Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!

Where the Rivers Merge was an absolutely stunning book of incredible detail, beautiful landscapes, character development, and riveting dialogue.

I loved Where the Rivers Merge- Eliza is 88 and wants to preserve her family land. Her son has other ideas and Eliza isn’t happy about what he wants to do with the land once he’s gotten control.
Eliza skips her birthday lunch and flees to Mayfield and begins to tell the story of her life- what a life she endured!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this wonderful story!
I can’t wait to read the continuing story in the future.

Mary Alice Monroe’s beautifully written and magnificent saga of life on a LowCountry plantation, Where The Rivers Merge, will tug at your heartstrings. It’s the first half of a two-part series.

It is told through the eyes of an 88-year-old matriarch Eliza in a dual time line as she looks back on her life growing up at Mayfield and in Charleston. She tells stories about things that happened to her and her brothers and friends from the time she was eight years old in 1908 until her wedding 20 years later. Eliza tells the stories to her granddaughter and her late brother’s granddaughter, her grandniece. The reader learns about World War I and how it affected her, what life was like with Jim Crow laws in Charleston, and many other historically significant issues.

It’s also relevant she’s the 88-year-old C.E.O of the company she heads and, concerned about climate change, wants to put the land the company and she owns into a conservation easement.

Eliza is an intelligent independent feisty loving woman I’d definitely want to know.

This is one of Mary Alice Monroe’s best books, in my opinion, and one you won’t want to miss.

Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe was fabulous! Eliza is an 88 year old dynamo that retells her story growing up to her great niece and granddaughter. You get lost in her story that leads you back in history. You develop strong feelings about her family and friends. I just couldn’t get enough of it! Unfortunately, it ends on a cliff hanger. I hope the sequel comes out soon. If I knew this in advance, I wouldn’t have been so disappointed. Loved the story, but feel incomplete. Hurry and release the next book, please!!

This is a wonderful family saga set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Eliza Rivers Delancy the matriarch of the Rivers family, now elderly, tells the remarkable story of her life to her grand daughter and niece after a tumultuous board meeting of the family business. The novel dives into the evolving south including loss during WWI, the treatment of women and people of color. The book is full of well-developed complicated characters.. The description of the Lowcountry flora and fauna is beautifully written and very educational. Since this is Part I of a two part story, my only issue is the wait for part two. So much to discuss in a book group.

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! Where the Rivers Merge was a wonderful, lighthearted and nostalgic. The author tells her story in two timelines, one based in the more recent past; recounting her experiences to two family members. The story unfolds naturally and takes the reader back in time to the early 1900's in South Carolina. and the more current timeline of 1988. The story developed and became more engaging as it went on. This is book one of a two part series, so it did leave much to be desired in terms of resolution as we await part two. I liked the story overall, felt it was a little dry at points but overall, enjoyed being transported back in time through the author's writing. I am looking forward to book two to see how her sharing of her history will impact the next phase of both the land and the storyline. Thank you again for the ARC and the opportunity to review this title!

5.0 stars
HIGHLY recommend

This family saga is told in two timelines primarily about Eliza Rivers and her family. I love the two timelines of the early 1900s and 1988. These were two varied and unique times for women.

The strong character development, powerful storyline, and beautiful writing make this a powerful family saga. This historical fiction novel has it all! Eliza is a great heroine and a powerful female character. I wish I was listening to her stories like her granddaughter and great-niece (I know this is fictional, but STILL!)

Read. This. Book!

The author has indicated this will be the first book in a two-book series. Yeah, another Rivers family saga novel!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7476971092 - posted 4/12/2025
The StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/eb4f7fac-2da5-4f47-bfc2-e89346c270ef?redirect=true - posted 4/12/2025
booksbydorothea Blog: https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2025/04/review-where-rivers-merge.html - posted 4/12/2025

In the first of two planned novels about the history of a plantation in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and its family, Mary Alice Monroe writes in the voice of an adult Eliza Rivers as she recalls her early years in Where the Rivers Merge being published May 13. The present is June 17, 1988, when Eliza, now Mrs. DeLancey, plans to protect Mayfield by putting 1,000 acres surrounding the farm into a conservation plan, a move her son Arthur protests as he tries to push her out of the DeLancey Group.

Eliza’s life as a young girl in the early 1900s consisted of plenty of chores but also time to explore the land, the pond, the forests, the birds, and other creatures. A horse lover, Eliza recounts a bit of history about the Marsh Tacky as she recollects her father’s purchase of the stallion Capitan. However, life on Mayfield was not all rosy as the Rivers family was “land rich and money poor” causing some of the strife in the often-dysfunctional family with a city mother and a country father.

Over the years, Eliza has been able to turn things around on Mayfield, creating a profitable truck market business, and she is developing the Mayfield Wildlife Foundation to preserve the land. With her second marriage, she gained a “collection of businesses into a conglomerate of corporations and subsidiaries” that became the DeLancey Group.

With her son’s limited vision for Mayfield and the company, Eliza seeks out her niece Savannah and grandniece Norah to visit Mayfield so she can share the story of her family’s history with them. A mural in the dining room of the house serves to prod Eliza to tell the stories that go with the scenes starting in the 1700s with construction of the fields for the farm’s original crop, rice.

This initial book in the series takes the reader up to Eliza’s first wedding in 1926 as she ends the telling with “This story is far from over.” Mary Alice Monroe, the Queen of Low Country Fiction and a go-to author of beach reads, has turned her hand to historical fiction, leaving this reader eager for the next book, to be called The Rivers’ End, to learn about all the tales remaining in the mural and the questions left unanswered.

