This book wasn't really my cup of tea (pun intended), but I'd be remiss if I didnt acknowledge the talent Ms. Jackson has for ploting, pacing, and scene-work. It's such a vital part if storytelling that moves the story forward and keeps the reader engaged. Despite my differing tastes from what this novel offered, I was never bored while reading it and enjoyed listening to the story unfold. It's clear that all her experience writing 150 book has paid off. What an accomplishment!

As for the things I didn't like: despite being a contemporary (and I geuss also part historical) romantic, this book felt like it took place in a fantasy world where anyone who upholds traditional family values wins and thrives. There was so much pushing of male gender roles to be protector, provider, strong, and masculine. And all the "good" folks in this story were the ones who valued that regardless of any mistakes or wrongdoings they've done. Mostly, this had me rolling my eyes, but there was a moment or two when I genuinely felt an icky feeling. Like when Chance grabs Zoe pushes his way into the room despite her initial objections. This is supposed to feel masculine and sexy, but to me it just seemed disrespectful. Strangely, this seemed to be a thing that defined the universe these characters lived in moreso than a quality of the characters themselves who were all distinct, relatable and seemingly genuine people.

My only other issue with the characters was their tendency towards very simplistic thinking. They were often quick to judge and lacked nuance in their thoughts, feelings, and motivations.

This is especially true with the antagonists who all seemed to be cartoon villans set on destroying their enemies: the members Maderis family. They were only missing mustaches to twirl which makes sense since every significant antagonist in the book (I counted four) was female.

It seems the goodness of the maderis family is passed on by the men who uphold the family value of "Protect, Provide and Prosper" while the selfish-hatred of the villains is passed down on the female side by promiscuous women with no strong values.

I also didn't love the convenient overcoming of physical trauma and disabilities through the power of believing in oneself.

Obviously, many people read for escapism, so as long as we know that's what this is, I think it's a fine (in the southern sense) book! But I wouldn't date take any deeper meanings from this or use it as a model for relationships with real humans who have nuances, flaws, and complexity.

Spilling the Tea by Brenda Jackson is a delightful blend of romance, family, and small-town charm. The audiobook version brings the story to life with a strong narration that captures both the emotional depth and playful moments beautifully.

The characters are well-drawn and relatable, and the dialogue flows naturally. Jackson excels at building chemistry, and the romantic tension kept me hooked throughout. The family dynamics and community setting add richness to the story without overshadowing the central romance.

While some plot points felt predictable, the warmth and sincerity of the storytelling more than made up for it. A thoroughly enjoyable listen that’s perfect for fans of heartfelt romance with a touch of spice.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4 stars

This was an engaging and emotionally rich read with a unique blend of mystery, family drama, and slow-burn romance. I hadn’t read anything by this author before, but I really enjoyed the writing style—it was smooth, compelling, and kept me turning the pages. The premise of Mama Laverne playing matchmaker from beyond her years was both heartwarming and fun. Zoey and Chance’s dynamic had great tension and chemistry, and the mystery surrounding Zoey’s past added extra depth. At times, I found it tricky to keep up with all the characters, especially with the nicknames, but the excellent narration helped smooth that out. Definitely a story that sticks with you.

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…

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

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

I was fortunate enough to receive the ARC from Netgalley and loved it enough to want to see how the story was presented in the audio form. I can say that you will enjoy either format, though my mother enjoyed having the story narrated by Ron Butler. I will say that there are times when I scan a page and don't retain all of the details that I picked up by listening. That said, I still recommend this book for multigenerational reading groups and am delighted that all formats are available for consumption.

Zoey Pritchard has no memory of her life before a tragic accident. Driven by recurring dreams, she travels to Houston and uncovers a shocking connection to the wealthy Madaris family. Chance Madaris, a wounded warrior with secrets of his own, is drawn to Zoey’s vulnerability and determination. But as they piece together the fragments of Zoey’s past, will they find love or uncover a truth too painful to bear?

This endearing family saga follows a dual timeline, revealing past scandals and tragedies intertwining the family heritages of Zoey and Chance. Their relationship is driven at first by the physical chemistry between them, but they gradually come to trust each other. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

2 ⭐️ ⭐️

My first book by Brenda Jackson and do say I was confused 90% of the time would be an understatement. But I pushed through. There was so many characters and names dropped I felt liked or weighed down the book. Maybe I should have listened to the books before this first but idk.

This was an amazing listen. The characters were well developed, the storyline had me on edge and the narration kept me locked in that I listened and completed it in one day. This was a great romantic novel with a twist! Being that this is my first time reading a book for Brenda Jackson, I truly enjoy it and look forward to reading more of her work.

I really enjoyed this one! I went into this book blind and I was not disappointed. The narration was great! Ron Butler play the roles perfectly to the T! The way he was able to embody each character’s voice and personality was amazing! And the tea? ☕️ The tea was truly hot in this one. I was so invested in this story from beginning to end. Loved it 😍

I think this was such a perfectly formulated romance. I love the small town aspect. I am also just now stepping into this family's story and into this town as well. I think i felt completely safe stepping into this already established history very well. There is enough explanations, referring to the back stories of every one.

I did chuckle at the narration a bit. There was something about the old school way he speaks with the modern talk. Very beautiful love story and family legacy!

Chance Madaris knows he's on Mama Laverne's "hit list" (as his cousin calls it) to find a match. However, she keeps moving him down her list and that's fine with him. After his fiancee dumped him after he suffered injuries in Iraq, he's careful to never let any woman past his defenses again.

