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The Wild Card
When Lady Luck deals her a roadside diner in small-town Texas, a professional poker player discovers home may be the best win of all in this heartfelt romance by
New York Times
bestselling author Carolyn Brown.
Professional poker player Carla Wilson’s luck runs dry in Tucson, leaving her with nothing but an SUV running on fumes and a deed to the Tumbleweed Bus Stop and Diner in small-town Texas. Her plan to sell the café and move on seems simple enough—until she meets the motherly cook who rules the kitchen with an iron skillet and the sunny waitress who treats her like a sister.
Then there’s Jackson Armstrong. The ex-military heir of a wealthy oil family has green eyes that make Carla forget her cards and a smile that suggests he’s playing for keeps. With a pair of matchmaking senior citizens and the café’s morning regulars cheering from the sidelines, Carla’s wandering soul begins to feel at home.
Now she’s discovering everything she never knew she needed—true friendship, a place to belong, and a love worth going all in for. Maybe Lady Luck knew exactly what she was doing from the start.
Professional poker player Carla Wilson’s luck runs dry in Tucson, leaving her with nothing but an SUV running on fumes and a deed to the Tumbleweed Bus Stop and Diner in small-town Texas. Her plan to sell the café and move on seems simple enough—until she meets the motherly cook who rules the kitchen with an iron skillet and the sunny waitress who treats her like a sister.
Then there’s Jackson Armstrong. The ex-military heir of a wealthy oil family has green eyes that make Carla forget her cards and a smile that suggests he’s playing for keeps. With a pair of matchmaking senior citizens and the café’s morning regulars cheering from the sidelines, Carla’s wandering soul begins to feel at home.
Now she’s discovering everything she never knew she needed—true friendship, a place to belong, and a love worth going all in for. Maybe Lady Luck knew exactly what she was doing from the start.
271 pages, Paperback
First published December 9, 2025
About the author
Carolyn Brown
200 books4,241 followersHi! I'm twenty five years old and movie star gorgeous. The camera added thirty plus years and a few wrinkles. Can't trust those cameras or mirrors either. Along with bathroom scales they are notorious liars! Honestly, I am the mother of three fantastic grown children who've made me laugh and given me more story ideas than I could ever write. My husband, Charles, is my strongest supporter and my best friend. He's even willing to eat fast food and help with the laundry while I finish one more chapter! Life is good and I am blessed!
Reading has been a passion since I was five years old and figured out those were words on book pages. As soon as my chubby little fingers found they could put words on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil, I was on my way. Writing joined reading in my list of passions. I will read anything from the back of the Cheerio's box to Faulkner and love every bit of it. In addition to reading I enjoy cooking, my family and the ocean. I love the Florida beaches. Listening to the ocean waves puts my writing brain into high gear.
I love writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.
I got serious about writing when my third child was born and had her days and nights mixed up. I had to stay up all night anyway and it was very quiet so I invested in a spiral back notebook and sharpened a few pencils. The story that emerged has never sold but it's brought in enough rejection slips to put the Redwood Forest on the endangered list. In 1997 Kensington bought two books for their Precious Gems line. Two years and six books later the line died with only four of those books seeing publication. But by then Avalon had bought a book and another, and another. Ten years later the list has grown to thirty nine. Last year Sourcebooks bought the Lucky Series which is in the bookstores now. They've also bought The Honky Tonk Series which will debut with I LOVE THIS BAR in June and will be followed by HELL, YEAH, MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED, and HONKY TONK CHRISTMAS.
Folks ask me where I get my ideas. Three kids, fifteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren. Note: I was a very young grandmother! Life is a zoo around here when they all come home. In one Sunday afternoon there's enough ideas to keep me writing for years and years. Seriously, ideas pop up at the craziest times. When one sinks its roots into my mind, I have no choice but to write the story. And while I'm writing the characters peek over my shoulder and make sure I'm telling it right and not exaggerating too much. Pesky little devils, they are!
I have a wonderful agent, Erin Niumata, who continues to work magic and sell my work. I'm very lucky to have her and my editors who continue to believe in me.
Happy reading!
Reading has been a passion since I was five years old and figured out those were words on book pages. As soon as my chubby little fingers found they could put words on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil, I was on my way. Writing joined reading in my list of passions. I will read anything from the back of the Cheerio's box to Faulkner and love every bit of it. In addition to reading I enjoy cooking, my family and the ocean. I love the Florida beaches. Listening to the ocean waves puts my writing brain into high gear.
I love writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.
I got serious about writing when my third child was born and had her days and nights mixed up. I had to stay up all night anyway and it was very quiet so I invested in a spiral back notebook and sharpened a few pencils. The story that emerged has never sold but it's brought in enough rejection slips to put the Redwood Forest on the endangered list. In 1997 Kensington bought two books for their Precious Gems line. Two years and six books later the line died with only four of those books seeing publication. But by then Avalon had bought a book and another, and another. Ten years later the list has grown to thirty nine. Last year Sourcebooks bought the Lucky Series which is in the bookstores now. They've also bought The Honky Tonk Series which will debut with I LOVE THIS BAR in June and will be followed by HELL, YEAH, MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED, and HONKY TONK CHRISTMAS.
Folks ask me where I get my ideas. Three kids, fifteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren. Note: I was a very young grandmother! Life is a zoo around here when they all come home. In one Sunday afternoon there's enough ideas to keep me writing for years and years. Seriously, ideas pop up at the craziest times. When one sinks its roots into my mind, I have no choice but to write the story. And while I'm writing the characters peek over my shoulder and make sure I'm telling it right and not exaggerating too much. Pesky little devils, they are!
I have a wonderful agent, Erin Niumata, who continues to work magic and sell my work. I'm very lucky to have her and my editors who continue to believe in me.
Happy reading!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 370 reviews
December 21, 2025
EXCERPT: My name is Carla Wilson, and I am thirty years old. Ol' Frank always said that I was his wild card . . . his good luck charm. Frank wouldn't think that if h was with me today. Not after last night. He would probably say I was the joker. I have been a professional gambler for more than a decade. I don't need a house, an apartment, or even a travel trailer. Everything I own is in the back of my SUV, and I live in whatever hotel I can find that is close to where my next game - legal or otherwise - is being held.
The punishment for not obeying what the Lady had laid on my heart was that I lost all my money for the high-stakes Vegas game. And to add insult to injury, I lost it all in a seedy little room in the back of an auto repair shop in a ratty part of town. My cash was always hidden in a lockbox, but after the game that night it was totally empty.
