza Rivers, who at the age of 88 is remembering her childhood and all that followed on the grand estate of Mayfield. The story touches on love, friendship, sorrow, war, segregation. The ending leaves us with questions unanswered, but another book is planned to follow this one.

The narration is excellent and the story flows at a beautiful pace. My compliments to the author for a compelling family story to be concluded later.

Four stars!

I received a copy of the digital ARC and ALC via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Thanks for the review copy. The narrator is great. I was happy to listen to Monroe’s newest book. I really enjoyed it. I’m glad she has a new adult book out.

I enjoyed listening to Where the Rivers Merge as an audiobook-ARC. The story is told in alternating timelines from past to present, and the narrator captured each chacarter's voice so well. The story follows Eliza as her present day and younger self, and tells about her family and the land they live on and own. I was excited to learn this is the first in a duology, and have something to look forward to when the second part comes out in 2027! Read this if you are interested in a historical fiction about a multi-generational family, with themes of land conservation, gender equality and racism, set in South Carolina.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this audiobook ARC. This is my honest review.

Mary knows how to take you to a place and make your heart melt completely. It was fantastic! Loved how much I learned from the setting.

I listened to the audiobook and you get the true southern flair of this book from the narrator. The book is set in South Carolina and starts with a storyline about 88 year old Eliza who is still the Chairman of the Board of the family business. Her son tries to force her retirement but she will not acquiesce to his pressure. What a strong family matriarch she is.

The second storyline is about Eliza’s coming of age story in the early 1900’s. Racial and female discrimination abounds but Eliza perseveres for her friend and for her ambition to make a difference.

Thanks to Net Galley, William Morrow and the author, Mary Alice Monroe for this free audiobook for my honest opinion.

Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe is a sweeping, heartfelt saga that masterfully weaves together generations of the Rivers family against the breathtaking backdrop of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. From the spirited young Eliza in 1908 to her resilient granddaughter in 1988, Monroe paints an intimate portrait of a family fiercely bonded by love, tradition, and the land that sustains them. The story is brilliantly crafted, capturing the turbulence of history—from the upheaval of World War I to the storms that threaten the coast—and the personal struggles of a woman determined to forge her own destiny in a patriarchal society. Eliza’s fierce independence and unwavering devotion to Mayfield are truly inspiring, and her journey of sacrifice, resilience, and perseverance resonates deeply. The dual timeline beautifully highlights how the past shapes the future, and Monroe’s lush descriptions of the landscape infuse each scene with vivid life and emotion. The characters are complex and relatable, each facing moments of heartache and hope, reminding us all of the power of love, family, and standing firm in our convictions. Where the Rivers Merge is more than just a family story; it’s a celebration of enduring strength, lessons learned through adversity, and a woman’s fight to preserve her legacy. A deeply touching and beautifully written novel that will stay with you long after the last page—absolutely deserving of five stars.