I absolutely adored this book, the small town in Alabama, was the perfect setting for this story. I loved the characters and well they are developed.
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The way Heather weaves the magic into her books is perfection. I love that element. There is also a murder mystery to figure out and you know I love those. So you get some romance, mystery, and magical elements.
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The romantic part is very well developed for both couples, it’s a slow burn, taking time to fully develop, like it’s complicated meant to be. Enjoyable, and meaningful for sure. It’s a clean romance.
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You will experience heartbreak, family secrets, solve a murder, romance, some magic, see the family heal, and take some time for reflection.
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At the first of each chapter there is a header- a lesson about flowers, the language or use of them, it was the perfect addition for this avid gardener! Yes that’s one thing I love all summer is my flower gardens.

From best-selling author of Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe comes Heather Webber's next charming novel.

In the magical neighborhood garden in the middle of Hickory Lane, Emme and Cora Bee learn some hard truths about the past and themselves, the value of friends, family, and community, and most importantly, that true growth starts from within.

What a charming and well written story, and I just wanted to stay right in the book with these characters. I loved listening on audio, which was narrated by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis. As a southerner, I often roll my eyes if the narrator tries a fake southern accent, which then takes me away from the story because I can't focus on anything other than their voice, but I thought the narrators did a great job.

*many thanks to Forge Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

This was the perfect audiobook for the mood I was needing to read! You get the following: sweet Southern charm, a long ago unsolved mystery, handsome man with a dog and daughter, estranged family members meet for the first time, opportunity to love, etc.

This felt like a Hallmark movie but even better because of the complexity of the storyline. You get real emotion, good feelings, and I even feel nervous and hopeful for the underdog.

We meet Emme who has never met her extended family as her and her mother are constantly on the run. She finally gets the opportunity to meet her estranged grandmother and be a part of the family business for a short time. Things cascade foe the good and the bad.

The audiobook was a great one to listen to with the southern accents and easy to follow storyline even though the POV changed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook.

“A little thunder doesn’t bother someone who’s lived in a storm”

Charming and full of whimsy yet deeply poignant and healing.

Growing up in Georgia, I haven’t ever given thought to relocating to Alabama. There’s never been an…ahem…*tide* strong enough to pull me in that direction. Oh but Heather Webber… if Sweetgrass truly was a place, she might convince me.

{And that, my friends, is one of the strongest endorsements I can give. Also, #godawgs }
*All in good fun, my AL friends.

Webber transported me right back to my southern roots, where time passes a bit slower and people almost always have a warm smile to share.

That doesn’t mean life is easy though. Cora Bee and Emme can attest to that.

Oh but there’s magic at play… Maybe it’s coming from Glory, my favorite character. Maybe it’s coming from the town itself. Or rather, it could be that unexpected love (familial, friendship, romantic) found in surprising places wields all the healing that’s needed.

This book was like a warm hug. Rather than shying away from hardship, Webber lays it bare in a way that deeply resonates. I found bits of myself in both characters. That kind of openness allowed me to explore complex emotions leaving my heart full to the brim in the end.

Trust me… you need this dose of book sunshine!

I partnered my physical book with the audio, and it was perfection. The narration by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis (and their perfect southern accents) made both characters come alive in a rich way.

Many thanks to @forgebooks and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copy.

This is my second audiobook by this author. The audiobooks are very well done with a great cast of narrators. Another great heartfelt, family drama with a fantasy feel. I enjoyed the story and following the lives of these characters. Looking forward to more from this author.

I loved this heartwarming book. Heather Webber is slowly becoming one of my favorite authors. This book is perfect for fall!

In the Middle of Hickory Lane was such a delightful story, that I enjoyed every minute of it. Emme Wynn has lived most of her life with her con-artist mother, constantly on the run. When she turned eighteen, she left her mother behind and tried to make something of herself. She got her GED, a driver's license and a job. This was enough for her grandmother, Glory, to track her down. She contacts her and asks her to come home to small-town Sweetgrass, Alabama and help her run her booth at the Sweetgrass Marketplace. Emme agrees, and she is looking forward to finally become part of a family. But, Emme has a secret that she needs to keep. Emme's cousin, Cora Bee Hazelton has her own color and consulting design business in Sweetgrass. When they meet, they feel a connection and quickly become friends. Both of these young women have secrets, baggage and broken hearts. They put on a good front, but have scars they might never get over. Both of these women meet men that they are attracted to, but neither is interested in a relationship due to their pasts, but Chase and James have other ideas. This is a beautiful story that will help both these young women find love, and the men, who are new in town to find roots in Sweetgrass, Alabama.

Okay, I want to move to Sweetgrass! What a wonderful, accepting town it is. Glory is the matriarch of the Wynne family. She wants to reunite her family before she is gone, and is thrilled to have found Emme, her son's daughter. Unfortunately Rowan is gone, but he lives on in Emme. I love that each person in the family has a gift, whether it is seeing aura's, feelings or seeing visions, they are able to understand others and solve some mysteries. It seems that Cora Bee's grandparent's disappeared when her mother was young and Glory took her in as her own. When Emme arrives in town, the body that was uncovered in a sink hole is yet to be identified, but it is a huge mystery. I loved how each chapter starts with flower facts, especially as the garden plays such an important role in the story. All the characters in this story are wonderful. Some are a bit quirky (Dorothy, aka Dotty) and others are loving and caring. I wanted to sit down and have sweet tea with them, and I don't like sweet tea. The animals also play a key role with one bringing Cora Bea and James together, and one that is trained to track down Dorothy, who has a brain injury and often wanders off. This book has humour, affection, sadness, secrets, hurt, and love all rolled up in a lovely story of family, romance, new beginnings and mystery. I can't recommend this book enough. I did a read/listen and loved the audiobook. The narrators, Hallie Ricardo & Stephanie Willis, do a wonderful job with this story. Their accents, voices, tone, expression and emotion added much to my enjoyment of this book. If you enjoy audiobooks, I recommend you listen to this one.

