Today Sophia Rose reviews one by a favorite women's fiction author of mine that's on my shelf so I'm really interested in hearing what she thinks about, Miss Janie's Girls by Carolyn Brown.
Take it away Sophia Rose!!
Miss Janie’s Girls by Carolyn Brown
Narrated by Karissa Vacker
Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: 7.28.20
ASIN: B08C6P3C97
Time: 9 hours 23 minutes
Rating: 4
Narration: 4
Format: MP3
Source: Brilliance Audio
Add To: GoodReads:
GoodReads Blurb:
A bittersweet reunion becomes a time for looking back and starting over in a heartwarming new novel from New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.
Miss Janie is at the end of a long and full life, but she has no intention of crossing that finish line until she’s found her girls....
It’s been ten years since Teresa and Kayla shook off the dust of Birthright, Texas, went their separate ways, and never looked back. Apart from their foster mom, Miss Janie, they don’t have many fond memories of their hometown. Or of each other. Still, neither can forget the kind woman who opened her home and heart to two teenagers in need.
When a private investigator - who just happens to be Miss Janie’s handsome nephew - tracks them both down and tells them Miss Janie is dying, Teresa and Kayla know deep down that they’ve got to be there for her as she had been there for them.
With Teresa and Kayla together again under the same roof, old tensions may flare, but with Miss Janie’s help, they might rediscover that home is the perfect place for new beginnings.
Miss Janie is at the end of a long and full life, but she has no intention of crossing that finish line until she’s found her girls....
It’s been ten years since Teresa and Kayla shook off the dust of Birthright, Texas, went their separate ways, and never looked back. Apart from their foster mom, Miss Janie, they don’t have many fond memories of their hometown. Or of each other. Still, neither can forget the kind woman who opened her home and heart to two teenagers in need.
When a private investigator - who just happens to be Miss Janie’s handsome nephew - tracks them both down and tells them Miss Janie is dying, Teresa and Kayla know deep down that they’ve got to be there for her as she had been there for them.
With Teresa and Kayla together again under the same roof, old tensions may flare, but with Miss Janie’s help, they might rediscover that home is the perfect place for new beginnings.
Sophia Rose's Review
An old woman is dying of cancer and suffering from dementia, she needs her girls to come home. And, though it’s been years and miles from that home, both the women need to be found and brought back to remember what family and home are all about. And, just maybe, they'll find what has eluded them is right back where they started.
Miss Janie's Girls is a heartwarming standalone women's fic full of country charm, feels, and some Texas two-stepping for a pair of feisty foster sisters and the woman who gave them unconditional love and home while suffering her own private pain. The heart of this story is the women's lives.
Miss Janie's Girls is one emotional ride. It's not hectic as to pace, but gentle as it progresses through Miss Janie's last days and the family all together again. Each person including Noah has a tragic past and came from broken home situations, but family can be who you make it. Miss Janie's legacy is obvious and it's a good one. This was bittersweet, but also full of hope as the younger women healed and embraced a second chance.
The author opened my eyes to the earlier time person of recent past generations and what it was like for unwed girls who got pregnant and how they didn't have a lot of recourse for many things including birth control like now.
This was my first time with Karissa Vacker for a narrator. I know she has done at least one other Carolyn Brown book. She has a sweet voice that matches the tone of the story. She gives warmth and emotion, even the earlier anger in the women, so well. Her men voices were good. She doesn't really do the twang like some narrators do for books set in Texas, but I didn't mind.
All in all, this was a sleepy gem that lagged a little in places, but was sweetly, and sassily, triumphant in the end. I recommend it to those who enjoy a bit of country charm with their women's fiction and romance.
My thanks to Brilliance Audio and Net Galley for providing a copy of the book to listen to and read in exchange for an honest review.
Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown was born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma. These days she and her husband make their home in Davis, Oklahoma, a small town of less than three thousand people where everyone knows everyone, knows what they are doing and with whom, and read the weekly newspaper to see who got caught.
A plaque hangs on her office wall that says I know the voices are not real but they have such great ideas. That is her motto and muse as she goes through the days with quirky characters in her head, telling their stories, one by one, and loving her job.
She has been married almost half a century to a retired English teacher that she calls Mr. B and he does not read her books before they are published because she cannot afford a divorce. They have three grown children.—and enough grandchildren to keep them busy and young.
When Carolyn is not writing she likes to sit in the back yard and watch the two tom cats protect the yard from all kinds of wicked varmints like crickets, other cats, spiders and blue jays.
Sophia’s Bio:
Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
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Sophia Rose I love your review this is on my shelf and just went a few rungs up. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debbie! This one really touched my heart and I hope you love it, too. :)
DeleteYou know I suck when it comes to audioreads(lol), but I adoe Carolyn Brown and her stories so much and would read the novel. This one definitely sounds like another keeper! Hugs, and hope you both are doing well! RO
ReplyDeleteYes, snag it in print edition, Ro. It's a sweetheart of a story. :)
DeleteI had such a good time with this one. It was exactly what I needed when I needed it.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it brilliant when a book comes along at the right time? It really grabbed me, too. :)
DeleteAwww I adore her books :D
ReplyDeleteAren't they the sweetest? :)
DeleteI have heard good things about this book. I need to read this author's books.
ReplyDeleteThey are really relaxing as well as entertaining. :)
DeleteSounds sweet, maybe not for me, but looks like it would be good. :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah, not for everyone, but for sure it was adorable. :)
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