Really enjoyed reading this heartwarming, funny, witty and engaging journey filled with amazing friends bonded by shared experience and the strength to endure the hard times.... was a great read from beginning to end. Great reading that was so hard to put down.

Fantastic book! Loved all the characters! Finished last night about 11:30! Dragged my feet a little since I hated for it to end! Would love to have friends and neighbors like these and especially to sit down and eat with them! Laughed and cried!

I have always enjoyed Carolyn Brown’s writing. This book was no exception. 4 women, each at a crossroads in their life, embark on a vacation/ retreat to help each other and themselves come to grips with their new realities. Tootsie, newly widowed, the maternal neighbor of 3 army wives, herself an army wife, leads the way. Diana, divorced for many years, and out of the dating scene, Carmen, involved in a nasty divorce, and Joanie, feeling guilty because her marriage is stable and healthy...all sending their own daughters off to boot camp. Many of us have experienced the “empty nest” and this book is a reminder that we survive. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

I found it so hard to connect with the characters to be honest. I loved loved Luke and Diana, they were both easy to love. I felt the book had way too many POVs and it focused on too many characters rather than the two main which in my opinion it was definitely Luke and Diana. All the characters were easy to love and super relatable, I just felt there were parts that shouldn't have been there and they were included and held no purpose whatsoever. I did enjoy the storyline so much! I just wished the story would have been about these two love birds, everyone else I adored too. I just felt the story felt short in certain parts. I didn't DNF because I really enjoyed the storyline ask much as I said I did.

I have read other books from this author and have always loved them. The premise of this story I really enjoyed. It has a beautiful message of friendship and I loved the road trip these four ladies went on.

Surviving being a military wife is hard and not always successful as is indicated in this story. I loved the matriarch in this read. She is powerful and supportive. She represents an amazing surrogate mother.

I didn’t always love the empty nesters in this book. I wanted them to be tougher and the one getting divorced... she needed to let him hear her roar. He needed to be held accountable. Ugh. I don’t want to give anymore away but not my favorite part.

You will get a beautiful new love romance in this book that is sweet. If you like a busy story with a foundation of friendship, this is a book for you.

Carolyn Brown takes us back to small town Texas with a story about women, friendships, love, loss, and hope for the future.

The book starts in a suburb of San Antonio close to a military base where three women have found a home and friendship with each other.  It doesn't hurt that they have been adopted of sorts by another couple on the block, Tootsie and Smokey, that were never able to have children but welcome the women and their families into their lives.  Fast forward approximately 12 years and the daughters are all entering basic training and the crux of the story is what happens in about a 3 month period.

I found this story to be a bit heavier than most of her books due to the grief of several characters.  These three women become empty nesters and don't know what do with themselves.  I see this today with a lot of people that their children become their whole lives and I wonder when they plan to have their own interests outside of their children.  Diana, Carmen, and Joanie have each other and it helps as the girls grown up and their husbands are doing their military job (they are all on a team together).  It is a huge eye opener for these three to figure out how to handle life when they don't have their daughters to worry about, or at least not as much as they are now young women and on their own.

Tootsie and Carmen have to deal with the stages of grief - Tootsie for the death of her husband and Carmen for the death of her marriage.  I am glad that the author fully pursued the different stages for these women.

Diana has been divorced for five years and enter Luke, Tootsie's nephew.  He is as attracted to Diana as she is to him.  Her issue, the fact that she is 7 years older than him.  Their story is woven throughout the book and there is a bit of a surprise at the end but one I thought might happen.

Joanie has a different kind of surprise with her husband but you will have to read the book to find out what.

I enjoyed the book but noticed one discrepancy - there is a 72 hour waiting period to get married in Texas, so two characters might have been in for a surprise arriving at the courthouse and expecting to get married the same day!

Overall I enjoyed this book and give it 4 paws up.

Carolyn Brown is an author that I love to read. She writes sweet books with characters that have big hearts, real-world issues, and family/friends that are incredibly loving. The Empty Nesters is exactly what I expected when I picked it up. The military wives/ex-wives all have lived a tough life with their spouses leaving at the drop of a hat for various missions. Add to that the recently widowed Tootsie and it is the perfect neighborhood.

