Such an amazing book. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Ashley Farley is one great author. I got so caught up in the story and characters, I had a hard time putting it down. Thank you Ashley Farley for this wonderful story.

Once again, Ashley Farley has written a beautiful story that has touched my heart. Her books are always filled with amazing characters, people I would love to know in real life. And she has such a gentle way of writing that I just get swept up in her words.

Nell and Lady is a thought-provoking tale of family love and acceptance, even when the world around them isn't so accepting. And then there's the secret that tore this family apart. Can the two 'sisters' make amends and be a family again—their dying mother's wish?

I loved this generational story with all of the family history, as people move on with their lives, forever intertwined and connected. This is definitely a story you're going to want to read. I know I want to go back and read it again. I loved it and I highly recommend it!

Nell and Lady is a beautifully written novel full of emotion. The story is primarily about two families. It begins with the story of two different sets of friends, two mothers and their two daughters. The story is a look at family ties after they all experience a huge loss. Their loyalty and trust will be tested. The story is also a look at the struggle in society concerning relationships between races. Later many years later, these two families will meet again. All of the secrets of the past will become known. Throughout the story, the characters struggle with their emotions and their relationships as they deal with what happened in the past. The misunderstanding and mistakes of the past all come to the surface as the families’ lives begin to intersect, whether they are ready or not.

Wow!

Nell and Lady is a beautifully, heart wrenching and heartfelt story filled with SO many feelings. I had to absolutely devour this story, I could NOT stop! I did not want to stop.... I was so invested in these characters and felt so much love for them. I was completely absorbed into their lives. Even when I wasn’t able to read, I was thinking about them. This story touched my heart. I love how Ashley Farley is able to give her characters heart and soul. I am completely attached and will think of them often.

Absolute MUST read!

During a time when people were separated by class and race, Willa and Mavis became the best of friends. Willa was the lady of the house and Mavis, fondly called May May, was the live-in maid/nanny. Their friendship was an unlikely fit, but as the two women went through their life experiences together their bond grew from friendship to family. So, when Mavis died unexpectedly, it did not take long for Willa to decide that the best course of action for Mavis's daughter, Nell, was to adopt her as her own.

Nell and Lady were the best of friends and sisters by adoption and heart. Nell's devotion towards her sister changes the night of Lady's 16th birthday party. After that night, Nell pulls away from both Willa and Lady, neither knowing why.

Present day, Willa has cancer. So she sends for Nell, much to Lady's dismay. Willa wants her family back together before she dies. Lady is convinced that there is no chance for a happy reunion, but goes to Nell with Willa's message. Can this family be mended before it's too late? Can sins of the past be forgiven?

Thank you Netgalley and Ashley Farley for allowing me the opportunity to read this title.

Family isn’t always about blood, but who you make it. In this story by Ashley Farley Nell, the maid’s daughter and Lady, the lady of the house’s daughter grew up together in a mansion in Charleston. Suddenly Nell’s mom dies and Lady’s mother adopts her and treats her just like her own. They played together, ate together, and laughed together until the night of Lady’s 16th birthday. Something happened to Nell that she’s never told anyone, especially Lady.
This story takes you through the heartaches and healing needed to bring a family back together again.

Favorite Quotes:

Lady wasn’t dredging up anything. She lived in the past every single day. She was a character in a movie with a worn-out theme— waking up every morning to repeat the same traumatic day over and over again.

For your information, Betty, my help is my family, not that it’s any of your business. As for my social status, I have more friends in this town than you have weeds in your garden. And, honey, I’m here to tell you that you have a whole shit pot of weeds growing in your garden.

My Review:

The clever and thoughtful premise of this book was the pervasive domino effect of a kept secret thirty-one years after the undisclosed traumatic event lead. It started with a silent resentment that quickly festered into a loud and bitter antipathy and resulted in complete avoidance. The secret had effectively poisoned their family and shaped their choices and attitudes as adults. The storylines were believable, heart-squeezing, easy to follow and well paced while the writing was emotive and well detailed. While the story was engaging and well plotted, her characters are always where Ms. Farley’s true artistry shines. This ensemble was realistically drawn, deeply flawed, and so well-fleshed out I felt I knew them. Ashley Farley has a well-honed skill for creating common yet deeply fractured characters that greatly annoy me one minute and endear me the next.

This was such a wonderfully solid read. There is so much here to like, and it really was enjoyable. I loved the setting, the characters, the story, and the issues it touched on. The heart of it was family, not only the family you are born with, but the one you make for yourself. The story kept me emotionally engaged; there were both tears and laughs, as I worked my way to the end. Ashley Farley is a new to me author and I really enjoyed the way she wove the characters and story line together. I will definitely be looking to read more of her previous work, as well as add her to my “must read” list.
#NellandLady #LakeUnion

Nell and Lady is a touching story of family, loss and forgiveness.

Set against the backdrop of prejudice in the deep south Nell and Lady tells the story of a friendship that defies race and social class. Mavis is a young Black woman who finds herself pregnant and working for Willa Bellemore who is also expecting a child. The two become best friends and raise their daughters, Nell and Lady, together in the Bellemore home until tragedy strikes. Mavis unexpectedly suffers a stroke and dies, leaving Nell without family. Willa adopts Nell and continues to raise her as her own daughter, despite the social implications of the time.

