This book is definitely a slow burn. The MC has moments of being an unlikeable character, it takes a bit for her character to be more fleshed out. It was an easy listen with a predictable ending.

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 💒 🎭 💐

If the FMC would've gotten out of her own damn easy this would've been a solid 5 star read and I don't care for second chance romances.

That aside, I enjoyed everything about it.

This was a cute enough read. All of the characters besides Avila were enjoyable. I just could not understand why she spent soooo much time denying this man a chance. He didn’t beat around the bush, he was good with her daughter and the feelings were mutual… it drove me crazy.

**Honkers Under the Holly** was the chaotic, hilarious, and heartwarming holiday romance I didn’t know I needed. From the moment Sir Honksalot flapped into the picture, I knew this book would be something special—and it absolutely delivered.

A struggling sports agent and a plus-size model pretending to be engaged to save a bad-tempered goose? It’s the perfect setup for Christmas mayhem, and the story leans into it beautifully. The fake relationship trope is already one of my favorites, but throw in forced proximity, a one-bed situation, and a social media-famous goose with a sock-stealing habit? Perfection.

What really made this book shine was the chemistry. The tension between the main characters felt so real, and every little touch, every stolen glance, had me completely hooked. I loved that she knew her worth and never dimmed her light, and I adored that he was secretly a romantic under all his exasperation. Their banter was sharp, their slow-burn feelings delicious, and when things finally came to a head? Absolutely swoon-worthy.

And of course, Sir Honksalot stole every scene he was in. Chaos and comedy followed that goose like a personal storm cloud, and I laughed out loud more times than I can count. But this wasn’t just a lighthearted romp—there were some truly tender moments that made the romance all the sweeter.

If you love a holiday romance that’s equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, with a heroine who owns her confidence, a hero who falls hard, and a goose with main character energy, this book is a must-read. I’m obsessed.

Thanks for the NetGalley audiobook ARC! This is a fun combo of second chances and friends to lovers!

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.

The narration was good and kept the story flowing, I probably would have DNFed if not for having the ALC.

Before I write my review, I want to point out that the blurb is wrong. This takes place in Charleston, not Myrtle Beach. It mentions the cobblestone streets multiple times, so that setting has very different feel that Myrtle Beach. And that feeling of Charleston really enhanced some of the magical feel between Avila and Terrence (Not Trevor). I hope those tidbits get updated because I think it does make a better story with Terrence in Charleston.
On to my actual review, I like a slow burn romance and this was a slow burn. I like it when the characters have their own issues to deal with and Avila had plenty to deal with! There was something missing though because Avila often came off as annoying and standing in her own way without me truly understanding and feeling for her. I'm glad for the way things worked out in the end because it was the happy ending I really wanted her to have.
The narrator of the audiobook did a fabulous job making the characters seem real. Her great work made even more annoyed with Avila and maybe that is the point. Avila is standing in her own way and we, the readers, want so much more for her. The narrator, Carmen Jewel Jones, did an amazing job making me feel that.
Overall a great fluffy romance.

Thank you HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for this advanced listening copy.

A Wedding in the Lowcountry is a cute friends to lovers/second chance romance that follows Avila and Terrence after she returns to her hometown.

The narrator, Carmen Jewel Jones, did an amazing job bringing the characters to life.

Overall I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Avila Rodgers has not returned to her home since she was kicked out for becoming pregnant as a teenager. This all changes when her mother passes away and she must return to Myrtle Beach to prepare to sell her former home. Complicating her return is the presence of her former childhood best friend, Trevor. Now a professor at the local HBCU. It is soon clear that the two still have a bond but Avila is not sure she is in a position to want more.

I was. a little bummed by this book. The description sounded very promising but the story failed to hook me. There were some sweet moments. But overall the constant back and forth was not interesting. The ending felt very rushed. I would have enjoyed spending more time with them as a couple. The narration by Carmen Jewel Jones was really great and kept me engaged in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

A Wedding in the Lowcountry is a friends-to-lovers, second chance romance with a heavy focus on family and faith.

Even though the synopsis sounded interesting, this book ended up not working well for me. Second chance romances can be tricky, and I think this one fell flat for me because it relied a lot on telling us that the two main characters were close in the past, making it so that we didn't experience any of their feelings develop organically.

The narrator and production were good.

A Wedding in the Lowcountry is a sweet second chance, friends to lovers, romance. It includes themes of learning to trust and rely on others, grief, and balancing the past with the present to find a good way to move forward in the future. The female MC is a mother who will do anything for her child, but has forgotten herself in the process. Her love interest is kind and present for her always.

