Join the millions who have fallen in love with New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown in her landmark hundredth novel.At the end of her rope, single mom Lily Anderson is determined to move her rebellious children in the right direction. That means taking away their cell phones, tablets, and computers—at least temporarily—and moving to the house where Lily grew up in the rural town of … in the rural town of Comfort, Texas. But Lily has a bigger challenge than two sulking kids.
The house comes with Mack Cooper, high school teacher and handsome longtime renter. The arrangement: just housemates. But Mack’s devoted attention to the kids starts to warm Lily’s resistant heart. Then Lily finds an old leather-bound book in which five generations of her female ancestors shared their struggles and dreams. To Lily, it’s a bracing reminder about the importance of family…and love.
Now it’s time for Lily to add an adventurous new chapter to the cherished family journal—by embracing a fresh start and taking a chance on a man who could make her house a home.
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I really like the characters and the whole story in general.
Loved this book. Loved the parenting lesson. The lifetime friendships. The life lessons, the family sorrow, the country life. I was living it and enjoyed every moment.
I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of reading Brown’s stories. I really liked these characters and the plot of this book. It actually brought tears to my eyes and made me think of my own family. I can’t wait to read more from this talented story teller.
Great book
I’ve yet to read a Carolyn brown book that I didn’t fall in love with! This one, with all the stuff with Covid, made for a wonderful escape from reality. I love the small town themes and her characters just make you want to be in the book with them.
Picked this up at the library because Carolyn Brown is one of those incredibly successful Amazon Publishing authors and I was curious to see what the deal was. Also, it promised goats. This is a sweet but not cloying family story that’s almost more about a mom and her two kids falling back in love with each other than it is about the male/female romance. My favorite thing about it is the small town Texas local color (the MC thanks the hero for telling her “I’m pretty when I look like hammered owl shit”). I also appreciate a novel that has people going to church but not getting all pious about it (and in this case still fornicating without any apparent guilty qualms, even if it’s off the page). Women with annoying exes will probably enjoy it all the more, because Lily’s ex-husband is a real doozy. I’m still trying to figure out the difference between dinner and supper and why all these folks haven’t developed Type 2 diabetes yet, but that’s the only cultural difference I couldn’t quite figure out. Also, bravo on serving milk with pie to grown-ups. When I ask adults up here in upstate New York if they want milk with dessert (as I do!) they look at me like I’m crazy.
I love Carolyn Brown and her books!
Carolyn Brown does it again! This book is romantic, funny, and always relates to real life in the south. I can never put down a book of hers until I’m completely finished. If you are looking for a feel good story this is it. Anxiously awaiting her next release.
The Family Journal
by Carolyn Brown
296 pages
Publication date: November 12, 2019
4
MY REVIEW
This is my first read by this author, and definitely won’t be my last. I loved this beautiful heartwarming story. The author writes in such a way that you fell like you are there. It was well written with such great characters. I loved all of the characters. I loved how the character of Lily was such a strong. divorced, single struggling mom. When her kids get into trouble she makes the decision to take all of their electronics and move them from the city to her childhood home. Its a small town in the country. After moving there Lily finds and reads a family journal with her daughter that was written by some of the women in her family dating back to the civil war.
I loved how the past of this family was brought into the present through this family journal. It truly is such an emotional read that will give u all of the feels.
Many thanks to the Publisher , the Author , and NetGalley for a ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own.
#TheFamilyJournal #NetGalley
Very enjoyable
Terrific book about family, friendship, love, and new beginnings. In the five years since her divorce, Lily’s life was taken over by the day-to-day stresses of work and home, leaving her little time to give her kids the attention they needed. Her cheating ex-husband gave her full custody because his new wife had no interest in being around children. He flits in and out of Holly and Braden’s lives, unreliable in actions and attitude. She experienced a rude awakening when she discovered 14-year-old Holly smoking a joint in the library bathroom, and that 12-year-old Braden was regularly sneaking out to drink and smoke with his friends. Devastated and furious, Lily takes drastic action. She takes all of their electronics away and moves them from Austin to her tiny hometown of Comfort, Texas.
