Home to Brambleberry Creek by Elizabeth Bromke

Purchase on Amazon

Let's dive right into it.

Book Description

Morgan Jo Coyle hasn’t been back to the small town of Brambleberry Creek or seen any of her family for years. But when she receives the heartbreaking news that her Memaw Essie is on her deathbed, Morgan knows she has to go home to face Essie—and her complicated past—before it’s too late.

Stepping through the door of her family’s charming old farmhouse, Morgan is reminded of all the happy times she spent baking and talking with Essie. And it’s not long before her childhood sweetheart, Emmett Dawson, with his sparkling blue eyes and teasing smile, comes to find her.

Soon Morgan and Emmett are spending long summer evenings together in the pretty orchards and eating fruit by the water. It almost feels like old times, but being in the sprawling Kentucky countryside also brings memories of the fateful day that changed Morgan’s life and drove her away from the people she loved. The day she’s trying hard to forgive Essie for…

With Essie in hospital, Morgan tries to heal past hurts. But it’s only when she discovers an ink-stained letter written in her memaw’s distinctive hand that she finally starts to understand the truth behind the moment that tore the two women apart.

Will the unraveling of a shocking family secret help Morgan to find a future with Emmett in Brambleberry Creek? Or will she leave the rolling hills of Kentucky for good?

About Elizabeth Bromke

Elizabeth Bromke writes sweet romance and women's fiction. In her stories, Bromke weaves together family dynamics and the triumphs and trials of modern relationships, often set against the backdrop of quaint small towns. Elizabeth lives in the mountains of Arizona, where she enjoys reading, writing, and long walks with her Goldador, Winnie.

My Thoughts

After reading so many wonderful reviews for this book I decided to give the book a go.

I have to say I was a little disappointed. The writing was good. The setting was ideal for this country girl but I the deep dark secrets people kept talking about I never found.

As I delved into this book expecting to read a story of a family with secrets that were tearing them apart. What I got was a childhood tragedy, an accidental shooting, and a whole lot of self-pity.

I have to say when I met Morgan Jo she talked about the "Incident". I thought I was going to get some horrifying family secrets. What I got was an everyday accident. One that left her injured but not dead. TO hear Morgan Jo talk about her injury you would think she was dying from it. The self-pity she displays is nauseating. Then add to that the slimy makes my skin crawl Nick and I could not deal. As someone who has lived with a long time chronic illness, I want to smack Morgan and tell her to grow up and move on with life.

Then we have Essie the Grandmother who has also spent a lifetime of self-pity over a childhood tragedy. Again it made me annoyed., No wonder her husband Bill was so grumpy and sometimes mean. He was basically ignored by his wife because she could not see past the tragedy to move on.

though I enjoyed the dual perspective of this story and the setting it did leave me wanting more. I kept waiting for some sort of huge dark secret to be revealed when all I got were two women who lived in self-pity over two strategies that were unfortunate but did not require the long years of suffering they put themselves through.

I will say I did get the complicated family dynamics. There were a lot of cousins, siblings, and others that I could see parts of my family in. Plus the small-town vibe was nice. Overall it wasn't a bad read it just left me wanting something more.