Spilling the Tea is Brenda Jackson’s 150th book and I received an ARC ebook via NetGalley and, I also listened to the audio version of “Spilling The Tea.” Talk about spilling the tea, thru the eyes of Felicia Laverne Madaris via Brenda Jackson who spilled the tea all over the place. There was a lot to be told, revenge, generational revenge, greed, jealousy, tears, joy, lies, secrets, unknown relatives, romance, second chance at romance. Felicia Laverne known as Mama Laverne is the matriarch of the Madaris. This time Mama Laverne is not busy as usual finding a spouse for one of her family members. This time she is busy lending a hand to Zoey who is an orthopedic surgeon following in the footsteps of her parents and has lost vital pieces to her memory. Even though Chance aka Chancellor is not in Mama Laverne radar as the next in line to be married he has taken on the role to help Zoey as he, introducers her to Mama Laverne in the hopes of helping Zoey regaining her memory. Felicia Laverne Madaris relives her teenage years as she is retelling the story of her beloved husband Milton who also endured just as much as Mama Laverne. It was such a treat to get the back story on the couple Mama Laverne, Milton and Zoey along with how Whispering Pine came about.

I received an ARC via NetGalley, the publisher and Brenda Jackson, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Spilling the Tea is brillantly narrated by Ron Butler. He brought the story to life with a depth and nuance that is genuinely captivating. BJ's 150th book was written with eloquence, awesome dialoge, excellent character development, and well-timed moments of "tea" and suspense which accentuated the story. Bravo!

As someone who loves getting lost in African American fiction, Spilling the Tea by Brenda Jackson was such a treat for me. This was actually my first book by Brenda Jackson (yes, I know—I’m late to the party!), and I can honestly say it won’t be my last.

What really pulled me in was how the story weaves the present with the past. I love when a book gives you just enough history to make the present make sense—and Brenda does that so well. The flashbacks were juicy and emotional, and they added so much depth to the characters’ motivations and decisions.

The Maderas family? Whew, what a dynamic crew! I found myself getting attached to their story and wanting to know more about each person. It felt like being a fly on the wall during family drama that’s both relatable and entertaining. The layers of love, secrets, and connection kept me turning the pages.

I’m giving this one 5 out of 6 stars—because it definitely kept my interest from beginning to end. I stayed up way later than I planned because I just had to know what happened next. The pacing, the tension, the emotional layers—it all worked. The 5th star, for me, is reserved for books that are absolutely flawless or hit me so hard I can’t stop thinking about them for days after. This one came very close! It’s a strong, solid read that I truly enjoyed.

Highly recommend if you’re into rich family dynamics, a little scandal, a lot of heart, and a beautifully layered story that blends past and present in the best way.

The title and cover caught my eye. The story was so good to listen to. I actually thought I had already reviewed this book, because I finished it in May. When in fact, I told people about the book, but didn’t write the review.
This is a love story, which has sadness, happiness and humor. The author kept interested. It was a book I didn’t want to stop listening to. I liked how there were some twists also.
Like I said I have shared this title with many.

Brenda Jackson's audiobook, Spilling the Tea, delivers a captivating blend of romance, family secrets, and the delightful meddling of a sharp-witted matriarch. At the heart of the story is ninetysomething Mama Laverne, whose perfect matchmaking record fuels her determination to find every one of her great-grandchildren their ideal partner. Her latest target is Chancellor "Chance" Madaris, a man who defied doctors' predictions of never walking again, thanks in no small part to Mama Laverne's unwavering support.

Chance has a healthy respect for his great-grandmother's matchmaking prowess, knowing his turn is inevitable. Fate, or perhaps Mama Laverne's cunning plan, brings Zoey Pritchard into his life. Zoey, a survivor of a childhood car accident with no memory of her parents, is on a quest for answers that leads her to Houston and, surprisingly, to the powerful Madaris family. She uncovers a deep-seated scandal involving her parents and the Madaris clan, leading her directly to Chance's door.

The instant dislike and undeniable attraction between Chance and Zoey set the stage for an explosive romance. As Zoey seeks to restore her memory, she reluctantly accepts Chance's offer to introduce her to Mama Laverne, who undoubtedly holds the key to the family's past. Spilling the Tea is a richly woven narrative that explores how past secrets ripple through generations, the power of healing, and the undeniable pull of destiny, all overseen by the incomparable Mama Laverne, who truly "spills the tea" on a fascinating family history.

