So this book definitely had potential but for me it didn’t quite hit the mark which is why I’m giving it 3.75 stars. I’ll start with perhaps my biggest bias; a book written in the first person has to be really, truly great in order for me to get over that. Unless the character is fascinating or incredibly intelligent I don’t really want to hear every mundane thought in their head and this one had more than a little.
I was intrigued though about the whole dead-not-dead-mom aspect of the story and this was where ReShonda Tate Billingsley really shone. I was glad to find out that the fake death wasn’t to do with the mob or her simply not wanting to be a mother. There were layers to Sarah reasons and honestly I don’t fault her at all for leaving, though I can find fault with leaving your child behind. I can even understand Brooke’s anger and dismay to find the parent who abandoned you now being the perfect mom to other kids.
But that’s about as far as my understanding goes. The rest of it kind of devolved into a Lifetime movie, of which I am not a fan. But like a Lifetime movie, there’s so much to like about the story that you read the whole thing anyway even though you know that no possible ending could satisfy you.
The story was well written and all the plot elements were there, I just didn’t connect to this story the way I had hoped to when I read the book description. I love a good revenge story but in this story I just wanted to shake Brooke and scream at her that revenge is supposed to destroy the other person…not you, girl!!!

Seeking Sarah is a story with many layers. Author ReShonda Tate Billingsley incorporates Love. Abandonment, Revenge, and Forgiveness in this compelling story. It follows protagonist/heroine, Brooke Green as she relentlessly seeks her mother, Sarah, after she learns that she did not die as Brooke was led to believe,. It is a journey that Brooke herself had to admit that she forfeited her future to try to reclaim her past. I highly recommend this story.

Absorbing and emotional but ultimately a tiny bit too soapy and hard to believe for me. I'd recommend it if you're in the mood for a book with an interesting story and a whole lot of drama. Rating: 3.5.

Brooke becomes an orphan with the sudden death of her beloved father... or so she thinks. She's been told her mother died in a car accident when she was seven, and she's mourned her for 25 years. Turns out she didn't so much die as willingly abandon her. Her father believed it would be better to tell her she simply passed on, thinking it would actually be easier on her. He dies telling her he's sorry and he had something to tell her, but he never gets to. That shocking news falls to her grandmother.

She's determined to find her, willing to spend thousands of dollars she really can't afford to track he down. Turns out it really isn't hard for a professional, and she soon has the info in her hands. Sarah has made a completely new life for herself in Atlanta... complete with a child and stepchild. She's determined to go see her, even working it out with her job so she doesn't need to take a break. New fiance Trent is less than supportive, but she heads out anyway.

She wasn't sure how she'd feel when she saw her, but she's angry to see the new life she's made for herself. Upset that Sarah is now this successful, loving mother after abandoning her first husband and child. She doesn't understand. She even infiltrates her family to get more information and attempting to sabotage recent successes. Her obsession soon leads to chaos, and it's unclear if she will ever have some kind of relationship with the woman who abandoned her... or keep the relationships she's built with others.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Gallery Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

The writing was good, but the story just didn't work for me. Brooke is a 32 year old woman, who we soon learn lost her mother as a child. Very early in the book Brooke's dad dies and Brooke then learns that he had lied about her mother dying. Her mom didn't die, she abandoned Brooke and her father. Brook goes to Atlanta to find her and confront her.

What bothered me most about this story was how Brooke would say she was over all the drama and then continue to create more of it. Like, when she sleeps with her mother's current husband. And let's Alex in the house even though it's clear he is angry and dangerous.

The other major issue I had was Brooke's fiance, Trent, who didn't have any empathy for Brook learning her mother was really alive and how that would make Brooke want to find her. How else would someone react to learning the parent they thought was dead is really alive? Just shrug and say, eh, oh well? I mean, really.

I had not read any of Billingsley's books before though and this book does make me curious about all of her other works. It's always fun to discover a new author!

Seeking Sarah is an interesting look at just how far a person is willing to go to get answers and a sense of personal justice. I started out fully empathizing with Brooke, but I quickly ended up shaking my head at her antics and decisions. Brooke is a thirty-two year old grown woman and is way too old to behave in the way that she does. If she had been in her early twenties I would have attributed her bad decisions to being immature and unprepared to deal with some harsh truths that were kept from her. Brooke should have been able to think past her knee jerk reactions to her mother's betrayal and the hurt that she was feeling. Brooke never seemed to take seriously how her actions would affect other people. Not her fiancé, not her grandmother, not an innocent little girl, nor even a young man who ultimately proves to be not only unstable, but dangerous.

Unfortunately, there was not one adult in this story that I liked. Everyone had either ulterior motives or selfish priorities. I did not, however, have any trouble finishing this book in just a few sittings. The writing is well done and the pacing is good, I just didn't like any of the characters. I was even annoyed at Brooke's father for staging and living a lie that was in no way necessary. Seeking Sarah is full of people who should know better, but still act against common sense, family drama that is messy with a resolution that leaves no one satisfied, and has a twist that made me say 'What the what?!" at the end.