I had to hand it to Lily. She didn’t shilly-shally when faced with trouble, but took immediate action. Nor did she allow the kids to guilt her into changing her mind. She may harbor a few doubts, but she wasn’t about to show them to the kids. Returning to Comfort was a big step for her. As a teen, she couldn’t wait to get away from the small, sleepy town and experience city life. Her return feels a bit like a failure, but she’ll do what she must for the kids. Her return also forces Lily to face some unresolved guilt about her relationship with her deceased mother. In the middle of her divorce, Lily was unwilling to deal with the stress of handling her mother’s house, so she rented it as is to Mack Cooper, the high school ag teacher. It’s a fairly large house, so she and Mack come to an agreement that he will continue to rent and live in the downstairs, while Lily and the kids live upstairs. They’ll share the kitchen.
I really liked Mack. He’s a quiet, steady man, who enjoys his work with the kids at school. He’s accepted that love is likely not in the cards for him after having been burned twice. I ached for him and that part of his past, as the two women he loved threw him over for his flashy and shallow twin brother. Personally, I felt he was better off without them, as they obviously didn’t truly love him. I loved the way that he welcomed Lily and the kids into his life. I especially enjoyed his connection with Braden and seeing the positive influence he had on the boy. I had to laugh at Braden’s enthusiasm for the goats, much to his sister’s disgust.
A lot was going on in this book. First and foremost was Lily’s need to reconnect with her kids and help them see the error of their ways. It was a tough go at first, as the withdrawal pains from their lack of electronics made them unusually irritable. I had a great deal of fun watching them all cope with their new reality – no wifi??!!! Both kids had some severe culture shock going on, and I enjoyed seeing their progress from spoiled brats to good kids. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for them, and I liked seeing them deal with their various challenges. I especially loved Braden’s defense of his friend and cheered the awesome principal. There was a little while where I worried that Holly was headed down the wrong path again, but she too came through with unexpectedly mature decisions.
I also enjoyed seeing Lily reconnect with her childhood friends. It didn’t take long for them to be as close as they had ever been. I enjoyed seeing Lily get involved in the antique store and discover that the slower pace suited her new lifestyle. Her friendship with her mother’s best friend also gave Lily the chance to learn things about her mom that she hadn’t known. When going through her mother’s desk, Lily found an old journal that turned out to be written by earlier generations of the women in her family. I loved the snippets that were shared in the book, and how many of them had parallels in what Lily herself was experiencing. When Holly needed a school project, Lily shared the journal with her. I loved how sharing that link with their ancestors brought the two together in new ways. It was fascinating to see the effect it had on both of them.
There was also the growing relationship between Lily and Mack. It started as friendship, with the two learning to work together as they shared the living space. Mack’s quiet strength helped Lily stay true to her goals for herself and her children. I liked how he took an interest in the kids and provided the kind of example they didn’t have in their own father. I enjoyed seeing the two of them settle into a comfortable friendship with trust and respect for each other. And the more time that they spent together, the stronger the sparks of attraction between them grew. Both are a little wary, as Wyatt did a number on Lily’s belief in herself, and Mack’s brother Adam’s dog-in-the-manger attitude toward anything Mack has made him reluctant to trust his heart to another woman. I had to laugh at Lily’s reaction to Adam and his stunned disbelief. I loved that Mack was there for Lily when Wyatt pulled his bone-headed stunt with the kids. I loved the ending and seeing the changes that everyone experienced. I was left with a wonderfully warm feeling and the belief that Comfort was both a place and a state of mind.
One of my favorite secondary characters was Granny Hyatt. She was something else, with her fierce independence and blunt speech. She also showed the heart of Comfort and how everyone looks out for each other. It was quite a surprise to see how she took to the rebellious Holly. It was fascinating to see how two such different people connected. There was an interesting twist involving Granny at the end of the book, which answered a few questions Lily had from reading the journal.
Carolyn Brown Never disappoints!
November 15, 2019
Family, conflict, love, laughter are all found within these pages and you can believe every word. These characters jump off the page and right into your imagination!
If you are lucky enough to have the read and listen kindle unlimited, you’ll get a whole other dimension to this wonderful book! Loved it!!
Author Carolyn Brown has once again succeeded in bringing me to fits of laughter, and at times, tears with her beautifully written novel, The Family Journal. Lily Anderson is a divorced, single mother who is at her wits end with the behavior of her two children, Holly and Braden. Trying to do what’s best for them, she moves them back to her hometown of Comfort, Texas. After her mother passed away five years earlier, Lily has been renting the family home to Mack Cooper, the high school Ag teacher. As Lily gets the kids settled into their new schools and decides to find work herself, things slowly begin to look up. Having Mack in the home is a refreshing change for Lily and unbeknownst to her, Mack feels the same. As she discovers an old leather journal in her mother’s things, Lily begins to read the aged and yellow pages that held the words of her ancestors.What does the future hold for Lily? What will she write in the family journal to pass on to Holly? Author Carolyn Brown has absolutely mesmerized me with this novel! She writes with such passion and the witty phrases that she uses shows that each sentence is written from the heart! I cannot wait to see what this amazing author has in store for us next!
