A cute little read that I very much enjoyed.
Poor Libby. Verbal abuse is the same as actually inflicting it in my opinion.
I've been through what's going on only except it was a parent.
I loved going to antique sales with herband Benny though. It was fun seeing what they might find!

Enjoyed this one. Small town Texas romance, that was hard to put down. With dogs, antiques and romance, what is not to like? Highly recommend.

The story was good and kept me invested. I felt that some of the main characters issues were redundant and that the story could be summed up in fewer pages. Overall good read.

the Sawmill Book Club by Carolyn Brown is like a guilty pleasure!
It's the kind of book you want to read after reading something "heavy".
It's delightful although somewhat of a familiar trope.

A young woman leaves the big city for a job in an ultra-small town, and her new boss is a total hottie.
Two older women "adopt" her as a surrogate grand-daughter, and although there are some bumps in the road, all turns out well in the end.

Loved this book and especially the detailed info on the antique business.

This novel was a pleasant, entertaining read with likeable characters (with one exception for a little dramatic flair). I enjoyed the storyline, particularly the focus on the antique business, until the very end when the romantic dialogue felt stilted and saccharine.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Cute small town romance read. The story between Libby and Benny is sweet and fun to read. There is no explicit scenes, which helps focus on the love not the lust.

The plot feels rushed at times through certain dialogue. The title seems odd because although the book club is referenced numerous times, it certainly is not a main focus. Some aspects of Libby’s internal dialogue gets repetitive and tiresome.

Overall, it was a cute and fairly innocent romance read. Perfect if you’re looking for a fun and easy book.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me early access to this book.

The Sawmill Book Club
By Carolyn Brown
Published by Montlake, Seattle
Review by Glenda Toews

Carolyn Brown introduces us to Libby and Ben and just the right amount of supporting characters in a gentle southern drawl. I appreciate that she was able to include romance without resorting to ‘smut’.

I had difficulty with repetition. Libby needed to remind me far too often that her grandmother left her alone. I was informed abundantly that Ben had money. The ache of trust issues with Libby carried on longer than needed.
An abundance of overused cliches and descriptions are used, some readers may find these as a point to resonate with, I had difficulty with them and would have loved to have been introduced to something more original.
The storyline dragged at some points and was common but was enough to pull me through to the end. I’m a sucker for a happy ending but this one was too predictable. I probably would have enjoyed it more if the author tucked in a stronger plot twist, and added more.

I loved the title of the book which is why I selected to read it and the cover was appropriate for the story. I did appreciate the southern voice of the characters and the way the author pulled this charm into the storyline.

I rate The Sawmill Book Club 3 out of 5 and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a simple romance story that doesn’t get bogged down in smut. As well as to anyone who just needs to escape the real world for a quick simple read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

It's my first time reading from the writer, but I really liked her humor and the kindness with which she brings the characters to life. Libby aka Elizabeth is a character with a difficult background, whose heart is open and accepting despite the many difficulties. He moves to a new town, where he starts working in an antique shop and gets to know the town's few but nicer residents and his boss, Benny. In this novel, the past and the present, the old and the young meet beautifully. A charming romantic story about love, friendship and starting over. The language of the novel is easy to understand even for those reading in a foreign language - like me.
I highly recommend Carolyn Brown's novels to fans of the genre.
Thanks to NetGalley for the novel!

I have never read this author before, but I have heard fairly good things about her books. The story was enough to keep my attention and was a good idea for a story however the relationships didn’t seem realistic to me. The characters who I really wanted to love seemed very blah. Like hitting a wall. I knew the MC were probably going to end up together but I couldn’t feel the chemistry. Even the friendships seemed flat. It was about 70% through the book before the MC even seemed to show interest in one another. The women friendships also had so much lost potential. For as good of a story idea as it was I guess I just hoped for more depth. I received this book to review through netgalley.

Reading a Carolyn Brown book is like having a party. There's a lot of work to be done beforehand, but oh, what a good time was had by all. I received this book through NetGalley and it will be released on July 9, 2024. The story's main character, Libby goes through a lot in her life until she makes a change and moves where meets her new boss, Benny. He's rich but comes from a small town where everyone knows your name.

If you need a feel-good book, then please put this one on your TBR list. It makes you believe in fairy tales that do come true. It makes you believe that we can overcome obstacles with just a little bit of faith, good friends of some self-forgiveness.