All three army wives are in this book, they each have their own story to tell. It is the story of a divorce that wasn’t expected, daughter going into the military to follow their father’s footsteps, an unexpected relationship, and an adventure that is bound to open new doors. I loved getting a glimpse at how being part of a military family controls so much of your everyday life. You wait for orders, you wait for a phone call, you wait for a letter, and when they say go you go. It is not an easy life and the fact that Joanie, Diana, and Carmen are able to go through it together helps to ease their burdens. The three of them have gone through so much in life that it just makes sense that when things get hard they stick together even tighter.

The Empty Nesters is a story of best friends who find their way through life leaning on each other, supporting each other, and just being there for each other.

I loved this story! I loved following the 4 women and their stories. I love the relationships they had with each other. This story brought so many feelings. I would definitely recommend this one.

At first I thought the writing was a little formal and hard to get into. However, as I continued on I found it easier and easier to keep reading the book. I originally was interested in this book for its description and plot line. I honestly can say that it didn’t let me down one bit. I’ve enjoyed this book and will continue to read Carolyn Brown’s books as they come out.

*I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This is a realistic look at what many who have a spouse that has died and children that have moved away feel. I enjoy books that are character focused and this definitely is one! This is a great read!

What a wonderful book! Filled with emotion and heart, this book was a road trip full of laughs, tears, and deep friendships that prove that heart is truly what makes a family.

I just loved every one of the characters in this book. Although they were each very different and were dealing with different issues, their lives have been shaped by the trust and support they have put in each other. As the title suggests, this unlikely group of friends – who really are a family – are each faced with not only an empty nest, but also other problems that life has thrown at them. From the second Tootsie decides that a road trip is what is needed to help everyone through their empty nest syndrome, I couldn’t wait to get on board that RV and see where this story would take every one of them.

Carolyn Brown has such a way with words, embedding heart and emotion into every sentence, making me feel like I was on this road trip with them. Although this book is fiction, I can easily see most every scene play out in real life. From the struggles that each character has to face, to the support, love, and trust that they give and receive from each other, this book was easy to get lost in.

I can’t say enough about this one – it deserves a spot on everyone’s TBR!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Montlake Romance and NetGalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. I loved this book!! It’s so refreshing to read about women who are not all in their 20's and 30's. This book is about Tootsie, Diana, Carmen, and Joanie all past and present Army wives. After Carmen is hit with the shock after her and her friends say goodbye to their daughters who started basic training, her enlisted husband files for divorce. Meanwhile, Tootsie is mourning her spouse who passed away a month ago. Tootsie decides that she has this big RV and what her and her neighbors need is a break. When Tootsie has her enlists rich nephew as the tour driver things get interesting. I'm not going to give anything away. You need to read this book! Carolyn keep up the great writing!

This book is so wonderfully written.

I read it in one day and I am glad I read it at home because this book made me so emotional. I cried, laughed and was angry but I am so glad I read this one.

If you are looking for a easy read than I do highly recommend this one. Fair warning, you might need tissues.

I give this 5 out of 5.

OMG! I think I love Carolyn Brown's women's fiction more with every book I read! Having been an Army wife, this one really struck a chord with me. I loved the honesty about the issues the women in the book had encountered while their husbands were off on deployment. It stinks and Ms. Brown was very honest about it.
All of the characters were someone you can relate to and their relationship to each other is enviable. I certainly wish I had those kind of relationships in my life. Tootsie was my favorite character, because she was so full of life and ambition, even at her age and having recently lost her husband. As always, the story progressed at the perfect pace. As far as I'm concerned, everything about this book was perfect! Loved it! Loved it!Loved it!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this book!! The way it was written and the characters, the story line, all of it. There are so many true to life emotions in this book. I felt the sorrow, the joy, the hate, the love. I cried and I laughed. I loved it! The characters are wonderful. What a great place Sugar Run, Texas is and how fortunate that these three families ended up neighbors with Tootsie and Smokey. I hope you enjoy the story of these wonderful folks as much as I did. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

When the going gets tough, the tough go on a road trip! I loved that this story focused on the lives of three middle aged women and one even older still when it comes to life, loss, friendship, and even a bit of romance. This author is a fav and it is largely do to the down home country charm, sassy dialogue, and genuine characters that all blend to make up a story I can get comfy with from page one.
Review

A standalone, The Empty Nesters introduces three middle-aged women, two are army wives and the third was one until her husband divorced her for a younger woman. They’ve been through thick and thin together, but now, while their husbands are away, they must send their three girls off to boot camp together leaving the women at a loss. Carmen gets another nasty surprise right after seeing her daughter off so Tootsie, their neighbor of many years, proposes taking the three women on a road trip she meant to take with her husband.

