Sophia Rose is here with a women’s fiction romance that is sure to charm. Check out her thoughts on The Sawmill Book Club by Carolyn Brown. I am sure you’ll want to pack your bags and head to this Texas, small-town and meet its residence.

The Sawmill Book Club
by Carolyn Brown
Genres: Women’s Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate

Rating:

A restless woman discovers the comforts of small-town Texas—and more—in a bighearted novel about the next chapters in life by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.

Unsure of the future but ready for risks, Libby O’Dell trades big-city life for whatever the back roads hold. In this case it’s the small community of Sawmill, Texas, where Libby’s taken a temporary job putting an antique store in order. Her new boss, Benny Taylor, a handsome charmer with a three-legged dog named Elvis, isn’t a bad change of scenery, either.

Across the street Benny’s surrogate grandmothers—the widows Minilee and Opal—are ready with homemade corn bread, sweet tea, and an invitation for Libby to join their book club. Even if it is mostly a gathering for local gossip and meddling. The ladies’ main agenda: find Benny a wife. Except Benny’s not looking, and Libby’s only passing through until she decides what direction she’s headed next.

Truth is, Sawmill is starting to feel pretty nice. Benny, even nicer. Time will tell if this meantime job in a stopover town is just what Libby’s been looking for—and where she belongs.

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Sophia Rose’s Review

After being laid off, a woman decides to look at a job offer at a country antique shop that takes her right back to the past she determinedly left behind.  Finding solace, friendship and a little something more was like finding a rare treasure tucked back on the shelf.  Carolyn Brown delivers once again with another heart-felt woman’s fiction featuring healing, friendship, and a dollop of romance.

The Sawmill Book Club is a standalone women’s fiction that introduces Libby, who starts out with a hard crust about her and a need to shift for herself. Slowly her dismal childhood is revealed, but at first, one learns she’s averse to anything having to do with antique shops or the region of Texas she once called home. Yet, here she has to contemplate returning to that old part of Texas for a really good job offer that she has a unique skill-set for at an antique shop whose owner also needs someone to keep the books. 

The Sawmill Antique shop was once a sawmill and now it’s a small community of three, four if you count Benny’s old police dog with three legs. Libby has been a loner, but she doesn’t resist very hard when Benny, his dog, old widows Minilee and Opal draw her in with friendship and kind interest. They can all see she’s had something in her past to make her reserved, but give her the space to unbend to them slowly. 

Meanwhile, meals with the others, book club with four old feisty gals, working the busy weekends selling antiques, straightening up Benny’s disaster of an office, hunting up antiques to sell, and fending off a would-be gold digger after Benny with a nice winding, running path along the river and a private apartment at the back of the old gas station provide the catharsis Libby needs to open up to life’s enjoyments, friendships, and a spot of romance with handsome sweet Benny.

As Libby’s story came out, my heart broke for the little girl who had her basic needs met by the grandmother who raised her, but often was left alone to fend for herself even developing night terrors and never shown an ounce of tender care or love.  Her grandmother cared more for gambling with her friends and I was wary of finally finding out why the woman was so cold to her son’s child.  Libby had a box that was sent her after her grandmother’s death and she wouldn’t open it for the longest time.  Yes, part of me was curious if there would be an explanation, but part of me dreaded what it would be and how it would affect Libby’s new-found joy.

The backdrop elements of a book club with fun discussions and antiquing activities, mentions of the delicious meals, and even a fun farmer’s market were a fun and fascinating addition to the charming characters and the gently-paced plot.

The Sawmill Book Club was another comfy, satisfying read, full of simple life, friendship, down earth humor, and love that is Carolyn Brown’s specialty.

Amazon* | Audible

*kindleunlimited

Source

Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2024/07/the-sawmill-book-club-by-carolyn-brown.html