Zoey Pritchard has no memories of her parents thanks to the car accident that killed them and injured her as a kid. But after she starts having recurring dreams about a ranch--and finds the bill of sale in her late aunt's things--she decides to travel to Texas and see what shakes loose.

Mama Laverne, however, has a secret she wants to keep close to her chest. Even if it means she might not keep that 100% success rate...

This book follows both Chase and Zoey now, as well as events between the two families in the 1950s. As such, there is a large cast of characters I struggled at times to keep straight. The audiobook mentioned an accompanying PDF with a family tree, which probably would have helped.

I'm not normally a reader of contemporary romance, and when I am I like it be with a little extra kick, like romantic suspense or the characters working through trauma. As such, I would have like to see Chance dealing with the whole injured in Iraq thing a little more than just being leery of dating because of his ex.

That said, I did appreciate the slow burn romance between the two, as well as the way the family supported each other. There are a few open door scenes and lots of sexual attraction between them as well. The twist at the end was unexpected, though I did lose track of who was related to who as the past was unraveled. There was also a mention of a CIA Madaris brother or cousin, which sounds more up my alley so I might check out their story.

The audiobook narrator was great. This is my first book by the author, but her 150th! Slay, queen.

Tropes:
Hunky Cowboy/City girl
Military Hero
The Past isn't Past
Amnesia

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

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!

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. I had this book in an audiobook format and the narrators did a fabulous job. A great listen!!!

Title: Spilling the Tea
Author: Brenda Jackson
Publisher: Harlequin & Canary Street Press
Publish Date: April 1, 2025
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4.1/5
Spice: 🌶 🌶 🌶 2.5/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 350
Format: 📖 🎧
Narrator: Ron Butler
**The Narrator was perfection. I was really able to picture the characters and their mannerisms.**

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.

☕️𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌☕️

𝓢𝓹𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓣𝓮𝓪 by @author_brendajackson

🗓️ April 1, 2025

📄 352

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mama Laverne is 𝓈𝓅𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝑒𝒶… and it’s 𝕡𝕚𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕠𝕥! ☕️

Zoey Pritchard, an orthopedic surgeon, is in Houston to hopefully uncovered the truth and receive clarity regarding past events that were erased from her memory following an accident that left her an orphan.

Her journey for answers leads her to a Texas ranch, owned by Rancher Chance Madaris. Chance’s great-grandmother has a perfect record at match making and Chance’s match may just be the new girl in town.

Ok. Mama Laverne is the GOAT! Not only is she the perfect match maker but she secretly holds all the secrets of the past.

Spilling the Tea was such a refreshing and fun read. The Madaris family was absolutely hilarious and I loved, LOVED the bonds this family shared. I throughly enjoyed the hesitation in the beginning that slowly blossomed. Chance and Zoey were such a delight. Mama Laverne, again, was an absolute jewel in this story. This was Brenda Jackson’s 150th published booked so it was no surprise that this incredible story flowed so well and kept me intrigued all the way through. The suspense ending was a fantastic touch!

🎉 Congratulations @author_brendajackson on such an amazing accomplishment!

@htp_hive @htpbooks @netgalley

*** Will leave Amazon review on release day!

Title: Spilling the tea
Author: Brenda Jackson
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Ron Butler
Publisher: Harlequin Audio and Canary Street
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Audiobook Pub Date scheduled for April 1, 2025.
My Rating: 3.7 Stars
Page 350

Story it story past and present with the POV of 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.

Story starts with us learning about Zoey.
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…
Zoey is an orthopedic surgeon, and finds a link and knows Chance Madaris just might be the person who can help her.
Chance and Zoey immediate feel a connection, but there are secrets that only Mama Laverne knows. She knows these secrets will get in the way but knows the truth needs to be revealed.

About the author~
This is author Brenda Jackson 150th novel! - and my first.
Before the story begins there is a recap of the Masaaris family and other key points in past stories that clarify somethings in this story.
Ms. Jackson is celebrating the accomplishment of having published 150 novels additionally she is the first African-American romance author to make the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists within the series romance genre.
I am a big thriller fan but I was in the mood for a nice sweet romance. This story had more mystery to it that I expected but it was enjoyable.

Want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Audio and CanaryStreet for this audiobook.
Audiobook Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 1, 2025.

I am not usually one to read romance fiction but I love genealogy and also multicultural novels and the description of Spilling the Tea grabbed me. I listened to the audio version in the space of a day. (Very nicely narrated by Ron Butler). The description did not do justice to the story and the story was what kept me interested. While this is a character driven tale, with a young woman seeking information on her family and her life prior to a terrible car accident that killed her parents and left her with serious injuries. Zoe was raised by her father's sister who did not talk much about her parents. Zoey is in her 20s, an orthopedic surgeon and professor at Johns Hopkins. When her aunt dies, she finds some clues about her parents that leads her to a ranch near Houston, Texas and the cantankerous but quite attractive rancher, Chance. He does not trust easily and particularly does not trust women, having been burned after an engagement that went south five years earlier. His "relationships" with women now consist of one time hookups." Zoey is recently out of a relationship and she is more interested in meaningful relationships. Chance unthaws enough to introduce her to his great grandmother, who shares a lot of family history with Zoey. The novel includes present day and historical scenes.

Jackson does a nice job with her characters, setting and plotting, making the ranch and the community come alive. She kept my interest through out. Jackson's overall writing communicates everything well, but is not up to par with her other talents. I got stuck with her repetitive use of some descriptors that a better editing could fix, making the writing flow better. Yet, I am not downgrading for that because I really enjoyed the novel a lot and the audio version was great!