I had trouble getting into this book. The main character seemed immature and materialistic. I couldn’t understand someone who had been married twice before rushing into a third marriage to someone she doesn’t know. There were just too many holes in the story and things that were completely unreal.

The Cicada Spring is the story of one woman’s chance to change her life. The premise sounded good. I enjoyed the blurb. I tried to like the book. But I couldn’t get invested in the character. Maybe it’s because I came off of a recent book series that sucked me in. Maybe it was the style of writing. But I tried. I really did. But I didn’t finish it. I firmly believe, however, that every single book has its merits. And then each author pours their heart and soul into it, so I give this book 3 stars. it may be exactly what someone else needs.

Katie Young has been dreading the day she would become an empty nester with her daughter going off to college. But when she is offered a new dream job in Florida and meets a new 'dream' man at the same time she decides to take the leap for both, unfortunately without doing her homework beforehand. As her new marriage begins to crumble and the dream job turns sour, Covid-19 hits and things just get worse for Katie. And then her mother dies. It's bad. She returns home to her mothers house in a quaint little town on the Potomac river called Occoquan. Katie and her brother had idyllic childhoods there on the river and she is comforted to be there working out her grief for the loss of her mother, her unscrupulous husband and her job. She rekindles friendships with her 'bonfire babe' friends and takes time to spend as much time as she can on the water and surrounding property. This is a wonderful second beginning for Katie and when she meets a local environmentalist her heart begins to heal and she is able to open her heart to love again. This was a lovely story and I can tell it came deep from the authors heart the way she described the scenery and local flora and fauna. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend this book to others. The narrator was very good and I enjoyed her voice. My only issue with the story is a personal one of having Christianity integrated into it. I felt it was completely unnecessary and detracted from the story. Again, that's just me. 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Make Waves Press for a chance to listen/read a copy of this ARC audiobook.

My first Netgalley official audio book, I’ve never listen to an audio book before and being my first one, it wasn’t bad! I wanted to attempt one to listen to while I was just doing things around the house. Nothing too heavy. The story line was good, but annoying. I prefer the more strong female characters. Took me back to the lockdown times 😂 reminds me how far we’ve came from then.

I have just finished this audiobook. I have to say I enjoyed it. I didn't see some of the relationship issues happening. Without giving anything away, I can say that it starts with an empty nest woman that goes on a date and ends up marrying the person after only a weekend. It goes on to show the relationship and some of the issues and thoughts that happened when covid began and ended. I was a little concerned that the book was going to turn into a political read, but it never did, which was nice. You get to experience how the country had shut down and how scary it was for everyone. The book shows how a mother comes to grips with covid, her new relationship, friendships, and loss. It had a great plot with characters that you like and one that you end up hating, or at least I hated. This was a quick and simple read. It hit a little in the emotions but nothing too heavy. Great read if you're looking for something to relax to on a nice summer day. #thecicadaspring #netgalley #fypage #bookreview #bookstagram #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreview #booklover #audiobooks #books #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookstagram #book #booktok

First of all, Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ARC of The Cicada Spring by Caroline McBride in return for my honest review.

The Cicada Spring focuses around a middle aged, single mother who is dealing with what to do with life now that her teenage daughter is off to collage.; Meeting a man, they quickly fall i9n love and Katie, our FMC, learns to navigate what this new relationship with this new older man means for her life.

This book is also based around when the Covid-19 pandemic first hit and what it mean to not just Katie, but also the world when it came to maintaining jobs and education, relationships and friendships.

I found the narrators voice to be calming and easy to listen to, her tone changing when the story needed it to.

I have given this book a four star, as for me it hit a couple of points that I liked to see within a story while I'm reading/listening.

I wholeheartedly believe my opinions on the COVID-19 pandemic impacted my thoughts and opinions about this book. While it had some decent qualities this piece of the book was a ver critical one and it fractured my view and feelings of the rest of it. It’s hard for me to believe future generations will have to read this and try to understand that time through this book, which is why I wholly stand against it.