This is a good romance for those who prefer little to no spice, and enjoy the focus of growth in the female character, such as in women’s fiction.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story. The narrator, Carmen Jewel Jones, did a wonderful job bringing the story to life. I listened at 1.75x speed (1.75x speed is my normal audiobook listening speed).

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for this advanced listening copy.

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 was an ARC through NetGalley and Harper Audio, thank you for the early listen. As an audiobook the narrator was okay and was an easy listen. I think she was able to capture most of the characters correctly or to a point that I could imagine what they look like. I'm not necessarily giving the narrator a 2 but I will say some parts especially on the male character she made him sound older than what I perceived him to be. My rating for the 2 is because while I did like the storyline it became stretched and long winded. The actual title of the book didn't happen until the last 2 chapters of the book, the book could ended a lot earlier than it did, in my opinion.

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!

🔥 A slow-burn romance, though sweet 💕, lacks a spark ⚡️ to make the connection truly compelling. The transition from friendship to romance feels incomplete 🤔, leaving readers yearning for more development. 📚

Despite these shortcomings, "A Wedding in the Low Country" has its charm 💫. Williams' multicultural perspective 🌎 and vivid storytelling 📝 bring the Low Country to life 🌴.

Thanks to @NetGalley for the free 🎧 Advance Listening Copy (ALC) of this title, which allowed me to share my honest review! The performance was well done 👏!

A sweet friends to lovers/second chance romance. The story focuses on healing and love/self love.

Thank you to NetGalley/ Avon books for early access to this audiobook

Preslaysa Williams’ A Wedding in the Lowcountry is a family-centered romance that blends themes of love, faith, and second chances. The story follows Eva, a woman returning to her South Carolina hometown to plan her grandmother’s wedding while navigating her own complicated feelings about love, family expectations, and her past.

While I hadn’t read Williams’ work before, I wasn’t sure if this novel was meant to be categorized as Christian fiction or if faith was simply a natural part of the story. Regardless, faith and spirituality play a significant role in the characters’ lives, influencing their decisions and relationships.

Unfortunately, the audiobook experience didn’t fully work for me. I didn’t find the narrator particularly engaging, which made it harder to connect with the story. While the novel explores meaningful themes, I struggled to stay invested in the plot and characters. The pacing felt a bit slow, and the emotional depth didn’t resonate as strongly as I had hoped.

Overall, A Wedding in the Lowcountry offers a heartfelt look at love, family, and faith, but it didn’t quite capture my attention. Readers who enjoy stories with strong family dynamics and a faith-based element may find more to appreciate, but the audiobook narration didn’t enhance the experience for me.

In anticipation of this novel, I was able to read the other 2 novels in the Brides of Lowcountry series. The novels in this series are only very loosely connected, and each novel can easily be read independent of the others.

Avila lives in New Jersey with her preteen daughter, Ebony. She is estranged from her mother, who did not support her through a late teen pregnancy. Upon her mother's death, Avila returns to her hometown with a reluctant but curious Ebony in tow.

Trevor is a successful, divorced professor who was once Avila's BFF. A confession before college changed everything between the best friends. Avila never returned home, and Trevor never stopped thinking about her.

Trevor offers to help Avila get her mother's house ready for sale, and their old friendship is rekindled with a side of romance. This has a clean Christian focused story with little spice. While I liked the characters, the romance felt convenient and a bit like instalove. Avila was needlessly abrasive and annoyingly complicated. At the same time, I felt like Ebony wasn't complicated enough for a preteen in this circumstance.

My favorite aspect of this novel was the author's descriptions of the Lowcountry. It sounds gorgeous, lush, and full of history. This book set a longing in me to visit the Lowcountry myself.

This audiobook is narrated by Carmen Jewel Jones. I appreciate her style because I found Avila a bit trying in her behaviors, but Ms. Jones helped her to feel relatable.

Thank you to Preslaysa Williams, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I liked the history of Charleston that Preslaysa Williams ties into the story. The picturesque town and characters are well written. The small town vibes that Williams portrays and writes about makes the reader feel like they are there also.

Avila had potential as a character but was hindered by her inner monologues and self doubt. She wasn't happy in NJ but was refusing to go back home because of the different factors of her past. There are storylines that felt incomplete, like they were added and then were taken out in the final edit.

The description of the book had a few items that were incorrect, the main male character's name is Terrence not Trevor and she goes home to Charleston not Myrtle Beach.

Carmen Jewel Jones did a phenomenal job reading the story.