The three friends, Carmen, Joanie, and Diana don’t hesitate to join the recently widowed Tootsie and her nephew Luke in the big RV headed for Tootsie’s old home in small town Texas. Tootsie and their friendship, the stops along the way, and a charming Luke help the women work through their separate troubles and missing their girls.

Diana gets a second chance at finding love if she can get past the trust issues that her ex husband left her with and Joanie wonders if her own husband’s recent distance and distracted phone calls from his current assignment are a warning that he plans to leave her or is cheating. Carmen has faced much growing up poor and then keeping things going while her husband is always away, but this latest cruel life twist is only survivable with Tootsie’s country-style wisdom and the support of her friends. Luke didn’t want to go on this trip and drive the big RV with a bunch of women from his aunt’s neighborhood, but he soon discovers that it was the best chance that has come his way in a long time.

The Empty Nesters is more women’s fic than romance, but it is definitely something of both. I enjoyed the friendship that developed between the four women and how childless Tootsie adopted the younger women and made their children her grandchildren. She is suffering the loss of her husband and is on this journey as a memorial to him while helping the women to fill the ache that their now empty nests and other trials of life have come.

The author’s focus on military waves and the toll the long missions and assignments can take on families and marriages was well done and a nice tribute to their sacrifice. She didn’t hold back on what can and does happen, but she didn’t let it wallow in sadness. The focus was on finding inner strength, falling and picking one’s self up, and also embracing new opportunities.

For Diana, the new opportunity is to try romance again with Luke. Luke was sweet and gentle, he gave her time and space, and he was upfront and honest with her even when he thought it might blow his chances with Diana. His generous heart and simple caring ways do what suave romance couldn’t have accomplished.

It was a gently-paced, heartwarming story that left me well-satisfied and not in the least anxious for it to end. There was laughter and a few tears, fun times and some heartache, but a fab story when all was said and done. Those who enjoy country charm and a contemporary romance/women’s fiction crossover should give this one a go.

This book hit so close to home - LOVE to read anything that Carolyn Brown writes!! Always the best well rounded characters and this book was great!! Those with an empty nest will totally understand!!

Sometimes if you are lucky, you pick up a book at just the right time in your life that every emotion written by the author resonates and you cannot put it down. THE EMPTY NESTERS by Carolyn Brown is that book for me.

The story starts by introducing us to Tootsie and Smokey Colbert. Smokey is retired Army and Tootsie is his beloved wife of over 50 years. They never had children of their own, so they are very excited when three new military couples move into the neighboring homes each with their own young daughter. The men are in the same unit and the wives are close friends.

Jump ahead thirteen years. Diana, Carmen and Joanie are all still best friends and about to face an empty nest at home as all three of their daughters leave for bootcamp after having enlisted in the Army together. Diana has been divorced and moved on, working and focusing on her daughter Rebecca. Joanie is still an army wife, waiting for her husband to come home as her daughter Zoe leaves also. Carmen just said goodbye to her daughter, Natalie and she receives the emotional punch of receiving unexpected divorce papers in the mail after 20 years of marriage.

After losing the love of her life, Smokey, one month ago, Tootsie decides to go on their planned trip to his family’s reunion and take the girls with her. They have nothing to lose and no one at home, so they begin their two month long life changing journey as “The Empty Nesters” in a large RV driven by Smokey’s nephew, Luke. Tootsie faces the memories of her late husband and hopes to ease her loneliness and broken heart, Joanie receives life changing news from her husband which will alter the group, Carmen must deal with the hurt, betrayal and end of her marriage and Diana just may learn to open her heart to a new relationship and love.

This is my favorite Carolyn Brown book to date. Keep the tissues handy for not only sad, but happy tears. I read this in one sitting because I just had to know the resolution of all of “The Empty Nesters”. This book deals with so many stages of life and love. It also shows each character dealing with what life dishes out to them and how they cope with the help of their friendship. I felt the dialogue, the emotions and the trials and triumphs were realistically written and handled by Ms. Brown. Each of the women as a character is unique and yet they mesh so well together.

I highly recommend The Empty Nesters!

