The Wild Card

A Novel

By: Carolyn Brown

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

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.

©2025 by Carolyn Brown. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Narrator Brittany Pressley transports listeners to the Tumbleweed Diner in a small Texas town. Pressley voices a range of ages, and she communicates Rosie's shift from stern to friendlier as Rosie gets to know Carla. Pressley performs with a sage quality. As the three women grow close, Pressley's performance warms, drawing listeners into the story."—Kirkus Audiobook Reviews

Another great book!!

This book is so sweet and heart warming. Just goes to show you that you can't choose your kin but you can choose your family. Blood don't make you family and you're never too old to change your ways. love you, Carolyn!

Brittany ! Girl I'm from GA and if I ever slow down to write a book, I'm hiring you to narrated it! You are the best for these Southern books, female or male! loves to you too!

Cute Story

Brittney does a great job and I like this story. it was a little different and a nice modification of the typical

Easy Story to listen to

A good listen. The narrator is good. I’ll be looking for more books read by her.

Poker

You could tell from the beginning of the story that it was likely that Carla and Jackson would end upntogether.

Chosen Family is sometimes better than the blood family

Definitely didn't expect a few things but they added to the story in a big way. LOVED THIS BOOK. Listened to it every minute I could since the minute it dropped!!🥰❤️