This was my first time to listen to an audiobook by Carolyn McBride. A beautiful story of new beginnings, family, and an unlikely source of love.

Finding second love is never easy, and it felt like Katie rushed into it to have a new person to rely on. As with young love, even later in life love, as we find in this story, can make people blind, or at least rather naive.

Betrayal, naivety and Covid played big parts in this story.

For me personally, it is too early for Covid to appear in fictional books that I read to escape from the world around me, it is still too raw a memory. Also, the naivety of Katie bordered on stupidity and I always find it hard to connect with characters that don't realise what's right in front of them.

On a positive note, I loved the scenery along the river, the tranquility and the mystery of the lonely man coming past in his boat. Katie's reconnection with her mother and her strong links with her friends, in the Covid darkness, also lifted the story.

I'll keep an eye out to see what the theme of the next book in the Potomac Shores series is, as I loved the river part of the story.

Not sure of my overall feeling about this book. Related to the main character, because she is an empty nester and needs to start anew, but she was pretty naive and made some bad decisions that made it hard to understand and sympathize with her. I dIdn't care for the inclusion of Covid and the pandemic into this story, just found it unnecessary and made me remember a bad time it our recent history.

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' Titles for giving me a copy to read.

I truly enjoyed this cool story.
I finished it late into the evening because I simply couldn't put it down.
Katie's story was definitely interesting!
I just wanted to say that I can relate to Katie as an empty nester. It can be lonely at times.
The Pandemic year was also a year of many changes for me, so I can relate to her there too. This story really hit home for me.
The emotional stress, finding one's way just a powerful story of trying to make things right again.
I really enjoyed in getting to know Katie. Her adventure became mine.
I think that's what I truly enjoyed and appreciated about the book.
5 stars for an awesome adventure. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

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 .

The Cicada Spring by Carolyn McBride

Katie Young is now an empty nester, her daughter has gone off to college, and she has met a man that is everything she has dreamed of. Going through a whirlwind relationship, she marries the man that swept her off her feet, against her mom and daughter’s reservations. Moving to Florida, living on a boat, starting a new job and most of all, starting a new life with her new husband, isn’t what she expected, and as the layers are revealed, she realizes that she has made a big mistake

When Katie finally talks to her mother, worried about her mother hearing about her failed marriage, they reconnect. Days later, her mother dies from CoVid. With her life spiraling, she returns home, grieving her mother and regretting her rash marriage. When she sees the handsome stranger, she develops a friendship, helping her through such a difficult time

I liked the characters, especially her friends. I like the way they all came together, supporting each other, and ending their get togethers with prayers. I enjoyed the way she eventually came around and started showing some strength.

I disliked the COVID storyline. Hike for the most part, the author only touched on parts, it was still a major theme. I thought it was more of life and love after divorce and empty nesting, but felt more of the story revolved around pandemics and covid. I disliked how easily manipulated Katie was in the beginning and through most of the book.

I

The Cicada Spring: A Potomac Shores Novel by Carolyn McBride this was a brand new author for me and overall I found this to be an enjoyable read. This book contained a little bit of everything, with lots of ups and downs. Having been in a Narcissistic relationship this did bring up some buried emotions, watching how Kate's new husband was able to manipulate her feelings. I would recommend this to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Not for me

I had high hopes for this book, I love the setting in MD, it said that it is first in a series. I kept working through it, hoping it would get better and redeem itself, but unfortunately that never happened. I did not like the characters at all, the timing of setting it during the pandemic seems outdated and the story just kept meandering around.

I wish it had worked out, I appreciate that authors pour their hearts into a book and take risks by sharing, but this just didn’t work for me.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

The cover of this book is gorgeous and is what caught my attention. However, the book itself failed to grab my attention. I didn't particularly care for the main character Katie. The story seems like a modern-day fairy tale and not very realistic. This is not a book I would recommend. Thanks to Make Waves Press and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

First off, I selected this book for the description plus the title. My rural area doesn't have cicadas but every town around me does so I thought it was fitting to read right now.

