Romance

The Bluebonnet Battle

The Bluebonnet Battle

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  • Create Date：2022-03-10 08:21:43
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Carolyn Brown
  • ISBN：B096RT262K
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Summary

In Bonnet， Texas， Liddy Latham， the queen of funeral dinners， keeps a southern comfort-food tradition alive—until fancy-schmancy Matilda Monroe moves back to town。 She wants room at the table for her own style of consolation and closure: healthy， modern， and vegan。 But this is about more than fried chicken versus tofu turkey。 Matilda’s return is also stirring up their volatile， unresolved history。 And just when they thought it couldn’t get more personal…

Matilda’s son， Nick， and Liddy’s niece， Amelia， have met and the sparks are flying。 For Matilda and Liddy， their precious kin’s romance is their worst nightmare。 Now， it’s all Nick and Amelia can do to survive a family feud that has the whole town talking。

The battle for the funeral dinner crown is on。 As two strong-willed women wrestle for control， making peace with the past may be the only way to serve the star-crossed lovers a happy ending。

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Reviews

Gwen Hight ，

The Blue bonnet BattleAnother one of this author's good stories about a feud between Matilda and Leddie and Matilda is against her son dating the niece of Leddie The characters are realistic and emotional A enjoyable read The Blue bonnet BattleAnother one of this author's good stories about a feud between Matilda and Leddie and Matilda is against her son dating the niece of Leddie The characters are realistic and emotional A enjoyable read 。。。more

Ruth ，

There are a couple of authors I turn to when I'm in need of some comfort food without the calories， and Carolyn Brown is definitely one of them。 The Bluebonnet Battle even revolves around comfort food as Amelia's Aunt Liddy and Nick's narcissistic mother Matilda battle for control of the funeral dinners in the small community of Bonnet， Texas。 With a cast of down-home characters and small-town flavor along with a healthy dose of humor， Carolyn Brown's newest novel offers up the makings for a per There are a couple of authors I turn to when I'm in need of some comfort food without the calories， and Carolyn Brown is definitely one of them。 The Bluebonnet Battle even revolves around comfort food as Amelia's Aunt Liddy and Nick's narcissistic mother Matilda battle for control of the funeral dinners in the small community of Bonnet， Texas。 With a cast of down-home characters and small-town flavor along with a healthy dose of humor， Carolyn Brown's newest novel offers up the makings for a perfect comfort read。 Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for an advanced copy to read and review。 。。。more

Holly Doyal ，

3。5 stars

Anne ，

The Bluebonnet Battle by Carolyn Brown reminds me of home。 No， I am not from Texas but I am from a small town and there were always feuds。 Some of the feuds had gone on for so long that no one knew how they had started。 And there were funeral meals in the church basement where everyone brought a dish to pass。 And the church did publish a cookbook with parishioners'' recipes。 There was one family who belonged to the country club in the next town。 It was like going home。 And EVERYONE knew what eve The Bluebonnet Battle by Carolyn Brown reminds me of home。 No， I am not from Texas but I am from a small town and there were always feuds。 Some of the feuds had gone on for so long that no one knew how they had started。 And there were funeral meals in the church basement where everyone brought a dish to pass。 And the church did publish a cookbook with parishioners'' recipes。 There was one family who belonged to the country club in the next town。 It was like going home。 And EVERYONE knew what everyone else was up to。 Just like this small town。 Carolyn Brown writes the best feel good romances and keeps it all clean。 She also writes a realistic mean girl， no matter what the age。 She writes a realistic Texas， as well。 This was an easy book to read and an easy book to like。 It was so down home it was enough to make a person weep。 Even the good people had bad feelings， some justified， some not。 I especially liked the way Liddy tried to solve the problem: she went to church and prayed， aloud。 It made Matilda even madder， but that was not really the intent， mostly。 It was a humorous book with a really good message。 I liked it。I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Bluebonnet Battle by Montlake， through Netgalley。 All thoughts and opinions were mine。 #netgalley #montlake #carolynbrown #thebluebonnetbattle 。。。more

