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Miss Janie's Girls
A bittersweet reunion becomes a time for looking back and starting over in a heartwarming new novel from New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.
Miss Janie is at the end of a long and full life, but she has no intention of crossing that finish line until she’s found her girls…
It’s been ten years since Teresa and Kayla shook off the dust of Birthright, Texas, went their separate ways, and never looked back. Apart from their foster mom, Miss Janie, they don’t have many fond memories of their hometown. Or of each other. Still, neither can forget the kind woman who opened her home and heart to two teenagers in need.
When a private investigator—who just happens to be Miss Janie’s handsome nephew—tracks them both down and tells them Miss Janie is dying, Teresa and Kayla know deep down that they’ve got to be there for her as she had been there for them.
With Teresa and Kayla together again under the same roof, old tensions may flare, but with Miss Janie’s help, they might rediscover that home is the perfect place for new beginnings.
Miss Janie is at the end of a long and full life, but she has no intention of crossing that finish line until she’s found her girls…
It’s been ten years since Teresa and Kayla shook off the dust of Birthright, Texas, went their separate ways, and never looked back. Apart from their foster mom, Miss Janie, they don’t have many fond memories of their hometown. Or of each other. Still, neither can forget the kind woman who opened her home and heart to two teenagers in need.
When a private investigator—who just happens to be Miss Janie’s handsome nephew—tracks them both down and tells them Miss Janie is dying, Teresa and Kayla know deep down that they’ve got to be there for her as she had been there for them.
With Teresa and Kayla together again under the same roof, old tensions may flare, but with Miss Janie’s help, they might rediscover that home is the perfect place for new beginnings.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2020
4434 people are currently reading
4063 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Brown
181 books4,119 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 433 reviews
July 27, 2020
Karissa Vacker, did a lovely job with the narration capturing the emotions and accents as Brown transporting us to Birthright, Texas and introduced us to Miss Janie. Her pacing and tones enhanced this well-written story.
Sarah Jane Jackson known to all as Miss Janie has Alzheimer’s and is dying from cancer. She asks Noah, her nephew, to move in, handle her affairs and find her girls. It’s been ten years since Teresa and Kayla left Birthright. The tale that unfolds made me laugh, cry and wanting to hug those I love.
Miss Janie was a hoot, and everyone loves this woman. Teresa, Kayla and Noah each have baggage to overcome. Guilt for not calling & visiting, their own failures and fears, but time under Miss Janie’s roof has a way of mending things.
I loved the story that unfolded and found myself invested in the characters, developing romances and the people of Birthright, Texas. I wanted to pour a cold iced tea and join Miss Janie on the front porch for a spell.
Brown is a wonderful storyteller who brings her characters to life and makes the mundane and tragic beautiful. She weaves in her faith, but it isn’t preachy and felt genuine to her characters and their circumstance. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Sarah Jane Jackson known to all as Miss Janie has Alzheimer’s and is dying from cancer. She asks Noah, her nephew, to move in, handle her affairs and find her girls. It’s been ten years since Teresa and Kayla left Birthright. The tale that unfolds made me laugh, cry and wanting to hug those I love.
Miss Janie was a hoot, and everyone loves this woman. Teresa, Kayla and Noah each have baggage to overcome. Guilt for not calling & visiting, their own failures and fears, but time under Miss Janie’s roof has a way of mending things.
I loved the story that unfolded and found myself invested in the characters, developing romances and the people of Birthright, Texas. I wanted to pour a cold iced tea and join Miss Janie on the front porch for a spell.
Brown is a wonderful storyteller who brings her characters to life and makes the mundane and tragic beautiful. She weaves in her faith, but it isn’t preachy and felt genuine to her characters and their circumstance. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
May 28, 2025
The story starts with a prologue from Christmas Day 1961 where a pregnant teenager is forced by parents to give up her twins. Ater the babies are born and almost immediately taken from her; she is sent by her parents to live with Aunt Ruthie. Instead of the punishment her parents intended Sarah Jane Jackson, Janie to her friends, finds a home with Aunt Ruthie who really cares for her and does not judge her as Janie’s parents do.
