This book giving soft and fluffy in the best way. For sure total Hallmark romance vibes and I ate it up! You’ve got a small-town girl with big dreams who dips to the city, only to come back home not wanting folks to think she failed. That alone? So real.

Her ride-or-die childhood friend (who’s been in love with her since forever, let’s be honest) is still around, being patient and lowkey perfect. She fights it, but sis eventually realizes she been in love too. It’s the kind of love story that feels like comfort food. Predictable in the best way and leaves you grinning by the end. Sometimes you just need a little feel-good read, and this was exactly that.

This heartwarming novel follows Avila as she returns to her childhood home with her daughter when her mother dies. She and her mother had had a tumultuous relationship that resulted in no contact between them after she got pregnant with her daughter from a one-night stand. Intending to fix the house and return to New Jersey, she deals with the heavy emotions of coming to terms with the time she lost with her mother and begins falling in love with the Lowcountry again. While working on fixing the house, she runs into her former flame, and sparks fly, but she is determined to keep her feelings at bay so her impending departure will not hurt.

This story is full of love and highlights the connections of a tight-knit community while grappling with the tough decisions a single mother must make.

It did not quite hit the mark for me and did not keep me engaged, but it was a very sweet novel.

I loved Avila's character, but I was very frustrated by some of the decisions she made and the back-and-forth that occurred between her and her love interest.

I think that if you enjoy small-town romance with a pair working through their shared history, you could really enjoy this.

Great read! First read from this author. This book makes me want to read more from this author. Kept my attention and interest until the end.

I usually don’t mind a slow burn or a little miscommunication but this one didn’t really do it for me. Avila didn’t know what she wanted and played with Terrance’s feelings. Feelings that he very clearly communicated.

It felt like she forgot that he was her friend first and knew her. She spent more time pushing him away than letting him show up for her.

This isn’t my first book by this author and I think at this point this just might not be the writing style for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release copy of A Wedding in the Lowcountry. I honestly picked up the book because the MMC went to Hampton and as an Hamptonian myself, I just had to get it. I really thought the premise was cute and I was really excited to read this one!

However, I was really left wanting so much more from this story. I am usually a slow-burn girlie, but my goodness this was the slowest pace I have ever read. Like there were times where the main character was insufferable, like Avila, he's a GOOD MAN! Like sis, pleaseeeee don't let the love of your life slip away!

I will say that Terance kept me reading the book. He definitely falls first and has the patience of a saint! He really saved the book for me. I also loved how Ebony kept pressure on her mom to do the right things, sometimes we need people in our lives like that. I would probably recommend this book to someone who might be trying to dip their toe into reading romances. It was a light and sweet story, but I wanted a little more depth and a bit more romance. Overall, it was an okay read for me.

After being kicked out as a teen for an unexpected pregnancy, Avila is reluctant to return to Myrtle Beach with her twelve year old daughter to settle her late mother’s estate. Her emotions grow even more tangled when she reconnects with Terrance, a childhood friend she has avoided since leaving for college. Now a professor at a nearby university, Terrance is eager to support Avila through her grief, and as old feelings resurface, Avila must decide if she’s ready to fall in love.

Avila is often overwhelmed by anxiety and a deep sense of failure. Rather than face the past, she’s determined to sell her childhood house and leave back to New Jersey as quickly as possible. Her childhood friend Terrance reenters her life, but Avila struggles to connect, keeping him and everyone else at arm’s length. She’s entirely focused on motherhood and survival, pushing her dreams aside and focusing on her daughter's acting career, all while refusing to acknowledge her own emotions. As more of her history is revealed, her guarded nature makes sense, but even after recognizing her pattern of avoidance, she continues it.

While Avila’s journey is compelling, the story feels repetitive at times, and the resolution comes a little too late. More time spent exploring the aftermath of her growth would have made for a stronger read.

I'm giving this book 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 for this review). Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this eARC.

This heartwarming and emotionally stirring novel explores the complexities of love, family, trust, and second chances, making it a resonant read for anyone who has found love unexpectedly or navigated the intricacies of human connection. The story delves into the lives of characters who discover love in the most unlikely of places, highlighting the transformative power of love to heal old wounds and offer new beginnings. With its poignant exploration of friendship, love, and the enduring bonds of family, this book will particularly appeal to readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers romances and stories that celebrate the resilience of the human spirit. Through its rich and evocative prose, the novel captures the nuances of human emotion and the profound ways in which love can shape our lives, leaving a lasting impression on readers' hearts and minds.

Book 11 of 2025 - ✅! Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAudio, HarperAudio Adult, Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon & Preslaysa Williams for an ALC & ARC of A Wedding in the Lowcountry by Preslaysa Williams. I listened to the ALC for the first 55% of the book and then finished my ARC on my Kindle.

A Wedding in the Lowcountry by Preslaysa Williams caught my eye from its gorgeous cover, and description on NetGalley. This is the first book I’ve read by Williams, and it’s a very sweet, clean, rom-com.

Our protagonist, Avila, is a single mom to Ebony - the mother-daughter pair lives in NJ, where Avila has always been supportive of her daughter’s interest in acting and the arts. After the death of Avila’s mom, the two go down to Charleston for the funeral and for Avila to get affairs in order with the intention of selling her childhood home. Her plans take a bit of a turn when, Terrance, her best friend and true love, comes back into the picture. Avila must decide how she wants her and Ebony’s life to continue with her past coming to the forefront in various ways.