Well, I guess if there's a roadblock to your path to happiness, you have to stop and move it out of the way.

Seeking Sarah is a fast paced, page turning read. After her fathers death, Brooke Hayes finds out after 25 years the mother she believed dead, Sarah Hayes, was alive. Forsaking her fiancé, Trent, and remaining loved ones she sets out to find the mommy that abandoned her to try and rekindle their relationship. However, Brooke discovers her mom has the perfect life and the perfect family. Not realizing that sometimes the best a person can give you is their absence, Brooke sets out for revenge instead of seeking clarity on Sarah's absence absence or even rekindling with the mom she once loved. Will Brooke realize in time that consequences come with revenge? Will Sarah realize who Brook is before it's to late and welcome her into her new life? Seeking Sarah touches on family, forgiveness, and the importance of parenting. Good read!

Seeking Sarah is about a young lady who longed to have her mother in her life who she believed had died when she was younger. Brooke does not deal with death well and when she is faced again with another death she learns the truth about her mom. This starts the "Seeking Sarah" search.


I could not believe everything that she went through to try to find her mother, some stuff that she did was not necessary and I am sure her dad would have not agreed with it. Everything that she lost was not necessary in my opinion but that is what made this a good read. The different actions and decisions she chose to make in order to meet Sarah.

Seeking Sarah is a novel containing one young woman's reaction to a lie from her childhood that has influenced her entire life and of the pain from the deceit. It is a story of her actions in dealing with the lie and the repercussions that happened.
Brooke has believed her mother to be dead since Brooke was five. She has lived the years longing for her and wishing her back to share in her life's moments. Now that Brooke is engaged, the desire is even more so. Upon her father's death, she learns that her mother is indeed alive and living a life void of Brooke.
Brooke rearranges her work and moves to Atlanta where her mother and her family live. Although at first, Brooke just wants to reconnect with her mother, deep seated resentment boils over and Brooke looks for ways to get even with her for her abandonment. Good things cannot come from devious motives.

Imagine that you are seven years old and your mother dies. You are loved dearly by your father and your grandmother, but the loneliness that you feel for your mother never goes away. When you have your first period, your first date, attend prom, you want your mother there. So you commemorate those events by writing letters to your mom as if she is stil alive and not killed in a car accident. That was Brooke's life, or at least she thought it was until her beloved father dies too and on his deathbed confesses a secret that rocks her world. Brooke, who is engaged to marry Trent, puts her life on hold to discover what her father was talking about. What? Her mother is still alive somewhere? They had a funeral, but she is really alive. So, she takes money from their marriage fund and hires a private detective to find her mother Sarah. Sarah is living not far away, it seems, in Atlanta. Brooke is now determined to meet her and ask why she left her behind with no thought for her so she leaves Raleigh and her fiancé behind and sets out for Atlanta. With a lot of machinations and spying, she does meet her mother and with a lot of heartache and consequences for all involved, Brooke finds out that Sarah has a new life and a new family. It is absolutely heartbreaking what Brooke and Sarah have to go through and the realization that Brooke as well as Sarah have consequences to their reunion. This book is one that will make you think about the choices you make and the consequences that they have for everyone in your circle of life. It is complicated and simple all at once. Brooke only wanted the love of her mother, but in wanting that simple thing so much more was affected. This was a great read and I highly recommend it! It shows life and circumstances that are beyond our control and how we have to think hard before we make choices that may well hurt others.

A pleasant and a quick read. The storyline is a bit scattered. Not particularly my cup of tea.

Thank you net galley for providing me with an ARC copy.

Summary from Goodreads:
From the time Brooke Green was seven years old, she has lived with the pain of losing her mother. Her father has done the best job he could in raising her, but a piece of her always felt empty. On the day of her father’s funeral, her grandmother breaks the shocking news: her mother, Sarah, is very much alive. She abandoned her family because she claimed she wasn’t fit for motherhood. After doing some research, Brooke discovers her mother is living in Atlanta, enjoying a great career…and a brand new family. Stunned, Brooke doesn’t know if she wants answers or revenge against the mother who abandoned her. When she meets Sarah’s husband, Tony, Brooke sees the perfect way to make her mother pay. But her plan for revenge just may leave everyone in danger, and end up costing Brooke more than she ever bargained for.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Gallery Books for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Once again, the blurb was better than the book.  I was extremely excited for this book, but with all the backstabbing, fighting and high drama I just felt drained after reading it.  The book was full of mainly unlikeable characters and unbelievable situations.  I kept waiting for our main character, Brooke, to grow… but I can’t say she ever did.  On the plus side, the writing style was flawless, the story moved well and was very easy to follow and get into.  I suppose it just wasn’t a favorite of mine.  I give it three stars.  
On the adult content scale, there was a lot of language, sexual content and some violence.  I have to give it a six.