Then it moves forward 60 years. Noah Jackson has moved back to Birthright, a small town in Texas, to his great aunt’s place. Miss Janie is his great aunt and Noah’s last living relative. Miss Janie has cancer. She not only wants Noah to be there to share her last days, but she wants him to find Teresa and Kayla, who she fostered when they were teenagers.
Even though he is a private detective, Noah doesn’t hold out a lot of hope that if he locates the two women they will a free to come back to Birthrght. (And yes, there is a real place called Birthright the author tells us in her note at the end of the book.) It has been ten years since Teresa and Kayla left Birthright and went their separate ways. Teresa and Kayla never got along as teenagers, so will they be able to coexist under the same roof again? But Miss Janie cared for them when they need it, how can they not be there for her? As well as the cancer eating away at her, Miss Janie also has dementia and that presents its own problems as she travels in her mind between times.
I wasn't that convinced by the beginning. It seemed a bit of a sadly, often told, story. But as the story moved on, it quickly started to draw me in. The longer it went on the more emotionally invested I became. Involving complex characters, who have had hard things to combat in life, I couldn’t help but get drawn into caring for them all. If you can get through this novel, without tears then you are stronger than me. Dealing with dementia and abuse, self-image, bullying and touches on racism, it covers some hard topics which could be triggers for some people. They are handled sensitively though.
This is a story of family, friendship, loyalty and community. Add in a romance or two and it makes a great read. Ultimately it is a story of home and hope.
Then it moves forward 60 years. Noah Jackson has moved back to Birthright, a small town in Texas, to his great aunt’s place. Miss Janie is his great aunt and Noah’s last living relative. Miss Janie has cancer. She not only wants Noah to be there to share her last days, but she wants him to find Teresa and Kayla, who she fostered when they were teenagers.
Even though he is a private detective, Noah doesn’t hold out a lot of hope that if he locates the two women they will a free to come back to Birthrght. (And yes, there is a real place called Birthright the author tells us in her note at the end of the book.) It has been ten years since Teresa and Kayla left Birthright and went their separate ways. Teresa and Kayla never got along as teenagers, so will they be able to coexist under the same roof again? But Miss Janie cared for them when they need it, how can they not be there for her? As well as the cancer eating away at her, Miss Janie also has dementia and that presents its own problems as she travels in her mind between times.
I wasn't that convinced by the beginning. It seemed a bit of a sadly, often told, story. But as the story moved on, it quickly started to draw me in. The longer it went on the more emotionally invested I became. Involving complex characters, who have had hard things to combat in life, I couldn’t help but get drawn into caring for them all. If you can get through this novel, without tears then you are stronger than me. Dealing with dementia and abuse, self-image, bullying and touches on racism, it covers some hard topics which could be triggers for some people. They are handled sensitively though.
This is a story of family, friendship, loyalty and community. Add in a romance or two and it makes a great read. Ultimately it is a story of home and hope.
June 10, 2022
An old woman is dying of cancer and suffering from dementia, she needs her girls to come home. And, though its been years and miles from that home, both the women need to be found and brought back to remember what family and home are all about. And, just maybe, they'll find what has eluded them is right back where they started.
Miss Janie's Girls is a heartwarming standalone women's fic full of country charm, feels, and some Texas two-stepping for a pair of feisty foster sisters and the woman who gave them unconditional love and home while suffering her own private pain. The heart of this story is the women's lives.
Janie who was a teenage mother who was forced out of her home and to give up her babies by cruel parents leaving a shadow on her soul until she could foster two abandoned girls. Now, her mind skips times and she jumps around in her memories even while her body deteriorates. I've not been around, but one or two folks suffering dementia, but the descriptions and character's portrayal rang true. My heart is now so sympathetic to those who must suffer this and those who love them.
Teresa is the oldest of Janie's foster girls. She is half Mexican and her mom was a drunk and known through the community for her revolving rusty trailer door to the men. She left Miss Janie's with stars in her eyes and determination to show all those people who looked down on her, but instead she was deceived by a cheating, lazy man and quit school to get married. Now, with her certificate to work in assisted care, she finds herself feeling guilty for no contact with Miss Janie all these years, but ready to come home and take care of her. If only she didn't have to see her arch-enemy former foster sister. Miss Janie's handsome great nephew Noah Jackson who as a PI was the one to track her down, still manages to make her skin tingle with just a touch. He is carrying his own personal burdens, but there is a spark between them if she can ever learn to trust again.
