I love family genealogy, so this was an interesting story on finding out who your family really is.

This is the story of Abby Wells who after visiting her aunt in George, decides to move there to find more about her family on her father's side. Abby has recently lost her job, so she has no ties to Ohio, other than that is where she is from. She just lost her mom, so moving to Georgia to be by family makes sense. Her Aunt Ruby, her grandmother's sister, rents her a house to live in. But with it comes the secrets of a life long past. Her pseudo-landlord is a young man who works for Ruby and befriends Abby. With many twists and turns Abby finds who her family is, but in the end, she finds who her real family is, back in Ohio.

I enjoyed the premise of the book, but I wanted more depth to the characters and story. I liked Aunt Ruby, she was a feisty old thing, but I wanted more to her story with Christie. We got a little bit of it towards the end, but I wanted more. Why was he buried in among the trees at the edge of the cemetery? Why did she have such a big account balance, but never did anything with it after 1942? Where did that money come from? Abby wanted to learn her family history, but Aunt Ruby was of course very tight-lipped about it. I wanted to know more about George Hart and why he was a Union soldier, not a Confederate soldier. There has to be some story through the years of why. Abby did some research, but very little. Will was a quiet character, it wasn't until the very end that we learned who he was and why he was so close to Aunt Ruby. What made Blake and Richard such horrible men? The story was good, but there were a lot of gaps that needed to be filled, in my opinion. If you bring the characters in to make them a main point of the story, I want to know why, why are they so important to the story, tell me.

I like the story, based on the gaps I think were in the book, I give it 3.5 stars, but round up to 4. Thank you Netgalley and Elk Lake Publishing for this advanced reader copy.

Whispers in the Branches by Brandy Heineman is an interesting novel. The novel had a really interesting beginning and I was quickly hooked. From there, I found the setting compelling but had trouble connecting with the characters. The mystery was okay overall. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

To begin this isn't my usual genre pick. The book is touted as a Christain Romance story. The premise describes the book as a mystery and suspense story. The story reads like a cozy mystery book and there is nothing wrong with that. I am trying to go out of my comfort zone. The plot is interesting, and the characters are well written. I would give this author another try. It's a comfort read, and the book overall was great.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Brandy Heineman for a copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a very interesting book! The first few lines really captured my attention. I liked the characters and their personalities. The story line was unique and the imagery really made the book come alive! A story of a woman searching for herself and finding out more than she could imagine.

Brandy Heineman’s “Whispers in the Branches” is a story filled with ghosts, family relationships and dealing with ghosts from the past.

After her mother’s death, Abby Wells is searching for answers about her enigmatic family, so she heads from Ohio to visit her Great Aunt Ruby Watts in Georgia. When Ruby allows Abby to rent the old family home — a house that may or may not be haunted — she digs into the mysteries of her family’s past.

As she seeks answers about the family, Abby finds herself looking for answers about herself — what she wants from life, including love, employment and just where home is.

Heineman creates an intriguing plot filled with some twists and turns. Readers will relate to the inquiring Abby and will enjoy the quirky Aunt Ruby.

She also includes some great themes in “Whispers in the Branch,” including overcoming pain and grief; the power of grudges; and healing old wounds.

“Whispers in the Branches” is a story of identity and finding one’s path.

Four stars out of five.

Independent Book Publishers Assoc. (IBPA) provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

I found the story hard to follow. With the exception of Greg the characters felt one demential. I did appreciate the redemption of Greg and his faith. It just wasn’t for me.

Whispers in the Branches held immediate appeal to me. The summaries hinted at spookiness and that got my attention! Reading this book was like a puzzle, gradually filling the pieces and answering questions of the unknown. What did Abby do to get fired? Does someone broken-hearted kill themselves? Why does Aunt Ruby not reveal everything she knows? Since there are possibilities of a ghost in Abby's house, is it real? What difference does God make? Reading that, "There is more than one way to be haunted" you will have to read this book to see the completed, delightful, ending! Complete the eerie reading, if you dare!

Whispers in the Branches is a debut novel by Brandy Heineman. It is an enjoyable and unique story about finding out who you are and where you belong.

After several losses in a short period of time, Abby moves to a small town in Georgia to try and connect to her roots with help from her Great Aunt Ruby. However, she finds more than expected while hurdling roadblocks, difficult family members, a re-emerging ex, and a handsome landlord who may be more than he seems.

I really enjoyed the family history aspect of this story. As a genealogist myself, I could feel and relate to Abby's emotions at discovering her family tree and the brick walls that can pop up in research.

Overall, the novel was a little confusing and disjointed to me. The first couple of chapters were difficult to get through but I'm glad I pushed through them.
The character development was good, but left me scratching my head in a couple of cases. Aunt Ruby has an intense desire to keep her past hidden and when the truth is revealed, that intensity seems a little extreme. Abby herself has some issues, as anyone would in her position, but some of her decisions made me want to pull her off the pages and shake her!

Brandy Heineman is a wonderful author and can paint beautiful pictures with her pen, but I think this just needed a little more finesse. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, IBPA, and the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Abby leaves Ohio to find family members she never knew and to find answers to questions her mother was unable to answer before her death. She goes to her great-aunt Ruth in Kennesaw Georgia. This book is all over the place and doesn't know if it wants to be a southern ghost story, a Christian book, or a mystery dealing with family secrets. The book is ok but will not be on my favorite list. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

"Whispers in the Branches" by Brandy Heineman was an interesting read. This book had you guessing where it was going! The characters were well developed.

I received an ARC of this book from the author and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Whispers in the Branches is very well written. I enjoyed the mysterious plot. I recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance book. This is my unbiased review.

This book had me trying to figure out what was going on the entire time! It kept my attention and had me picking up my phone to read more and try to figure out what the big family secret was.

This was an entertaining read. It wasn't entirely what I expected from reading the blurb, but it was enjoyable to read and kept me guessing on how it would end.

This was a really well written read. I don't know if the story is for everyone but I think for the right reader it's an absorbing and intense one.

Very well done and I enjoyed it a lot.