So now I had a full tank of gas, a package of stale peanut butter crackers, and almost ten dollars in change that I had thrown into the console of my SUV. Well, that and the quitclaim deed to a café in some godforsaken place east of El Paso that a tall, skinny guy with a horse-shaped face had thrown on the table as part of a bet.
ABOUT 'THE WILD CARD': Professional poker player Carla Wilson’s luck runs dry in Tucson, leaving her with nothing but an SUV running on fumes and a deed to the Tumbleweed Bus Stop and Diner in small-town Texas. Her plan to sell the café and move on seems simple enough—until she meets the motherly cook who rules the kitchen with an iron skillet and the sunny waitress who treats her like a sister.
Then there’s Jackson Armstrong. The ex-military heir of a wealthy oil family has green eyes that make Carla forget her cards and a smile that suggests he’s playing for keeps. With a pair of matchmaking senior citizens and the café’s morning regulars cheering from the sidelines, Carla’s wandering soul begins to feel at home.
Now she’s discovering everything she never knew she needed—true friendship, a place to belong, and a love worth going all in for. Maybe Lady Luck knew exactly what she was doing from the start.
MY THOUGHTS: I always finish a Carolyn Brown novel with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. The Wild Card was no exception. I love her strong and sassy characters who have fallen on hard times but use faith and friendship to find their way to where they need to be.
This is a small-town - so small there is only the Tumbleweed Café and a caravan park! - story featuring Carla, who just wants to earn enough money from this café to stake her next game and move on, who has no roots, and no friends. She has a sad backstory that tugged at my heartstrings, but then so does every woman in this story. All different, but all sad and/or tragic in their own way. Carolyn's writing had me hanging onto every word and rooting for HEAs for all the characters.
It's truly the women characters who make this story. Carla, is shown a whole new way of life; Rosie, the cook at the café who has a past I wouldn't wish on anyone; Scarlett, the waitress who, even in the throes of love, can't quite hide the shadows that lurk in her past; and Ada Lou and Nancy from the caravan park, best bickering buddies.
Yes, The Wild Card is a romance - and a lovely one - but it is also a story of escape and new beginnings.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4
#TheWildCard #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: CAROLYN BROWN loves writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. She says: If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue, then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Montlake via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Wild Card by Carolyn Brown for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
The punishment for not obeying what the Lady had laid on my heart was that I lost all my money for the high-stakes Vegas game. And to add insult to injury, I lost it all in a seedy little room in the back of an auto repair shop in a ratty part of town. My cash was always hidden in a lockbox, but after the game that night it was totally empty.
So now I had a full tank of gas, a package of stale peanut butter crackers, and almost ten dollars in change that I had thrown into the console of my SUV. Well, that and the quitclaim deed to a café in some godforsaken place east of El Paso that a tall, skinny guy with a horse-shaped face had thrown on the table as part of a bet.
ABOUT 'THE WILD CARD': Professional poker player Carla Wilson’s luck runs dry in Tucson, leaving her with nothing but an SUV running on fumes and a deed to the Tumbleweed Bus Stop and Diner in small-town Texas. Her plan to sell the café and move on seems simple enough—until she meets the motherly cook who rules the kitchen with an iron skillet and the sunny waitress who treats her like a sister.
Then there’s Jackson Armstrong. The ex-military heir of a wealthy oil family has green eyes that make Carla forget her cards and a smile that suggests he’s playing for keeps. With a pair of matchmaking senior citizens and the café’s morning regulars cheering from the sidelines, Carla’s wandering soul begins to feel at home.
Now she’s discovering everything she never knew she needed—true friendship, a place to belong, and a love worth going all in for. Maybe Lady Luck knew exactly what she was doing from the start.
MY THOUGHTS: I always finish a Carolyn Brown novel with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. The Wild Card was no exception. I love her strong and sassy characters who have fallen on hard times but use faith and friendship to find their way to where they need to be.
This is a small-town - so small there is only the Tumbleweed Café and a caravan park! - story featuring Carla, who just wants to earn enough money from this café to stake her next game and move on, who has no roots, and no friends. She has a sad backstory that tugged at my heartstrings, but then so does every woman in this story. All different, but all sad and/or tragic in their own way. Carolyn's writing had me hanging onto every word and rooting for HEAs for all the characters.
It's truly the women characters who make this story. Carla, is shown a whole new way of life; Rosie, the cook at the café who has a past I wouldn't wish on anyone; Scarlett, the waitress who, even in the throes of love, can't quite hide the shadows that lurk in her past; and Ada Lou and Nancy from the caravan park, best bickering buddies.
Yes, The Wild Card is a romance - and a lovely one - but it is also a story of escape and new beginnings.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4
#TheWildCard #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: CAROLYN BROWN loves writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. She says: If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue, then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Montlake via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Wild Card by Carolyn Brown for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
August 25, 2025
I can’t stop thinking about this fantastic novel!
The masterful way Carolyn Brown crafts her sentences keeps me hanging on every word. Not only that, her ability to create such authentic and relatable characters pulls me into the story and makes sure I remember their journey long after the last page is turned. I genuinely cared about Carla, Scarlett, Rosie, Jackson, Ada Lou, and Nancy and was invested in their story.
Tumbleweed saves Carla in multiple ways. Needing a change of pace and a different journey, Carla uses the last of the change she’d thrown into the console to buy gas, and heads out of town. This simple ‘all or nothing’ attitude changes everything for this professional gambler who’s down on her luck.
Brown has us considering if making friends means that we’re now dependent on another person, and if friendship makes for happiness. Her powerful story about women empowering women will stay in my mind for quite some time. Carla’s character was spectacular!
I loved the quotes about money just being dirty paper with dead presidents on it, about being so tired that we’re dragging our butts, thereby negating the need to sweep the floor, and the one about hoping the patrol officers were cuddling their wives. My highlighter was working overtime!
Brown reminds us that making the most of a bad hand is perspective and is up to us.
This was a great story, one I’d heartily recommend.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
The masterful way Carolyn Brown crafts her sentences keeps me hanging on every word. Not only that, her ability to create such authentic and relatable characters pulls me into the story and makes sure I remember their journey long after the last page is turned. I genuinely cared about Carla, Scarlett, Rosie, Jackson, Ada Lou, and Nancy and was invested in their story.
