Good emotional story about family, forgiveness, and letting go of the past. I love the author's talent for creating characters that are easy to relate to and realistic situations for them to deal with.

Angela Marie has spent her entire life on Meadow Falls, the successful peanut farm that has been in her family for generations. It wasn't by choice. She wanted to go to college and see life away from the farm, but as her father's only heir, he pretty much kept her chained to the farm. He started training her "from the ground up" when she was four years old and cleaning tools to the current day, where she can do it all, which is a good thing when he suddenly dies from a heart attack.

The book opens as she and her elderly nanny/housekeeper, Mandy, attend her father's funeral. Angela Marie feels a bit bitter about being stuck with the farm. She feels no grief for her father, as he was a cold, unfeeling man who never showed her any affection. Her emotionally distant mother died years earlier. Mandy was Angela Marie's only source of love and attention growing up, while Mandy's great-granddaughter, Celeste, was like a sister to her.

Celeste, who joined the Air Force eighteen years earlier, shows up suddenly right after the funeral. She has left the military and her unfaithful husband and come home to regroup. I liked Celeste and her forthright and practical attitude toward life. She and Angela Marie have a terrific relationship, and I enjoyed their exchanges. Celeste is very good at getting Angela Marie out of her tendency to get lost in her thoughts and take action.

Devon Parker, a recently retired Air Force mechanic and friend of Celeste's, appears at Meadow Falls looking for a job. The hiring process had me laughing out loud, but it is evident that Devon was perfect for the job. Devon also brings in his cousin Jesse, a handyman Angela Marie hires for renovation work.

As Angela Marie settles into her new life, things begin to change. She and Celeste talk Mandy into sharing stories of the family's past, and Angela Marie learns things that surprise her. As light shines on the darkness of the past, Angela Marie finds that light finding its way into her heart. Devon is there to support her through the journey, and she discovers hope for love and a family for herself. I liked Devon's easy-going ways, kindness, and understanding. Their growing feelings for each other are sweet and a bit steamy.

I loved Mandy. She is a wise old lady who has taught Angela Marie and Celeste many lessons over the years. She doesn't mince words when she has something to say. I ached for her as she dealt with her "memory disease" and loved that she handled it with humor and good grace. She and her friend Polly are a hoot together.

A little bit of a mystery about Celeste has haunted her all her life. Angela Marie is just as curious, and I enjoyed watching her thought processes as she tried to learn the truth. I figured it out early in the book but enjoyed it anyway.

The book wraps up with a terrific epilogue that updates us on life at Meadow Falls a few years later. It's a mixture of happiness and sadness, just like life itself.

Carolyn Brown delivers heart in Meadow Falls.
Inheriting a farm was never a dream come true. With her “chosen family” by her side Angela Marie creates a wonderful life for herself. Overcoming pain and rejection they rebuild their lives while discovering the past.
Carolyn Brown is known for her small Texas towns and tight knight family of characters. Another hit from a great storyteller.
Carolyn Brown is one of my favorite Authors. This story is true to her writing style that we all love!

I love Carolyn Browns books. For me they are so different to my life and a complete escape from reality. Meadow falls is no different and is one of her best books and I would highly recommend

Meadow Falls is a wonderful family saga by consummate author Carolyn Brown. While the story focuses on Angela Marie Duncan after the passing of her father Harrison, through the stories of aged Mandy, the reader learns the family history of the four generation peanut farm in Meadow, Texas.

In the wake of her father’s sudden death, Angela Marie struggles to make sense of her family and the tragedies suffered. In her family cemetery there is evidence of the loss of so many children, the early death of her mother, and now she is the end of the family line. At least she has Mandy! And on the day of the funeral Angela Marie’s best friend and Mandy’s great granddaughter Celeste Murphy returns home. Celeste has just separated from an 18 year Air Force career, as has her good friend Devon Parker, who has retired from the military.

Devon can keep any machine, all farm equipment included, in good working order plus knows the ins and outs of peanut farming. With the small house out by the barn where Mandy lived before Angela Marie moved her into the vacant downstairs guest suite, Angela Marie makes her first decision as the new owner of Meadow Falls and brings Devon on to get the machinery up and running for the upcoming planting season. As the story unfolds, Angela Marie makes discoveries about her family, especially her father, that open her to making changes and discoveries for herself.

I’m afraid I haven’t done this well plotted tale with real and wonderful characters justice! This book is the best I have read by Ms. Brown, and I have enjoyed everything she has written, this one is just a bit above the others. I very much enjoyed this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Meadow falls.
Carolyn Brown.