Karen Hackett ，

THE BLUEBONNET BATTLE by Carolyn Brown is about brassy and sassy characters in a family feud of unresolved history。 Matilda Monroe’s narcissism makes it all about her and what she wants—modern and vegan dinners， while her arch-rival， Liddy Lathan， keeps funeral dinners of southern comfort-food tradition alive。 But it’s more than just fried chicken versus tofu turkey。 Caught in the middle is Matilda’s son， Nick and Liddy’s niece， Amelia， and sparks are flying。Carolyn Brown excels in creating a go THE BLUEBONNET BATTLE by Carolyn Brown is about brassy and sassy characters in a family feud of unresolved history。 Matilda Monroe’s narcissism makes it all about her and what she wants—modern and vegan dinners， while her arch-rival， Liddy Lathan， keeps funeral dinners of southern comfort-food tradition alive。 But it’s more than just fried chicken versus tofu turkey。 Caught in the middle is Matilda’s son， Nick and Liddy’s niece， Amelia， and sparks are flying。Carolyn Brown excels in creating a good ol’ fight between two southern ladies with the town watching， adding a bit of “Romeo and Juliet” romance to the mix that make THE BLUEBONNET BATTLE a whole lot of fun to read。 I received this copy from the author， and this is my honest review。 。。。more

Shravani B ，

The Bluebonnet Battle is a perfect Southern style small town romance filled with interesting characters and plenty of food which includes lots and lots of pies。 The classic Romeo and Juliet has nothing on this sweet book。 That classic didn't have Aunty Liddy， her food， the Southern humor or the gossip mill of the small town。 It's starts a bit slow but it is charming book nonetheless。 I would have definitely loved to have a front seat in Aunty Liddy's and Matilda's fight。 If you want to know who The Bluebonnet Battle is a perfect Southern style small town romance filled with interesting characters and plenty of food which includes lots and lots of pies。 The classic Romeo and Juliet has nothing on this sweet book。 That classic didn't have Aunty Liddy， her food， the Southern humor or the gossip mill of the small town。 It's starts a bit slow but it is charming book nonetheless。 I would have definitely loved to have a front seat in Aunty Liddy's and Matilda's fight。 If you want to know who won dive into the book。TW: Funerals， Car Wreck， Infidelity， Controlling Partner 。。。more

Diane Saul ，

This is a book about a long standing feud between two families。 Matilda is a narcissistic incredibly self entitled woman。 Liddy is a normally sweet tempered woman。 The two women detest each other and it is all out war。 Nick and Amelia are caught in the middle。 There were some interesting characters in the book that I liked， one in particular was unlikable and never redeemed herself。 I enjoyed reading the book。 The setting was a small town and the author made you feel you were there。 Thank you to This is a book about a long standing feud between two families。 Matilda is a narcissistic incredibly self entitled woman。 Liddy is a normally sweet tempered woman。 The two women detest each other and it is all out war。 Nick and Amelia are caught in the middle。 There were some interesting characters in the book that I liked， one in particular was unlikable and never redeemed herself。 I enjoyed reading the book。 The setting was a small town and the author made you feel you were there。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy。 。。。more

Paula ，

Comfort food， family， lifetime friendships， loves of a lifetime and a feud。。。Carolyn Brown has written an award-winning book with her newest story "The Bluebonnet Battle"。 Be prepared to laugh out loud and maybe groan a time or two with the fun， fast and snappy dialog that the oh so talented Carolyn Brown has peppered into this entertaining book。 I loved the story line in this book with old rivals， funeral dinners， unexcepted love not to mention old grudges and bitter bullies。 Life can take us Comfort food， family， lifetime friendships， loves of a lifetime and a feud。。。Carolyn Brown has written an award-winning book with her newest story "The Bluebonnet Battle"。 Be prepared to laugh out loud and maybe groan a time or two with the fun， fast and snappy dialog that the oh so talented Carolyn Brown has peppered into this entertaining book。 I loved the story line in this book with old rivals， funeral dinners， unexcepted love not to mention old grudges and bitter bullies。 Life can take us down so many roads and the delights we find on the journey is felt in this book of accepting what we can't change and embracing others。 I loved Nick and Amelia's story， the trips to the Dairy Queen and I would love to be feisty Aunt Liddy's niece and friend。 。。。more

Valerie Blankenship ，

This was such a great book by Carolyn Brown。 Her stories always have such great characters。 I loved everything about this story and the rifts that were mended。 Lindy and Matilda's past might have been the talk of the town， but it was Nick and Amelia that did it for me。 I highly recommend this book， and I'm looking forward to what Carolyn Brown comes up with next。 This was such a great book by Carolyn Brown。 Her stories always have such great characters。 I loved everything about this story and the rifts that were mended。 Lindy and Matilda's past might have been the talk of the town， but it was Nick and Amelia that did it for me。 I highly recommend this book， and I'm looking forward to what Carolyn Brown comes up with next。 。。。more

