The Sunday House

by Elizabeth Bromke

A bookish girl. A stranger in a storm. A secret eighteen years in the making.

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Summer Society, a tender coming-of-age story for anyone who was ever a daughter.

Ava Martin was a reader, first. If she didn't have a book, it was only because she'd run out.

Desperate Pines had no real library. Just the county's leftovers, hauled in on the bed of a truck the last Friday of every month and left at St. Ann's, the shuttered old church next door. And Ava had the key. But there hadn't been a delivery in months.

Still every Saturday, from sunup to long past dark, she let herself into the drafty stone chapel. And she waited. And she read.

And one stormy summer night? Someone finally came.

What he left behind would unspool everything Ava thought she knew. Where she came from. Who she belonged to. Why the woman who raised her had kept eighteen years of Sundays a secret. And it would start a clock she didn't know was running.

Told with vivid prose and emotional weight, The Sunday House is a story about forgiveness and first love, about the family we're given and the family we search for. For anyone who longs for yesteryear, and everyone still aching to be known.

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2026

About the author

Elizabeth Bromke is the USA Today bestselling author of The Summer Society and The Innkeepers and over 30 more titles set in the heartland.

Across her works, readers will find buried family secrets, slow-burn sweet romance, and, of course, the true meaning of home.

Come for the quaint houses, stay for the beautiful writing. Elizabeth is about to be your next favorite small-town storyteller.

Share your own story with her at elizabethbromkebooks.com

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid Coming Of Age Story In Different Eras And Promising New Series. This is one of the more interesting books I've read in quite some time mostly because of how Bromke uses so many different elements in atypical mashups to create such a compelling tale. There's elements of everything from Stephen King's Carrie to William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with a bit of Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers and even S.E. Hinton's Outsiders to boot... or this could be my hyper-connective Autistic brain making connections that *no one* else will see. Read the book, write your own damn review, and let me know what you think there. I'm genuinely curious to see if anyone else picks up on these things... and yes, I'm going to ask Bromke directly if even *she* knew these things were there. :D

Even without the connections to the Masters though, this is a solid and compelling tale in its own right, set 18+ years apart (one particular event, but at least some time leading to it, along with its immediate fallout in one timeline, 18 ish years after that event in the more current timeline). Both feature strong coming of age stories, the more current one features a strong mystery component as our lead in that timeline seeks answers that we as the reader are getting from the earlier timeline's tale - and Bromke manages the pacing, foreshadowing, cliffhangers, and reveals all quite well within this tight, barely 200 page tale (as is her style, at least in my own reading of many of her books).

This is absolutely one of those books that will suck you right in as the kids are playing at the pool or on the beach in this late summer release window at the end of July when the book releases, or perhaps while waiting on practices and games as the school year and its associated sports and activities begin in early fall - and again, with its fairly short length, will be a fairly quick read while so waiting.

And yes, you're going to want Book 2 in your hands when this one ends... which is always a great thing, but also one that makes being an Advance Review Copy reader in particular that much more... fun. Let's go with fun.

Very much recommended.

[Elaine Coghlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sunday House ~Desperate Pines #1 by Elizabeth Bromke.
Elizabeth Bromke has once again delivered an unforgettable read. I have always enjoyed her books, but The Sunday House may be one of my favourites yet. Her writing is beautifully descriptive, effortlessly drawing readers into the story and making every scene come alive. The characters are so well developed that they feel like real people, and I found myself completely invested in their journeys.

As the first book in the Desperate Pines series, The Sunday House is an outstanding introduction to a fascinating new world. Ava and Lena are brought together through their searches for answers about their pasts, and their stories unfold in a way that is both emotional and compelling. The mystery is expertly woven throughout the novel, keeping me intrigued and eager to discover the truth alongside them.

The storyline is strong, engaging, and beautifully crafted. From the very first page, I was captivated and found it difficult to put the book down. The combination of rich storytelling, intriguing characters, and a well-paced plot makes this a truly memorable read.

I highly recommend The Sunday House to anyone who enjoys character-driven stories with mystery, heart, and depth. This is a fantastic start to the Desperate Pines series, and I am already looking forward to reading the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a couple of years since Elizabeth Bromke released a book, and it was so nice to be reminded why I enjoy her storytelling so much. No one writes interconnected women's fiction quite like she does, and The Sunday House is a wonderful start to what promises to be another memorable series.

Told through dual timelines, the 70s and 90s, the story follows Lana and Ava in two coming-of-age journeys set in small-town life. I loved watching their stories unfold, and each timeline offered its own emotional journey while slowly revealing how everything fit together.

One of my favorite parts of Ava's story was the cast of side characters. They brought so much warmth to the page, and I especially loved the found-family element in her story. The relationships felt genuine and added another layer of heart to the story.

As the pieces started falling into place, I was convinced I had figured out how the characters were connected; I was partially right. The twist caught me completely by surprise, and I loved that Elizabeth Bromke still keeps me guessing.

Filled with family secrets, forgiveness, belonging, and hope, The Sunday House is an emotional, character-driven story. I'm already looking forward to returning to Desperate Pines and seeing how the rest of the stories unfold.