Monroe is at her best when dealing with complex family situations and relationships. She lives on the Isle of Palms, a small barrier island just outside of Charleston, and has a mountain hideaway in North Carolina.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting April 12, 2025.

I would like to thank William Morrow, an imprint of Harper/Collins Publishers, and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers’ Copy in return for an objective review.

If you are a fan of Mary Alice Monroe, books about the Low Country or stories about strong female Southern women, you will enjoy the latest novel from this author. The story begins in 1988 with the protagonist reflecting on her life with flashback scenes starting in the early 1900’s in South Carolina. Reading this book, I felt a great comfort, similar to talking with an old dear friend, however the story was not just a rehash of one of her older books. The novel had me interested all the way to the end and I am definitely will be looking for the sequel. The only negative I have is that I wanted to see how it ends but I am glad that I will have something to look forward to! This would be a good book for a book club read, a lot of different relationships to explore in this novel.


Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel as well as William Morrow and of course Mary Alice for another interesting story from the Low Country!

A saga that stretches over several decades in South Carolina. The story of Eliza Rivers the daughter of owners of the Estate of Mayfield. The many changes in the world she lives in told in a dual timeline. Touching many topics and events going on during her 88 years. From segregation, WWI, love and loss, friendships and the everlasting love of Mayfield. I missed that fact that this is book one and looking forward to the next book. This would be a wonderful mini-series! The audiobook was excellent, I didn’t realize that Mary Alice Monroe was so multitalented. Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC. I truly enjoyed reading and listening to this book. All opinions expressed are solely my own. #WheretheRiversMerge

Where the Rivers Merge is such a beautiful story of love and passions, death and betrayals, hope and despair. The saga was so captivating, I read it in one session. With wonderful character development set in the historical South Carolina lowlands, this book is a must read. And after that ending, there seems to be the promise of a sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this glorious ARC.

****Publishing May 13, 2025****


It’s 1988. Eliza is the owner of Mayfield Estate. She has put it in a conservation easement in order to protect it. Her son is not happy about it as he thinks that means the land can’t be sold. As the story unfolds, you learn about her son’s intentions, her childhood, and how important it is to protect the Mayfield Estate from developers. At her 88th birthday celebration, Eliza asked Savanah, her granddaughter, and Norah, her grandniece, to come and spend time at the estate. Eliza teaches them the family history and importance. Can Eliza succeed in protecting the estate?

Mary Alice Monroe’s writing and storytelling just draws you in from the beginning! I love how she weaves conservation into her books. In this case, protecting animals and land from development! I loved all the animal, plant, and Low Country of South Carolina facts at the beginning of each chapter! I also loved the poems that were interspersed throughout! This is a book that will tug at your heart strings, but will also make you smile! I am hoping another book is in the works because it leaves the reader wanting to know more! A great book for book clubs as it will lead to many great discussions!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What did I love about this book? Everything. This book has it all—strong characters, complicated relationships, and it takes place in my favorite state of South Carolina. It is an intergenerational story with a plot that keeps the story moving. It has been a long wait, but Mary Alice Monroe never disappoints. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommend!

This is a historical novel set in the South Carolina ACE Basin and features dual timelines that seamlessly shows us all of the magic the lowcountry has to offer. I listened to the audio version of this book and really enjoyed the different narrators and thought the narrator did a fabulous job narrating! Waiting patiently for the next installment! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

The author drew me into this story and didn't let go, from beginning to end! From when she was a child, to now an elderly woman, we follow Eliza Rivers. What a life this amazing women led, and we see how she gives her heart and soul to Mayfield.
I will warn you that I was disappointed in the ending, but the author has a second book coming that completes and gives the answers to the questions I had pending!
There is a lot of heartbreak here, some really bad, and some innocent decisions that go very wrong. Then again that is life, but there is family strife again as this book ends, and actually when this book began.
I recommend this page turner, and am looking forward to Rivers' End!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher William Morrow, and was not required to give a positive review.

I absolutely loved this book! The author’s dive into more of a historical fiction story this time was more than welcome for me since I’m a fan of that genre. I’ve read most all of Mary Alice Monroe’s books and this will rank among the top. I’ve lived in the Charleston area before and enjoyed the history of the area and the family story. The main character Eliza, though fictional , feels so real as well as her experiences.
I highly recommend Where The Rivers Merge and cannot wait for the second book in this series. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A beautifully written book. I went between the audiobook and ebook fully enjoying both versions. I did not want the story to end the way it did. Now, I am anxiously awaiting book 2. The story is filled with family drama, discrimination in the Deep South, love, loss, nature and nurture.

Thank you #NetGalley, #WilliamMorrow, #HarperAudioAdult, #MaryAliceMonroe, #JennaLamia, CassandraCampbell and #WheretheRiversMerge for the advance copies for my honest review.

I loved this book - maybe it was beacuse I call Charleston home but the setting of the book was just beautiful and was such a wonderful backdrop to such a neat story. Highly recommend!

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for sending this ARC to me. I loved it! I will absolutely be recommending this to my book club. There are so many themes for discussion...racial discrimination, sexist ideas within society, love of land/animals, family legacy, and more! My only complaint is that I have to wait for part 2! I hope this will be published soon.

Oh, my! What a great story! I alternately listened to the audio and read the ebook. It was so good that when I couldn’t read then I could listen!
It’s a well told story of a family in South Carolina before and during WWI, and also in 1988. It deals with love and loss, family issues and she also talks about the natural world in the story and also at the beginning of each chapter. I hope that in the final printing there will be illustrations with the descriptions of the animals and plants she decribes.

I have not discovered her books before this. I will definitely be reading more of her works!