From New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown comes a funny heartache of a novel about overcoming the past, confronting the future, and defying all expectations.

Everyone is talking about Jennie Sue Baker and the mess she made of her life in New York. The former high school queen bee - and wealthy darling of Bloom, Texas - has returned home after all these years, riding on a common bus and bearing two bounced alimony checks. In a town that thrives on gossip, Jennie’s fall from grace has shamed her mother, set the town buzzing, and caused old, jealous enemies to whisper in delight. They say she’s taken a job as a housekeeper, gotten a garage apartment, and might be crushing on Rick Lawson, a simple farmer with modest dreams.

As romance starts to bud, Jennie relishes what it means to follow her heart, find real new friends, and finally be herself - regardless of all the lying town chatter. But fate has another twist in store. Rumor has it that Jennie now stands to lose what matters most…unless she can convince Rick of one true thing - and that’s love.

Listening Length

8 hours and 24 minutes
Author

Carolyn Brown
Narrator

Brittany Pressley
Audible release date

July 3, 2018
Language

English
Publisher

Brilliance Audio
ASIN

B07DL141X2
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	8 hours and 24 minutes
Author	Carolyn Brown
Narrator	Brittany Pressley
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	July 03, 2018
Publisher	Brilliance Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B07DL141X2
Best Sellers Rank	#55,068 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #1,290 in Family Life Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #2,402 in Women's Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #4,349 in Contemporary Romance (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

5 star		67%
4 star		22%
3 star		7%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Fantastic and realistic protrayal of small town life

Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2018

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I have had really bad luck with books lately. I haven't liked any I've downloaded. I was greatly looking forward to this book (I LOVE Carolyn Brown!) but I was afraid it would disappoint. I did not, it actually exceeded expectations. Jennie Sue grew up as one of the town's wealthiest people. She marries and moves to New York. Her husband is a loser and leaves her, so she returns home (by bus!) and scandalizes her mom and the rest of the town. She takes a job as a housekeeper for 2 eccentric older ladies (they are the best part of the book, Ms. Brown writes wonderfully when it comes to blunt old ladies!!) and she takes a tiny apartment above a garage. On top of all that providing gossip fodder for the town, she has been seen with Rick, a disabled Army Ranger! People fall into 2 catagories: those who despise Jennie Sue based on her wealth, and those that see she is a humble, caring woman. This was one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time. How long until Ms Brown's next book is out? :)

160 people found this helpful

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JWS

I need more like it!

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2018

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I just finished Small Town Rumors and still have the happy glow! My Mom was an English teacher & taught us early to love books. It's become harder and harder to find books w/o societal programming, gratuitous sex, violence and suspense. This book was laugh out loud & heartwarming!

124 people found this helpful

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Cindy Customer

A town everyone would love to live in, and some lucky ones do.

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2018

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Another Carolyn Brown hit! I laughed, I cried, I fumed and fussed...and I wished I lived in this town with these wonderful down to earth people. My Mama had a friend a lot like Charlotte, and her daughter did like Jenny Sue and did her own thing instead of trying to be perfect with a philandering husband like her Mama. Boy, we all know people like this. This is just a wonderful story, and I will be telling my friends to read it soon.

44 people found this helpful

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MissyC2015

An absolute must read! Carolyn Brown outdid herself this time.

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2018

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What can I say about this book? Jennie Sue is such a strong woman with a huge heart, taking all of the things that life throws at her and finding a positive way to deal with them. She turns enemies into family and heartbreaks into triumphs. The characters in this book are unique and a truly diverse mix of personalities. And the small town setting is written in a way that the reader can see herself walking down its streets and interacting with the people.
Read the book. You won't be disappointed. But make sure to set aside time because you won't want to put it down.

37 people found this helpful

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Gramma Paparazzi

Oh my gosh!!

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2018

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I’m having to write this with my eyes still filled with tears. What a beautiful story! I’m not going to spoil it for anyone wanting to know if this book is one they’d like to read, just know that it’ll make you feel good and understand what’s most important in life. I’ve read every single one of Carolyn’s women’s books and I could easily go back and read them all again. I tried so hard to take my time reading this because I just didn’t want it to end. That was impossible! Sometimes I wish we could give more than a 5 star rating, this certainly deserves more!

32 people found this helpful

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Denise

Just what the doctor ordered

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2018

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Jennie Sue Baker has been hit hard by life. Her husband left her for another woman. What she that was a good divorce settlement turns out to leave her with nothing. Jennie Sue's only option left is to return home to her family by bus with no money in hand. She hopes her father will give her a job and her Mother will, at last, understand she needs to be her own person. Jennie Sue has barely stepped off the bus before the rumor mill tounges start to wag and not kindly in her favor. Her mother threatens life in her home will be her way or Jennie Sue, will have nothing and she flat out refuses to let her work for her father. Jennie Sue does the unthinkable by taking a job and renting a room from her Mothers worst enemies and starts to fall for someone totally unacceptable. Carolyn Brown tackles the ins and outs of small town living with depth and aplomb. This book was at once out loud laughing funny and heart touching.