Kayla spent her teenage years full of anger and bitterness and couldn't wait to see the back of Birthright, TX. Too bad the boy she ran off with wasn't the bad boy rebel and more of a dead beat good-for-nothing. When her mom and step-dad rejected her because she was half-black and she was abused for everything that went wrong at home, she wasn't too worked up when they moved the family out to California and abandoned her as unwanted. Miss Janie gave her a home and stability, acceptance, and family. Too bad she had to run away and hit rock bottom before she appreciated it. Now, she is home and eying Teresa with suspicion and Miss Janie with a broken heart because she let so much time go by. Her bright spot is the high school nerd who now has a brilliant smile and a warm friendly support she needs about now.
Miss Janie's Girls is one emotional ride. It's not hectic as to pace, but gentle as it progresses through Miss Janie's last days and the family all together again. Each person including Noah has a tragic past and came from broken home situations, but family can be who you make it. Miss Janie's legacy is obvious and it's a good one. This was bittersweet, but also full of hope as the younger women healed and embraced a second chance.
The author opened my eyes to the earlier time person of recent past generations and what it was like for unwed girls who got pregnant and how they didn't have a lot of recourse for many things including birth control like now.
This was my first time with Karissa Vacker for a narrator. I know she has done at least one other Carolyn Brown book. She has a sweet voice that matches the tone of the story. She gives warmth and emotion, even the earlier anger in the women, so well. Her men voices were good. She doesn't really do the twang like some narrators do for books set in Texas, but I didn't mind.
All in all, this was a sleepy gem that lagged a little in places, but was sweetly, and sassily, triumphant in the end. I recommend it to those who enjoy a bit of country charm with their women's fiction and romance.
My thanks to Brilliance Audio and Net Galley for providing a copy of the book to listen to and read in exchange for an honest review.
Miss Janie's Girls is a heartwarming standalone women's fic full of country charm, feels, and some Texas two-stepping for a pair of feisty foster sisters and the woman who gave them unconditional love and home while suffering her own private pain. The heart of this story is the women's lives.
Janie who was a teenage mother who was forced out of her home and to give up her babies by cruel parents leaving a shadow on her soul until she could foster two abandoned girls. Now, her mind skips times and she jumps around in her memories even while her body deteriorates. I've not been around, but one or two folks suffering dementia, but the descriptions and character's portrayal rang true. My heart is now so sympathetic to those who must suffer this and those who love them.
Teresa is the oldest of Janie's foster girls. She is half Mexican and her mom was a drunk and known through the community for her revolving rusty trailer door to the men. She left Miss Janie's with stars in her eyes and determination to show all those people who looked down on her, but instead she was deceived by a cheating, lazy man and quit school to get married. Now, with her certificate to work in assisted care, she finds herself feeling guilty for no contact with Miss Janie all these years, but ready to come home and take care of her. If only she didn't have to see her arch-enemy former foster sister. Miss Janie's handsome great nephew Noah Jackson who as a PI was the one to track her down, still manages to make her skin tingle with just a touch. He is carrying his own personal burdens, but there is a spark between them if she can ever learn to trust again.
Kayla spent her teenage years full of anger and bitterness and couldn't wait to see the back of Birthright, TX. Too bad the boy she ran off with wasn't the bad boy rebel and more of a dead beat good-for-nothing. When her mom and step-dad rejected her because she was half-black and she was abused for everything that went wrong at home, she wasn't too worked up when they moved the family out to California and abandoned her as unwanted. Miss Janie gave her a home and stability, acceptance, and family. Too bad she had to run away and hit rock bottom before she appreciated it. Now, she is home and eying Teresa with suspicion and Miss Janie with a broken heart because she let so much time go by. Her bright spot is the high school nerd who now has a brilliant smile and a warm friendly support she needs about now.
Miss Janie's Girls is one emotional ride. It's not hectic as to pace, but gentle as it progresses through Miss Janie's last days and the family all together again. Each person including Noah has a tragic past and came from broken home situations, but family can be who you make it. Miss Janie's legacy is obvious and it's a good one. This was bittersweet, but also full of hope as the younger women healed and embraced a second chance.