Terrific story of friendship, healing, and love. The story opens in the past as Tootsie and her husband Smokey watch three young families move into houses on their block. All three are military families, each with one young daughter. Tootsie immediately senses that these people will become good friends. The prologue spends some time introducing each of the characters and their personalities. It also shows the depth of friendship that already exists between Diana, Carmen, and Joanie, as they finish the prologue by sending their men off, hiding their heartbreak behind cheerful faces. The story picks up thirteen years later, as all three women watch their daughters depart for Army basic training, leaving them with empty nests. That's not the only life-altering event either. Tootsie's husband Smokey recently passed away, leaving all of them feeling his loss. To make matters worse, Carmen unexpectedly receives divorce papers from her husband. As the women come together to support Carmen, Tootsie invites them all on her road trip as a way to get away from it all.

Tootsie: Tootsie is a warm-hearted woman who was deeply in love with her husband. She is devastated by his loss, but the other women's presence in her life helps her deal with her grief. Helping them through their problems provides a needed distraction. I loved her down-home country wisdom and her straightforward way of delivering it. There are some hilarious times ahead for them, as well as some profoundly emotional ones. Smokey's loss isn't all Tootsie has to deal with on this journey, and the other women repay Tootsie's support with some of their own. I loved Tootsie's conversations with Smokey. They gave a good look at the type of man he was and the relationship he had with her.

Carmen: I loved Carmen and ached so much for her. The unexpected arrival of divorce papers on the day her daughter left for boot camp made it especially devastating. She's always been a little bit insecure thanks to her feelings of being not good enough for Eli (reinforced by her witch of a mother-in-law) and immediately starts thinking about what she must have done wrong. I loved seeing her journey through denial, grief, and anger, and seeing her come out stronger on the other side. I detested her husband, Eli, whose true colors were revealed in his phone calls to her. There was a funny scene in which Carmen contemplated emulating a book character's revenge on a cheating spouse. I laughed because I recognized that revenge from an earlier book by the author.

Joanie: After witnessing Diana's divorce years earlier, and seeing what Carmen goes through now, Joanie experiences some guilt about the solidity of her marriage. But recent phone calls from Brett have been disturbing, and she wonders if the bonds are as strong as she thought. I ached for her and her fears. Brett turned out to be the best of the husbands, and I liked how he came clean about the issue. I especially liked his understanding of her bond with the other women. Joanie impressed me with her realistic look at the proposition and consideration of all the ramifications.

Diana: Diana's life has revolved around raising her daughter. Mostly by herself, as first her husband was gone so much, then later as a single mother. She showed little interest in dating, not ready to trust another man with her heart. Having already been through it, she is in an excellent position to help Carmen. What Diana did not expect was to feel a connection to Tootsie's nephew Luke, who is their driver on this road trip. She is a bit freaked out about their age difference since he's a few years younger. I loved the friendship that grew between them as they discovered things they had in common and how that friendship grew and changed. There were some sweet moments between them, and some very steamy ones. Diana has some issues she has to deal with before she lets herself even consider a future with Luke in it. I liked the fact that they kept the lines of communication open, even when they were at odds.

Luke: The lone man on this road trip. Luke is a self-professed geek who claims limited social skills. He spent most of his adult life immersed in the software company that he built. Luke recently sold it and now must decide what he wants to do. He loves his Aunt Tootsie and looks forward to the memories of his Uncle Smokey on this trip. He is taken by surprise by his connection to Diana, especially as he usually is shy and awkward around women. I liked how the age difference meant so little to him and loved how he explained it to Diana. I liked his patience as he didn't try to push Diana past where she was comfortable but still left her in no doubt about his interest. Luke also helps each of the other women through some of their problems with some practical advice and/or viewpoints from the male perspective.

I loved the journey these five made together, with the love, friendship, and respect that helped each of them through some rough times. I loved the end of the journey as they attended their daughters' graduation and saw the changes that they, too, had experienced. I enjoyed the glimpses of each mother/daughter relationship, as well as the friendships between the three girls. I got a kick out of Rebecca's comments to Luke. There was also some insight into the three women's husband and how the men's relationships with each other compared to their wives' relationships.

The epilogue was great. I liked seeing them all a few months down the road and how things have worked out for them. I loved seeing Luke and Diana together, and the unexpected twist that capped off the book.

I loved this book even though it made me cry at times. So much friendship, so much fun. The only downfall in the book was divorce. I loved that the writer put three military couples on the block with three children for the older couple Smokey and Tootsie to love.