Tumbleweed saves Carla in multiple ways. Needing a change of pace and a different journey, Carla uses the last of the change she’d thrown into the console to buy gas, and heads out of town. This simple ‘all or nothing’ attitude changes everything for this professional gambler who’s down on her luck.
Brown has us considering if making friends means that we’re now dependent on another person, and if friendship makes for happiness. Her powerful story about women empowering women will stay in my mind for quite some time. Carla’s character was spectacular!
I loved the quotes about money just being dirty paper with dead presidents on it, about being so tired that we’re dragging our butts, thereby negating the need to sweep the floor, and the one about hoping the patrol officers were cuddling their wives. My highlighter was working overtime!
Brown reminds us that making the most of a bad hand is perspective and is up to us.
This was a great story, one I’d heartily recommend.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
April 15, 2026
I've read a handful of Carolyn Brown books in my time and I always enjoy them. I go for them when I need something light and airier or when I need a palette cleanser. I have to say this is one of my least favorites I've read by Carolyn Brown so far but it's still a good book! The storyline was different and fun and lots of wonderful characters. One of the women in this book has strong faith and a wonderful relationship with the Lord and I love to see that played out in books.
Did Not Finish
January 10, 2026DNF - I do not rate books I do not finish reading.
I love Carolyn Brown books, but not this one. A lot more religion and preaching in this one than normal and I could not connect with characters who were I felt not fully developed.
I love Carolyn Brown books, but not this one. A lot more religion and preaching in this one than normal and I could not connect with characters who were I felt not fully developed.
December 3, 2025
This book was phenomenal!
It makes you look at life... and family... and friendships... and love... and so much more!
Carla is a professional gambler. She has been gambling since she was 14 and Frank took her everywhere with him. And she became good. BUT, when Frank got married, well... she was left out in the cold... And so, she had to move on and make a name for herself.
So, professional gambling it is!
UNTIL she loses everything in one game! She never should have gone there. She never should've taken the chance. BUT, here we are. She has no money. No home. No...nothing! But she did win a diner in one of the games. And so off she goes to Tumbleweed, Texas. To see and sell the diner and move on.
BUT, when she gets there she meets Rosalie, the cook. And Scarlett, the waitress. And something in her cracks a little.
So she decides to wait just a little bit and play out her cards...
What she finds out is that life does not always go as planned, and sometimes the BEST things happen when you least expect it!!
5 BOLD, BRIGHT, HARD-LIVING, OUTSPOKEN, GOOD-TO-BE-ALIVE STARS FOR ME!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨✨✨✨💫💫💫💫✨
This one made me stop what I was doing and literally 😳 GASP!!! 😳 Not once, but multiple times!
(For those of you who know me, you understand that I read A LOT! And this is not a normal thing for me!! And that right there says quite a bit!!)
It was beautiful. It was harsh. It was cruel. But in the end it lit up my heart and soul... like a Christmas Tree!
And so, it gets all the stars!!!
#WildCard by @CarolynBrown and narrated stunningly by @BrittanyPressley.
**** This one has NOT BEEN RELEASED YET, so keep your eyes 👀 open for it on 12/9/25!! ****
Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BrillianceAudio for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Instagram: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine
Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️
It makes you look at life... and family... and friendships... and love... and so much more!
Carla is a professional gambler. She has been gambling since she was 14 and Frank took her everywhere with him. And she became good. BUT, when Frank got married, well... she was left out in the cold... And so, she had to move on and make a name for herself.
So, professional gambling it is!
UNTIL she loses everything in one game! She never should have gone there. She never should've taken the chance. BUT, here we are. She has no money. No home. No...nothing! But she did win a diner in one of the games. And so off she goes to Tumbleweed, Texas. To see and sell the diner and move on.
BUT, when she gets there she meets Rosalie, the cook. And Scarlett, the waitress. And something in her cracks a little.
So she decides to wait just a little bit and play out her cards...
What she finds out is that life does not always go as planned, and sometimes the BEST things happen when you least expect it!!
5 BOLD, BRIGHT, HARD-LIVING, OUTSPOKEN, GOOD-TO-BE-ALIVE STARS FOR ME!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨✨✨✨💫💫💫💫✨
This one made me stop what I was doing and literally 😳 GASP!!! 😳 Not once, but multiple times!
(For those of you who know me, you understand that I read A LOT! And this is not a normal thing for me!! And that right there says quite a bit!!)
It was beautiful. It was harsh. It was cruel. But in the end it lit up my heart and soul... like a Christmas Tree!
And so, it gets all the stars!!!
#WildCard by @CarolynBrown and narrated stunningly by @BrittanyPressley.
**** This one has NOT BEEN RELEASED YET, so keep your eyes 👀 open for it on 12/9/25!! ****
Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BrillianceAudio for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Instagram: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine
Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️
August 30, 2026
Great narration saved the first few chapters for me as my initial impression of the competence and maturity of the lead character was not great. The heroine's backstory revealed the genuine obstacles in her ability to connect with others and find her success, and the themes of found family, growth in self-awareness, and empowerment won me over by about midway through the story. The speed with which events and relationships played out was not realistic and I would have appreciated a little more development time to bump up my 'warm fuzzies' rating from 3.5 to 4 stars.
August 2, 2025
*I want to start off by saying, i dont typically write reviews for books so i have no practice at doing this whatsoever. This is my first "review" of a book, so if theres anyway you think i could inprove, please let me know.*
I had never read anything by Carolyn Brown before "the wild card" so i went into this novel with an open mind. And might I say it did not disappoint. Brown's writing style is definitely different to what im used to but at the same time it felt like a warm hug.
I went into this book with the knowledge that "The wild card" is a small town contemporary romance, which sounded right up my alley. This book was heartwarming and uplifting and genuinely made me laugh out loud a handful of times.
In summary the book is about a gambler, our fmc, who wins ownership of a diner through a poker game. We dont officially get introduced to our mmc until about 28% of the way through the book, however he is previously mentioned in the text prior to his introduction. By not having the romance as the main vocal point of the novel it shows this book is much more than just a romance but also highlights the importance of found family and friendship. I definitely enjoyed this aspect as i think it emphasised how not all family is by blood but can also be people you choose as your family. For example, the fmc meets two women at the diner and as the story progresses we watch they bond grow stronger and them gain a bigger connection.
However I will say, those scene between the fmc, Carla, and her love interest, Jackson, were amazing. The banter, chemistry and relationship between them was great and fun to read about. One of my favourite scenes (possible spoiler 🚨) between the two was their "second" date and how they got forced into spending more time together.