The author opened my eyes to the earlier time person of recent past generations and what it was like for unwed girls who got pregnant and how they didn't have a lot of recourse for many things including birth control like now.
This was my first time with Karissa Vacker for a narrator. I know she has done at least one other Carolyn Brown book. She has a sweet voice that matches the tone of the story. She gives warmth and emotion, even the earlier anger in the women, so well. Her men voices were good. She doesn't really do the twang like some narrators do for books set in Texas, but I didn't mind.
All in all, this was a sleepy gem that lagged a little in places, but was sweetly, and sassily, triumphant in the end. I recommend it to those who enjoy a bit of country charm with their women's fiction and romance.
My thanks to Brilliance Audio and Net Galley for providing a copy of the book to listen to and read in exchange for an honest review.
May 18, 2021
This book was absolutely amazing and beautiful. Breathtakingly so.
It's one of those books that not only reminds you of the most important things in life but also has you evaluating your own and what you have been prioritizing.
This story captured the heartbreak and rapid fluctuations in Alzheimers and dementia. Luckily, Miss Janie still had her lucid moments but for many, that is not often the case especially nearing the end.
I loved the setting and the characters in this novel so much. If you like novels written by Nicholas Sparks, there's a good chance you'll like this story as well because it has all the same ingredients: emotion, love, and family (whether created through blood or not).
This novel was incredible and surpassed any of the high expectations that I had for the story prior to picking it up.
***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
It's one of those books that not only reminds you of the most important things in life but also has you evaluating your own and what you have been prioritizing.
This story captured the heartbreak and rapid fluctuations in Alzheimers and dementia. Luckily, Miss Janie still had her lucid moments but for many, that is not often the case especially nearing the end.
I loved the setting and the characters in this novel so much. If you like novels written by Nicholas Sparks, there's a good chance you'll like this story as well because it has all the same ingredients: emotion, love, and family (whether created through blood or not).
This novel was incredible and surpassed any of the high expectations that I had for the story prior to picking it up.
***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
July 31, 2020
I can’t begin to express how much this book affected me. I drowned in a sea of tears at times. Miss Janie had such heartache in her life, but she also used that to change the lives of two young girls. The impact she made, brought about such a change in them. The love she had for these two foster daughters was completely astounding.
The love stories that also came about, were written beautifully.
Carolyn Brown has really won me over with Miss Janie’s Girls. I can say this is a book, although at times you will feel like you are going to cry your eyes out, it also makes you smile and gives you the peacefulness of watching a beautiful sunrise on a front porch, along with a nice cup of coffee. This is definitely one of those books that is hard to convey the bevy of emotions felt while reading this book. One must experience Miss Janie’s Girls for themself.
The love stories that also came about, were written beautifully.
Carolyn Brown has really won me over with Miss Janie’s Girls. I can say this is a book, although at times you will feel like you are going to cry your eyes out, it also makes you smile and gives you the peacefulness of watching a beautiful sunrise on a front porch, along with a nice cup of coffee. This is definitely one of those books that is hard to convey the bevy of emotions felt while reading this book. One must experience Miss Janie’s Girls for themself.
August 28, 2020
Could have been a great story
The premise sounded good, a story about a dying woman calling back her nephew and the girls she’d fostered and all their issues from back then and since.
This could have been a really great story with characters that draw you in and make you care about them, but instead, after a strong enough start, it just went slow and fell flat and became entirely too predictable.
When it wasn’t being sappy sweet and predictable, there were some really unnatural dialogues and unrealistic scenes (like a group of 3 grown adults literally wiping each other’s tears?). Instead of showing the reader how people regretted not visiting and not being ready for their loved one to die, the characters repeated it outright over and over and over.
The tiny bit of drama near the end to maybe try to shake up the predictability felt so ridiculous and unlikely that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes instead of throwing the book across the room. It was at that point that I had to remove another star from 3 to 2. I rarely give such a low rating for such a light read, see my other reviews, if anything I’m probably too generous, and I really wanted to love it because of the story it could have been, but it started OK, became dry and predictable and then annoying.
This really could have been a great story.
The premise sounded good, a story about a dying woman calling back her nephew and the girls she’d fostered and all their issues from back then and since.
This could have been a really great story with characters that draw you in and make you care about them, but instead, after a strong enough start, it just went slow and fell flat and became entirely too predictable.