Brooke Green lost her mom when she was 7 years old so it was really just her, her dad and her gma. After her dad passes away a secret is revealed. This secret impacts everying in Brooke's life and it turns everyone upside down. I was not happy with this book. Revenge for the sake of just because someone hurt me and I don't care the cost is just not my cup of tea. The thought process of Brooke was immature and selfish. I understand to a point of the need to get to the bottom of things but not destroy innocent people on top of it. The the ending is wrapped up in a nice little bow when you know damn well that isn't how real life is.

Brooke Hayes is a normal girl with a dad who loves her to death. Her mom died when she was little and her dad raised her. Or so she thought. On her father’s deathbed, he tells her he is sorry. Before Brooke can find out what he is sorry for, he passes away. Brooke’s grandmother ends up telling her the big secret, her mother is still alive. She didn’t die. She just left her family. The writing is such that you can feel through the words of the author how hurt and confused Brooke is. As she sets out on a journey to find her mother, she ends up finding more about herself and how far she will go to get revenge on the woman who left her and her father. There were times in the book when I felt Brooke was being selfish and annoying, yet at the same time, I understand that when we are in pain, sometimes we are just not quite ourselves. A fantastic read that got better as the story progressed. A great cast of characters who all had distinct personalities.

Thank you to Netgalley, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, and Gallery Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received early access to this book in exchange for writing an honest review. The strongest aspect to the novel is the storyline because it is NOT predictable.

A motherless woman, with a picture perfect fiancé and a successful career, is suddenly derailed by the death of her father and a family secret that is suddenly revealed. Brooke then feels compelled to launch a search which puts the rest of her life in jeopardy. And despite lots of warning from those she cares about most, she cannot seem to alter her path, even as she heads toward disaster.

Along the way she juggles lots of conflicting human emotions -- disbelief, anger, sadness, revenge, envy, and grief. And the reader gets to witness how strong emotions can shape people's judegements and actions. There are some very dark moments. And I ended the book not much liking the main character.

To me, the weakest part of the book is the language itself. It's serviceable, but nothing more. There is no poetry to the writing. No subtlety. Nothing left to the reader's imagination. Everything is stated, and sometimes restated. And the Epilogue, where the author attempts to provide resolution, feels forced and unbelievable. Although this author has written a number of books, this is my first exposure to her. And probably my last. But I readily admit I may be in a minority.

As a little Brooke was led to believe her Mom passed away. Now with her Father on his death bed he decides to tell her the truth. Faced with the fact that she is not happy in her relationship and that her life has been a lie she decides to find her Mom. She hires a PI and when she gets the information she needs she decides to see her.
The decisions she makes are led by her anger and grief and turn out to be devastated but she also decided to not be honest at first. She also discovers she doesn't like the person she becomes and her life now is the one she made for her self.
From the first page you feel sorry or Brooke, eventually you wonder what the heck she is thinking. The book is a good book and keeps you interested from the first page.

** I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

This was the first book I have ready by ReShonda Tate Billingsley, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This book had a little but of everything; a dark, tangled story with a lot of heart and many shed tears. There's lost love, bittersweet memories, a longing for acceptance, and death and destruction. Her characters are vivid and real, and I found myself wanting to know more about them. I cried with Brooke, was angry with her friends and family at some of her actions. I couldn't put the book down. I read it in two days. I look forward to many more books by this amazing author!

This is a book about a young woman who is looking for her mother that she thought was dead.
In the process almost loses herself, friends, family and her job..
"" No, the story hadn't ended the way I had hoped, but stories don't really end. They just start new chapters."
Fast paced novel that really kept me reading to see the "next chapter."

The publisher provided me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for providing feedback. (via NetGalley)

3.5 stars. Engaging well written read, easy to get swept up in. Brooke is bit destructive throughout the book which led to some plot lines I didn't personally care for but overall it was a good read.

This was a great book. I loved the diversity of the characters, but the story like was a little slow and lagging.

I have been a fan of this author since "My Brother's Keeper". :I have never been disappointed in her writing and was not disappointed with this book. Brooke is engaged to be married and has her set of sister friends and family surronding her. Brooke has been lead to believe for a long time that her mother, Sarah, was dead. She finds out this is not true when her cherished father is on his death bed. Sarah wants answers and sets out to find them. What she finds is the basis of this book and her anger spears her toward revenge when she finds her mother and from the outside looking , her mom has a family and husband and is very happy. Will Brooke get her revenge? Is what we see always the truth? Can a person who has been lied to most of her life find a way to forgive? Read this book and find out. I read this book in one day, that is how good the writing is. Kudos to the author on another outstanding book!!! Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.