REVIEW: The Front Porch Club by Michelle Major

The Front Porch Club by Michelle Major is the fifth book in The Carolina Girls series. I’m new to the series and jumped in here with no problems; if you haven’t read the previous books, you won’t feel like you’re missing anything.

This is the story of three women living on the same property. The group is comprised of Annalise Haverford, a single mother who has gone from high society to becoming poor after her then-husband scammed people out of money; Shauna Myer, a single mother of twins who never told their father they existed even though she’s best friends with their uncle; and Meghan Banks, an elementary school art teacher at risk of losing her job because she didn’t want to date the school’s principal.

The story is not only about friendships, but about finding love. Annalise and Jack, the ranch hand and manager for musician Walker Calloway, don’t get started off on the right foot, and it was fun to watch their romance unfold. Flynn, the father of Shauna’s twins, refuses to miss out on any more time with his kids. Both are wary; Flynn due to his former anger management problems that he doesn’t want the kids or Shauna to see, and Shauna because she’s learned through her life that everyone leaves her. And then there’s Meghan and Walker. This is the only romance storyline that’s not resolved, so I hope they get their own book and eventually find their happy-ever-after.

While the budding romances were interesting, it was the friendships formed on the front porch that really made this book. Under normal circumstances, these three women most likely wouldn’t have been friends; they are from three completely different walks of life forced together by circumstances beyond their control. It was interesting to watch them go from being strangers to opening up with one another, encouraging one another, and coming together to try to find a way to save Meghan’s job. They also set good examples for the kids, who were also struggling with everything that was going on in their lives.

There’s a bonus novella at the end of the book, featuring Trinity Carlyle and the police chief, Asher Davis. It honestly felt a little out of place, considering in The Front Porch Club, Asher and Trinity were already together. The novella is an insta-love story, which I’m not normally a fan of, but I felt it was a good introduction to the characters for those who haven’t read the previous books. It’s a very quick read, so I would recommend reading it after finishing The Front Porch Club if you’re interested in their story.

The Front Porch Club is the heartwarming story of three struggling women finding healing, love, and an unexpected sisterhood. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy small-town romances and second chances.

Book Info:

Publication: May 23, 2023 | Canary Street Press | The Carolina Girls #5

The drawback to having a picture-perfect life is that there’s nowhere to go but down—and Annalise Haverford is falling fast. Once, she was the self-proclaimed queen bee of Magnolia, North Carolina. Now her husband has been arrested for fraud, and she’s become an outcast in the shallow circles she used to rule. There’s only one affordable rental in town, and it’s owned by the woman Annalise got fired from a lucrative job.

Much as single mother Shauna Myer would like to refuse Annalise, who treated her like dirt on the bottom of her red-soled shoe, she needs that rent money. But when Shauna’s first love arrives in town, unraveling secrets she’d hoped to keep, Annalise becomes her unlikely defender. Meghan Banks, an elementary school art teacher whose quiet existence suddenly descends into chaos, is thrown an unexpected lifeline by Annalise, too.

As spring ripens into a sultry summer, the three spur each other on to share their fears and dreams, face new challenges, and seize second chances. Because no matter how turbulent life may be, it’s much easier to navigate those choppy waters when you’re buoyed by true friendship…­

Bonus novella!

The last Carlyle sister, new mother Trinity, finds love where she least expects it—with Magnolia’s upstanding chief of police, Asher Davis. Both Trinity and Asher think their romantic days are behind them. But then Asher asks Trinity for just one dance…