I received an early digital copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Lia Lorimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars after the initial completion
A dual time-line novel telling the story of Lena and Ava, each of them at eighteen years of age. The connection between the two is revealed towards the end of the book, resulting in some very mixed feelings…
Set before the age of technology, the characters rely on traditional methods of communication and moderate, but divergent lifestyles with Lena’s upbringing a significant contrast to the love and acceptance Ava is accustomed to. A common element among many of the characters is their love of reading, which features largely in the narrative.
New readers may initially begin what appears to be a straightforward tale of two girls living in differing eras of the late twentieth century; however, Ms Bromke soon reveals a profound story that warrants a much closer examination. The author’s guide for discussion questions made me realise that this book should be read a second time to gain the full impact of Lena and Ava’s story.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charlie Sandino · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sunday House was quite the read, the story, characters and the setting making it feel like a true story.
The book is a dual timeline, the main characters are Ava and Lena. It is a story of mysterious paths and to finding themselves. They come across different important clues to the past and present. Ava is searching for her birth mother and as she goes along things don't turn out as imagined. The story unravels nicely and your eager to follow along in the storytelling with an eagerness and interest. Life in a trailer court wasn't what Lena's mother wanted for herself and her family searching for better. Ava set out to find her roots after getting a message, it leads her into something of an adventure and a special book leading her the way. I did enjoy this book a lot and can definitely recommend it. I appreciate the opportunity to have read and review this book. I look forward to the next book i the series.

Charlotte N

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting mystery about a young girl trying to find herself without much to go on at all. For some reason that remains to be discovered, her whole life she's been given little to no information about where she came from and she has no idea why.

The book does pull you in and it does keep you guessing, even if it does seem to go in a few directions that make you wonder why they are included in the story. I think the author is setting us up for the rest of the series with anything that might be missing from this storyline - or at least that's what I'm hoping.

At the end, I did finish wanting to know more about the girl who was discovering who she was, and I would look forward to reading another book on the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first of a series is done in dual timeline. It's a coming of age story that is also about family and love and trying to find where you belong in life.

The story is about Ava, a young woman who upon the death of the woman who raised her, is on a journey to try to find information about her birth parents. She starts finding clues in the books that have been delivered to her over the years by an unknown person.

Bromke deals out tidbits of information in a skillful manner that keeps you slowly putting the pieces together as to who the real parents are. I love the layers of romance that are also thrown in. I can't wait to see where the next book goes.

Thanks to the author for the digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sunday House is a dual timeline, coming of age story about 2 young women born 18 years apart, and eventually the connection between them. Lena, the older girl ,experienced little love in her life. Ava yearns to know about her origins but was raised on a little populated mountain by a warm, loving lady named Mads. Upon Mads death, Ava starts searching for her birth parents. Clues are liberally sprinkled throughout the book in both timelines. The story will draw the reader into the lives of these two young women and the mystery of Ava's birth. While this well plotted book is a complete story it also sets up a series ARC. The book grabbed my attention and kept it until I reached the end.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dual timeline book about two 18 year old young women, relationship unknown for much of the book. Both girls have always read and are intelligent. But they have two very different upbringings and lives. Both live with secrets.

The story is confusing at first and decisions are made that are not necessarily clear. Although some of the secrets are revealed bit by bit, this book clearly leads into another one. For me, the last chapters are unfulfilling and raise a lot more questions. Perhaps the next book will answer them for me.

I received an early copy of the e-book from Booksprout and the author.

[Michelle Dodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of women's fiction than a romance. It is clean.

This is about a girl who becomes pregnant and runs away to have her baby. The baby grows up knowing she is adopted.After her mother dies, she trying to find out information about her birth parents. She's never really been off the mountain. What will she find?

This was an interesting story. It went back between past and present. you have slight idea of what is going on, but there is definitely some surprises. It was a good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jacqueline Johnston Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written story with dual timelines, some mystery and well crafted, intriguing characters. It captures your attention from page one and with twists and turns keeps you invested in the story to the end. It's a smooth flow read with depth and moves along at a comfortable pace but you'll be compelled to keep reading to find out what happens. Such a captivating story and I'm so happy there will be more books in the series. Wonderful, heartfelt reading that you don’t want to miss out on!.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mads and Ava live a quiet life, it isn’t until Mads dies that Ava learns the truth. The author posed a good question in the book club guide at the back of the book, “would truth have changed anything “? Ava learns at the end who her parents were. It was interesting to read the past with the present so you got the full story. I enjoyed reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Julia Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sad story for me. Facing a loss, Ava begins searching for her biological parents, wanting to find a connection to the past. Along the way she finds more questions than answers. I really wanted a different outcome for this book, and had difficulty following the story as it went back and forth between time periods.

[Lela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of a very memorable young girl, Lena, whose life changes suddenly. She makes a choice that is devastating to herself, but it also shows us her true destiny. I was immersed in the culture and time period of this book which I also lived through. The author’s descriptive settings contributed to making this a beautiful book.

[Melba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book, and it was such an interesting read. Full of emotions & also suspense. I truly enjoyed reading this book, and I would love to read even more of these characters. There were some surprises in the story, but at least they were good ones. Well worth the time to read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Fleur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved getting to know Lana and Ava and seeing their stories unfold and while I'm not always a fan of dual timelines, this is done so well that it's seamless. I really enjoyed going on the journey of discovering the past and finding who you are which is close to me as I am also adopted.
This was a wonderful read and I can not wait for the next in the series.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a mysterious read. Figuring out who everyone was and how they fit together. There was romance, but it was so sad. It at least ends on a good note.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great start to a new series. It's a dual timeline that is full of emotions and keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next. I look forward to the next book in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Paula Genereau · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. I absolutely loved it.

[Jill Clark mcnenly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was a little confusing at the beginning but a good, easy reading book. Mother daughter mystery.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.