When it wasn’t being sappy sweet and predictable, there were some really unnatural dialogues and unrealistic scenes (like a group of 3 grown adults literally wiping each other’s tears?). Instead of showing the reader how people regretted not visiting and not being ready for their loved one to die, the characters repeated it outright over and over and over.
The tiny bit of drama near the end to maybe try to shake up the predictability felt so ridiculous and unlikely that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes instead of throwing the book across the room. It was at that point that I had to remove another star from 3 to 2. I rarely give such a low rating for such a light read, see my other reviews, if anything I’m probably too generous, and I really wanted to love it because of the story it could have been, but it started OK, became dry and predictable and then annoying.
This really could have been a great story.
July 20, 2020
I'm a big fan of Carolyn Brown and grab every title she puts out. I rarely savor every page of a book but this is the exception. I didn't want to miss a thing. This is two sweet romances in one story. Kayla and Teresa both are found by Miss Janie's nephew to return to Texas and comfort her as she's near the end of her life. Cancer and Alzheimer's require the three of them to work together to keep her comfortable and happy. The story is sad but written so you have hope and smiles. This could be classified as Christian Fiction but there is not any preaching. It's just a wonderful story about two generations of women and how the world has changed for women's rights over the years. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. It could be an eye opener for teens about what their grandmothers could have experienced.
May 22, 2020
This is such a touching novel that shows love and forgiveness can heal all broken hearts. Surviving a big loss as a teenager, Miss Janie became the foster mother of two young girls who were removed from an abusive and negligent home. After being diagnosed with Alzheimers and Cancer, Miss Janie knew her time was coming to an end. With the help of her great nephew Noah, her girls Teresa and Kayla, were finally coming back home. Will being with Miss Janie again help the girls forget their hurtful pasts and move on to a wonderful future or will they lose their one chance of happiness? Author Carolyn Brown has such a magical touch with her writing! I felt all of the emotions in this beautiful novel!
February 18, 2025
MISS JANIE’S GIRLS is a slow burn contemporary story that I was pulled in to from the very first page. To be honest, I fell in love with the cover the minute I saw it. I knew I would read it anyway, because I love Carolyn Brown, but the cover really pulled me in. I mean, come on, CUPCAKES!! Miss Janie is an old woman and she dying of cancer and suffering from dementia. She tells Noah she needs her girls to come home. Miss Janie knows her time is coming to an end. I loved everything about this beautiful story and I’m excited to recommend it to my reading friends. Carolyn Brown always has a way of grabbing her readers and she never lets us go.
MISS JANIE’S GIRLS really takes a turn that will have you unable to put this beautiful story down. Neither Teresa or Noah are looking for a relationship, but they can’t seem to ignore their growing feelings. So here we have these two crossing paths and each time, there is a pull to see more of each other. This causes all sorts of rumors and gossip. It was cute watching these two dance around their feelings for each other. I really loved all of the characters in this wonderful story. I cheered for them, cried with them and for them, and was so proud of what they accomplished by the end of this heart breaking story. I really wasn’t ready for this story to end!
MISS JANIE’S GIRLS is filled with twists and turns and had me staying up way too late one night to finish! I had to know where Carolyn Brown was taking us and what would happen to Teresa and Kayla. I really loved how the whole community came to Kayla and Teresa’s aid and only wanted them to feel loved and realize that they were home. There is so much heart in Carolyn’s writing that I’m always left with a huge smile on my face and my heart very happy. I could totally see MISS JANIE’S GIRLS becoming a Hallmark movie and I would love to see it. All of the characters are very interesting and believable, so much so that I felt as if I’ve known them for a long time. I would love to hang out with Teresa and Kayla. I’m sure they could teach me a thing or two and I know they would keep my laughing all day long! I love how Carolyn does that to me each and every time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.
MISS JANIE’S GIRLS really takes a turn that will have you unable to put this beautiful story down. Neither Teresa or Noah are looking for a relationship, but they can’t seem to ignore their growing feelings. So here we have these two crossing paths and each time, there is a pull to see more of each other. This causes all sorts of rumors and gossip. It was cute watching these two dance around their feelings for each other. I really loved all of the characters in this wonderful story. I cheered for them, cried with them and for them, and was so proud of what they accomplished by the end of this heart breaking story. I really wasn’t ready for this story to end!