Margie Shaw ，

The Bluebonnet Battle is a women’s fiction， contemporary romance that’s about as southern as you can get。 It’s the story of two women who have had a long-standing feud over past family members and land and just can’t seem to stand the sight of each other。 All of this really becomes an issue when two of their younger family members fall for each other and just the thought of a romance between them is like adding fuel to the already existing flame。 What I enjoy most about reading Carolyn Brown’s b The Bluebonnet Battle is a women’s fiction， contemporary romance that’s about as southern as you can get。 It’s the story of two women who have had a long-standing feud over past family members and land and just can’t seem to stand the sight of each other。 All of this really becomes an issue when two of their younger family members fall for each other and just the thought of a romance between them is like adding fuel to the already existing flame。 What I enjoy most about reading Carolyn Brown’s books is that they are just so southern。 The talk of sweet tea， lemon pies， funeral dinners and church services just gives me a feeling of peace and small town comfort。 Her characters are always well developed and some you will love and some not so much。 Aunt Liddy was my favorite in this story and just the way Matilda is portrayed， even I would like to give her a good ole slap in the face！ If small town romances with a little spice thrown in are your cup of tea， then this is the book for you。 I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I received off the Read Now section to read， review and enjoy。 I’m giving this a 4 star rating！ 。。。more

Nicola ，

Bluebonnet Battle is a southern story that started out a bit slow for me。 The pace does pick up which did keep me engaged in the storyline。A long standing feud is the main part of the story。 In the mix are major family issues that need to be addressed。 Many laugh out loud， hilarious moments that will have you smiling and giggling。Engaging characters FULL of personality。Carolyn Brown is a writer that has you seeing what she is writing about。 Loved the recipes for Liddy’s lemon pies in the back of Bluebonnet Battle is a southern story that started out a bit slow for me。 The pace does pick up which did keep me engaged in the storyline。A long standing feud is the main part of the story。 In the mix are major family issues that need to be addressed。 Many laugh out loud， hilarious moments that will have you smiling and giggling。Engaging characters FULL of personality。Carolyn Brown is a writer that has you seeing what she is writing about。 Loved the recipes for Liddy’s lemon pies in the back of the book。Many thanks to NetGalley， the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review。 All opinions expressed are solely my own。 。。。more

Julie ，

Some authors can write a story to transport you to another place and immerse you completely。 The Bluebonnet battle is just that， all small town and sweet tea。 Do not forget the traditions， family， food， more food， and a decade-old feud to keep this reader turning pages。 Unfortunately， while the family is complicated， whose isn’t， the ending came too fast。Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review。

Susan ，

Carolyn Brown writes marvelous Southern small-town stories， and this was no exception。 The characters are believable， and the setting is quintessential small-town。 The story opens with the traditional Southern reaction to a death - bring food。 Liddy Latham， a lifetime resident of Bonnet， is the uncontested queen of funeral dinners。 She coordinates the details， supervises the setup， and ensures that all runs smoothly。 Liddy has a big heart and loves helping others。Mathilda Monroe， who grew up in Carolyn Brown writes marvelous Southern small-town stories， and this was no exception。 The characters are believable， and the setting is quintessential small-town。 The story opens with the traditional Southern reaction to a death - bring food。 Liddy Latham， a lifetime resident of Bonnet， is the uncontested queen of funeral dinners。 She coordinates the details， supervises the setup， and ensures that all runs smoothly。 Liddy has a big heart and loves helping others。Mathilda Monroe， who grew up in Bonnet but left as soon as she found a rich man to marry， is now divorced and has returned to Bonnet。 She has her own ideas of what should be served at the dinners and is determined to have her way。 Mathilda is one of those people who believes she is always right， and if something goes wrong， it is someone else's fault。 She is opinionated， snobby， and obnoxious。Liddy and Mathilda have a history that goes back decades， and it isn't pretty。 Liddy is determined to protect Bonnet and its way of life， while Mathilda wants to "civilize" it and destroy Liddy in the process。 The encounters between these two women are epic as Mathilda tries to steamroller over Liddy and anyone else who gets in her way。 Case in point: the Festival。 Mathilda swoops into the last meeting with grand ideas on how to "improve" it while eliminating any of the traditional things that everyone looks forward to。 I loved seeing Liddy and most other committee members shoot her down with logic。 Confrontations continue with Mathilda growing more frustrated each day。Accompanying Mathilda to Bonnet was her son Nick。 His Uncle Harry （Mathilda's older brother） is the local real estate agent and has invited Nick to take over the business as he retires。 Nick is good-looking， charming， and nothing like his mother。 He avoids her whenever possible， ignores her when he can， and stands up to her when he must。 Having witnessed his parents' marriage， Nick intends to remain a bachelor like Harry。 Then he spots a woman across the church fellowship hall。Amelia is Liddy's niece and a schoolteacher。 She's sweet， kind-hearted， and helps Liddy whenever she can。 She recently ended a relationship that has left her wary of men and distrustful of her judgment。 She's grown up on stories of the feud between her family and Mathilda's。When Nick and Amelia meet， there is no hiding the sparks that light up the air around them。 Their relatives make it plain that a relationship is impossible， though Mathilda's attitude is far more vicious。 But Nick and Amelia find ways to meet in secret， which is not easy in a small town。 There are some creative encounters where they are helped by friends， resulting in strong reactions。 I loved seeing them get to know each other and grow closer with every meeting。 Amelia worries a little about it being a case of " forbidden fruit，" but Nick is sure of his feelings。 I loved how Harry stepped in with an invitation to visit him in Florida so they could explore their feelings away from the pressure of their families。I loved the ending as Amelia and Nick make their decision。 The question then becomes one of their families' reactions。 I loved seeing Liddy work through her feelings， facing what would happen depending on what she did。 I wasn't surprised by her decision and laughed out loud at her phone call with Amelia。 Neither was I surprised at Mathilda's reaction。 The capper was the conversation between Liddy and Mathilda。 The setting was perfect， and the preacher's actions made it even better。#netgalley 。。。more