#sisterfiction

This Book is about moving on, Getting over the past. Seeing the future Knowing there's more to life than what your father had planned.. There's more to life than work there's love family and so much more.

This book fastly became my favorite book by Carolyn brown. I have read many of her books many many. This one is My absolute favorite so far. This author's work will pull you in so fast. And her stories are Warm heart touching stories. Stories that make you think.

Angel marie,
Main character Inherits the Peanut farm Soon after the loss of father. So much goes with this farm. Love that was never there. Well this story Is just absolutely amazing.. One story That will stick with me.

This book made me think of my sister I just recently lost... In a good way. The story actually brought tears to my eyes. In a good way. Thank you, Carolyn brown. For another phenomenal story.

Meadow Falls is a special family story that many might be able to relate to. It's a multi generational dysfunctional family, a story about inheritance, found family, family secrets, and the redemption that brings happiness to a land that's known to be cursed in a sense.

It was easy to fall in love with these characters Angela Marie, Devon, Celeste, Jesse, Mandy, & Polly. You root for them from beginning to end, and you don't want the story to end. It's a beautiful story and woven so intricately that it was like knowing these characters in real life. They became like friends/family for a short while.

I was proud of Angela Marie for showing growth despite being held back all of her life. She took back the family farm and brought life and light to it that it had never had before. She embraced the life she desired and made it happen.

Carolyn Brown mentioned in her authors note that this was a cathartic story for her to write and hard to say goodbye to these characters. I can see why.

Thank you, Netgalley and Montlake, for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A beautiful story that many can most likely relate to. Angela Marie the princess of Meadow Falls, a large peanut farm was never a princess to her parents. She never felt love from her parents or treated as special. At the age of 4 her heartless father told her it was time to learn the peanut business from the ground up. The only time she took a stand was when her beloved nanny, Mandy needed her to step in as a caregiver. Now her father dies suddenly from an acute heart attack, leaving her bitter and confused. Her best friend, who happens to be Mandy’s great-great granddaughter comes to the funeral with her own problems and stays to help with the care of Mandy and running of the farm. She invites her friend Devon who just retired from the Air Force to visit with the possibility of a job.
The story is gripping and has one turning pages to see if Angela Marie will finally find her answers. The story of Mandy and dementia hits home with me. Have tissues handy for the end. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #MeadowFalls

Angela Marie Duncan just lost her father to a heart attack. She is not able to mourn since he never gave her any love. Mandy has been on the peanut farm since the 1950's and is more of a mother to her than anyone. She now owns a very profitable peanut farm, and she knows how to run it since her father put her to work at 4 years old. Celeste is Mandy's great granddaughter and was raised alongside Angela Marie she has come home to stay after leaving the military.
Mandy knows the family history and Angela Marie and Celeste ask her about the past. Angela Marie has always felt that no one cared about her growing up and needs to know the family history. She has always done what her father told her to and he ruled with an iron fist.
This is a great story of Angela Marie taking charge of her life and learning to do what pleases her on the farm.
This is a great story on family secrets and finding your way in life.

Angela Marie is 35 and is left reeling at the unexpected death of her father. He was aloof with her and she is left to reflect on her life, strict upbringing, and farm that has been in her family for three generations. She loves the farm but it is all she was ever allowed to know. Mandy, the housekeeper who raised her, is beginning to show signs of dementia. When Mandy’s great granddaughter Celeste arrives Angela is thrilled to have her life-long best friend back.

While cleaning out her father’s room she is led to more questions about his early life. Some of which Mandy is now willing to share. This is a book about dealing with broken parent child relationships, family secrets and opening up to new romances. It is a quick read, with likable characters and I wasn’t surprised by the big reveal.

Brown is a very successful author and I think her fans will enjoy this book. She writes good general fiction, if there is intimacy it is closed door and often there is a wise grandmotherly figure. I didn’t connect emotionally to the story and found myself plowing through just to see how it ends. Thank you to Montlake for the ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The story of a girl who grew up in a dysfunctional family and who tries to find herself in the world of intrigue and hidden truth.

The story was ok, although I had a problem remembering the names and characteristics of the family members.

Thanks to Net Galley for this opportunity.

Not what I expected from Brown but it's still an emotional story of a woman struggling to understand her past and move forward in the present. Angela's father raised her with the help of Mandy- and she's been stuck on their peanut farm for her whole life. Now she's inherited it and is determined to make changes. Mandy tells her about her family and there are, as might be expected, many secrets. Luckily, her childhood BFF Celeste, who is Mandy's great granddaughter, is back. The renovation of her house with the help of Devon and Jesse is a positive for all concerned as they build new, adult relationships. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For Brown's fans.