MISS JANIE’S GIRLS is filled with twists and turns and had me staying up way too late one night to finish! I had to know where Carolyn Brown was taking us and what would happen to Teresa and Kayla. I really loved how the whole community came to Kayla and Teresa’s aid and only wanted them to feel loved and realize that they were home. There is so much heart in Carolyn’s writing that I’m always left with a huge smile on my face and my heart very happy. I could totally see MISS JANIE’S GIRLS becoming a Hallmark movie and I would love to see it. All of the characters are very interesting and believable, so much so that I felt as if I’ve known them for a long time. I would love to hang out with Teresa and Kayla. I’m sure they could teach me a thing or two and I know they would keep my laughing all day long! I love how Carolyn does that to me each and every time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.
October 2, 2020
"Miss Janie's Girls" by Carolyn Brown was a surprising joy! Despite pain, losses, and so. many sorrows, the characters never gave up. Miss Janie, at the start of the book, was Sarah Jane, 16, and pregnant. It was 1961 when "nice girls" from nice families, did not have babies out of wedlock. Well, they DID, but they were sent away to "study abroad" or to "visit Aunt Mary," when they were, actually, at a home for unwed girls. Their babies were taken from them at birth, adopted to married couples, with no way to track them down later in life. Janie had her babies, and went to live with her elderly Aunt Ruthie in a tiny town in Texas (population 40). She became a beloved character in town, working in the local school, and eventually, fostering two teenaged girls, Kayla and Theresa, who had horrid childhoods. She loved them dearly, so much so that years later, she asked her nephew, Noah, a private investigator, to track them down and bring them home. She had not seen them in ten years, but now she is dying of cancer and Alzheimers, and wants to see them one last time. From there, the story takes off. I loved every character, even when they were not so lovable. I rooted for them, cried with them, and was so proud of what they accomplished by the end of the story. I had never read any of Ms. Brown's many books, but I am glad to have stumbled upon this one. It was a quick read, one which grabbed me and made me feel I was part of the story for the time it took to read it.
July 9, 2020
There is one wish Miss Janie has before she passes from this life and that is to see her two foster daughters, Teresa and Kayla and back in Birthright Texas, there home while they lived with her. These two girls went their separate ways in life. Their time in this hometown was filled with memories they both wanted to forget and they did not want to come back, until Miss Janie’s nephew Noah was sent to find them to tell them that Miss Janie did not have long for this world.
This was book that pulled your emotions is so many different directions. I cried, I laughed, I got mad and I fell in love with Birthright TX. My heart broke for Miss Janie and her girls. And for Noah too. These 3 share the last days of Miss Janie and deal with their grief and how to live new lives.
Carolyn Brown knows how to write a story that pulls her readers in and they can’t stop from turning the pages to see what is going to happen next. Her characters are one’s you always fall in love with even though they have their flaws. You still root for them until the end.
It’s one of her finest books and I thank Carolyn Brown for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing story. Don’t walk to the bookstore....RUN to read this book. You won’t be sorry.
I give this book 5 Stars.
This was book that pulled your emotions is so many different directions. I cried, I laughed, I got mad and I fell in love with Birthright TX. My heart broke for Miss Janie and her girls. And for Noah too. These 3 share the last days of Miss Janie and deal with their grief and how to live new lives.
Carolyn Brown knows how to write a story that pulls her readers in and they can’t stop from turning the pages to see what is going to happen next. Her characters are one’s you always fall in love with even though they have their flaws. You still root for them until the end.
It’s one of her finest books and I thank Carolyn Brown for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing story. Don’t walk to the bookstore....RUN to read this book. You won’t be sorry.
I give this book 5 Stars.
May 20, 2020
Another inspiration read by Carolyn Brown. I was blessed with an ARC copy from Carolyn herself. I've yet to be disappointed by any of her books that I've read. This book touched me because I lost my mother this year and she was in the beginning stages of dementia. I also know a man that is only 53 and is in the final stages of an early onset of dementia. It's been very hard to watch a man that is only 2 years older than me decline in the past five years to being like a toddler and having to be medicated to not be violent. It is a horrific disease. I loved the characters in this book and how it all played out with Miss Janie, her nephew and two foster daughters. This book also delves into being an unwed mother in the 60's and being sent off to a home for unwed mother's, giving birth and being forced to give up your baby. In this story, Miss Janie had twin girls. It's a great read that's heartbreaking at times.
