I did not expect to like this so much! Great characters, wonderful storytelling, and great narration. I loved it and can't wait for the sequel.

Thank you Harper Audio and Willam Morrow for review copies! This will be a win for fans of this author and readers looking for something a little different this summer, something to dig into if you like historical fiction, Southern family themes, and examination of women's lives over last century.

Where the Rivers Merge is a beautifully written, multi-generational family saga centered on the Rivers family and their grand South Carolina estate, Mayfield. Through Eliza Rivers’ perspective, the novel explores themes of love, sacrifice, war, segregation, and the deep ties to land and heritage. The structure and prose are undeniably elegant, and the novel captures the essence of Southern fiction with its exploration of social class and tradition.

That said, I never quite got fully hooked into the drama and sweeping generational story I was hoping for. The pacing felt a little too dry and static for my taste, lacking the emotional pull I was seeking. Some of this may be due to my on-and-off relationship with historical fiction, but ultimately, this wasn’t quite the book I was looking for. Still, fans of the author’s previous works and those who love richly detailed Southern sagas will likely find much to appreciate. While I’m unsure if I’ll continue with the series, I’m glad I picked this one up.

Loved this epic tale set in the low country of South Carolina. Mary Alice Monroe has written a beautiful book, the cover invites you in to settle in and stay awhile. Characters with depth and emotion exhibit courage and love to save their family estate and land. I can’t wait to read the second book!

The chapter introductions describing a part of the low country ecosystem were an interesting and educating addition. The book came to life with the narration team of MAM, Jenna Lamia, and Cassandra Campbell.

Huge thanks to Harper Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Oh what a beautiful story!!! I love MaryAlice Monroe books and it has been several years since she has put a book out on her own. The story of Eliza and her beloved Mayfield stole my heart from the first page. A story of love, family, friendships, betrayal, death and so much more. Mary Alice takes her gorgeous writing and creates a story that I will think about for a long time!!! AND there will be a second book in this series!!!

5 huge stars!!! Thank you Netgalley and Harper Audio for the honor to listen to this book. Narrator was amazing except for one thing. The pronunciation of Beaufort SC should be BUfort not BOfort. BOfort is in NC and BUfort is in SC. I would hate for this to take away from this amazing story for some people!!!

Mary Alice Monroe delivers her long awaited return to adult fiction and her first historical novel this spring in WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE… A sweeping multigenerational family saga that spans decades and tells the story of the power of one woman’s love for not only her family but the land she calls home, Mayfield.

Written with a 1988 timeline of 88 year old Eliza Rivers, and a timeline throughout the 1900s where she recounts the story of her life from childhood on, this beautiful novel will tug at your heartstrings and whisk you away to the Lowcountry of South Carolina as only Mary Alice Monroe can.

WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE is book one in a duology; so while readers will be left with more questions than answers when it abruptly ends; it’s a beautiful journey that the reader goes on discovering the life of the Rivers family. Readers can look forward to THE RIVER’S END in 2026…!

Title: Where the Rivers Merge
Series: Where the Rivers Merge
Author: Mary Alice Monroe
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Mary Alice Monroe, Jenna Lamia, and Cassandra Campbell
Publisher: HarperAudio Adult/Harper Audio and William Morrow Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction
Audiobook Pub Date: May 13, 2025
My Rating: 3.6 rounded up
Pages: 352

Story is told in dual time line 1988 and 1900. Each chapter starts with a history
lesson in nature.

Story starts in 1988 a family gathering to celebrate Eliza’s Birthday. She is 88 and has worked her entire lifetime to save her beloved Mayfield estate. She tells her family she should quietly retire and has decided to preserve the estate with a conservancy easement. Her son Arthur isn’t happy with this however everyone is fine with it. .
She then decided to tell her granddaughter Savannah and grandniece Norah the story of her life!

This is Book 1 in an epic series. I didn't realize when I started that I would enjoy this so much and would be ready to start reading Book 2 "Where the Rivers End".