51 people found this helpful

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Betsy C. Roberson

Southern Food and Gossip!!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2018

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I grew up in small towns; so I know about how word spreads fast! However, the small town people are some of the most loving, gentle humans in this world! I totally fell in love with Jennie Sue and Rick and their story! And, I got to revel in how families have intertwined (sometimes bad) history, especially in small towns where everyone knows the whole story! This book was an easy, enjoyable read and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy ice cold sweet tea, sitting in the swing with family and friends in the summer evenings, and catching up on the happenings in your small town today.....thus 5 stars for me!!!!!

19 people found this helpful

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Bank Of America

Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2018

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Omg what an awesome book. Jennie came back home to her parents house after her divorce. Her x was a controlling man who also cheated on her. Her mother was a terrible person. She was real uppity. Jennie ran into a brother and sister who she went to school with. Rick always liked her and Cricket was always jealous and hated her. The characters in this book were funny. This book had me laughing and crying. Highly recommend.

30 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

LEP

Not my favourite

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 27, 2021

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Not my favourite Brown book. I enjoyed the Cadillac books which were amusing and have read others that I enjoyed, however I found this book a bit too much concerning the jealous catty rumours being spread around. Jennie Sue Baker comes home to small town Bloom Texas from New York and the catty rumours immediately begin to spread. She is the daughter of a wealthy Bloom family, her mother being a 'queen bee' of the social circuit. However, Jennie Sue has been divorced for a year from her diamond dealer husband who has now run off with a bag of diamonds and is being chased by the IRS for none payment of taxes and Jennie Sue has had her apartment, car, money and belongings, except for her clothes, seized by the IRS . When she travels back to Bloom by bus, tongues begin to wag big time as people are delighted to see her sunk so low. Her Mother is ashamed of her and scandalised that she should travel by bus and greets her with the comment "You need to lose 10 pounds in weight"; her father wants to open a bank account for her and buy her a car, but Jennie Sue wants to make her own way and takes jobs cleaning houses and helping in the local book shop. She strikes up a friendship with a local farmer, the fly in the ointment being that his sister, Cricket, professes to hate her, for no reason whatsoever except jealousy. There are just too many nasty people in this book for to 100% say that I loved it; Jennie Sue's mother is a class A super b...h, whilst Cricket is just a stupid jealous one. As for the others, they just make up and spread things for the sake of doing it, "idle hands make mischief" as the saying goes. Not my favourite and the humour of the Cadillac books is sadly missing from this one.

One person found this helpful

carol whitehead

Thrilling Books

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2022

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I have been looking for a long time for a new Author to get into and who has written a good few books. I have exhausted Danielle Steel, and I am ready for a new kind of style. Well I have not been disappointed by Carolyn Brown. Small town Rumors. I laughed I cried, and loved getting to know all the people in the story. Not going to reveal too much. I loved Jenny Sue, who would not won't to be like her. And what a surprise in the story... I bought another of Carolyn's books thinking this wont be as good (The Banty House) how wrong was I its Fabulous. I have another lined up after this Magnolia Inn. I recommend Carolyn Brown 100%. And the kindle addition don't cost the earth.

R.Conrad

Lovely tale about local life lived well.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 14, 2021

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I enjoyed meeting all the characters in this tale, and the friendships as they developed. The personalities were credible, the plot moves along nicely and the characters' behaviours respond to their changing beliefs and values.
I did find the timeline for the final few chapters a bit rushed and perhaps unrealistic (I won't spoiler the twist by saying what and why) but I'd happily have allowed for a couple more chapters (and therefore perhaps 4 months) just to take the two main characters a little longer to reach their happy-ever-after.

Choosy chick Chelsea

Good light read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 25, 2019

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I enjoyed this book. It was full of charming characters. The small town vibe was fun to read about. I liked the theme of the book and in the end I stayed awake too late to finish it. The ending was a little predictable hence the 4 stars but I still enjoyed the story and the finish.

Sandie

Comfortable Reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2019

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This was an enjoyable comfortable read. I enjoyed the story lines where sometimes friends will be there for you when family are not. But blood is thicker than water in this story and Jenny Sue shows that money isn't everything, true love and friends are much more important. I thought that maybe Jenny Sue handled the death of her parents too well, but that's just my opinion. All in all I enjoy this book, it was a clean book with no horrible sexual references.

One person found this helpful

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