Gloria ，

Liddy is beside herself when her arch enemy Matilda moves back to town。 Their are some thigs that just can't be forgiven。 Their feud has the whole town divided。 To make matters worse Matilda's son and Liddy's niece are seeing each other。 Good story and wonderful characters。 Liddy is beside herself when her arch enemy Matilda moves back to town。 Their are some thigs that just can't be forgiven。 Their feud has the whole town divided。 To make matters worse Matilda's son and Liddy's niece are seeing each other。 Good story and wonderful characters。 。。。more

Kris Rubi ，

The Bluebonnet Battle by Carolyn BrownIn Bonnet， Texas， Liddy Latham has a reputation as being the queen of the funeral dinner。 Until， Matilda Monroe returns。 Matilda and Liddy have history…。and it isn’t good。 Matilda blows into town with her usual “grace” and begins to encroach on Liddy’s territory。 Matilda wants to have healthy and vegan food options at every function。 Matilda wants Bonnet to “get with the times”。 Whereas Liddy sees the benefits of time honored traditions。To complicate matters The Bluebonnet Battle by Carolyn BrownIn Bonnet， Texas， Liddy Latham has a reputation as being the queen of the funeral dinner。 Until， Matilda Monroe returns。 Matilda and Liddy have history…。and it isn’t good。 Matilda blows into town with her usual “grace” and begins to encroach on Liddy’s territory。 Matilda wants to have healthy and vegan food options at every function。 Matilda wants Bonnet to “get with the times”。 Whereas Liddy sees the benefits of time honored traditions。To complicate matters further， Matilda’s son， Nick， has eyes for Liddy’s niece， Amelia。 The family feud is reminiscent of Romero and Juliet or the Hatfields and McCoys。 Nick and Amelia have to delicately tip toe around their families or suffer their wrath。 In a small town where everyone sees everything， having a “secret” relationship is darn near impossible。Can there be a happy ending for all？Pick up this great book and settle into this wonderful story。 。。。more

Lisa Wetzel ，

Carolyn Brown has written another fantastic book that you will not be able to put down。 The Bluebonnet Battle is her latest and one of her greatest。 This is a well written story that Brown brings to life。 A small town in Texas filled with traditions， family， friendships， love and a feud that goes back decades， are just some of the highlights for this one！ Brown’s writings bring the town to life along with the very entertaining characters。 This story will make you laugh out loud and warm your hea Carolyn Brown has written another fantastic book that you will not be able to put down。 The Bluebonnet Battle is her latest and one of her greatest。 This is a well written story that Brown brings to life。 A small town in Texas filled with traditions， family， friendships， love and a feud that goes back decades， are just some of the highlights for this one！ Brown’s writings bring the town to life along with the very entertaining characters。 This story will make you laugh out loud and warm your heart！ It is fun to read and makes you turn those pages to find out what happens next。 I love Carolyn Brown’s books and each one I read becomes my favorite。 I highly recommend this sweet book or any other book by this very talented author。Many thanks to Carolyn Brown and Montlake for an advanced copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my unbiased review。 I look forward to her next great book。#thebluebonnetbattle #carolynbrown #montlake#arc 。。。more

