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.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It’s one of those if someone asked me whilst reading I would say “meh, it’s ok”.

I almost feel like I read a memoirs as it dragged and the execution just wasn’t there sadly. I can’t even put my finger on how to change it.

That being said. The narrator Carmen Jewel Jones did a great job. She most importantly to me, spoke at a reasonable pace and I loved the different character voices she used. It was that that kept me going listening.

I do think folks would want to connect with stories that resonate with their experience may enjoy this book for that reason as it has descriptive content that makes you feel like you’re in the situation. For that I enjoyed it.


I am thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Harper Audio Adult through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

4 ☆
I felt like this story had so much potential, but it wasn't delivered at all. Ávila was a very unlikable character to me! She was just dramatic and over-the-top for no reason. I understand she has abandonment issues, but she needed therapy. Trevor was a likable character, but I didn't like how once he saw Ávila, they picked up whatever they had years ago. I'm like at least try to get the know the older Avila since she has a daughger. The romance just wasn't romantic like I wanted. I feel like this book dragged on as well. This book just wasn't for me. I would still recommend if you want second chance romance.

The audiobook was good; the narrator did a great job. She was easy to listen to and understand. I could easily listen to her anytime. I listened to this book at 2x speed. That is a normal speed for me.

•Dual POV
•Dual Timeline (Past and Present)
•Second Chance Romance
•Black Love

Thank you, Netgellay, and Harper Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Much appreciation to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this ALC/ARC. I’m honored this is my first one ever.


I love a “he falls first” trope, but Terrence was a lil too eager, he came off as strong at first. This was a “friends to lovers” trope as well, but was it necessary for them to be lovers?
Avila was pushing Terrence away 80% of the book. For this to have been a romance…where was the romance?

I was bored most of the book because the lack of plot movement. Parts were repetitive…Avila likes Terrence, then pushes him away, her daughter gets mad, repeat. I got to the end wondering why Terrence even tried? Avila needed therapy big time from the childhood trauma, trust issues and insecurities. Her character development didn’t really feel fleshed out either. I like that Avila ultimately will get back into the field she loves, but it felt thrown in and not built up. I did also appreciate the theme of trying to find forgiveness in mourning someone she didn’t leave on good terms with. Avlia’s feelings around that felt realistic and relatable.

The audio was easy to listen to and the narrator did very well with both POV’s, which helped me actively stay engaged with the book.

Overall rating is a 3 as it was just okay for me. Easy enough read, a couple sweet moments. A light, albeit not too memorable, palate cleanser between books.

Audiobook/Book Review 🥂💐

Thank you so much @avonbooks & Harper Audio for the gifted copy + audiobook!

A Wedding in the Lowcountry
by Preslaysa Williams
Narrated by Carmen Jewel Jones

About the book 👇🏽

Avila Rogers’ mother kicked her out of the house as a teenager when a one night stand left her pregnant. So when her mother passes away and Avila must return to Myrtle Beach to get her mother’s house ready to put on the market, her feelings are complicated, to say the least.

Things get even more complicated when she runs into her childhood friend, Trevor, who is now a professor at the nearby HBCU. Years ago when Trevor left Myrtle Beach to attend Hampton University, Avila felt abandoned, but it’s clear that their connection hasn’t faded… and may even be something more than the friendship they once shared.

💐 My thoughts:

This was a beautiful experience! The audiobook was wonderful and the narrator was incredible. I really felt the story come to life with Carmen Jewel Jones. This story is sweet and complicated and leaves you full of hope. I love a second chance romance and although when Avila and Trevor were younger they weren’t together, the feelings were there and to see it come to life as adults, really tugged at my heart. I also love that friends to lovers stories always holds so much depth and that was no different in this story. This is the first book I’ve read by Preslaysa Williams and I fully intend to read more! A Wedding in the Lowcountry is out 2/18/25!


Happy reading! 📖🎧🥂💐

Thank you, Harper Audio, for this alc for an honest review. I enjoyed the audiobook a lot, the narrator did a good job with the story and made the plot more enjoyable for me.
This short and to-the-point novel is both the fmc finding herself again after the loss of her mother and a romance. It was a cute read the fmc is a single parent who left her hometown after getting pregnant and didn't really speak to her mom again until she got the letter that she had passed. She goes to the funeral and has to take care of the house her mom left. Her childhood friend who she had liked helps her with stuff and they close again and have some angst about her staying and them getting back together. I wish the book had been longer because I think it would have delved more into the romance which was a bit surface-level and didn't have enough time on page. I loved the aspect of her finding herself and getting back to a field and work that she likes and also I would have loved it to go deeper. Overall an okay and diverse read.