Second, I related to Katie Young in several ways: being a single Mom and a second marriage that was a mistake.

What really kept me interested and intrigued was all the lies that were discovered about JC and how Katie forged her way through them. Lastly, what I enjoyed the most was the endearing friendships she made and seeing how her life came together back in her hometown with great friends and family and promises of a fulfilling future.

This is a non-spoiler review.

Katie Young, a single mother, embarks on a new chapter of her life after dropping her daughter off at college. Katie finds herself in Florida with a new job, new husband, and appears to be living the yacht life dream. Things abruptly change with the onset of the pandemic and the death of her mother, requiring Katie to move back to Virginia. With the help of rekindled friendships and the healing power of nature, Katie continues to battle challenges while searching for herself.

I anticipated this to be more of a feel-good story than it was for me. I was excited for the new chapter in Katie’s life, however, I quickly changed my mind once JC entered the story. I believe he was intended to be a cringeworthy character, but he was too much for me to handle. The pacing became too slow for me about 1/3 of the way in and once I reached that halfway point, I almost decided not to finish. I was also given the audiobook of this title, so I did increase the speed to help me read along at a faster pace. I also wasn’t sure how I would respond to the initial pandemic time period being incorporated into the story, but after reading, I decided, that for me personally, I am not quite ready to return to that time. The story was already getting to a depressing place, and that just brought it to another level.

As someone who enjoys more suspense, or more shifts in the tone throughout the book, I found that this book was not for me. I think I would have appreciated it more if there was a bit of humor or levity incorporated into the middle section of the book, while still maintaining the darker tone. I also tend to gravitate more towards FMC with stronger intuitions.

I thought the author did a great job with the descriptions of the Potomac Shores area and I found myself wishing I was there while I was reading. I think this book would be great for someone looking for a more serious, coming-of-middle age story, and who doesn’t get easily frustrated with a FMC who takes a longer amount of time to find her footing.

Thank you NetGalley and Makes Waves Press for the opportunity to read this ebook in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The mom and daughter story of this book was so sweet! I just was so attached from the first page. It was such a sweet, honest, and beautiful story. I listened to the audio and read the book. It helped me get through gettin gall the winter gear away, and stay up way past my bedtime. Carolyn McBride is a new author for me and I can’t wait to read more of her stories! Beautiful story, and wonderfully written. Add this book to your TBR lists.

The Cicada Spring is a lovely feel good story. It begins pre-covid which is different. It also is a coming of age story if you’re into that. It will be an awesome summer read!

This book had me both puzzled and rooting for the protagonist, Kate, as she navigates a whirlwind of life changes—from hasty marriage to dealing with her mother's death. The friendships depicted were heartwarming, and the author's evident love for nature added a special touch. However, I found the main character's naivety frustrating at times. Overall, it was an engaging and well-narrated story with a satisfying conclusion. I listened to the audiobook and read this copy and preferred just the audiobook for the future.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. Overall, the book was a happy, feel good story and I did enjoy the ending, but I really struggle with books whose characters are naive and ignorant. The main character, Katie meets a man who seems too good to be true and marries him within a week or so and is shocked when he turns out not to be who she thought he was. DUH! I personally could have done without any of the Covid references in the story line, but that is just personal preference. This was just ok for me.

The Cicada Spring is book one in her amazing Potomac Shores series by Carolyn McBride.
I loved this debut! The story was fascinating and kept me hooked the whole time.
It is a great story with friendship, romance and humor!
The more I read, the more engrossed I was in the story and the characters. Great development of both. Very good book and an enjoyable read.
I CAN’T wait for book two!

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was an enjoyable story. It moved very quickly but that’s part of the story. I loved the friendships that Katie had especially with Rhiannon.

Thank you for the arc for my honest review.