CassandraG ，

Quirky characters you enjoy meeting。 Especially， Aunt Liddy。 She’s a hoot。 Her friends are equally hilarious and you’ll enjoy meeting Clovis， Bridget and the rest of the unique cast of characters that make up the friendly town and you’ll definitely be rooting for the main character and who they eventually end up with。 That’s because there is a lot of obstacles to overcome without a full-on hurricane of a war brewing up that will cause a whole lot of damage。 So， when you get a chance pick up a co Quirky characters you enjoy meeting。 Especially， Aunt Liddy。 She’s a hoot。 Her friends are equally hilarious and you’ll enjoy meeting Clovis， Bridget and the rest of the unique cast of characters that make up the friendly town and you’ll definitely be rooting for the main character and who they eventually end up with。 That’s because there is a lot of obstacles to overcome without a full-on hurricane of a war brewing up that will cause a whole lot of damage。 So， when you get a chance pick up a copy and enjoy。 You’ll be glad you did。 。。。more

Srivalli Rekha ，

4。2 Stars One Liner: Lighthearted and enjoyable。 Liddy Latham， a seventy-something woman， belongs to the Taylor family that owns more than half the land in Bonnet， a small town in Texas。 She is cheery， determined， loving， and famous for arranging funeral dinners。 Matilda Monroe comes from the Davis family that has a 30-year plus feud with the Taylor family。 Matilda arrives back in Bonnet， intent on destroying Liddy’s life and family。 While Liddy’s family backs and supports her all the way， Matil 4。2 Stars One Liner: Lighthearted and enjoyable。 Liddy Latham， a seventy-something woman， belongs to the Taylor family that owns more than half the land in Bonnet， a small town in Texas。 She is cheery， determined， loving， and famous for arranging funeral dinners。 Matilda Monroe comes from the Davis family that has a 30-year plus feud with the Taylor family。 Matilda arrives back in Bonnet， intent on destroying Liddy’s life and family。 While Liddy’s family backs and supports her all the way， Matilda doesn’t seem to find allies in her own family。 After all， not everyone is stupid。 That doesn’t deter her， though。 As if the feud isn’t enough， Matilda’s son， Nick， and Liddy’s niece， Amelia， get attracted to each other。 The relationship is doomed even before it begins。 But hey， the heart wants what it wants。 Can the families， especially the women put an end to the feud for their kids’ happiness？ Can Nick and Amelia’s relationship survive when the town is busy snooping on them and betting on the result？ •tI’ve read books with Southern humor before， and this one fits perfectly。 Even though the book deals with some heavy topics， it is still lighthearted and funny。 •tThere are so many mentions of brownies， lemon pies， lemon meringues， tacos， and other food that I was glad to read it at night after dinner。 •tThe characters are distinct and have their quirks。 In a book with so many people， it gets easier to keep track of characters。 •tThis is a dialogue-heavy book。 People talk… a lot。 This can be an advantage and a disadvantage， depending on the reader。 •tThe first 20-25% is a little slow。 Characters appear one after another， and the story starts with death。 Once you get hang of the characters， the story picks up pace。 •tThe writing style is casual and easy， but the formatting felt a little odd。 More than a few times， I had to reread to understand who spoke a dialogue。 •tThe story is kind of Romeo and Juliet retelling。 Even if we didn’t guess it， the author made sure to use the reference at least a dozen times。 •tThere are no mandatory twists or misunderstands for the sake of it。 No checklist to adhere to。 That’s another plus。 •tNick is a great guy （and he loves cats）。 He is compassionate but knows his mother well。 He doesn’t let her walk all over him。 •tAmelia is a cheerful and happy character with tiny hints of insecurities from the past。 I like how she doesn’t spend hours dwelling on these aspects。 •tLiddy’s move at the climax was a surprise I enjoyed the most。 The ending， too， is practical and a little mushy。 To sum up， The Bluebonnet Battle is a lighthearted book that deals with some heavy topics without any drama。 After all， a family feud is dramatic enough。 ;） Thank you， NetGalley and Montlake， for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed are my own。#TheBluebonnetBattle #NetGalley 。。。more