Overall, I've decided to give this book a 3.75⭐️. I really enjoyed the read and am likely to read more by Carolyn Brown in the future if her other novels are like this one
I had never read anything by Carolyn Brown before "the wild card" so i went into this novel with an open mind. And might I say it did not disappoint. Brown's writing style is definitely different to what im used to but at the same time it felt like a warm hug.
I went into this book with the knowledge that "The wild card" is a small town contemporary romance, which sounded right up my alley. This book was heartwarming and uplifting and genuinely made me laugh out loud a handful of times.
In summary the book is about a gambler, our fmc, who wins ownership of a diner through a poker game. We dont officially get introduced to our mmc until about 28% of the way through the book, however he is previously mentioned in the text prior to his introduction. By not having the romance as the main vocal point of the novel it shows this book is much more than just a romance but also highlights the importance of found family and friendship. I definitely enjoyed this aspect as i think it emphasised how not all family is by blood but can also be people you choose as your family. For example, the fmc meets two women at the diner and as the story progresses we watch they bond grow stronger and them gain a bigger connection.
However I will say, those scene between the fmc, Carla, and her love interest, Jackson, were amazing. The banter, chemistry and relationship between them was great and fun to read about. One of my favourite scenes (possible spoiler 🚨) between the two was their "second" date and how they got forced into spending more time together.
Overall, I've decided to give this book a 3.75⭐️. I really enjoyed the read and am likely to read more by Carolyn Brown in the future if her other novels are like this one
December 15, 2025
Carla Wilson is now the owner of a diner right in the middle of a nowhere town in Texas. Her SUV is on its last legs, and she barely makes it to the diner. Has Lady Luck shone of the professional poker player, or has she been really dealt a bad hand? Well, winning the on in a poker game holds the answer to that question. She has barely made it from Arizona to Texas, and driving through a town full of tumbleweeds definitely gives her pause. The only thing that Carla is sure of at this point is the name of the diner, The Tumbleweed Bus Stop.
There are only two employees at the diner, a strong-willed cook and a very pleasant waitress. The diner has its busy hours, and that is when tour buses stop as they are driving through town. So, Carla is not just the new owner, but she is learning several new aspects of the restaurant business. An instant trial by fire.
Staying in one place hasn’t been Carla‘s go to, but things certainly might change now. Not only is the diner a much warmer place since she could have imagined, her relationship with both Rosalie and Scarlett at the diner really surprises her. Carla grew up in a very untraditional life. Her father was a gambler and gambling is all she knows. In fact, it had been a place of great pain for her at certain times in her life. Another thing that affects Carla is that romantic relationships were ones that she couldn’t have in her life because she was always on the move. Perhaps that just might change as well now that has met Jackson.
I really enjoyed The Wild Card because our gambler is a woman. I wasn’t expecting that when I saw the cover. Also, found family and faith make up a lot of this story. Then there were some emotional tugs when it came to Carla’s past. Overall a very good read.
Many thanks to Montlake and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
There are only two employees at the diner, a strong-willed cook and a very pleasant waitress. The diner has its busy hours, and that is when tour buses stop as they are driving through town. So, Carla is not just the new owner, but she is learning several new aspects of the restaurant business. An instant trial by fire.
Staying in one place hasn’t been Carla‘s go to, but things certainly might change now. Not only is the diner a much warmer place since she could have imagined, her relationship with both Rosalie and Scarlett at the diner really surprises her. Carla grew up in a very untraditional life. Her father was a gambler and gambling is all she knows. In fact, it had been a place of great pain for her at certain times in her life. Another thing that affects Carla is that romantic relationships were ones that she couldn’t have in her life because she was always on the move. Perhaps that just might change as well now that has met Jackson.
I really enjoyed The Wild Card because our gambler is a woman. I wasn’t expecting that when I saw the cover. Also, found family and faith make up a lot of this story. Then there were some emotional tugs when it came to Carla’s past. Overall a very good read.
Many thanks to Montlake and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
December 30, 2025
When a woman pro gambler loses all her stake save the title for a diner in West Texas, she has no choice left except taking on the Tumbleweed Diner if she wants rebuild her stake and get back in the game. Carolyn Brown tells a heartfelt tale of a handful of lonesome women hurt by their past finding their home at the Tumbleweed.
The Wild Card opens with Carla losing her big money stake at a backroom poker game in Tuscon, AZ. Other than ten dollars and a crumpled up deed to a diner put in the pot earlier, she’s got nothing left in the world. With not just a little fear, bitterness, and a whole lot of exhaustion, she points her car east to West Texas and that diner that hopefully will not only make enough to live on, but rebuild her stake before she sells it.
She’s not in the Tumbleweed Diner a day when Rosalie the cook and Scarlett the waitress convince her that the diner deserves an owner who isn’t a gambler only stopping in once a month to bleed it dry and put nothing into it. Carla knows little about running a diner so she wisely lets Rosalie manager her and she works as a much needed second waitress especially when the bus stop crowds roll in. Mathilda, the woman who originally owned the diner saw this dusty, desert spot on the highway as a haven for women who need to get a new start in their life and heal from the past. Carla can read people and sees that both these women have pasts that they aren’t willing to share unless she proves she’s a stayer and not a tumbleweed like Mathilda’s nephew who lost the diner in a poker game.
Carla has no plans to stick around past the six months it will take to build her stake. She’s only known the nomad life of a gambler and only feels alive when in a game, but Rosie’s strict religious rules, Scarlett’s friendliness, AdaLou and Nancy at the nearby trailer park as well as the handsome, sexy Jackson located in the area for a long-term oil drilling job all make her tentatively start to put down roots.
She never considered her pro gambling as an addiction since it had been a way of life since she was fourteen and went on the road with Frank after her mom died. Each day at the Tumbleweed loosens the hold her old life has on her. And, as she grows closer to the women she gets to learn each of their pasts and opens up to share her own. Retired from the military and from a wealthy Texas family, Jackson turns out to be a man with the patience and care to be into Carla and let her slowly work through what it is to be in her first real relationship and trust that he’s a very different man from all the others she has known and disappointed her in the past. She has a choice to make whether she will go back to the only world she has every known or take a chance on a new life and trust in love.
The Wild Card addresses so many elements from gambling to abused women, from loss and grief to abandonment. There is so much depth in this story. There is a romance, but that takes second place to Carla and these other women who have come to this isolated place, licking their wounds and needing a new start. It was heartwarming and low-key dramatic. The feisty old ladies, AdaLou and Nancy along with Rosie, and the young ones like Scarlett and Carla, later Tressa who have a lovely multi-generational friendship are the heart of the story.