Dear Author: please don't read this review. I do not want to hurt your feelings.
Seldom have I read a book when I disliked the main character more. She's a vapid, spoiled, alcoholic with no redeeming qualities. We're supposed to believe she was a struggling single mom because she could "barely afford a maid." Excuse me as I roll my eyes right outta my head. I tried to like her, to at least empathize ... But it was hard. She has all the depth of a petri dish. You know it's bad when you feel bad for the new guy on the scene and want him to run away rather than get involved with the main character because he could do better. Oh and about him, his career changes fields entirely and he's chosen to head a new research center- as a newbie in his field?
The MC did have some character growth though, which was nice to see. And the writing itself was not bad, though I think it would benefit from better editing to remove the unnecessary nonfiction details.
The author's notes, sharing that she is a nonfiction writer, explain the ridiculous amount of details about things like boats and waterways and habitats, which don't belong in a novel.
And if the narrator doesn't know a word, she should look up the correct pronunciation... Don't just try to fake it and hope no one notices. There were a couple of those, but the one I can remember now was "plaguing."

The book info for this book describes it as a coming-of-middle-age book, and that's a very apt description. At the start, the main character, Katie, is a single mom dropping her only child off at college. She's at loose ends, wondering what to do with herself now that she's left with a semi-empty nest. On an impulse, she decides to accept a job offer that means more money and a big change in location, from Northern Virginia to Miami. A whirlwind romance and marriage follow, and it all seems to be too good to be true. And no big surprise, it is. Then 2020 hits.
Not gonna lie here - I'm not a huge fan of reading books with 2020/Covid as big plot devices. It's a "too soon" thing for me. So I'm glad I didn't know that would be a part of this story because McBride handles it well. And it does drive the narrative in terms of getting Katie back to her Virginia home in the midst of lockdown. She's surrounded (though sometimes at a social distance) by friends there, women she's know from her youth, who support her and help her figure out her new "what's next". McBride's knowledge and love of boating and life on the water shines throughout the book. She gives the reader characters to care about and to root for. The first book in a series is rarely the best - by necessity it's setting things up for the rest of the series, things like the setting, characters, and overall tone. She's handles it all well here, especially for a debut novel. And the narration of the audiobook by Maria Marquis is excellent, she managed to give multiple characters individual voices that were easily recognized. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Make Waves Press for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

I really liked the narrator. Very good choice there but I have to say I really did not enjoy this book.

I felt like it did not make sense at all as to why the main character was so gullible, Naive and downright stupid.

The story prefaced with her being responsible and level headed and then shows her doing irresponsible and idiotic things right after, it was like her brain went on vacation.

Thank you to Netgalley, Make Waves Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks for giving me this to listen to.

Thank you NetGalley and Make Waves Press for a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. DNF. Unfortunately, I was not able to get into this book. I found it to be very depressing and without enough character development to care about the characters. The actions of the main character were confusing considering her history. A twice married, self-sufficient, middle aged woman as our female main character is described is out of character rushing into marrying a man she barely knows and changing jobs. The entire story seemed irrational and impulsive. The narrator dropped off softly on the end of sentences making it difficult to adjust the volume.

I enjoyed this read , set when the pandemic first hit , these lady's find the strength to move on , renew hopes and dreams and find true love within a year of many changes .

Listened at 2x speed with no issues. Thought the narrator was lovely.

It makes me a little sad just how much of the story the description gives away. Single mom Katie is spiraling a bit as her daughter goes off to college, and she makes some rash decisions as she attempts to really envelop her new "freedoms" in life, and sadly those decisions end up leading to heartbreak after heartbreak for her.

It seems pretty obvious early on that JC is a walking red flag, so it's tough to want to root for Katie's relationship with him to work. Instead, it's impossible NOT to love her newly formed friendship with Rhiannon. Additionally, the plot overlaps Covid, so 4 years later it's interesting to see the return of masks and social distancing to a story, the loss of loved ones, the impact on travel... Grief, mental health, cleaning out homes.... it was a gentle reminder of what everyone experiences (at least on some level) during that time.

While not an exciting story, it was a nice listen. A few farfetched moments stitched together... but ultimately it's supposed to be a "feel good" story that needed a happy ending.

Overall: 3 stars (I liked it)

**Thank you to NetGalley & Make Waves Press | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks for the free ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

This is a relatable book about middle age, hindsight and second chances, as well as discovering what your passion in life is.

Virginia is about as different from Florida as it can be, and when Katie finds herself returning to her riverside family home instead of embarking on a new life with her new husband in Florida, she has to face up to some inevitable soul searching.

Her mother's unexpected death deals a body blow to her stability, and amidst the newfound uncertainty, Katie must navigate her way to an unmapped future if she is to have a chance at true happiness.

