First of all, I LOVED the cover! So beautiful!

I almost gave up on this story. I was quite bored at the beginning. I even set it aside for several weeks because I thought Lee was not worth the pages written about him. He seemed like such an unreal character - especially the mullet... I don't even know if they are still really a thing anymore? Maybe? And the story is about a town founded by a peanut farmer?? I didn't truly become invested in the story until Hattie & Lee got back together as adults. (They were highschool sweethearts that broke up on bad terms.) It was sweet to see them rekindle their lost love and have a second chance.

However, the love triangle angle kept me rooting for a happy ending. And a happy ending it was! I wasn't sure which fellow would keep her heart. The secondary love interest, Fox, was not actively persuing Hattie. It was just a beautiful developing relationship that kept me coming back for more.

I enjoyed the small town romance and the quirky characters, as well. I am glad I stuck with it.

**Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher Alcove Press, and the author for this advanced DRC**

I love Joy Callaway's books and just recently read her historical fiction book, Star of Camp Greene. This was totally different. To me, this would be the perfect summer read by the pool. It's a sweet little romance that takes place in a small town. It's a fun comfort book that will take you away to a much simpler place and time in your life. Worth the read!

I don't read many contemporary-based novels, but the cover looked so nice, I could not resist. It follows the "small town" trope, very Hallmark movie -like, set in the South and full of sweet and quirky characters. The book also mentions beautiful landscapes and lots of music, so it is beautifully setted. The love triangle got me very intrigued from the beginning, I had to know who Hattie was going to pick!! Thanks Netgalley for my Arc!

While I thought this was a cute book at times, I sometimes became a bit bored and wanted more for the plot. I was able to connect with the characters, but sometimes I wanted more development from them.

Hattie has left her hometown for greater city Charlotte where she works hard in an events agency. But she goes back temporarily to Mountain View to support her parents when it turns out that they have received an adverse opinion about the quality of their land and they can no longer grow peanut plants. Hattie wants to get out of this small town again as soon as possible, but her father's poor health throws a spanner in the works. Then she is confronted by her ex Leland Lockhardt who broke her heart when he left. He is back and love is not lost. But everything is different now and important choices must be made.

Sing me home to Carolina is a beautiful novel with a small-town trope. Returning to her birthplace and refinding an old love is a familiar trope in stories, but a very fine one. It produces a book where there is depth, and where characters develop. Hattie has to start thinking about who she is, where she stands in life and what she wants. Picking up contacts with the residents of Mountain view is a big part of that. And then there's a mysterious new owner of the hardware store who triggers her curiosity.

Mountain View has to deal with a big problem around the plans of a new stadium. Something that could help the small town survive, but it will come at the expense of everything Mountain View is now. The difference in pros and cons is worked out well and realistically. The big money seems to trump the opposition with great consequences. It is nice to see that the residents do not give up and stand strong together.

Sing me home to Carolina is a fine novel, with fine characters in a well-crafted setting and with a good plot. The book is full of music, which brings an extra layer to the story. A delightful novel to read.

If you love small-town romances set in the South with relatable characters and a compelling storyline, this book is a must-read. It has the charm of Sweet Magnolias and the quirky community spirit of Schitt’s Creek, all centered around a strong, determined heroine.

Hattie Norwood is a believable and likable protagonist—a successful professional who puts her family first. When she returns to her hometown of Mountain View, South Carolina, to support her aging parents, she’s faced with devastating news: the family’s peanut farm is no longer fertile. The weight of this crisis is overwhelming, especially as she balances her high-powered career in Charlotte with her deep-rooted love for home.

As if that weren’t enough, the entire town is in an uproar over the possibility of the Carolina Panthers building their new stadium in Mountain View. The project could bring much-needed revenue, and Hattie sees it as a lifeline for the struggling town. But her support for the stadium makes her an outsider in her own community—many of the townsfolk fear it will destroy their small-town charm, and they aren’t shy about showing their disapproval.

On top of the town drama, there’s an irresistible love triangle to navigate. Hattie’s old flame, former MLB star Lee Lockhardt, still stirs up feelings, but then there’s Fox Ryan, the enigmatic new owner of the hardware store. As Mountain View gears up for its beloved Founder’s Day—a scene straight out of a Hallmark movie—Hattie must make some tough choices, not just about love but about where she truly belongs.

This story kept me up late into the night—I simply had to know who Hattie would choose! If you’re looking for a heartfelt, feel-good romance with all the charm of a cozy Southern town, this book is for you..