Meadow Falls, written by Carolyn Brown, is a beautiful, endearing, and sweet story about love and respect in family set in a small Texas town. Endearing characters! A journey filled with strong emotions! Complex family story!

Angela Marie has lived her entire life on the family peanut farm, always accepting everything, even though it wasn't her first choice, she mostly did by obligation. Her parents were not demonstrative with her, but nevertheless, Mandy, her nanny, gave her love and affection. When her parents die, she inherits everything.
She decides to trust herself and handle everything her own way. However, on the other hand, she will discover family secrets. She will ask her grandmother Mandy for wisdom and advice to understand her past. Will these secrets help her to move on?

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Montlake and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Now I wish that I owned a farm so I could hire people in need. Angela Marie is so kind hearted. Devon is very sweet. I enjoyed reading, Meadow Falls. It is classic Carolyn Brown romance novel.

Reading this story was like joining Angela on where her journey is taking her after the death of her father. Angela always felt unloved, her father had started her learning the peanut business when she was young, cleaning the tools, She learned the business from the task of making sure your tools were clean, put back and ready for tomorrow, all the way through to harvesting and selling the crop.
After her father's funeral, her nanny, Mandy and her great-granddaughter, Celeste, moved into the house with her. Mandy would tell them stories like she did when they were young. Things slowly started changing for Angela, she would go to the cemetery and tell her parents the things she wanted to tell them, and it made her feel better. She decided that she had, had enough, and was going to remodel the whole house. Get rid of the dark paneling, the things that had been there forever, because nothing was allowed to be changed, and she started letting the light in, with the changes that were taking place.
There seemed to be a correlation, as Angela let the light into her house, and fixed it up, it seemed the darkness in Angela was being replaced by light, she started to feel joy, love, and was ready to face life head on. That is what she did, and it was a joy to see the things she learned, the improvements she made in herself and her home, and the life she was creating.
I received an ARC from Montlake through NetGalley.

Upon the death of her father, Angela Marie inherits the family peanut farm, Meadow Falls. Her parents weren’t very affectionate toward her, and she lost her mother at a young age. Now that she’s running the farm, Angela vows to make changes for the better. She feels a freedom she’s never known before. With her are her nanny, Mandy, who was more like a mother to her growing up, and Mandy’s great-granddaughter, Celeste, who was her best friend. Working together, along with newly hired help, Angela sets out to keep her family legacy thriving.

This is a story of family dynamics and secrets, forgiveness, new beginnings, and so much more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a big fan of Carolyn Brown and I think this may have just became my favorite. A tale of our pasts, love lost and love gained, family secrets hidden away. This story has it all. Angelia Marie has grown up on her families peanut farm raised to take it over some day. But what she gets are a whole lot of family secrets and she finds that forgiveness often leads to the biggest gift of all - LOVE!!!! Thank you Montlake, Carolyn Brown and NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

Wonderfully sweet romance. Interesting way to get the back stories. Delightful characters. Heart-warming and heart-breaking tale. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Carolyn Brown has written another wonderful book about families in a small Texas town. In that slower-than-city-life fashion she weaves her story like a blanket, passing threads back and forth through the important characters, explaining their relationships, listening to their emotions, watching them grow stronger, and adding the color of love as the new pattern is created. I enjoyed reading Angela and Celeste’s journey of understanding of their family’s past and seeing it become something better than either of them thought it could be.

Angela Marie has inherited a peanut farm after the death of her Father, a Father who showed her no love during his life. Now she is trying to deal with her hurt and anger and trying to move on. There are a lot of secrets in this family, some that are just now coming to light. There are some interesting characters in this book who you come to love. The ending is what you would expect from a Carolyn Brown book but the journey is fun. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

As always, Carolyn Brown writes a tale that is heart-warming and featuring strong female characters. It is about redemption and forgiveness to live a rich life. In Meadow Falls, following the death of her father, Angela Marie is now fully in charge of the peanut farm and queen apparent in town. However, Angela seeks to make changes to take the castle off the hill and bring love and sunshine into her life. Caring for her nanny, Mandy, with the help of her childhood best friend Celeste, Angela is determined to make changes. Enter two good looking and sweet men, Devon and Jesse, and sparks begin to fly. Together they become one happy family as this story makes you all warm inside. I love all of Mandy's wisdom and sayings and the overall theme of forgiveness and acceptance that is a lesson taught by Carolyn Brown. I recommend this wholesome book today, it was a pleasant read and full of happiness, second chances, and love. Many thanks to #netgalley #meadowfalls #carolynbrown #sourcebooks for the opportunity to read and review this book.