Fortunately, happiness can be found in the most unexpected of places...

Set against the backdrop of the COVID pandemic, this story will have immense appeal to readers navigating their own way through mid life and the unexpected challenges that they may be forced to contend with. Divorce, separation, new love and parenting, to name just a few.

Some elements of this tale feel a little far fetched, and parts of it are predictable, but Katie is a likeable protagonist and you find yourself rooting for her to find her way back to herself - as we have all needed to at some point in life.

I absolutely loved this book.

So relatable on so many levels. The refrancing of the covod pandemic explains how some people had to deal with loosing loved ones during this time, family members all being in places they didn't expect to be due to quarantine and then sadly the funeral whereby only a few guests can attend. Also explains a little of the impact on those with businesses and how people in different countries had different rules and regulations put upon them, leaving them not knowing when they can re-open, etc, putting strains on families.

The bigger picture of course is of a family breaking up during all of this chaos and Katie has to navigate her way through not only her own life, loss of her mother, uncertainty of work but also the divorce from her 16 year marriage with children to comfort along the way. She beautifully finds a journal that opens up a little of her family line and receives much comfort from her daughter, Deek, and of course the bonfire beach babes.

When she first meets this man at a boat store she is convinced her heart is set in the ice age and she will never love again however destiny has other plans and she surrenders to the unknown even after much heartache and ongoing battles with her ex-hisband.

This story tells of her love of water from her father who was in the navy where he connection really begins to deepen with Deek as they speak of such things and his water testing to eagles nests and preservation of such things for all.

Well narrated, easy to follow, and truly just enjoyed the harmonious feeling of the water, beach, and all the well descripted areas Katie had been.

With thanks to Netgalley & Make Waves Press for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for an honest review.

This book was a little gut wrenching. It had me sad, angry and happy at various points. Definitely worth a read!

#TheCicadaSpring #NetGalley

Have you watched Sullivan's Crossing or Virgin River? How about the respective book series by @robyncarrwriter ?

Carolyn McBride's The Cicada Spring gave me the same vibes! Like Mel who goes to Virgin River for a new beginning, Katie ultimately ends up in the little town of Occoquan after her daughter starts college and her whirlwind romance that began in marriage only to end up in separation mere weeks later.

To top this all off, the timeline of the Co-Vid pandemic has begun and claims someone very dear to Katie. Now she must pick up the pieces of her heart as she begins to make her family's river house her new home.

But Katie gets knocked back down again when her neighbor (someone who she knows, coincidence or no?) tries to take down the trees which house an eagle's nest.

I found these characters to be incredibly relatable, like I could meet them while grocery shopping and pick up a quick chat and just hit it off. I loved that though this is a lot about Katie's romances, we see a lot of her self-discovery and we see that it is never too late to make something of yourself.

Grab yourself a copy of the audiobook because @soundslikemarquis voice makes these characters come to life and has you gripped to the book the whole way!

Thank you @netgalley and @carolynmcbridewriter for the ALC!!!

I cannot wait for the next book, perhaps with one of our favorite Bonfire Beach Babes..?

Carolyn McBride's story, The Cicada Spring, is about Katie, a middle aged single mom, and the initial steps she takes into her new life as an empty nester.
I have a difficult time enjoying a book when I feel like the author robbed the main character of common sense or depth. Katie has neither- at least throughout the first half of the book. By that time, it was difficult to salvage any interest in the story, which teeters on the edge of "How can this all happen at this one spot to this one person?" In looking back (I've given myself some time to process) I think this might have been better as two stories- one about a superficial, impulsive empty nester and one about a newlywed who discovers she has hastily entered into a marriage to a controlling, lying, manipulative, psychopathic stalker. (Maybe I'm showing some "triggers" in my analysis here...)

This was the most far-fetched, ridiculous book to me. The red flags just kept coming and coming and coming. Don't get me wrong, I loved the idea of the plot. I loved the narrator. The fact that we had not 1 woman who ignores ALL of the red flags from a ridiculously sketchy husband and experienced the exact same thing, but two women. It was extremely predictable.

I won't be posting my review to Goodreads because although I didn't enjoy this book, I don't want to persuade others to not enjoy this book. Reading is subjective and just because I didn't enjoy this, other people should still give it a try.

This book was just so boring. i couldn't get into it. i'm sorry. i usually love a cozy book. but this just wasn't it.