All in all, this was another brilliant gem by Carolyn Brown and I recommend it for those who want to coze up with a story full of country charm and heart.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer 2.18.26.
The Wild Card opens with Carla losing her big money stake at a backroom poker game in Tuscon, AZ. Other than ten dollars and a crumpled up deed to a diner put in the pot earlier, she’s got nothing left in the world. With not just a little fear, bitterness, and a whole lot of exhaustion, she points her car east to West Texas and that diner that hopefully will not only make enough to live on, but rebuild her stake before she sells it.
She’s not in the Tumbleweed Diner a day when Rosalie the cook and Scarlett the waitress convince her that the diner deserves an owner who isn’t a gambler only stopping in once a month to bleed it dry and put nothing into it. Carla knows little about running a diner so she wisely lets Rosalie manager her and she works as a much needed second waitress especially when the bus stop crowds roll in. Mathilda, the woman who originally owned the diner saw this dusty, desert spot on the highway as a haven for women who need to get a new start in their life and heal from the past. Carla can read people and sees that both these women have pasts that they aren’t willing to share unless she proves she’s a stayer and not a tumbleweed like Mathilda’s nephew who lost the diner in a poker game.
Carla has no plans to stick around past the six months it will take to build her stake. She’s only known the nomad life of a gambler and only feels alive when in a game, but Rosie’s strict religious rules, Scarlett’s friendliness, AdaLou and Nancy at the nearby trailer park as well as the handsome, sexy Jackson located in the area for a long-term oil drilling job all make her tentatively start to put down roots.
She never considered her pro gambling as an addiction since it had been a way of life since she was fourteen and went on the road with Frank after her mom died. Each day at the Tumbleweed loosens the hold her old life has on her. And, as she grows closer to the women she gets to learn each of their pasts and opens up to share her own. Retired from the military and from a wealthy Texas family, Jackson turns out to be a man with the patience and care to be into Carla and let her slowly work through what it is to be in her first real relationship and trust that he’s a very different man from all the others she has known and disappointed her in the past. She has a choice to make whether she will go back to the only world she has every known or take a chance on a new life and trust in love.
The Wild Card addresses so many elements from gambling to abused women, from loss and grief to abandonment. There is so much depth in this story. There is a romance, but that takes second place to Carla and these other women who have come to this isolated place, licking their wounds and needing a new start. It was heartwarming and low-key dramatic. The feisty old ladies, AdaLou and Nancy along with Rosie, and the young ones like Scarlett and Carla, later Tressa who have a lovely multi-generational friendship are the heart of the story.
All in all, this was another brilliant gem by Carolyn Brown and I recommend it for those who want to coze up with a story full of country charm and heart.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer 2.18.26.
November 13, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
First, thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the audiobook ARC.
So… The Wild Card wasn’t a bad listen at all, but I’ll be honest, I struggled to fully connect with the story and the characters.
Our FMC, Carla, is a professional poker player who loses everything one night ... except her car and, somehow, wins a deed to a small-town Texas diner. She heads there planning to sell it and move on, but of course life has other plans: a motherly cook, a cheerful waitress, and a green-eyed ex-military gentleman named Jackson who might just be the real jackpot.
On paper, it’s got everything I usually love: found family, healing, second chances and love after loss. But I didn’t really buy the “professional poker player” angle; it felt more like aimless gambling than skill or strategy. And while I can appreciate themes of faith and hope, this story leaned more religious than I prefer ... if I’d known it had such strong Christian undertones, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up.
Still, it’s a comforting story about starting over and finding home in unexpected places. Sweet, simple, but not a big winner for me personally.
First, thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the audiobook ARC.
So… The Wild Card wasn’t a bad listen at all, but I’ll be honest, I struggled to fully connect with the story and the characters.
Our FMC, Carla, is a professional poker player who loses everything one night ... except her car and, somehow, wins a deed to a small-town Texas diner. She heads there planning to sell it and move on, but of course life has other plans: a motherly cook, a cheerful waitress, and a green-eyed ex-military gentleman named Jackson who might just be the real jackpot.
On paper, it’s got everything I usually love: found family, healing, second chances and love after loss. But I didn’t really buy the “professional poker player” angle; it felt more like aimless gambling than skill or strategy. And while I can appreciate themes of faith and hope, this story leaned more religious than I prefer ... if I’d known it had such strong Christian undertones, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up.
Still, it’s a comforting story about starting over and finding home in unexpected places. Sweet, simple, but not a big winner for me personally.
May 4, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ i’m so confused because it just ended so abruptly???
June 21, 2026
good book
I would recommend this book to my friends. This is a very easy listening audio book. It has a nice story line.
I would recommend this book to my friends. This is a very easy listening audio book. It has a nice story line.
June 22, 2026
Super Cute
This was a total feel good book. I couldn't put it down. If you want a fast happy read this is the one.
This was a total feel good book. I couldn't put it down. If you want a fast happy read this is the one.
June 30, 2026
hated it
Too pat. It felt like people from the 1950’s being wedged into today. No character depth at all. The whole thing was odd and I had to force myself yo read it.
Too pat. It felt like people from the 1950’s being wedged into today. No character depth at all. The whole thing was odd and I had to force myself yo read it.
August 26, 2025
A girl who’s spent her whole life running from the pain of her past, roaming the country playing poker with no one to think of but herself. But what happens when your luck runs out?
I loved reading this story about a women who thought she deserved to be alone, and that no one could ever love her. Those were just the cards she was dealt, and she had accepted she would spend her life alone. But when Lady Luck runs out, and she’s forced into a life she never saw coming...She learns that no matter what your past looks like, everyone can find people who love and accept you despite your faults. She may even maybe find that happily ever after everyone is chasing...
I loved reading this story about a women who thought she deserved to be alone, and that no one could ever love her. Those were just the cards she was dealt, and she had accepted she would spend her life alone. But when Lady Luck runs out, and she’s forced into a life she never saw coming...She learns that no matter what your past looks like, everyone can find people who love and accept you despite your faults. She may even maybe find that happily ever after everyone is chasing...
Did Not Finish
September 24, 2026clunky/cringey conversation I just couldn’t get through
February 13, 2026
I wish I could do half stars. 4.5 stars. Absolutely loved this one. Such a sweet deep story
April 5, 2026
4.25✨
This was a random find on KU and I am so glad I read it! I loved it! What a great story of found family, starting over, and second chances!