Terrance is a lovely MMC - a supportive and kind professor. As for Avila - I love a strong, artistic FMC, especially one who’s pro-union. She’s a member of Actor’s Equity (in this house, we’re pro-union: proud IATSE Local 871 member, here)! Happy endings for POC characters make my heart swell.

4/5 ⭐️ & 0.5/5 🌶️ (there is some kissing, but nothing more than that on the page). #NetGalley #AWeddingInTheLowcountry 💒 🎭 💐

The blurb of this book wasn’t accurate. Avila hadn’t been kicked out of the house because she got pregnant. She chose not to return home because she got pregnant. Also, the male main character’s name was Terrance. She left home before he did so the notion that she felt abandoned was lost somewhere in the shuffle.

Avila comes home with her pre-teen daughter after finding out that her mother died. She is supposed to just be getting the house ready to sell and making sure her mother’s affairs are in order. Terrance lives a few doors down in his family’s home. He is a professor at the local college. He steps up to help Avila with getting things together. She is reluctant to ask for help but can’t seem to turn Terrance away.

Just before they both left for college, he told her that he loved her. She couldn’t say the words back because she knew that they would be apart and didn’t want to complicate things. As an adult, he still feels the same way about her. She also has feelings for him but she is reluctant to admit them. She has a fear of him leaving.

This book moved very slowly. She kept pushing him away. He didn’t give up. Finally, she was able to see a future for them.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the other books. The only tie that this one had to the others was that it was set in the lowcountry. This was a good book but not exactly what I had expected.

I feel like the title of this book is a misnomer, since the wedding doesn't officially happen until the epilogue.

Also, the blurb for this book both on Netgalley and GoodReads isn't accurate. It says the MMC's name is Trevor when it's really Terence, and that the book takes place in Myrtle Beach when really it takes place in Charleston. As someone who always reads the blurbs right before reading these changes really threw me for a loop as I started reading/listening.

Overall, the story was fine if you take out these minor things.

This one is closer to 3.5 stars for me!
Avila returns to her hometown after her mother’s death, and oof. Cue the emotions. She’s dealing with grief, with the memories that come with being in her childhood home, the pressure of being a single mom, feelings for her childhood best friend, and anxieties about creating connections or friendships. Navigating her mom’s estate leads Avila to learning more about her parents and having to make tough choices. I can’t lie, she did annoy me a bit with how hard she rejected help, even when it would benefit her daughter. I really loved Trevor and the way he consistently showed up for both her and her daughter.

A slow burn read with potential. The slow burn for the couple and the thread of sadness that must be dealt with gives the story some depth. I had high hopes for this one, but it didn't get quite make that bar. It was however worth reading overall. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the copy of this read.

Please note- I'm not sure if the synopsis is wrong or if they changed a few things after the e-arc, but the story took place in Charleston and the MC's name is Terrence.

I liked the first half of the story. Avila has to return home with her daughter (to Charleston) to settle her mom's affairs after her unexpected death. Because of some trauma she experienced in her childhood, she does not want to keep the house and live in Charleston, so she has to fix the house to put up for sale. Her childhood friend (whom she has not seen her in 12 years), Terrence, ends up helping them fix the house. Their rekindled friendship was nice to see, but at times, I did not like how Avila was so hardheaded, not accepting his help and kept pushing him away. In a way, her being like that only teaches us that it's okay to ask for help when we're feeling so overwhelmed.

I liked how Terrence was so good with Ebony and how she was open to having him be a part of their lives.

Also, I feel like the title of the book did not fit the story.

3.5★ rounded up

This was a slow-burn between childhood friends who have always felt a little something for each other but one of them is not confident in taking that step. After years apart that spark is still there and we get to see what they are going to do about it. I found myself a little unengaged at times with the writing but I appreciated the story of growth that Avila went through. Personally the walls she put in and how she reacted to Terrance trying to love her at times was tough for me because it felt like we only got the surface level stuff of their romance. I loved that she ended up getting back into a job ina field that she has long since thought was no longer for her, a great example of dreams changing but not having to be given up.

A Wedding in the Lowcountry by Preslaysa Williams is such a heartfelt warm reading filled with so many emotions that kept me enthralled with a great plot and the characters were simply amazing.
This is one of those books that feels very realistic but also provides a great escape from reality at the same time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

This was a pretty cute read...I wouldn't say it was absolutely fabulous or a five star read, but it was cute nonetheless. I did enjoy the audiobook narrator alot and she did a great job! I would consider checking out more books by Preslaysa in the future.

3.5 stars

This third Preslaysa Williams romance is another one set in the South and I really liked the dual POV, single mom, second chance, he falls first, theatre lovers, HUGE Hope Floats vibes. It was good on audio by a new to me narrator and good for fans of authors like Synithia Williams or Farrah Rochon. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was a slow burn that didn't feel very fulfilling by the end. I didn't like the back and forth that Avila had about being with Terence even though I could understand that because her dad and her daughter's father left, she wanted to be careful. I also felt that Terence was a bit aggressive in pursuing her and getting her to uproot her life to stay in Charleston. They was not enough for me to root for this couple.

Returning to Myrtle Beach after her mother’s death, Avila Rogers confronts complicated emotions and reconnects with her childhood friend, Trevor. As their bond deepens, Avila must overcome past hurts and decide if she’s ready to open her heart to love again.

This is a character-driven book, focusing primarily on Avila’s abandonment issues and her trouble creating secure bonds. There’s no real external conflict keeping her from a relationship with Trevor. While the pace is slower than I would have liked, I enjoyed seeing the character relationships evolve. The audiobook narration was well-done.

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

The synopsis caught my eye but sadly, this a wedding in the lowcountry did not keep me engaged at all.