The girls are as close as sisters until the age of 16, when Nell suddenly drifts from both Lady and Willa. She shuts them out of her life, without ever explaining why. Years later, Willa is suffering from cancer and begs her daughter, Lady to find Nell. She wants more than anything to reconnect with her before she dies.

What follows is the unraveling of years of secrets, emotion and bitterness. The story was heartwarming and the characters were easy to like, especially Willa. She is the grandmother every child wishes they had!

Nell and the Lady by Ashley Farley. If you like Women’s fiction you will enjoy this book by Ashley Farley. Ashley Farley is a wonderful writer. I look forward to reading her books. Sometimes they are emotional such as this book but her books always have a good plot.

Nell and Lady is a nice blend of women’s fiction and Christian fiction, although not very heavy on the spiritual emphasis. It is mostly an interesting cast of women, struggling with a variety of common issues, from illness to alcoholism, race, spousal and friend abuse, and school pressure for the teens. The men are mostly secondary characters except for Nell’s son, who is a larger part. It emphasizes how relationships between people who care about each other can easily go off the rails, and how difficult it can be to bridge the gaps again. It is a quick and satisfying read. My only caveat is that
SPOILER ALERT
people suffering from cancer and serious head injuries do not recover miraculously in very brief periods of time, and the ending was a little too neatly wrapped up in a bow.
But I always appreciate a happy ending, so not a problem for me!
Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Nell and Lady is a beautiful story about friendship, family and the consequences of the choices that we make. The girls were best friends, became sisters and then during a party, one started down the road of alcoholism and the other experienced an assault that would take her away from her family. Both girls married, each had a child and many years later would find themselves face-to-face dealing with situations that would force them to face the past.

Thank you NetGalley and Ashley Farley for an ARC of Nell and Lady. I loved this book!

I loved this book! I read it in two sittings and I didn't want it to end. Ashley Farley is a wonderful storyteller and her characters become your friends. Family, friendship and forgiveness and an amazing story set in the 1970's will have you laughing, crying and wondering what you would do in some emotional, relatable and real situations. The author has a great way of taking sensitive subjects and showing it from different perspectives.
It's a beautiful book and I will read everything this author writes. I am so happy that I read this book. 5 stars.
I just reviewed Nell and Lady by Ashley Farley. #NellAndLady #NetGalley

I enjoyed this book as I do all of Ashley Farley's book. It addressed so many issues. So many things that normal families have happen to them. It's sad when we lose pieces of our families over misunderstandings and slights. I wasn't sure who i hurt for more in this book - Nell or Lady. I think that it changes as you read the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for the honor of reading this book.

This was a very heartfelt book. It touched on subjects that are full of pain and missunderstandings. Family is more than just blood. It’s more than just race. It’s that deep down feeling of love. Love that can at times be so painful too. From the racial points to the sexual assault Lady and Nell have so much to get over. Two girls who were best friends from birth until the age of 16. Can they find their way back? Both have a teenage child headed for college. Both divorced and trying to make a life. Both with a mother dying of cancer.

Finding your way back to someone is hard at times. Sometimes it takes something awful to make you see what you had and can have again. Ashley Farley is a wonderful author and she weaves this story perfectly. Told by each of the main characters who you will love. Each one tells their story and makes you fall in love with them. It’s a great book. Well developed characters and the time frame was perfect. I loved it.

It’s a big 5 stars. One you won’t regret reading. I enjoyed this book and could not put it down.

I just started to get yo know this author and every book has been great!
This is a story of friendship and forgiveness set in the 1970’s A can’t rec This book enough !

Author Ashley Farley is a true master at her craft. Her new book, Nell and Lady, is a wonderful heartfelt and thought provoking story about a 3 generation family living in Charleston, South Carolina. The Bellemores are a privileged white family who after the death of their live in black maid Mavis, adopts her daughter Nell as part of their family. It’s a story that covers many topics such as prejudices, sexual assault, divorce, alcoholism and cancer. It depicts how keeping secrets from one another can tear a relationship apart. I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishers, and author Ashley Farley for allowing me the privilege to read an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I thought this was a very enjoyable story that left me thinking long after I had finished the book. I have given it a well deserved 5 star rating and highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading women’s fiction.

This is an absolutely beautiful story. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. Like in life, things do happen. The characters are all amazing - they are all unique and well developed, with such personality. I haven’t read any of the author’s other books, but her storytelling skills are definitely valedictorian worthy. I’m looking forward to reading more of her books.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is a beautiful story of friendship, family and hope set in the 1970's, I absolutely loved it and highly recommend.

Classic "women's fiction". Heads up, though, that this tale of three generations stars equally Booker and Regan, the children of Nell and Lady respectively. Missed cues and crushing shame are at the root of this tale of two women- sisters- who are estranged but come together when their mother Willa is dying. There were a few false notes to me, most notably Willa's reaction to a friend of Nell's and I wonder if that was meant to be how Nell perceived it more than what she thought was at fault. I also could have lived without the - for want of another word- woo woo chapter. AND I wanted the recipe for the cheese biscuits. All that said, I read this quickly and with great enjoyment. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.