Hattie is moving up the ranks as an event planner in Charlotte, but when she goes home to her small hometown of Mountain View for the weekend, she is confronted with the fact that the Panthers football team of the Carolinas is deciding whether to build their new stadium in Mountain View, or in the neighboring town of Cardinal River. Hattie realizes as much as she loves her hometown, it’s dying due to the farms failing, and feels that the stadium could bring in much-needed revenue. However, she’s the only one who feels this way, and she’s quickly ostracized from her own community for not “having a heart” and wanting to save their town, including her own parents’ farm.

With her job on the line in Charlotte, she agrees to stay through the Founders Day celebration, where events cause her to question her decision of where she belongs, and if the stadium really is the answer to the farms that no longer produce. And to complicate matters, her long-time love Lee, who went on to be a star baseball player with the Braves, has rolled back into time, and opens her heart to old wounds. Add in a new player in town - the mysterious Fox, who Hattie also has feelings for - and you have the perfect love triangle. Told with so much love for small towns - this is Joy’s debut into a true romance novel, and she nails it. This played out like a movie in my head - that’s when I know it’s one that really resonates with me. Preorder now!

Thank you Joy for sharing this will my book club and letting me be the first to read! It will be on its way tomorrow to MD as a part of the BTP traveling ARCs! Preorder now!

As a Carolina girl, I was very excited for this book. The plot is right up my alley- save the farm and fall in love! I loved seeing locations and book stores I live near and the references to musicians. I loved the quirky little community and family vibe. However, I found myself very frustrated with the main character. She felt immature to me and it was infuriating at times. She pinned away for her high school boyfriend and they finally got back together for most of the book, and then drops him so he can go live his dream? And suddenly she realizes she's in love with a new guy? There needed to be a whole lot more investment into the love triangle for it to make sense. It all happened way too fast in the second half of the book and no one seemed to blink an eye. I do LIKE the couple that ends up together, but it needed more support. I also felt like some of the writing details were lacking, like the truck that is a pivotal point for multiple conversations and moments....what did it even look like!? It was a fun read, but not fully satisfying.

I was also surprised to see the amount of cussing and sex (while still closed door) as I had seen Joy referred to in Christian groups for previous books.

I enjoyed the story. It is somewhat predictable but still worth a read. For those who have read this author before I think it’s definitely different than I expected or from her other books

How anyone can describe this book as “a page turner”, is beyond me. Ridiculous main character, Hattie, sophomoric and I’m being kind. She acts like a 16th year old rather than a successful 30 year old (sorry 16 year olds). She reconnects with her high school sweetheart, who broke her heart 11 years ago, and they are professing their love once again after a brief time together? Hattie is not very bright. I only finished the book because I was granted it to review but I could not wait for it to end and not because I even cared about the ending, I just wanted to finish it! Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #SingMeHomeToCarolina, #NetGalley, # Goodreads.

I absolutely loved and adored this new book by Joy Calloway - More romances please!!!!

This book was set in SC in a small town Mountain View which was one of the towns that was being considered for the Panthers Stadium. Hattie returns home to help out her parents and is right back in her quaint, small home town where everybody knows everybody and news gets out so fast. The town of Mountain View is protesting the new stadium but Hattie, very much in the minority, sees this as an opportunity to help the town. She reunites with an old love and also gets to know the new Hardware Store owner, Fox. Her focus is on helping her parents as their land is no longer producing so she comes up with a plan. Now will she be able to get back to Charlotte to her job, will she decided to stay in Mountain View, will Mountain View be chosen for the stadium or not? And does she rekindle her relationship with her old love? You must read to find out.

This one kept me turning the pages!!

Thank you Joy for this wonderful romance book!!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read for a honest review.

Lost love, new love, commitment to family and job and some of the most fun and beloved characters I’ve read in awhile this book had me enraptured the entire time I was reading.

Joy knows how to research and write a gorgeous book and the little details in this book brought back so many memories of my younger days with church cookbooks and the beauty parlor where everyone hangs out. I can not recommend this book enough!!!

Thank you Joy and Netgalley for the honor to read and review this book!!!

Sweet, small town southern romance set in Mountain View, SC. Hattie is in town visiting her parents over the weekend (commuted in from Charlotte, NC) where she runs into her first love Lee for the first time in years. The town is in trouble and a NFL stadium is looking to build there. Hattie works for an event planner and thinks that her families barn would be a great event place after the only other venue shut down because they didn’t like music or dancing (very much giving Footloose) and her parents agree. With the help of newcomer Fox the barn is transformed into an event space suitable for everyone. Hattie and Lee get close again but Hattie also gets close to Fox, semi love triangle? Who will she end up with? What will happen to the town? Who is hiding something? And you have to read about the hilarious redneck wedding.

