EXCERPT:There, on a plastic jewelry display, was a charm bracelet that looked impossibly familiar. The piece was a mixture of rose, yellow and white gold, braided together loosely like the one she and her friends had once shared. Except the bracelet she remembered only held one heart-shaped friendship charm. This one held several charms.
Melody blinked the sting from her eyes. There was no way that this was the same bracelet Alyssa had gifted their little quartet of friends right before high school graduation. Once upon a prom night, that charm bracelet was lost in a car accident - along with so much more.

ABOUT 'THE CHARMED FRIENDS OF TROVE ISLE': Ten years after she left her hometown of Trove Isle, NC, Melody Palmer is back to receive an unexpected inheritance—her great aunt’s thrift store, Hidden Treasures. There, in a glass case beneath the register, Melody spies the long-lost charm bracelet she shared with her high school friends, Liz and Bri, and her younger sister, Alyssa. After a devastating prom night accident, it disappeared, and the girls’ friendship evaporated with it. Slipping the bracelet on her arm for safekeeping, Melody soon finds herself crossing paths with her former friends once more.

While Melody fled, Liz has stayed in Trove Isle, helping with her parents’ business instead of pursuing her photography goals. Guilt still weighs on her after that fateful night when they lost Alyssa. For Bri, the consequences were even more stark. After spiraling into self-destruction, Bri served four years in a women’s state prison and is about to be released—but can Trove Isle ever feel like home again?

Yet despite everything that’s changed, the promise that the bracelet once held—of adventures, achievements, love, and lifelong friendship—hasn’t quite faded. And together, they might yet find a way to reconcile their pasts and futures, one charm at a time . . .

MY THOUGHTS: The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle focuses on four childhood best friends torn apart by tragedy. The surviving three each feel a burden of guilt, and each in their own way, runs away. Where they had been sisters, not of the blood kind but the kind you make with your heart, they are now strangers; strangers, but still with a connection that binds them together.

Melody has physically fled Trove Isle and made a life for herself in Charlotte. There she has a career as an events planner and . . . and not much else. Liz has fled life. She doesn't appear to have any close friends, no longer drives, and works in her mother's bakery. Bri has completely gone off the rails after becoming addicted to pain killers following the accident. Turning to crime to support her addiction has resulted in a jail sentence.

Melody's return to Trove Isle following the death of her Aunty Jo and a bequest from her is the turning point in the lives of the three women who were once the closest of friends.

Told from Melody's and Liz's points of view, the story examines the path of friendships, with a side-serving of romance and magical realism. Is it possible, after years apart and living vastly different lives, to reconnect and pick up a friendship where it left off?

This is my first novel by Annie Rains. I loved the depth and emotion she put into her characters - these are no cardboard cutouts! There is an emotional tug-of-war as Liz and Melody dance around one another, alternately reaching out and pulling back, neither wanting to hurt any more than they already are, neither quite willing to fully trust the other.

The Charmed Friends of Trove is the ideal read if you want a story about friendship, forgiveness, and learning to trust again. While I didn't get all the 'feels', I did enjoy the story and will read this author again.

⭐⭐⭐.8

#TheCharmedFriendsofTroveIsle #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Annie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America's largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn't writing, she's spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle by Annie Rains for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/2024/06/01/the-charmed-friends-of-trove-isle-by-annie-rains/

good mystery and i loved the friends too. I really enjoyed the romance and how it solved . I also loved reading this author. Really enjoyed her friends. Great book.

The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle written by Annie Rains was a beautiful story of womanhood, sisterhood, forgiveness, second chances, loss, love, and a tad touch of magical realism thrown in. After reading this book, I want to pack my bags and take a mini vacation to Trove Isle, North Carolina. I am beyond grateful to live in one of the most beautiful states, North Carolina truly has the most mesmerizing, beautiful beaches and Trove Isle sounds like a peaceful place to take a vacation. I didn't expect to cry reading this book, but let me tell you, the tears were flowing. This book was so beautiful, but it was also heart breaking at times. The concept of the friendship bracelet was truly powerful, inspirational, and deeply moving. Friendship can be a hard concept to write about, the ever lasting affect a person can have on you, the happy moments, the hard moments, but Annie Rains wrote this friendship story so beautifully, but Annie also wrote how messy friendships can be. In my opinion, this book deserves an infinity star rating, but you know, that's impossible. I smiled, I laughed, I cried, I shuddered with shaky breaths hoping for the best for this group of friends. I can't recommend this book enough, if you love stories about friendships, please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book immediately.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND KENSINGTON BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!