Heather Webber has given the world another wonderful book with In the Middle of Hickory Lane. I loved this story from the first page to the last. It is the story of a young woman looking for a place to make her home, to find a family and a place to put down roots. It also has the hint of a mystery from long ago that gets solved in the process. I highly recommend this book, especially if you have enjoyed other books by Heather Webber.

Warm and cozy, just as you'd expect from Webber. A recommended purchase for collections where WF is popular.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I absolutely loved this, it was just what I needed. So warm hearted. The characters were very well developed and so loveable, and just everything about this was spot on. The narrator was amazing, too!

This was my first book by Heather Webber and I'm sold! This was the perfect mix of magic in every day life. Webber delivered on everything I could have hoped for - character connection and development, small-town southern magic, atmosphere (flowers, people, places), mystery, and just the right amount of charm that hit me straight in the heart.

Written from multiple perspectives and taking place "in the magical neighborhood garden in the middle of Hickory Lane, Emme and Cora Bee learn some hard truths about the past and themselves, the value of friends, family, and community, and most importantly, that true growth starts from within."

Audiobook review: I loved the narrators. The switch in voices between POV's and characters made it very easy to follow.

If you are looking for a little bit of magic in every day life - I definitely recommend this one.

It's a warm cozy hug in literary form! Full of family secrets and bonds, Southern hospitality, small town gossip, romance, friendship and a touch of mystery, this book will warm your heart.

I am starting this review with the author's heartfelt acknowledgement. You can tell by the author's thank you that she put her heart and soul into this book and is truly grateful for those that helped along the way and most especially her readers. I loved the mystery of this book. It kept me guessing until the end and it was an ending I would have never guessed. The narrator did an excellent job. It was a bit confusing to determine which character was speaking. Usually, I prefer an audio book but, in this case, I think it would have been better to read the book. Each character's name is mentioned at the beginning of the chapter. Unless you are paying close attention to that, you don't realize which character is speaking and it gets confusing-at least for me. In print form I don't believe this would have been an issue. I can attest this author has enormous talent as I have read several of her books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

All of Heather Webber's books are heart warming treasures. I love this book and the characters. The little mysteries were so well written, I was shocked by the one about Bea. Emme's mother needed to be slapped and maybe kicked in the butt. I'm so glad Emme found her place in this world and loving people to have her back. I'm so excited to see what Heather writes next.

I loved this story! I listened to the audiobook and would definitely recommend that format. It's told through two main characters, Emma and Cora Bee. I grew to love them and other characters and felt like I knew them. I love the small town that is also a character.
There is mystery, a bit of romance, and a little magic. This is the first book that I have read by this author but I can't wait to read Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe now!

This sweet novel soothed my soul because it was just that good. Redemption, love, family, forgiveness, trust... these all play a part in telling the beautiful stories of the Wynn ladies. I enjoyed my visit to magical Hickory Lane in Sweetgrass, Alabama. Heather Webber's writing draws in the reader, and I felt completely at home.
After listening to this audiobook, I felt like I had been hugged by my grandmother, that's how much I loved the character of Glory. We should all have a Glory in our lives.
This audio features narration by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis, and their performances were top-notch.
I received an ARC audiobook and this review is my own, unbiased opinion. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
Edited to add Amazon link below.

I love southern fiction and magical realism/fantasy, so to have them both in the same novel was amazing. I want to read all of Heather's works now. I highly recommend this one.

I really enjoy this series. It is interesting the family dynamics and how they interact together. You never know what will happen next and what will be revealed. I like the different narrators and how you know which character is speaking. A great read.

I would give this book 10 stars if I could! The narrators of this audio book, Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis, did an amazing job bringing the characters to life and expressing the emotions that they were feeling. I laughed and cried at different times while listening to it. This book has it all, a mystery, some family secrets, and a little romance. The characters were so well written and I loved the descriptions of Hickory Lane, the garden and gazing pool, and the Sweet Place. Heather Webber is a wonderful author and this is a wonderful book.

I received a complimentary copy of this audio book from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Emme is an outsider--cast aside, neglected, and abused by her con artist mother and desperately looking for a family to be part of. When Glory, her father's mother, finds her and offers her a job, Emme warily accepts, hoping for a family, although she knows something Glory does not. Cora Bee has experienced rejection, heartbreak, and betrayal of her own, and is dealing with the aftermath. Slowly Cora Bee and Emme form a friendship, but can either of them ever trust anyone? At the same time, a body has been discovered in a sinkhole in the community garden. Do some of the residents of Hickory Lane know more than they are telling? Rejection, secrets, judgments, and missing pieces all come together in this wonderful novel set in Sweetgrass, Alabama.

When I think of small-town fiction, this is what I want. I want a community of interesting characters who are so fun and engaging that I feel like I've joined the town myself. I want secrets, big personalities, loss, misunderstandings, and hope of belonging. This book meets all of that and more. Now here's the kicker: throw in a bit of magical realism! I was hooked! I laughed and cried, and I wondered how in the world I missed Heather Webber's 25 other books! I definitely want to go and live on Hickory Lane, but in the meantime, I'm going to be catching up on this author's other works, which I hope are as delightful as this one. This book is perfect for fans of Fannie Flagg's small-town novels.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed an absolutely stellar performance by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.