Author Mary Alice Monroe is certainly a special lady. She has written twenty-seven novels. Although I have only read five they were are great! I especially love any story about the Low Country so was sure I was going to love this one!
As mentioned the chapters start with information about nature. Ms. Monroe did a lot of research and made this story as well the information very enjoyable as well as interesting.
In her Author’s Note- she goes into more details regarding her research as to why it took five years to write this story.

About the Author~ Mary Alice Monroe is an active conservationist and serves on several boards including the South Carolina Aquarium board emeritus, the Pat Conroy Literary Center Honorary Board, and the Leatherback Trust, which she received the Leatherback Trust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. She is especially proud to be a state-certified volunteer with the Island Turtle Team for more than twenty years.

Mary Alice splits her time between her home on the South Carolina coast and her home in the North Carolina mountains. When she’s not writing a novel, she is with her family or busy working with wildlife somewhere in the world.

Want to thank NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult/Harper Audio for this audiobook. Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 13, 2025.

4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book! Such a beautiful story about love, loss, friendship, and race. It was a little slow getting started but as she went back in time to tell her story it picked up and got interesting. I didn’t realize there would be a second book but I look forward to reading the next one. There are still questions I need answered!

This is a wonderful story told by Eliza Rivers at the age of 88 as she revisits her past in the lowcountry of South Carolina. I felt like Eliza’s beloved estate Mayfield located in the ACE Basin was a character in itself. This a powerful story of family, love, loss, friendship and conservation. I loved how the author wove animals and nature directly into the storyline. I will definitely be waiting for book 2 to find out Eliza’s story ends.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I didn’t read the book description well enough to learn that this book is Book One in a two-part epic series so needless to say, I was shocked and disappointed when story abruptly ended. I listened to the audiobook version and to be fair, the author (who also narrates the voice of the older Eliza) added an author’s note at the end explaining why the book is in two parts and her reasons for writing this story. That said, I absolutely loved this story, Book One! It is indeed an epic, starting in the early 1900s and takes place in the low country of South Carolina. Eliza, the protagonist is a young girl at this time and is a spitfire tomboy who befriends Covey, an African American girl of the same age. As with any great historical fiction epic, the author does a terrific job of describing the political and societal climate of the time and how these events impact her characters.
Although written in the two timeline format, the time of Eliza’s childhood and young womanhood covers World War One and touches on Women’s Rights and inheritance laws of the time. In the second timeline, Eliza is 88 years old and while working to keep her nasty son from taking over management of her land, she spends time with her granddaughter and Covey’s daughter and tells them the detailed stories of her life in the 1910s and 1920s. This is a great story so far and I am trying to patiently wait for the conclusion in Book Two.
I obtained this audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I want to thank the publisher and author for this opportunity to listen to the book. Opinions are my own.

Mary Alice Monroe's Where the Rivers Merge is a fine novel that's even better as an audiobook. Well narrated, particularly as its unconventional protagonist, Eliza Rivers, ages, the story centers on Eliza's love for and fight to preserve Mayfield Hall, her family's estate in the ACE Basin of South Carolina's Lowcountry. Toggling between Eliza's early 20th Century youth and her life at 88, the novel explores the loves and conflicts that shape her and her devotion to the land, the effects of WWI and primogeniture on her efforts to steward it, and her resolution at age 88 to preserve Mayfield via a nature conservancy with the support of likeminded female family members and despite the opposition of her greedy son.

This is the first of two books, so the story's not over when it ends. I can't wait for the sequel!

I am a big Mary Alice Monroe fan and this is one of her better offerings. Living in the Low Country, I love that she opened each chapter with a native bird or plant related to the ACE Basin. Her narration and that of the other narrators added to the flavor of peacefulness and calm. The story is told in two timelines, 1988-which is the present and 1912–when the main character is 12. Lizzie has been brought up on a plantation outside of Charleston. Her father loves the land but her mother misses the city. Lizzie struggles with meeting the expectations of being a young lady. She far prefers working with the animals and crops on the farm. From the present day story we learn that she has been very successful and runs a corporation. She tells her story to her great niece and granddaughter prompted by images from a mural on the wall of Mayfield, the plantation. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not only is it a great story but I also enjoyed learning about treatment of women in the early 20th century. My only negative sentiment was finding out that the story will be continued in Book 2. I totally agree that there is plenty of material for another book and I look forward to reading it. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this ALC.