"Sisters get mad at each other, but it never changes the fact that we are family. Family sticks together. You are stuck with me, forever."

"If you are trying to avoid someone, best bet they will be the first person you see today."

"Find you a man who makes you feel like you have happened upon your lost treasure of Atlantis."

Melody Palmer, Alyssa Palmer, Bri Johnson, and Liz Dawson were the very best of best friends, they did pretty much everything together, from staying up all night at sleepovers talking about boys, growing up together, and sharing families with each other. Melody, Alyssa, Liz, and Bri were on their way to one of the most memorable nights of their lives, prom night when tragedy strikes. This group of friends were involved in a car accident when something darted in front of their car and caused them to swerve off of the road. Alyssa was ejected from the car, Liz had her nose broken by an air bag, Melody suffered a concussion from her head banging against the window, and Bri broke her spine in three places. After the car accident, Melody ran away for nine years, Bri is an ex con and a felon serving time in prison, and Liz now has panic attacks and suffers from anxiety following the car accident that night. When this group of girls were growing up, the had a friendship bracelet between all of them, but everyday the bracelet was passed around by them, each adding a different charm to mark their lives. When Melody returns to Trove Isle after nine years, she inherits her great aunt's thrift store, Hidden Treasures Thrift Store after her great aunt suddenly passed away.

There were two men who I loved the most in this book, Christopher West and Matt Coffey. They were literal gems when this group of women came back to one another trying to figure out what happened that awful night in order to put the pieces of their lives back together again. Matt was there that night the accident happened, but ever since he's been keeping an eye on Liz. Matt is also a cop in Trove Isle so he definitely knows when something is amiss. Christopher was the crush that Alyssa had, but he never reciprocated those feelings towards Alyssa. When Melody returns, Christopher tries to get on good terms with Melody, but as the spend time together, secrets and truths are uncovered. I adored watching Melody and Liz go from basically blaming each other, to acting like adults and having an actual conversation about what happened. It was also super sweet of Liz and Melody to visit Bri in prison until her release date keeping her up to track on them possibly repairing their friendship. It was so hard not to cheer these characters on knowing what they went through and how hard it must have been facing those hard truths that destroyed your friendship. I just wanted to reach into my kindle and hug these women because of the pain that was brought upon them.

The Charmed Friends Of Trove Isle is a cute story about three friends who are reunited after a death in the family brings one of them back home.
Melody returns to her childhood home after her Aunt Jo passes away and finds herself inheriting her aunt’s thrift shop that she didn’t even know existed . She finds herself reuniting with her two friends and her father even though they had been estranged since she left years ago.
Annie Rains creates a wonderful small town story that is filled with heartbreak and new beginnings .
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy for my opinion.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

I didn't think I would like this book so much, but right from the beginning I was able to identify with the characters and some of the things they were going through.
This book really gave me the vibe of romance movies that take place in small towns, but even though this book has romance (but it's not even remotely the focus of the book) and it takes place in a small town, so it has all the dilemmas and questions that we normally see in this type of story (gossip, everyone knows each other, everyone is friends, everyone helps) I still felt that the author here managed to bring a much more serious and adult tone to the book, I felt that the characters in this book, in addition to healing from traumas and fears, I felt that they were also maturing, because of what happened to them in the past they were trapped and only now are they able to move on and become adult women. So I really liked this feeling of seeing the characters growing in this direction.
I do recommend this reading, at first it can be a little difficult but after halfway through I read it all in 1 day.