I’ve read a few of Carolyn Brown’s books now and I find them peaceful and pleasing. I normally read a bit racier titles but sometimes it’s nice to slow down and enjoy a glass of sweet tea and a good for your soul story. Brown’s stories appeal to me particularly having been raised in a very small Texas town much like the ones found in her books. I haven’t found my hometown in a book yet, but maybe someday.
Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and this one was lovely. The family journal wove so seamlessly in and out of the story adding a bit of information and reflection when it was sorely needed. Fate played a good hand in matching up Mack and Lily at the perfect time in their lives to make a good solid family foundation for Brayden and Holly.
I loved the town of Comfort and its fine folk. Small towns are a treasure. Thank you for another wonderful story Mrs. Brown, I am recharged.
A good romance with a great underlying story. I want to start a journal now.
This book is based upon a journal that is handed down from mother to daughter over generations. There is no rhyme or reason when it is written in or about the subject matter. When Lily finds the journal in her mother’s writing desk, she immediately understands its significance. She reads it with the reverence the journal requires.
Soon, she is sharing the stories with her daughter. Having moved with her children back into the farmhouse of her childhood, Lily wonders if making such a rash decision after their negative behaviors come to light. As she reads more of the journal, both of her kids become closer to Mack, the renter of the farmhouse. Could she too be ready to open her heart to Mack after the devastation her husband’s infidelity caused?
This novel provides the outstanding writing Carolyn Brown brings to the table with the idea of what we leave our heirs in out writing.
I received an ARC from Montlake Romance through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review.
Heartwarming, sweetly sexy, fun and action packed journey filled with interesting charters, great dialog, heart racing turns and undeniably passionate adventure… a great read from beginning to end. Really enjoyed this highly entertaining second chance.
Another great read from Carolyn Brown. Lily needs to get her kids under control, so she moves them to her small hometown into the house she grew up in with the current renter, Mack. She’s dealing with a jerk of an ex-husband and kids, who of course are hating her because of the move, but there is a spark between her and Mack. How will things turn out?
The Family Journal was a great read that made me laugh and shake my head. I felt that the way Carolyn Brown began the book completely hooked me and as a mother of an almost preteen gave me the connection to want to read more. One is left wondering if Lily’s decision to move back to her hometown will be the right one?
Carolyn Brown demonstrates in this book her ability to have a pulse on current society that makes one think and reflect. I also enjoyed the tie ins of the family journal as well because I find family histories interesting and hope one day to come across one of my own.
I have found a new to me author, whom I will be going back and reading her other works.
Brown takes a snapshot of the heart at it’s most vulnerable and then puts it in our hands for safekeeping. The Family Journal dares to expose every emotion we’re too afraid to face, but determined to conquer anyway. Lily and Mack are evidence that there is beauty in the heartache and wisdom in the lessons we learn from the experience.
I have read many of Carolyn Brown’s books and have loved them all. But The Family Journal is my favorite so far. I loved everything about this book. The mother, Lily, is newly divorced with a ex who only wants to deal with the kids on his terms. So, what does she do? She takes things in her own hands and pushed the kids to fall in line. She makes the biggest decision for them but then she lets them find their own way while giving them the guidance they need to make their own decisions. She truly loves her kids entirely, but she doesn’t always like them which is something most mothers feel at many times in their lives.
Mack comes with the house that they move into since it was rented to him by Lily. I love the respect he shows both Lily and the children. I cannot imagine being a bachelor, living alone, and then having a family move in with you and over take your life. Although he is a teacher and use to being with children all day, he is use to coming home to his own peace and quiet. I think Lily is good for Mack also. She lets him rediscover what it feels like to open your heart and let someone or many someones in. Mack is good for the children. He opens them up to new experiences and supports them in a way a mother is not always able to do.
The characters in this book just fit. They respect each other, they learn from each other, and eventually they love each other. The farmhouse setting, the goats, the wonderful small town, and everything else in the story are perfect. I will happily recommend this book over and over again.