This was a random find on KU and I am so glad I read it! I loved it! What a great story of found family, starting over, and second chances!
December 3, 2025
3.5 stars
For me,the best part of The Wild Card by Carloyn Brown was the setting. The Tumbleweed diner, the beautiful but sometimes harsh nature, the smallest of small town with unique people..I felt like I was transported to another world. It worked as a perfect backdrop of Carla's life as it changed drastically for good . It held some heartaching stories about the amazing people who surrounded Carla and those shaped her heart.
Carla lived on the edge since she was very young. Courtesy to a neglectful father who taught her poker and then took her all over USA when she was supposed to have a carefree childhood. She has been a professional gambler, living a reckless and high speed lifestyle. After an unexpectedly bad poker game, she is left with just a deed to Tumbleweed dinner. In middle of nowhere. Just on the side of highway. She wants to leave as soon as she has money but Scarlett and Rosie, the two women working in the cafe starts making her feel grounded. She feels she can have a home. Somewhere to put her root down. Enter Jackson Armstrong. The handsome charming ex Marine who also comes from oil tycoon family and is settling in the area for now. Who is interested in her. And all this can be a bit overwhelming for Carla
This book gave me more of woman's fiction vibe than romance. Jackson was definitely an important part of Carla starting to believe that she is worthy of happily ever after. But it was shadowed by her friendship with Scarlett and Rosie. Both have stories and Tumbleweed gave them shelter. Carla thought she would not fit into this slow unexciting life but she actually found peace and comfort Also there is wise and sweet and sassy Ada who makes her feel like having a grandmother. Tumbleweed doesn't have directions but this diner and then the small town provided Carla some. She was floating without real love so long. It was that kind of story that makes me feel hopeful and warm. The meticulously crafted vivid settings made me lost in the story.
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily
For me,the best part of The Wild Card by Carloyn Brown was the setting. The Tumbleweed diner, the beautiful but sometimes harsh nature, the smallest of small town with unique people..I felt like I was transported to another world. It worked as a perfect backdrop of Carla's life as it changed drastically for good . It held some heartaching stories about the amazing people who surrounded Carla and those shaped her heart.
Carla lived on the edge since she was very young. Courtesy to a neglectful father who taught her poker and then took her all over USA when she was supposed to have a carefree childhood. She has been a professional gambler, living a reckless and high speed lifestyle. After an unexpectedly bad poker game, she is left with just a deed to Tumbleweed dinner. In middle of nowhere. Just on the side of highway. She wants to leave as soon as she has money but Scarlett and Rosie, the two women working in the cafe starts making her feel grounded. She feels she can have a home. Somewhere to put her root down. Enter Jackson Armstrong. The handsome charming ex Marine who also comes from oil tycoon family and is settling in the area for now. Who is interested in her. And all this can be a bit overwhelming for Carla
This book gave me more of woman's fiction vibe than romance. Jackson was definitely an important part of Carla starting to believe that she is worthy of happily ever after. But it was shadowed by her friendship with Scarlett and Rosie. Both have stories and Tumbleweed gave them shelter. Carla thought she would not fit into this slow unexciting life but she actually found peace and comfort Also there is wise and sweet and sassy Ada who makes her feel like having a grandmother. Tumbleweed doesn't have directions but this diner and then the small town provided Carla some. She was floating without real love so long. It was that kind of story that makes me feel hopeful and warm. The meticulously crafted vivid settings made me lost in the story.
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily
February 27, 2026
Typical love story
June 30, 2026
The Wild Card by Carolyn Brown (2025)
xi+259-page Kindle Ebook story pages 1-256
Genre: Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Rating as a movie: PG-15 for adult situations
Featuring: Praise, Bibliography for Carolyn Brown, Professional Poker Player, Tricenarian, Tucson, Arizona; New Year's Day, Diner, El Paso, Texas; Fictional Small-Town Texas near Dell City, Texas; Rural Community, Military Veteran, Roommates, Friendships, Found Family, Self-Actualization, Motherless, Cafe Staff, Sweet But Sassy Old Ladies, Octogenarian, Churchgoers, Ashley McBryde, Violence, Sex - Off-Camera, Dysfunctional Relationships, Kentucky, Healing, Overcomers, Letter From Author, Website Link
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🃏☕️🍽🇨🇱
My thoughts: I don't even know what number The Wild Card is for me at this point, but I have read quite a few Carolyn Brown books and she rarely disappoints. In fact, this might be her best one yet—or at least in recent memory. I absolutely adored this story.
It leans heavily into women's fiction, though it has some lovely elements of romance woven in. The plot follows Carla (professionally known as Clara), who is at a major crossroads in her life. After an unexpected poker game win leaves her as the new owner of a cafe, her luck takes a turn and she finds herself completely broke—exactly one gas tank away from the small town where her new property sits. While she initially hopes to just make some quick money and head right back to Vegas, the tight-knit community she discovers has other ideas, and her journey there was beautifully executed.
I am so excited because the very next book in my stack is the latest release from Carolyn Brown; otherwise, I would be ruminating over this beautiful story for a lot longer!
Recommend to others: Yes! And if you're looking for flowers on covers, this book has flowers on the wallpaper.