July 10, 2020
Miss Janie's Girl was such a touching book at times it was heartbreaking and at other times it brought a smile to my face. Two young girls brought too live with a elderly lady as foster children this book follows their journey. This book kept me turning from the beginning until the last page. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
I received a ARC of the book from NetGalley and Montlake Publishing, and this is my fair and honest review.
I received a ARC of the book from NetGalley and Montlake Publishing, and this is my fair and honest review.
August 5, 2020
Miss Janie's Girls
I wasn't ready for this book to end. I want more of these characters. All of them. Noah and Teresa, Kayla and Will, and Sam. Miss Janie was a beautiful character and I love the way Carolyn Brown described the shifts with Alzheimers. This is a really good book.
I wasn't ready for this book to end. I want more of these characters. All of them. Noah and Teresa, Kayla and Will, and Sam. Miss Janie was a beautiful character and I love the way Carolyn Brown described the shifts with Alzheimers. This is a really good book.
November 30, 2020
Family comes in different ways
This book was an incredible story of family love. As a firm believer that God puts people t our lives for a reason this book spoke greatly to me and I appreciate the thought that went into the development of the characters.
This book was an incredible story of family love. As a firm believer that God puts people t our lives for a reason this book spoke greatly to me and I appreciate the thought that went into the development of the characters.
July 30, 2020
Loved this one!
August 27, 2020
“Make each day happier than the one before.”
This was sweet. Predictable and very low stakes, but enjoyable all the same.
Some thoughts:
❧ Miss Janie's backstory - I absolutely loved the prologue and how it set up the rest of the story. It was so rich, full of nuance, and heartbreaking.
❧ Representation - I really appreciated the representation of Alzheimer's and the ways in which Miss Janie's family treated her and cared for her. I don't have experience interacting with anyone with Alzheimer's, but its portrayal here felt very realistic. Also, diversity! What a pleasant surprise. It played really naturally into the story (i.e. ethnicity was an important part of the characters, but it wasn't all they were).
❧ Teresa & Kayla I enjoyed getting to see these two grow, both individually and into friends. I did feel like they were a little too similar though - their backstories, their worldviews, their interests/skills, etc. This might have partly been because I was listening to the audiobook and the narrator didn't really use different voices for the two sisters, but I did get confused occasionally, which is ironic since they're the not-twins in the story and were introduced as opposites.
❧ Plot/Pacing/Stakes: I know lack of high stakes is typical in this genre, but the lack of any real conflict or struggle meant that this book also lacked direction at some points. There was a general consensus of where the story was going, but it really just felt like the characters were sitting around, talking, and w a i t i n g, with no real buildup in the story, which meant the "climax" felt really sudden. While I enjoyed the character development, the plot wasn't the most interesting because nothing much really happened.
❧ Romance: Cute, but a little rushed? Teresa & Noah had history, so their pacing was believable, but I felt like Kayla & Will happened a little too quickly, like the author had to end the book with both sisters in steady relationships, so she hurried Kayla into one.
Overall, this was a pleasant read! I really liked the writing style - it was very mellow and peaceful - so I'll definitely consider reading some other Carolyn Brown books if the premise appeals to me.
August 15, 2020
A little slow and overly sweet for my taste. A free Kindle pick, so no great loss. Predictable plot.
July 30, 2020
I was captivated from beginning to end of this one! Miss Janie was born at the time when if you were under age and pregnant your parents could send you away and take away your baby and that is what happened to Miss Janie. She had twin girls when she was 16 and then she was sent to live with her Aunt in Birthright, Texas, and ended up as secretary of the school system and fostering two teens later in life. Now, 60 years later, she is dying of cancer and Alzheimer's and she has asked her nephew Noah to find her girls and bring them home. Theresa and Kayla left after they graduated and never looked back but when they are found they do end up coming back and we are treated to everyone's story, past and present, and find something they all are missing...love.