Every now and then you need a palate cleanser when you read a lot of thrillers/mysteries. This is a very sweet, relatively low angst home town romance. While I would have loved to see some things fleshed out a bit better (it seems our female character pretty easily changed direction from Lee to Fox), it was just what I needed to allow my heart to recharge.

A family and a town, on the brink of financial ruin, pull residents into a cohesive group when a major football team is interested in building their new stadium in the town. It will destroy existing farms and, although it could bring prosperity back, the cost is too high. The problem is one solitary person refuses to sign a petition against the stadium which causes friction and problems. Her former love, returning to town after a career ending injury in baseball, wants to reunite as he never stopped loving her. It all sounds disjointed but everything wonderfully comes together in the story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This heartwarming, small-town, closed-door romance will feel instantly familiar to readers. With beautiful descriptions and endless music references, the author masterfully brings to life a town filled with quirky, loyal, and lovable characters that will have you laughing and crying. Those who know small-town life will feel right at home, while others will long for the charm of a stroll down Main Street, barn dances, a hardware store stocked with everything you’d ever need, and neighbors who serve up casseroles alongside tough love and quirky, hilarious shenanigans.

Hattie returns to her hometown Mountain View, SC, from her current life in Charlotte, only to face ostracism for her differing views on the town’s soon to be forced growth. Things get even more complicated when the one man she’s never gotten over comes back to town, retired from baseball and with a guitar in hand. As Hattie battles the town’s resistance to building a stadium that would lead to lost farms and major changes, she also wrestles with her own fear of change and forgiveness.

This sweet love story is as much about falling in love with a place as it is about finding unexpected romance. Who doesn’t enjoy a love triangle? . The story is rich with nostalgia and country music, family, history and celebration of the discovery that the path you’ve been on might not be the one that you’re meant to follow.

Every small town should have a barn venue, like the one created to help save Hattie’s parent’s farm, for Friday night parties and live music.

Oh words fail me. What a truly beautiful novel. Pure and simple but full of absolute joy. More, more, more please! A heartwarming love story set amongst a special group of townsfolk.

It started off a tad cheesy. Suuuper small town. Like I can't relate it's so small. I wasn't sure if I would like it or want to keep reading. I have to say it grew on me quickly and I'm glad I kept going. I started getting into the quirky town characters and story. And I feel like it's always good if I'm left wanting a sequel with more of the characters and story...like a vacation I don't want to leave. I love a book with character growth and I feel this book had some nice moments there. I would have like to see more from Hattie other than just managing the chaos around her. But hey sometimes that all you can do in life...ride the wave. This wasn't a 5 star read but a solid 3.5-4. Just an enjoyable book to read!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Mark your calendars....Available June 10, 2025!!

#SingMeHometoCarolina #NetGalley

Hattie, a small town girl, turned into a big city business woman, or so she thought! She is a successful event planner who thought she was just going back home to help her parents for a few days, until she realizies how much the town is going through.

She too is faced with a problem of her own. An old flame, Lee Lockhardt was back in town after his MLB career came to an end. Just as Hattie thought ahe had everything figured out, the mysterious hunk and now owner of Fox's Hardware, agrees to help her fix up her family's barn to give her parents something to keep going after they get the news that their peanut farm is infertile.

This small town romance will have you asking are you be Team Lee or Team Fox?!

I was chosen to read this ARC from Netgalley. They author has a great writing style that made it hard to put the book down!

This book was not what I expected at all. I loved the detail and care Callaway put into the town and the group's dynamics, but the romance and relationships fell completely flat for me. The ending felt very abrupt - I didn't want Hattie to end up with Lee (why on earth were they saying I love you after one kiss?!) but I didn't care about her relationship with Fox either. Hattie came across as naive and unlikeable, the portrayal of her parents felt unfair and I just didn't connect with this the way I wanted to.

That being said, Callaway really knows how to make you feel a part of something! The descriptions were gorgeous.

Sing me home to Carolina is what I would call a real feel good book!
Hattie Norwood event planner returns home to help her parents deal with the family farm that is in a crisis with the land and they need help deciding what they should do to support themselves financially. Hattie also discovers after coming home that the town is possibly going to be taken over to build a stadium and basically destroy everything that the town people have built and stood for even though the town is basically dying.
Hattie didn’t know that the long lost love of her life has an injury and has also returned to town. Will she finally end up with her long lost love….
Thank you to NetGalley for ARC of this book.