Thank you NetGalley and Make Waves Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Katie just got a whole new start to life – her daughter started her freshman year of college and, instead of having an empty nest, she’s starting life as a newly married woman in Florida with a new career! But when the newness starts to wear off, Katie finds herself wondering if there’s something lurking beneath the surface of her marriage and her workplace. When she has to return to Virginia to bury her mother, her so-called-perfect life comes unraveled at the edges and finds her reevaluating her future while stuck in her family home. Will she be able to overcome the challenges, or will she cave to everyone’s demands on her?
The Cicada Spring is Carolyn McBride’s debut novel and the start of a promised Potomac Shores series. Set on the water both in Florida and Virginia, this novel showcases the natural environment almost as an additional character, allowing the fauna and weather patterns to drive portions of the plot. This is a story of defining your own destiny and restarting after heartbreaking loss.
I give The Cicada Spring 4 out of 5 stars. The many romantic twists in this book and the girlfriend support system make this book feel like a Hallmark movie. I liked that the book is set in the recent past, with references to things like COVID lockdowns that we all dealt with. However, I felt like the characters were written below their implied ages – I fall into the age group with these women, yet it felt as thought the characters were 10-15 years younger than me, which made it hard to connect with them. I am interested in reading the next installment in this series and see how these characters develop over time.
This book would best be directed to more mature readers over 16. This would be a great girlfriend read along or book club choice – there’s a lot to unpack in these characters’ stories. With themes of financial fraud and toxic relationships, this may not be the best book for all readers. With that said, this would be a great light romance read for ladies in my generation who have the shared experience of COVID lockdown and natural disasters.
I was immediately drawn to The Cicada Spring when I noticed it on NetGalley simply for the cover. The beautiful lighting and water drew my eye! With that said, I was expecting something a little more cicada-driven and the cover doesn’t exactly match the scenes depicted in the book. With this being a debut novel, I am looking forward to seeing more by this author in the future!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: A Season of Perfect Happiness, Maribeth Fischer
- Current audio book: The Home Place, Carrie La Seur
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Call Upon the Water, Stella Tillyard
Read With Lindsey 