Let me start by saying that I never miss the opportunity to read Carolyn Brown. Every novel I've read, I love! That having been said, this one is another hit. Libby is a sweet girl with memories that she's having a hard time getting past. After losing her job, her elderly neighbor lets her know of an antique shop in a small rural community. Not her choice of employment since antiquing is part of her memories but necessity gets the best of her. She meets the proprietor, Benny. After some knowledge tests and passing the approval of his surrogate grandmothers across the road, Libby takes the job which also comes with a small apartment. Soon, Libby has reorganized the office and proved invaluable on the shop floor. She confides in the older women and finally, comes to grip with the past and how she's not defined by it. She and Benny become friends and that leads to dating. It's a wholesome story about friends and finding love.

When you liked Five Winters, you're gonna love this one too.
Prickly Company by K. Johnson, published by Lake Union Publishing, is the next winner by this ubertalented author.
Frances doesn’t get out much, now she's starting a campaign to create a hedgehog highway in Hilltop Place, no joke.
And she ropes the neighbors in too.
Jess and Michael whorecently adopted a little boy. Ryan, a war reporter struggling to connect . A single mom new to the neighbourhood and a proper couple not about to upend their garden for prickly creatures.
Frances and her charitable neighbours soon discover depths about themselves and each other- hardly what any of them expected.
An entertaining 5 star read.

This was a sweet story of a woman finding herself again. The deep emotional development was intriguing as you got further into the story. The love story was pretty predictable but natural. The two old lady neighbors were great comic relief who also had many wise words for the main character. The twist of the main character’s past was not what I had predicted and made it even better. I don’t know much about antiques but the description of all of that added to the story.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for a honest review.

The Sawhill Book Club was great, I love Carolyn Browns small town romances, they make me happy to escape to small town and live the life of the characters she has created. Libby Taylor has basically never known love and so she is quite closed off until she moves Sawmill, here she meets so many wonderful people, and here she learns to open herself to life's possibilities. A wonderful story that made my heart glad

Carolyn Brown is one of my favorite authors. I loved this book. I couldn't put it down, read in one day. You will never be disappointed in a Carolyn Brown book,

If you’re in need of a reading experience akin to a big glass of sweet tea, you might consider Carolyn Brown’s THE SAWMILL BOOK CLUB. It is a soothing and warm-hearted read, although a bit predictable. With her hopeful, kind nature, her unsettled past and her multi-faceted skills, Libby is a character we root for from cover to cover. Likewise, the inhabitants (four) of the community to which she has chosen to move for her new job, as Girl Friday at a countryside antique store. And the resident dogs. I’ve never been to the Paris, Texas area of the country where the book takes place, so one of the joys of reading it was the depiction of the community spirit and local traditions. I also enjoyed the interesting background details of the various antiques, bought and sold.

The Sawmill Book Club is an emotional Carolyn Brown story about learning to trust enough to share life’s hurtful experiences and at the same time learning to forgive those who caused the hurt. While there is a sweet romantic friends to lovers relationship, this reader absolutely loves how the author gives life to her older characters, Opal and Minilee. Opinionated, nosy, and the very best of friends, these two are the what keeps the story’s lessons in focus through their book club selections as well as their actions. Carolyn Brown always is a must read for this reviewer. My review of this ARC from NetGalley is voluntary. Most highly recommend.

Carolyn Brown writes another solid story with The Sawmill Book Club. Elizabeth Victoria and Bennington - better known as Libby and Benny meet when Libby arrives in Sawmill, Texas to apply for a job at Benny's antique store. Libby is faced with the job of organizing the mess in the store's office. Spoiler- if you have a phobia of spiders this may give you the creeps.
I enjoyed meeting the members of the Sawmill book club.
This book was a very easy read and I give it five stars.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to early read and review this book.

Oh wow this book pulls at the heart strings.
I love Libby and Benny's story. I'm so happy Libby ended up in sawmill. Reading about the amazing sounding food Libby ate at book club and at opal and minilees houses made me hungry and wanting to cook. I love this authors work her books are like putting on an old coat or slippers comforting, warm and snuggly.

This small-town romance is a solid five-star read! The characters clicked from their interview, and their journey from friends to lovers is beautifully done. The small-town setting, their love for antiques and the haunting past brings in a surprising depth. It's a heartwarming and engaging story that deserves all the stars!