The Party Line

By: Carolyn Brown

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

A niece’s inheritance comes with family secrets, new romance, and sweet Texas strawberries in a refreshing and warmhearted novel by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.

Returning home to Ditto, Texas, is bittersweet for Lila Matthews. Her dear and feisty aunt Gracie has passed away, leaving Lila her estate. That includes a centuries-old house, a field of the freshest strawberries in Atascosa County, more money than Lila can count, and a secret Aunt Gracie took to her grave. All the angels in heaven won’t be able to pry it out of her.

For more than eighty years, generations of folks in Ditto have whispered and gossiped about what the secret could be. When Lila inherits Aunt Gracie’s legacy, ears perk up and tongues start wagging. As Lila reacquaints herself with locals, finds warmth in family—extended and otherwise—and cozies up to a handsome new neighbor, she begins collecting clues to the past. They’re revealing an Aunt Gracie nobody knew—and a life of rebellion, broken hearts, and selfless love that affected more people than anyone realized.

Whatever reason Aunt Gracie had for leaving Lila the secret, will it now be Lila’s secret to keep?

©2024 by Carolyn Brown. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Narrator Brittany Pressley brings the perfect Southern touch to her narration of this romance novel.… As the late Gracie whispers advice in Lila's ears, Pressley gives her voice just the right touch of feistiness. Pressley also brings Lila's elderly neighbor, Jasper, to life with a gravelly voice. When Lila takes in Gina Lou, Pressley depicts her in a nasally timbre.… Pressley exudes [Connor’s] warmth as he and Lila grow closer. Pressley's performance will keep the listener entertained as Lila settles into her new life and ferrets out truths about her family.”—AudioFile Magazine

Absolutely loved this book !!

Another great book by Carolyn Brown ! Absolutely loved the narration by Brittany Pressley !! Shame she wasn't chosen to read The Wager !! Hopefully she will be strongly considered for future books.

Family secrets and love.

An awesome story of how family doesn't always mean blood relatives. And some family secrets are sometimes better kept secret. Sometimes if they are shared, it can cause love to bloom in ways that no one could ever know. this is beautifully written and worth sharing with others.

The secret.

I only give 5 stars to books that I would read again. Which I have done with several of Carolyn’s books.

the ending

It is another excellent Carolyn brown book. The story is fleshed out and doesn't have gaps like so many other shorter books.

The perfect narrator

I loved the book. It made my small southern town heart happy, but the narrator is what did it for me. She brought such diversity to the characters and made them so distinguishable. I’m not a cryer, but the ending combined with the delivery from Brittany-wow. Talk about a giant lump in my throat and water works. Will be listening to other books by the author and narrator.