Songs for the soundtrack: "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers, "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Bonfire At Tina's" by Ashley McBryde featuring Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark, and Pillbox Patti, "Keep It Between The Lines" by Ricky Van Shelton, "Martha Divine" by Ashley McBryde, "Girl Going Nowhere" by Ashley McBryde, "Starting Over" by Chris Stapleton, "Small Town Hypocrite" by Caylee Hammack, "Hell on Heels" by Pistol Annies, "Light On In The Kitchen" by Ashley McBryde, "I Just Wanna Be Mad" by Terri Clark, "When I See You" by Aaron Watson, "Made For You" by Jake Owen
Books and Authors mentioned: Hummingbird Lane by Carolyn Brown, The Daydream Cabin by Carolyn Brown, by Miss Janie’s Girls by Carolyn Brown, The Banty House by Carolyn Brown, The Family Journal by Carolyn Brown, The Empty Nesters by Carolyn Brown, The Perfect Dress by Carolyn Brown, The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown, Small Town Rumors by Carolyn Brown, The Sometimes Sisters by Carolyn Brown, The Wizard of Oz by Noel Langley [based on] The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum; NCIS: New Orleans by Gary Glasberg [based on] NCIS by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill; Groundhog Day by Danny Rubin, Philip Marlowe, and Michael Kelly; Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz [based on] Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz; Sweet Home Alabama by Douglas J. Eboch and C. Jay Cox, The Bourne Identity by Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron [based on] The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum; Cinderella by Charles Perrault, Friends by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, Shooter by Jonathan Lemkin [based on] Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter;
Memorable Quotes: I stopped what I was doing and sniffed the air. “What is Rosie cooking? It smells delicious.” “Don’t you know? This is New Year’s Day,” Scarlett answered. “What does that have to do with anything?” “Well, what do you eat then?” she asked. “Frank only had one tradition on New Year’s. We never gambled until one minute past midnight.” “Why? And who is Frank?” “Because superstition had it that whatever a person did on New Year’s Day, they would do all year. He said if we lost, then we would be losers,” I answered. “And he’s the man who taught me to play poker.” “But what if you won?” Scarlett asked. “He didn’t allow us to tempt fate. I did when I played poker in Tucson. I should have walked away a few minutes before midnight.” She finished loading her bin and headed for the kitchen. “But what if you just think you lost? What if you really won?” I cut my eyes around at the café, or diner, or bus stop—whatever it was called. Could she be right? “Rosie is making ham, black-eyed peas, collard greens, cheesy potatoes, and lazy-daisy oatmeal cake,” Scarlett answered. “That’s the special lunch on New Year’s Day. I never did like greens until I tasted how Rosie fixes them. She seasons them up real good with bacon. I just hope there’s lots of leftovers.” “Why?” “Because when we close up each day, we take them home for supper.”
“This is Saturday. That means beef tips over noodles, green beans, a house salad, and a bowl of peach crisp, all for the price of . . .” She quoted the price with a grin. “Wait for it, wait for it . . . You get a free drink with the order, and there’s no charge for a scoop of ice cream on top of the dessert.” “Every Saturday?” “Yes, and Sunday is chicken and dressing. Monday is spaghetti and meatballs, and so on. The same thing on each day of the week—but I don’t mind. I love every one of them.” I wrote Saturday’s Lunch Special and then what Scarlett had told me. Evidently, in this part of the world, Groundhog Day lasted a week.
“What’s the difference between a diner and a café? And which one is the Tumbleweed? The sign says Tumbleweed Bus Stop and Diner, but Ada Lou calls it a café.” “I remember asking Matilda that same question,” Rosalie answered. “She said that in the beginning, this place was considered a diner since it only served breakfast until about eleven o’clock. And after that, only sandwiches and food that folks on the buses could grab and go. When she began to get business from travelers other than those catching a bus or stopping for a break, she began to fix one hot meal a day and called it the lunch special. It grew from that to the menu we have today.” “Short answer,” Scarlett said, “is that the words are now interchangeable.”
xi+259-page Kindle Ebook story pages 1-256
Genre: Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Rating as a movie: PG-15 for adult situations
Featuring: Praise, Bibliography for Carolyn Brown, Professional Poker Player, Tricenarian, Tucson, Arizona; New Year's Day, Diner, El Paso, Texas; Fictional Small-Town Texas near Dell City, Texas; Rural Community, Military Veteran, Roommates, Friendships, Found Family, Self-Actualization, Motherless, Cafe Staff, Sweet But Sassy Old Ladies, Octogenarian, Churchgoers, Ashley McBryde, Violence, Sex - Off-Camera, Dysfunctional Relationships, Kentucky, Healing, Overcomers, Letter From Author, Website Link
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🃏☕️🍽🇨🇱
My thoughts: I don't even know what number The Wild Card is for me at this point, but I have read quite a few Carolyn Brown books and she rarely disappoints. In fact, this might be her best one yet—or at least in recent memory. I absolutely adored this story.
It leans heavily into women's fiction, though it has some lovely elements of romance woven in. The plot follows Carla (professionally known as Clara), who is at a major crossroads in her life. After an unexpected poker game win leaves her as the new owner of a cafe, her luck takes a turn and she finds herself completely broke—exactly one gas tank away from the small town where her new property sits. While she initially hopes to just make some quick money and head right back to Vegas, the tight-knit community she discovers has other ideas, and her journey there was beautifully executed.
I am so excited because the very next book in my stack is the latest release from Carolyn Brown; otherwise, I would be ruminating over this beautiful story for a lot longer!
Recommend to others: Yes! And if you're looking for flowers on covers, this book has flowers on the wallpaper.
Songs for the soundtrack: "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers, "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Bonfire At Tina's" by Ashley McBryde featuring Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark, and Pillbox Patti, "Keep It Between The Lines" by Ricky Van Shelton, "Martha Divine" by Ashley McBryde, "Girl Going Nowhere" by Ashley McBryde, "Starting Over" by Chris Stapleton, "Small Town Hypocrite" by Caylee Hammack, "Hell on Heels" by Pistol Annies, "Light On In The Kitchen" by Ashley McBryde, "I Just Wanna Be Mad" by Terri Clark, "When I See You" by Aaron Watson, "Made For You" by Jake Owen
Books and Authors mentioned: Hummingbird Lane by Carolyn Brown, The Daydream Cabin by Carolyn Brown, by Miss Janie’s Girls by Carolyn Brown, The Banty House by Carolyn Brown, The Family Journal by Carolyn Brown, The Empty Nesters by Carolyn Brown, The Perfect Dress by Carolyn Brown, The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown, Small Town Rumors by Carolyn Brown, The Sometimes Sisters by Carolyn Brown, The Wizard of Oz by Noel Langley [based on] The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum; NCIS: New Orleans by Gary Glasberg [based on] NCIS by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill; Groundhog Day by Danny Rubin, Philip Marlowe, and Michael Kelly; Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz [based on] Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz; Sweet Home Alabama by Douglas J. Eboch and C. Jay Cox, The Bourne Identity by Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron [based on] The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum; Cinderella by Charles Perrault, Friends by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, Shooter by Jonathan Lemkin [based on] Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter;
Memorable Quotes: I stopped what I was doing and sniffed the air. “What is Rosie cooking? It smells delicious.” “Don’t you know? This is New Year’s Day,” Scarlett answered. “What does that have to do with anything?” “Well, what do you eat then?” she asked. “Frank only had one tradition on New Year’s. We never gambled until one minute past midnight.” “Why? And who is Frank?” “Because superstition had it that whatever a person did on New Year’s Day, they would do all year. He said if we lost, then we would be losers,” I answered. “And he’s the man who taught me to play poker.” “But what if you won?” Scarlett asked. “He didn’t allow us to tempt fate. I did when I played poker in Tucson. I should have walked away a few minutes before midnight.” She finished loading her bin and headed for the kitchen. “But what if you just think you lost? What if you really won?” I cut my eyes around at the café, or diner, or bus stop—whatever it was called. Could she be right? “Rosie is making ham, black-eyed peas, collard greens, cheesy potatoes, and lazy-daisy oatmeal cake,” Scarlett answered. “That’s the special lunch on New Year’s Day. I never did like greens until I tasted how Rosie fixes them. She seasons them up real good with bacon. I just hope there’s lots of leftovers.” “Why?” “Because when we close up each day, we take them home for supper.”