Mary Alice Monroe’s Where the Rivers Merge is a captivating multigenerational saga set against the evocative landscape of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. The novel follows Eliza Rivers, a free-spirited woman deeply connected to her family’s estate, Mayfield. Spanning from 1908, as Eliza explores the golden fields and sparkling ponds of her home, to 1988, when at 88 years old she faces challenges to preserve her family’s legacy, the story delves into themes of love, sacrifice, and resilience.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a strong woman who felt such a deep connection to her family’s land. The setting of the beautiful Lowcountry of South Carolina was incredibly picturesque and atmospheric. As a lover of that area, I felt like I was there and could see and smell everything the author described. She made it all come alive. I adored the friendship between Covey and Eliza and the strength of their connection, along with the trials they faced. The flow of the story was perfectly paced, and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the inclusion of the Carolina Marsh Tacky horses. It was such a great nod to an amazing horse breed and its importance to the people of South Carolina. The racing scenes were so exciting and added an extra layer of historical richness and authenticity to the story.

I knew when I read the description that I was the perfect demographic for this book, and I wasn’t wrong. If you love historical fiction, beautiful scenery, and tales of strong female characters, this is definitely for you too. Make sure you read the author’s note that gives context to the story.

The narration for the audiobook was exquisitely done by the inimitable Jenna Lamia and Cassandra Campbell, who are masters at their craft. I would have rated this five stars, but I took off one star for two reasons: I wished I had more resolution of the story in this one book, and also because the narrators didn’t get the pronunciation of the town of Beaufort, South Carolina, accurate. I think that is an incredibly important detail that was missed, and it was mentioned so many times in the story that it bothered me every time I heard it said incorrectly.

Overall, this was a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it!

This book really blew me away. I had just finished another historical fiction that I rated five stars, so I wasn’t expecting to find another gem so soon—but "Where the Rivers Merge" proved me wrong. Mary Alice Monroe has a true gift for storytelling, and I completely fell in love with Mayfield, Sweetwater Pond, and the entire world she created.

The lush descriptions and rich character development made this book utterly engrossing. Every time I had to put it down, I couldn’t wait to dive back into Mayfield. The setting felt so vivid and alive that I could practically smell the magnolias and feel the warmth of the sun on the water.

And then—just as I was completely wrapped up in Eliza’s story—the book ended. I was shocked to realize this is a two-book story, but I’m thrilled that I’ll get to return to these characters. I already can’t wait for the next installment.

As for the narration, Cassandra Campbell is always a solid choice, but the real standout here was Jenna Lamia. At first, I worried her South Carolina accent might be too much, but I was quickly won over. Lamia didn’t just narrate—she embodied Eliza. Her twang felt authentic, and as Eliza aged, her voice deepened and matured in a way that was truly impressive. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more audiobooks narrated by her!

This was such a wonderful surprise of a read, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an immersive, beautifully written historical fiction.

Thank you to Mary Alice Monroe, Cassandra Campbell & Jenna Lamia, HarperAudio, and NetGalley for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

“Where the Rivers Merge” by Mary Alice Monroe is a beautifully written historical fiction. The audiobook version is enhanced by the narrators’ southern accents, which bring the story to life. If you enjoy historical fiction, you’ll likely like this book.

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audio book in exchange for an honest review!
This was a beautifully written historical fiction. I loved how the timeline switched from present day to the past, and I especially loved that there was a different narrator for each time in Eliza's life. I had no idea when I requested this book that it was only the first of two, and I'm kinda mad that I have to wait and see what happens next! I can't even find the next book on goodreads yet 😭
I feel like this was better as an audio book just be because the narrators make it so much better. If you like historical fiction (early 1900s) I think you'll enjoy this book. Heartbreaking, heartwarming, and hopeful are 3 words I'd use to describe it. I loved it and I can't wait for the next book!

