A review by crafalsk264
Talulah's Back in Town by Brenda Novak

emotional funny inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Talulah Barclay’s great aunt left her house and belongings to Talulah and her sister, Debbie. Since Debbie is expecting her fourth child any day, Talulah is in charge of preparing the house and contents for sale.  Talulah has a successful bakery/dessert cafe with a partner who has been a friend and wants to be more while Talulah doesn’t know if she’s that interested. The problem locally is that Talulah was a runaway bride and her jilted fiancé, Charlie, holds a grudge. Talulah’s plan is to keep a low profile until the funeral is over and the baby is here. But one of the first people she runs into is Charlie’s best friend, Brant, and things between them begin to heat up. This book follows Talulah through the next week while she packs up the house, cooks the funeral luncheon for her aunt’s church and townspeople, spends time with her family and falls in love with Brandt.

I remember reading some of Novak’s work years ago but this is the first for a long time. I haven’t read any “runaway bride” books and expected that this one might be boring and cliche. But Novak has handled it deftly making it more about doing what would harm others the least. Talulah recognized that she wanted to please others more than herself.  There were many characters in this book and sometimes it took some checking twice to see who was who. The main characters were likable and well developed. The description of the small town atmosphere was enjoyable and laid a groundwork for the next books to follow.

This is the first title in a new series (Coyote Canyon #1). There is a second title scheduled for November, 2023 and a third for February, 2024.  I expect to watch for them.  Recommend to readers who are interested in books featuring romance, contemporary women’s fiction, southern fiction and friendship.