Spilling the Tea combines a love story with a bit of a mystery and a touch of drama into a well written storyline. This was my first Brenda Jackson book and I did enjoy the interaction amongst the characters. The story focuses on Zoey’s goal to regain her memory while learning her family history and Chance’s attempt at moving on with his life after heartbreak. The whirlwind of emotions between Chance and Zoey left me hoping that they’d end up together.

My only issue with this book itself was the amount and relationship of the characters. There were so many names mentioned and it was almost as if I needed to read the past novels regarding the Madaris family just to keep up with who was who.

Overall, I give it a 4/5 stars.

**I listened to the audiobook and I have to admit that the narrator made it hard to get into the story at first. Once I adjusted to his style then it began to flow.

Thanks for the ARC read NetGalley!

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.

Update May 2025
Enjoyed the audio version as well. Ron Butler does a good job narrating and keeps readers entertained through this story. He brings the characters to life.

Note: I received an advance copy from Netgalley

This was my first book of this Author to read. It was different for me but I loved it. I believe i will be reading more from this author in the future

This was a sweet romance with a bit of mystery woven in, which I wasn’t expecting but ended up enjoying. Mama Laverne is definitely the star with her matchmaking antics are iconic "poppycock" line. I liked the emotional layers, especially around Zoey’s past and how that connected her to the Madaris family.

That said, there were a lot of characters to keep track of, and sometimes it felt like I needed a family tree just to remember who was who. Still, the Southern charm and themes of healing and fate kept me invested.

If you like your romance with family drama, a touch of suspense, and a meddling elder determined to play Cupid, this one might work for you!

Okay the tea is PIPING HOT 🍵 in this story!

I really enjoyed this book and it took me through a range of emotions. From joy, to spice, to tears of sadness to anger - such a well developed set of characters.

Now, I’ll admit the story started off slow and there are a lot of characters to keep up with but once I really started connected everyone I was hooked!

The dual timeline POV was done well and I was engaged in both plots equally - and I did not guess the twists at the end! This was my first Brenda Jackson book and it won’t be my last!

Spilling the Tea is a revelation. Jackson brings the drama of romance to a heartache unlike any other. From unpredictable to the inevitable, Chancellor and Zoe take the soul on a gut wrenching dance with destiny. A journey of secrets that spans generations explodes into a soulful tale of enduring love. Butler tugs at the heart with a poignancy that borders on haunting.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy and am voluntarily reviewing it. When I say Ms. Felicia Laverne Madaris spilt all the tea there was to be spilt. Dr. Zoey Pritchard showed up, and the tea was spilt. Zoey recently found out that her family had previously owned a ranch in Houston. Zoey suffered from amnesia and had yet to recover the memories from the first eight years of her life. Unfortunately, those eight years were the only years Zoey had with her parents. It was devasting to find out that she could not remember them. Zoey started getting flashes of memories, and decided to do some digging into the land previously owned by her family. Zoey went in search of her history and landed on Chancellor Madaris' doorstep.

Chance had recently bought Whispering Pines Ranch, and was working the land after surviving an accident in Iraq. Mama Laverne nursed Chance back to health. Chance understood exactly what Zoey had went through. Their injuries connected them on a level that neither could understand. This book gives readers the past and the present. I loved going back into the past. This secret had been buried for decades, and was now being uncovered to help Zoey. I loved all the characters, but Chance and Zoey stole the show. Mama Laverne also had her time in the spotlight.

As always, Ms. Jackson knows have to give readers a full story. Even if you have never read any of the books connected with the series, you will understand everything that is going on. Readers will still fall in love with characters, even if they are just being introduced to them. That is another reason, I am now a faithful fan. All this book made me want to do was go back and read any book that featured Mama Laverne. She was a force, and was determined to steer her family in the right direction. Her matches were always right. Though she did not make this match, she definitely had a hand in it. The Madaris family is now a family I want to know more about. I also enjoyed the narrator. He did a good job. He changed up his voice for each character. I did not feel the monotony that sometimes can be felt with just one narrator. I can't wait to listen to more of her books.

