Return to Cedar Hill

The Hills of Burlington #1

by Jacie Middlemann

In search of something she can't quite put a name to, Mary Lane returns to the place her family called home for almost two hundred years. The city nestled along the Mighty Mississippi. She returns to Burlington.
The solitude she desires as she restores her grandmother's small house isn't turning out to be all she hoped for. Before she knows it her cousin Casey is at the door desperate to find refuge from a high pressure job she can no longer sell her soul for. Together the two discover long hidden answers to old family mysteries as they also seek the answers to the sudden changes in their lives.
But it is Mary's unanticipated ownership of the family ancestral white elephant that brings family members unexpectedly to her door in the middle of the night. Before long, the small house is once again crowded with family. From her Aunt Charlie who longs to be free of the cloistering concern of her grown children to nineteen year old Mallie who dreams of something different than what her parents dream of for her.
Return to Cedar Hill, first in the Hills of Burlington books, brings six women together, family and friends, each at a crossroad in their lives, and searching for something they've not yet found.

323 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2013

About the author

I fell in love with books when I was in the 4th grade and my free period was spent volunteering in the school library. I read every Nancy Drew book there was to check out, discovered collections of myths and fairy tales from around the world, Louisa May Alcott and C.S. Lewis, and decided I wanted my own library. By the end of that summer with the supplies our school librarian graciously provided me my books had due date slips, card pockets, book cards, and black electrical tape on the spine with the first three letters of the author's last name. I still have most of those books.
In the hope she could get me involved in something else my mother gave me a camera. Right around the same time my father told me I could use his typewriter when he wasn't using it. The typewriter won. We shared his typewriter but I also filled notebooks with stories scribbled before school, after school, and often when I was supposed to be asleep. Thanks to my mother, who saved just about every single one of those notebooks, I still have them as well.
Several years ago my father gave me his typewriter…the same one we shared all those summers ago. Every time I look at it I remember the young 4th grade girl who was quietly encouraged to do what she loved…and years later reminded with a box filled with notebooks crammed full of handwritten stories and dreams.
And it’s still not unheard of that I stay up way later than I should with a good book that’s just impossible to put down.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true joy to read.

I absolutely could not put this book down. It is the first I have had the pleasure to read of Jacie Middlemann's many titles, but I assure you it will not be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book. The characters are well written and bring you into their world. The story of cousins searching their families historical roots and finding the answers to what has been lacking in their own lives in the process. It is heartwarming and enthralling at the same time. I am now hooked. I am downloading the next title right away

[Pixie Cooper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish

I got tired of the so called suspense. It was always "teasing". The author would not just tell why someone felt the way they did without making it a secret.

[Kate Redford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I was looking for

Recovering from Brain injury. This book help me to acquire skills I had forgotten. Loved the background fillers. Loved the family and multi generational relationships. The familiarity with each other was high point. I am from a very small family group and each of us were independent. We are the last 3 and our age span is 57-77-85. We are scattered with no aunts, uncles, or cousins. I found this book very well written and connected. I would especialy
recommend it for those who love the deep south. A great summer read. I will search for more from this writer.

[Linda Dyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked all the characters in the book, but I wanted to get to know them in more depth. All seemed to be very flat personalities, but they could have been so much more. I was disappointed to see that the writer didn't have a good grasp of punctuation. The words just ran together, when a few commas here and there would have helped a lot with phrasing. The basic story was a good one; everyone coming "home" to renew their lives. The relationship with the "three" would be a great idea to explore. I gave it two stars because of the typos and the lack of punctuation. When a reader has to stumble over a sentence, the flow of the story is lost. Maybe better editing?

[Brenda Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed

I'm reading the whole series now. I have truly enjoyed this author and can't put the books down. So far I'm on book four. The characters are week developed as is the story. I started out with the free book, now I'm paying for the rest. That is how much I enjoy the stories. Thank you Jacie. Clean well written and a blessing to read.

[Christine Mallett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Return to Cedar Hill ( The Hills of Burlington book 1) by Jacie Middlemann

I really enjoyed this book about family, close friends, and family! The bond between all is so strong, mainly because I have 7 sisters and our bond is present for sure, but it could be improved some. Lol I would recommend this book to people who love getting closer to their family members.

[deeann linford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning the Secrets.

Loved all the houses and their stories. This is a wonderful fast flowing story with many life experiences, some political, that showed how they were dealt with using love and compassion. Relatives histories were added as interesting story lines developed. Very good!

[susan stursberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read a great escape book if times have you down.

Good read nice people who draw you into the story. Leaves you wanting more information about them and their family. A true to life story in a good way great escape book. Not a surgery book felt real.

[MARY ANN FISHER · Rating 4 out of 5]

It keeps you reading! Hard to put down!

It shows you how family can be very close and do things together all without fighting. I liked it to the point of trying to read it without stopping, but naps kept interrupting! Very well written !

[Kathryn Reise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been binge reading for 24 hours. Read all 5 of the books of this author! Have been lost in it and just crave more.

I don't remember ever getting lost like I have in this series. Thank you,thank you,thank you! You are now my favorite author!

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a great plot and good characters. As cousins, they re-established the sister type connections from when they were growing up. They are all very similar, yet so very different. This was a very long, drawn out read.

[kathleen kunkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book

This book was a joy to read . Couldn't put it down once i started. I hope I'll be able to read many of her books!

[Marilyn Renaudin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

This book was somewhat interesting in regard to the history that it held but it really was kind of boring really. Just not my type of story.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book about a family who starting returning to Cedar Hill because one sister wanted to buy the house her mom lived in years ago.

[Margaret W Meagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family ...sisters three

I enjoyed my first time reading books by this author. Was fun meeting the many characters within the book! And the genealogy.

[Shirley Mobley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

Really enjoyed reading it. Will probably read on a couple of years. Just long enough to forget it so it will seem new!

[Richard Skorupski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a heartwarming story about a family coming together later in life. It's the first in a series.

[Pam McCallister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Pammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded this book to read after I had surgery and was looking for something easy to read. This was the most enjoyable novel I have read in forever, the characters are so real and quickly became very important to me. Maybe the emotions post surgery but I loved them all and was happy to go back to \get the rest of the books.
Thank you for making a difficult time so much more enjoyable

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was an easy read. It's a nice story about family and the ties that bind us, with a small town setting. A good cozy read for a lazy day.

[Karen Fouts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

A really well written book with several storylines interwoven. Will definitely read the rest of the series & check out others by Jacie Middlemann.

[Bonnye Reed]

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