4/5 for the audiobook
3.45 for the story

Quick Summary: A women's fiction romance with a love, hope, faith restored theme

My Review: A Wedding in the Lowcountry by Preslaysa Williams is a 2025 novel. It is scheduled for release on February 18, 2025.

About the Book: "...a heartwarming friends to lovers story about the courage to fall in love again."

In My Own Words: Upon her mother's death, a woman and her daughter go back to their roots. While there, old friends, old dreams, old feelings, and more are encountered.

Question to Consider: Is it possible to grow beyond a shaken faith and a fear of surrendering to love?

About the Characters:

Avila - > Discouraged, unresolved, haunted, struggling, fearful, desirous of something that has evaded her, conflicted

Terrence - > Kind, good, caring, focused, tortured, responsible, empathetic, willing, open

Ebony - > Well-mannered, upset by circumstances, hopeful, talented, understandably emotional

The neighbor - > Wise, transparent, honest, present, soothing

About the Narration: This novel was narrated by Carmen Jewel Jones. She did an excellent job with delivery. As I listened to the story, I was drawn into the emotions and feelings of each of the main characters. It was beautifully done.

My Final Say: This was a wonderful story about life, family, second chances, reconciliation, choices, and love. It held a deeper meaning than I had considered going in. The lives of the mother, the daughter, and the granddaughter were especially telling. I found the story, quite honestly, to be of the realistic fiction variety.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:

Easy-to-read
Happily Ever After
Romantic
Realistic
Growth evident

Other: This would be sensational as a book club read. I highly recommend it. I think many readers will be able to relate to one or more of the characters.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Status: Clean
Level: 💛

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for granting access to an audio ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. It was a pleasure to review this novel. I look forward to reading more from this writer.

I loved what this story could've been but unfortunately, I don't think I was the target audience. There were a couple of moments in the story where it wasn't as cohesive as I'd hoped making it hard to follow along. That said, it touches on so many beautiful themes and the good moments were GREAT, there were even moments when I simply couldn't set it down. You'll grow to love the unspoken love story and root for the FMC as if she's one of your friends.

tropes:
- enemies to lovers
- parental friction
- grief and loss

3 stars.

"A Wedding in the Lowcountry" by Preslaysa Williams is a short and quickly paced PG-rated second-chance, childhood friends-to-lovers romance that, unfortunately, left me wanting more. I think Williams does a good job with three things. One, Williams explores what it feels like to find what you really want to do in life, especially with no parental support network in place. Two, she explains how childhood trauma and abandonment manifest within adults if left to fester. Avila did not have a relationship with her mother as an adult because of her treatment as a child. Ebony, Avila's daughter, is also going through a similar thing with her own father, who is not in her life because he did not have time to be a young father. Finally, she hones in on the main characters' shared history. Avila and Terence were friends throughout their lives/in high school, but something happened to stop their friendship in its tracks. Years later, at her estranged mother's funeral, Avila and Terence reconnect when she comes back to town with her daughter. But, I think their reconnecting felt a little too convenient. There aren't any stakes with their possible relationship. Everything felt way too easy. There's not a lot of pining or yearning going on between the two of them. The pieces of their relationship puzzle just fall into place with a lot of convincing by Terence and little to no fanfare. Terence is clearly obsessed with Avila, but she couldn't seem to care less about him in return. Avila is used to doing everything in her life as an adult and as a parent by herself because she has *had to,* but in the process, she isolates everyone else around her, including her daughter. After about 37% of the book, the plot gets extremely repetitive and a bit boring. Still, I stuck through it and finished the story, hoping it would get better... it's fine, but I definitely won't remember this book come year's end. It doesn't do enough to set itself apart from the other novels that I got much more invested in. I think that, without the addition of Carmen Jewel Jones's narration, I would have DNF'ed this one. She does a good job narrating these characters, though she cannot fix how weak the writing can get.

Thank you to NetGalley, Preslaysa Williams, HarperAudio Adult, and HarperAudio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.