**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**
**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**
August 29, 2022
Normally I turn to Carolyn Brown for a lighthearted read. But despite this book's cover, this book deals with some difficult issues. The story begins in 1961, when Sarah Jane Jackson (Janie) was a 16-year-old unwed pregnant teenager who was sent to a girls' home to have her babies. Moments after they were born, they were taken away from her—forever.
Fast-forward to the present, when Miss Janie is consumed with bone cancer and Alzheimer's disease. These are hard-hitting topics. But in the hands of Carolyn Brown, we have a tender story of love and redemption. There is sadness, guilt, and loss, but I love how Mrs. Brown brings these disparate characters together to find their way and finally learn the lessons that Miss Janie tried to instill in them all these years.
Fast-forward to the present, when Miss Janie is consumed with bone cancer and Alzheimer's disease. These are hard-hitting topics. But in the hands of Carolyn Brown, we have a tender story of love and redemption. There is sadness, guilt, and loss, but I love how Mrs. Brown brings these disparate characters together to find their way and finally learn the lessons that Miss Janie tried to instill in them all these years.
September 10, 2020
Another great book by Carolyn Brown! She always seems to capture the small town community of Texas, where neighbors show up to support you no matter what is happening in your life. Carolyn Brown also reiterates that family can come in plenty of styles and sizes.
Miss Janie welcomed two children into her home when they were in their formative years. Will they return when she needs them the most?
Miss Janie welcomed two children into her home when they were in their formative years. Will they return when she needs them the most?
February 6, 2021
An interesting story of a woman forced to give up her twin girls when she was 17. She later fostered two teen girls. She is now dying and gets someone to find her foster daughters and bring them home. While they take care of her, they learn more about coping with their past.
January 11, 2023
All the feels: love, loss, and all the emotions in between. Without spoiling it, Miss Janie had a life well lived. Her girls each have their own story to tell. Amazing story that draws you in quickly.
July 27, 2020
Miss Janie's Girls was a heartwarming book. It also broke my heart a little. Miss Janie was a special lady. She had experienced a great loss as a young girl that shaped the rest of her life. Because of her experience, she fostered two girls, Teresa and Kayla. They held a special place in her heart and in her later years, she wants nothing more than to be reunited with them and finally find peace. To accomplish this, she enlists the assistance of her nephew, Noah.
Each one of the characters is broken in some way. The beautiful thing about this story is that it shows the redemptive capacity of family. Also, that family doesn't always look the same. At its core, family is a group of people that know the good and the bad about each other and love one another no matter what. That said, there was a bit of "bad blood" between Noah, Teresa and Kayla, for different reasons. Seeing them work through their differences and misunderstandings demonstrates the capability of the human spirit to look for the good.
Miss Janie's Girls was chock full of emotion, in all its glorious forms. There are smiles, anger, hurt and tears. It shows the full range of the human experience. Quite simply, this is a beautifully written book.
Thanks you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Each one of the characters is broken in some way. The beautiful thing about this story is that it shows the redemptive capacity of family. Also, that family doesn't always look the same. At its core, family is a group of people that know the good and the bad about each other and love one another no matter what. That said, there was a bit of "bad blood" between Noah, Teresa and Kayla, for different reasons. Seeing them work through their differences and misunderstandings demonstrates the capability of the human spirit to look for the good.
Miss Janie's Girls was chock full of emotion, in all its glorious forms. There are smiles, anger, hurt and tears. It shows the full range of the human experience. Quite simply, this is a beautifully written book.
Thanks you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 19, 2020
3.5 stars. Not my usual style of reading, a bit too sappy and happy for my tastes but it was much needed after the previous book I read (a biography on the Holocaust). I needed some feel good stuff.
June 27, 2021
Excellent storyline.
April 28, 2022
Lovely storyline. Great character development.
July 5, 2024
Always good to pass time listening to her audios. Well done!
February 22, 2021
This book hit close to home and I listened with so much love and compassion as it kept me thinking of my own grandma who is dealing with dementia.
November 2, 2022
Eine sehr rührende Geschichte
Ich habe dieses Buch als Audio Buch gelesen und hab’s geliebt. Eine sehr rührende, traurige und doch schöne Geschichte. 🥰
Ich habe dieses Buch als Audio Buch gelesen und hab’s geliebt. Eine sehr rührende, traurige und doch schöne Geschichte. 🥰
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