What they thought would be forever friends with a charmed bracelet, ended in their senior year with tragedy that changed their lives. Plus, their shared charmed bracelet was lost. Ten years later Melody has returned home after the death of her great aunt with an inheritance of a used junk store. There she finds the missing charmed bracelet. Only expecting to stay until she can sell the store but soon finds out what she is missing in her life as she reunites with forever best friends.

This is a story that I couldn't put down. Each girl dealing the tragedy that happened and how it affected their personal lives. Loved the charmed bracelet theme. I highly recommend this story.

I loved this heartwarming story about rebuilding relationships after a tragic event & loss. I wanted to pop myself into the story & go to the bookstore with the HORRIBLE name, the bakery with the yummy treats and especially the thrift store to see what Jo would send my way!!! It touched my heart that Melody was able to reconnect with all the people that she abandoned 20 years before & discover where she truly belonged.

Loved this story about friends. 10 years ago on their way to the Prom, Melody, Liz and Bri and Melody's sister Alyssa. There was a tragic
accident in which Liz was driving and Alyssa was killed.. Melody's father made a comment that upset her and she left town ended up in Charlotte and started her own business. Present: Melody's great aunt Jo died and left Melody her store so Melody went back. A lot of
interesting things happened. You must read to see what happens. Do the girls become best friends again? Does Melody find happiest there?
Does Liz finally follow her dreams. THIS IS A GREAT READ about friendships.

The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle by Annie Rains is a story of friendship, healing and finally finding home again. Ten years ago, Melody Palmer left her hometown of Trove Isle after a tragic accident. Now she returns when she learns she has inherited her great aunt’s thrift shop, Hidden Treasures. There she discovers a charm bracelet that was lost so many years ago. A bracelet she shared with her sister, Alyssa, and her two best friends, Liz and Bri. While Melody fled, Liz stayed behind, working in her parents’ bakery, putting her dreams aside. For Bri, the consequences of that tragic accident led her on the road to self-destruction and a prison term. As she is set to be released, can Trove Isle feel like home again? Can Melody, Liz and Bri find peace about the past and look to a brighter future?
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with an adult twist, The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle is a story of friendship, healing and resilience. The story runs the gambit of emotions from anger to grief to love and tears. I loved the characters of Melody, Liz and Bri who were all relatable and worthy to cheer for as they dealt with the moment that changed their lives forever. I also loved the secondary characters of Rose, Liz’s little sister, Matt, Liz’s love interest, and Christopher, Melody’s love interest. The romance is subtle and did not overpower the story of the three friends. Overall, I loved this story and devoured it quickly. If you love strong female characters, a small town setting with a story of healing, forgiveness and friendship, I highly recommend The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle.

The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Ms. Rains has written a wonderful tale of true friendship, moving on after tragedy and forgiveness. Liz and Melody were best friends in high school until a car accident changed their lives forever. Bri is a fourth friend who also experienced the accident and her pain caused her to make choices that cost her four years of her life. Unfortunately Alyssa, didn’t make it and their coping methods lead them to drift apart.
Melody left town and has only returned because her aunt left her a thrift store. She intends to sell it, but finding the charm bracelet they lost that fateful night leads her down a journey she never expected. Liz has become afraid to do anything, even though she wants to follow her dreams. Bri is counting down until she comes home.
As the friends reconnect they also face fears and learn how to move past the tragedy of what happened when they were in high school. The addition of Liz’s sister, Matt and Christopher helped make the characters more realistic. I loved how much Liz grew throughout the book.
I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

I liked how the characters came to life in this book and touched my emotions as I saw how a tragedy nine years ago was still affecting them today.  It was interesting to see how each person had responded to their grief and how the childhood friends were not close friends until Great Aunt Jo died and brought Melody back home. 

I liked the significance of the charm bracelet and the rekindling of their friendship.
I enjoyed watching the characters grow and gain confidence in themselves as they spread their wings, with Jo and Alyssa watching over them from above.  I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

Meh. These were not good friends at all despite what they tried to tell each other. Liz and Melody were both doormat types and poor Bri was stuck in prison for most of the book. The prison emails were odd too. Everyone catering to Liz and her problems felt fake. Just couldn’t get into this.

I will be honest if it has Annie’s name on it I will read it!