I’ve never read Brenda Jackson, though she’s been on my radar as a Black romance author and a well-loved author by many, and this sounded like exactly the kind of book I would enjoy with lots of family history and secrets. I did really enjoy the story and the family elements, and a part of me wants to go through the backlist for more about the Madaris family, but I also feel like I’m not the right audience for these books (and I’m sure a big reason I was able to finish this was because of the audio format). Spilling the Tea is extremely cis-heteronormative and I didn’t feel like there was any space for queer people in the world. Which is *fine* but not exactly the stories I want to read. What truly bothered me and the biggest reason this is a three-star read for me is the ableism prevalent throughout the story. When Chance was younger, he was enlisted and ended up injured to the point he was in a wheelchair and told he’d never walk again. It was frustrating to read about how with the help of Mama Laverne, God, and physical therapy he no longer needs any kind of mobility aid. I understand this is a fantasy, because that’s what all romances are, but this particular fantasy is harmful to people who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids, and there is no “cure.” Again, I enjoyed a lot of the familial elements of the story and the world Brenda Jackson has created, but this is not a world I feel like I can be a part of.

Again, I do think a large part of why I was able to read the whole book and not DNF is audio (I struggle with not getting bored with contemporary romances these days), and Ron Butler is a very good narrator. He had distinct voices, and even his intonation outside dialogue would change depending on whose perspective the story was focused on. I might check out more of his work because I really enjoyed the narration.

This was a great listen - I really enjoyed the stories of Mama Laverne and Victoria, Milton and Waylon. I thought the narrator flowed well and did a great job with the male and female voices.
This was my first Brenda Jackson book, so maybe I'm just not used to her writing, but I felt like the language was a bit formal at times - especially a causal conversation between Chance and Zoe, etc... It just didn't flow the way I would expect for adults. I understand it from the past generations, just not for the younger characters. there were also a few times I felt like the interactions between Chance and Zoe, felt kind of forceful and a little icky. I understand he was supposed to be the one who comes in and saves the day, but the woman is a doctor, not a little kid....
Overall, I did enjoy listening to this, it was fun, and some may like it more than me, especially if you like Brenda's writing. I loved the history and the relationships and the family dynamics.

Brenda Jackson is a force in the literary world. Her 150th book is evidence of that. The story was entertaining enough but I found myself getting lost with the time jumps. The ending for me felt a bit rushed. There was a lot of information to unpack all at once. You definitely need the family tree to keep everything straight. This wasn't a five star read for me but if you're a fan of Brenda Jackson you will definitely enjoy it.

I received an ALC from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Spilling the Tea is the 2025 addition to Brenda Jackson’s Madaris Family Saga as well as her 150th book. Although part of a major series, this is a standalone book. Mama Laverne, the 90 something matriarch of the Madaris family, has made it her goal to see to it that her elder great grandchildren are suitably matched before she goes and has a priority list. Chancellor Madaris, Iraq war veteran and rehabilitated from injuries that should have kept him from ever walking again had it not been for the strength and guidance of Mama Laverne, now owns and operates the spread adjacent to the family homestead and is on that last. This land once belonged to the Satterfield family, once best of friends who because of a deceitful lying person destroyed that relationship and started a feud.

Mama Laverne was there when it all happened and is the only one still living who knows what really transpired so long ago. But as the matriarch and keeper of the family history, there are some things she just doesn’t talk about, secrets that just may need to come out in order to save a new generation of Madaris’ and Satterfields.

Enter Dr. Zoey Pritchard, an orthopedic surgeon, as were her late parents, Zoey has spent her life wondering about her early years. When she was young, her parents were killed in a terrible car crash and she was left with serious injuries, a long period of recovery, and a loss of memory from anything prior to coming to the hospital. Taken in by her father’s sister, Zoey was taken care of but there was never any discussion of her parents or their past. However, with the passing of her aunt, Zoey found paperwork that leads her to Houston, Texas and the property now owned by Chance Madaris.

This story is so well plotted and filled with characters that Ms. Jackson makes come alive. I absolutely loved Mama Laverne! She is the kind of person we should all aspire to be! I very much enjoyed this book and do recommend it!

The tea was definitely worth the steep in this blend of contemporary romance and historical fiction from Black Romance icon Brenda Jackson. Chancellor Madaris and Zoey Pritchard may be the story’s leads, but Mama Laverne—the Madaris family matriarch—absolutely steals the spotlight. She’s the heart of the novel, seamlessly tying past and present together.

Zoey lost both her memory and her parents in a childhood accident and was raised by an aunt who refused to speak about her mother’s side of the family. After her aunt’s passing, Zoey follows a trail of long-buried family secrets that leads her to Houston, to Chance Madaris, and to Mama Laverne—who helps her uncover the truth behind her history.

While the romance was sweet, I found myself more drawn to the rich family backstory. The historical threads were especially compelling.

I would’ve loved a dual or full cast audiobook for this one, but the single narrator did a solid job.

A warm, layered story about love, legacy, and the ties that span generations.


#SpillingtheTea
#NetGalley

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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.