REVIEW: At Home on Marigold Lane by Debbie Mason

At Home on Marigold Lane by Debbie Mason is the fifth book in the Highland Falls series. If you haven’t read any of the other books in the series, I would recommend at least reading book four, The Inn on Mirror Lake, before reading this one. That is the story of Brianna’s sister, Ellie. While I’ve read a couple of other books in the series, I missed this one, and it felt like At Home on Marigold Lane might have picked up where The Inn on Mirror Lake left off. As such, I felt like I was missing some background information, such as when Brianna found out who her father was and what led to Brianna returning home to Highland Falls. It felt like readers were expected to already know this information, which is why I suggest reading the previous book first.

After an attempt to escape her abusive ex-husband led to her being injured and being treated by her first love, Cal, Brianna has returned home to heal and is living at the inn with her sister, Ellie, Ellie’s husband, Nate, as well as their grandfather. Bri’s been living a shell of her life, having given up her counseling practice, avoiding her follow-up appointments with Cal, and avoiding public places where she can end up having a panic attack. Ellie is overprotective, so when she announces she’s going on her honeymoon, she also announces her mother is moving into the inn to keep an eye on Bri. Bri doesn’t want anything to do with her mother and is determined to move out. Her friend, Abby, finds her a house and a roommate on Marigold Lane, not too far from Cal, the man she never stopped loving.

On the surface Cal has it all: a successful career as a doctor, a fellow doctor as his wife, and a stepdaughter he loves as his own. But his marriage isn’t all that it seems, and he and his wife are keeping a big secret in attempts to get a trauma center brought to their hospital. One thing is certain-he never stopped loving Bri and is determined to make sure she heals both physically and emotionally. When they realize the truth of what had previously happened in their relationship, will they give it a second chance, even if it means blowing up his dream of having the trauma center approved?

I will say the main problem I had with the story was with Bri counseling people. Not that she was doing so, but who she was doing it for. For example, she counseled Cal’s estranged wife, his stepdaughter, and her parents along with her biological father. That seems like it would be a conflict of interest, and I can’t imagine that someone in that situation would be able to keep her own personal feelings out of it. I also wasn’t crazy about Cal’s wife or Bri’s mother, but my feelings towards them weren’t enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.

This is a story about healing, family, friendship, love, forgiveness, and second chances. The characters and their relationships are complex, and there’s plenty of angst mixed in with some sweet and light-hearted moments. It is worth a read if you enjoy the second-chance trope.

Book Info:

Publication: September 27, 2022 | Forever | Highland Falls #5

For family and marriage therapist Brianna MacLeod, moving back home to Highland Falls after a disastrous divorce feels downright embarrassing. Bri blames herself for missing the red flags in her relationship and worries she’s no longer qualified to do the job she loves. But helping others is second nature to Bri, and she soon finds herself counseling her roommate and her neighbor’s daughter. Bri just wasn’t expecting them to reunite her with her first love . . .

Caleb Scott knows his failed marriage has been tough on his stepdaughter, so he’s grateful she’s found someone to confide in . . . even if it’s Bri MacLeod. Seeing Bri brings up feelings he’d thought were long buried. He knows it’s not the right time for either of them to be rekindling a relationship but being with Bri feels right—like coming home. He’ll just have to convince her that risking her heart again might give them exactly what they both need . . . a second chance.