This is a story of friendship and loss. But definitely friendship prevails.

After a tragic accident took Alyssa‘s life 10 years ago friends Melody, Liz, and Bri have definitely had their struggles.

Melody chose to run away. Liz suffers from major anxiety and Bri ends up in prison.

Melody’s Aunt leaves her, her thrift shop. Melody never had plans on returning to town. So she plans to make this a quick in and out to sell her aunts shop. However, things turn out differently when the little shop with the charm bracelet brings them all back together again.

In my opinion, this is a definite must read. The reconnection of friendship is inspiring. Once I started it, I could not put it down and I highly recommend this book!

I was asked to read this book and return for my honest opinion.

This is a book that I plan to recommend to all of my reading friends because it is fun to read, entertaining and with a depth of wisdom that was eye-opening at times. It is the story of friends who go their separate ways after a tragic accident and when Melody’s aunt Jo dies, she returns to town and meets up again with Liz, a former BFF who has been irreparably damaged by the accident and cannot move forward. Melody doesn’t want to be back in Trove Isle, NC, but she decides to stay long enough to clean out her aunt’s secondhand store called Hidden Treasures. There is some mystery involved, a friend in prison with letters back and forth between Bri and Liz and all kinds of multiple layers about family relationships, broken friendships and romantic relationships that need to get off the ground. This book is so wonderfully written that it stole my heart and tucked it away inside its pages. The characters are realistically portrayed and easy to identify with. I think my favorite character is Aunt Jo, the deceased lady who plays a big part in the story as her wisdom, love and giving spirit live on after her in Melody, Liz and other folks in the small town. I think I would have really liked to meet Aunt Jo and hang around her store just to hear her stories and her wit. There is a lot to like about this book, including a fast pace with a charming setting, friendly characters and a plot that reveals the changes in heart in the characters at just the right pace. With themes like going home, finding love, recognizing what real friendship is and forgiveness, this book offers something for everyone who enjoys books with heart and hope. This is women’s contemporary fiction at its very best!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255. “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I really loved this book because it had just enough of the supernatural in it to make me wonder how and why some things happened. Was it coincidence or just the edge of believability? Three friends, torn apart years ago after a tragedy manage to reconnect in ways they didn’t expect. I loved the lessons learned and thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and fairly review this book!

After that night ten years ago, they all were scarred. And so was their friendship. Now Melody has come back to Trove Island after the death of her aunt Jo. With a touch of magical realism, the story touches your heart and reaffirms your faith in the power of friendship. Like it's title, it's just charming.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

I enjoyed this ode to friendship. It had a nice mix of darkness, maturing past darkness and a wee bit of romance to tie things up nicely.

This is a great book for readers that want to be pulled into the lives of friends that have had a tragic event happen in their lives.
There is a lot of emotion and feeling coming from the characters in the story. The book is written from the point of view of each character. This is a perfect way for the lives of the friends mesh together.
Liz, Bri, Melody and Alyssa who is Melody’s sister have all sworn to be friends forever. Annie Rains has given them to us, and you will feel the emotion and as they deal with learning how to connect after the loss of Alyssa.
This is a great beach read that will stick with you long after reading it.
Thank you NetGalley, Annie Rains and Kensington Books for the ARC of The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle. This is my personal review.

The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle is another lovely women’s fiction story by Annie Rains. As described it is a grownup twist on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. This time it involves a lost and found bracelet instead of a pair of jeans.

A heart touching group of characters who renew and reconnect after years of being apart. Friendship, regrets and forgiveness of past real and imagined hurts are at the heart. Perfect Spring read or anytime of the year.

After a decade away, Melody returns to her hometown of Trove Isle, where she’s inherited her great aunt’s thrift store. There, she uncovers a charm bracelet—a poignant reminder of her shattered friendship with high school besties Liz and Bri. As memories resurface, Melody confronts the ghosts of their shared past. Can the three heal old wounds and forge new bonds?

This is a sweet, heartwarming women’s fiction with romance subplots. Although devastated by tragedy, the friends learn how to trust themselves and each other again. The book has a strong family feeling and just a hint of magic.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.