I am a huge Mary Alice Monroe fan. I have read everything she has written. Her latest, Where the Rivers Merge, did not disappoint. I listened to the audiobook and I LOVED it!

Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe is a heartfelt and beautifully written novel that blends nature, family and second chances in a way that feels both intimate and sweeping. Monroe has such a gift for creating settings that feel alive.
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The story follows characters who are searching for belonging, healing and a way forward after life’s inevitable twists and turns. Monroe handles their struggles with such warmth and authenticity that you can’t help but root for them. The relationships, both romantic and familial, are deeply felt and the emotional weight of the novel sneaks up on you in the best way.
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As always, Monroe weaves in an environmental message without it ever feeling heavy-handed. Her love for the natural world comes through so clearly, making the book not just a compelling story but also a reminder of the beauty and importance of our waterways.
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If you love books that explore resilience, the power of community and the ways nature can help us heal, this one is well worth picking up. It’s the kind of novel that stays with you long after the last page.

I felt the audio of this story was brilliant and it is my opinion that it actually made the book better. The story somewhat dragged on and I wasn’t especially excited that there is another follow up book to this one. I wish that the authors note was in the beginning as it would have been more intertwined with the story and I would have even enjoyed it more. I felt the southern accents were right on point (I’m many generations southeast USA) and I could also appreciate our unique American history in the south.

This was enjoyable, but I found it to be a little dry. The prose is beautiful, and I loved the way the story was structured with Eliza telling her story - but it wasn't as gripping as I was hoping it would be.

Where the Rivers Merge is a family saga about the Rivers family, and their grand South Carolina estate, Mayfield. Eliza Rivers loves Mayfield, and it’s through her eyes that the story is told.

A multi-generational saga covering the early part of the 20th century, telling the intertwined stories of love and friendship, great sacrifices, wars and segregation.

Set in 1988 and the early 1900s, we see the family touched by war, segregation and infighting.

If I’m being really honest… my extreme love for Broken Country brought me here lol. The cover gave me the vibes- I'm glad I picked it up, despite not loving it as much as I'd hoped.

The story was a little predictable to me, and there are loose ends as this is to be a series. Not sure if I'll pick the second one up yet. I do think those that have read this author's previous works will enjoy this as well as anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

💛Love and Loss
💛Historical Fiction
💛Multi-Generational Saga
💛Lowcountry Setting
💛Perfect Book Club Pick
💛Strong Female Characters
💛Dual Timelines
💛1988 x 1912

Expected Release Date - 05/13/25

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the advanced audio copy, all thoughts are my own.

Book 1 of 2. This Novel set in South Carolina deals with the Great War, plantations, culture and generational inheritance as well as the strength of women. I enjoyed the characters very much Eliza is headstrong. The first time period starts in 1908 at Mayfield - a grand estate owned by the Rivers family for generations. This book has dual time lines starting with Eliza at age 88 and flashing back to the 20s and Eliza as an adventuresome young girl who would sooner be outside running in the fields and exploring and avoided her mother's plans to make a proper young lady out of her. She has two brothers and the oldest born will inherit the estate when he becomes of age. Eliza at age 88 as a head of a family business she is battling her son who wants to make changes. He wants to take control of the company plus he wants to own part of Mayfield. He doesn't love the estate like his mother does and plans to sell it in the future. He is incensed when he finds out that she has given a large portion of the family estate to a conservation group and plans to give them the rest of her land before she dies. She retreats to Mayfield after a contentious board meeting and her niece and granddaughter go with her. She explains her younger life to the two women and her plans for the future of Mayfield.. Complexities of family relationships, forgiveness, love, war, traditions, change, intricate ecosystems, and so much more. A multigenerational story. The reader gets to understand the motivation and the back story of her life. The end was abrupt in preparation of book 2 River's End, which I am anticipating. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.