“This is Saturday. That means beef tips over noodles, green beans, a house salad, and a bowl of peach crisp, all for the price of . . .” She quoted the price with a grin. “Wait for it, wait for it . . . You get a free drink with the order, and there’s no charge for a scoop of ice cream on top of the dessert.” “Every Saturday?” “Yes, and Sunday is chicken and dressing. Monday is spaghetti and meatballs, and so on. The same thing on each day of the week—but I don’t mind. I love every one of them.” I wrote Saturday’s Lunch Special and then what Scarlett had told me. Evidently, in this part of the world, Groundhog Day lasted a week.
“What’s the difference between a diner and a café? And which one is the Tumbleweed? The sign says Tumbleweed Bus Stop and Diner, but Ada Lou calls it a café.” “I remember asking Matilda that same question,” Rosalie answered. “She said that in the beginning, this place was considered a diner since it only served breakfast until about eleven o’clock. And after that, only sandwiches and food that folks on the buses could grab and go. When she began to get business from travelers other than those catching a bus or stopping for a break, she began to fix one hot meal a day and called it the lunch special. It grew from that to the menu we have today.” “Short answer,” Scarlett said, “is that the words are now interchangeable.”
July 4, 2026
A Story about Powerful Women !
This was a story about some very strong women! They became a family of their own and became stronger together. They would learn from each other. They built relationships together and worked together. They all had their own sad stories. But, in the end they each got the life they deserved!!
This was a story about some very strong women! They became a family of their own and became stronger together. They would learn from each other. They built relationships together and worked together. They all had their own sad stories. But, in the end they each got the life they deserved!!
February 3, 2026
Breath of fresh air
I love the strength written into all the women of this book. Zero spice but that only made you concentrate on the real story all the women in the book.
I love the strength written into all the women of this book. Zero spice but that only made you concentrate on the real story all the women in the book.
June 30, 2026
good old fashion read
I just love how no matter the bad times you can change if you really want to. The future is up to you
I just love how no matter the bad times you can change if you really want to. The future is up to you
June 30, 2026
Fun, quick read! Perfect for Summer!
November 15, 2025
The Wild Card is one of Carolyn Brown’s inspiring stories. Professional gambler, Carla wins the Tumbleweed bus stop and diner in a poker game that also left her flat broke. She has every intension of selling it as soon as she can. Living in a trailer with cook Rosie and waitress Scarlett and learning their stories is the beginning of a change in Carla’s perception of family and trust. Carla starts to understand the meaning of friends and family something she missed once her mother passed away. Her discovery changes her perspective on life but also provides her an opportunity to change the direction of her life as well as helping others. This strong women and supporting women story is a must read. Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity
December 5, 2025
The Wild Card by Carolyn Brown was such a heartwarming read. The themes of found family, planting roots, and discovering one’s true self are woven together beautifully. I fell in love with the characters and felt genuinely attached to their friendships. The small town setting is full of healing, warmth, and love, making the story feel both comforting and uplifting. I really enjoyed this one and am so grateful to have had the chance to read it early!
February 23, 2026
Good book, unexpected story line
I actually wish there would have been more of the story, I feel like it could have gone on a bit longer
I actually wish there would have been more of the story, I feel like it could have gone on a bit longer
August 14, 2026
This book was one of the best books I’ve read in a while. I came across it completely on a whim while scrolling through books on Kindle Unlimited, and I’m so glad I did.
It wasn’t some profound, life-changing novel, but it caught my attention from the beginning and kept it all the way through. There was just something about the simplicity of it that I really loved. It was sweet from beginning to end. A simple but really powerful story about women who bond through past trauma, find healing, and then come together to help the next woman who comes along.
I loved how it glorified simple lives. No big city, no glamorous jobs, no over-the-top love stories. Just simple, fulfilling lives and people finding happiness in the little things.
I also really loved that so much of the story was about finding your family, and how that family doesn’t always have to be blood. Sometimes the people who come into your life and choose to love you, support you, and stand by you become more of a family than the people you were actually born into.
I loved the religious parts of the story too, especially how two friends who have different religions can still celebrate, respect, and support each other. It was just a really beautiful part of their friendship.
There is just so much healing that happens in this tiny diner in the middle of nowhere in Texas. It’s a story about friendship, family, faith, healing, and women helping other women. It was simple, it was sweet, and I just really loved it.
It's available on Kindle Unlimited with included audio! The narrator was great and I listened to most of this book.
It wasn’t some profound, life-changing novel, but it caught my attention from the beginning and kept it all the way through. There was just something about the simplicity of it that I really loved. It was sweet from beginning to end. A simple but really powerful story about women who bond through past trauma, find healing, and then come together to help the next woman who comes along.
I loved how it glorified simple lives. No big city, no glamorous jobs, no over-the-top love stories. Just simple, fulfilling lives and people finding happiness in the little things.
I also really loved that so much of the story was about finding your family, and how that family doesn’t always have to be blood. Sometimes the people who come into your life and choose to love you, support you, and stand by you become more of a family than the people you were actually born into.
I loved the religious parts of the story too, especially how two friends who have different religions can still celebrate, respect, and support each other. It was just a really beautiful part of their friendship.
There is just so much healing that happens in this tiny diner in the middle of nowhere in Texas. It’s a story about friendship, family, faith, healing, and women helping other women. It was simple, it was sweet, and I just really loved it.
It's available on Kindle Unlimited with included audio! The narrator was great and I listened to most of this book.
August 29, 2026
loved “The Wild Card”!
I seriously could not put this book down until I was finished! Great story line. It’s amazing what having a few good friends can do for you.
I seriously could not put this book down until I was finished! Great story line. It’s amazing what having a few good friends can do for you.
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