Janilyn Kocher ，

The Battle of Gettysburg。 The Battle of Bastogne。 And then the Battle of Bonnet， Texas。 Do not mess with Liddy， the queen of lemon pies and funeral dinners。 But Mayhem Miranda is hell bent to take her down， due to a long standing feud and acrimony。 So what will happen when Nick and Amelia fall for each other？？Reading this was mirthful Monday。 I laughed so hard and out loud so many times while reading， I literally cackled。 Brown has such a gift for crafting the most memorable characters。 The trad The Battle of Gettysburg。 The Battle of Bastogne。 And then the Battle of Bonnet， Texas。 Do not mess with Liddy， the queen of lemon pies and funeral dinners。 But Mayhem Miranda is hell bent to take her down， due to a long standing feud and acrimony。 So what will happen when Nick and Amelia fall for each other？？Reading this was mirthful Monday。 I laughed so hard and out loud so many times while reading， I literally cackled。 Brown has such a gift for crafting the most memorable characters。 The traded barbs and cattiness in the dialogue are hilarious and made for the most entertaining reading。Every CB book is my new favorite。 Get your gear and see who wins the battle？Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for the advance read。 。。。more

Vickie ，

This book was a fun， fast-paced read， with some rollicking good times between the two feuding ladies and their friends and family。 Liddy Latham is famous for her lemon pies， baking them for each funeral that occurs in the small town of Bonnet。 A widow whose son died young， she could be lonely， but she isn’t because she busies herself with her baking and with her sister Ruth Ann and Ruth Ann’s daughters， Amelia and Bridget。 Amelia is a central character in the story， a school teacher who wants to This book was a fun， fast-paced read， with some rollicking good times between the two feuding ladies and their friends and family。 Liddy Latham is famous for her lemon pies， baking them for each funeral that occurs in the small town of Bonnet。 A widow whose son died young， she could be lonely， but she isn’t because she busies herself with her baking and with her sister Ruth Ann and Ruth Ann’s daughters， Amelia and Bridget。 Amelia is a central character in the story， a school teacher who wants to find romance but who has already been burned once so is very wary of the opposite sex。 The setting is a typical small town in which everyone knows everything about everybody。 Enter Matilda Monroe， a former resident who wants to make her mark on the town and do all she can to take Liddy’s influence over the town away。 With Matilda comes her charming son Nick， a man not to be trampled on by his wealthy， better-than-everyone-else mother。 Nick and Amelia meet and then all bets are off and the story races to a satisfactory conclusion。 Nick and Amelia have to hide their budding relationship from Matilda and from Liddy， neither of whom would approve since they have an ongoing feud。 There are a lot of details that I will not go into about the reasons for the enmity between the two woman because I don’t want to spoil the story， but suffice it to say that I am in Liddy’s corner。 I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and the really cute way that Nick went about wooing Amelia， in spite of the fact that she was the niece of his mother’s sworn enemy。 I enjoyed the dialogues between the characters as they tried to work out compromises and everyday life issues。 The story was realistically portrayed as well as humorous， although there was no humor in the death of Liddy’s son Richie。 I found that part of the book to be enlightening， but also very sad。 The pace of the book was engaging， keeping me entertained and wanting to read more each time I had to put the book down to go to bed。 I tried to figure out a way that the author would be able to work out a relationship between Nick and Amelia without having to kill off either Liddy or Matilda and I just couldn’t do it。 The talented author came to a conclusion that I had not thought of and that made the ending as enjoyable as the rest of the book。 With characterization an important part of the story， the author did a masterful job of bringing the characters to life and giving each of them a three-dimensional outlook on life and the world in general。 Bonus is that there are recipes at the end！ A good， light read with some extramarital sex and a few expletives， for which the characters generally apologize to God for using。 DisclaimerDisclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author。 I was not required to write a positive review。 The opinions expressed are my own。 I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR， Part 255， “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising。” 。。。more

Margie ，

There's lovin' and fightin' in this heartwarming story of a family feud and a couple caught in the middle of it！It's a fight for the heart and soul and also the funeral dinner rights of the small Texas town， Bonnet。 In this corner is Liddy Latham who has lived in Bonnet all her life， has carried on the funeral dinner tradition of her mother and grandmother and wants the small town to stay just as it is， friendly and welcoming。In the opposite corner is Liddy's bitter rival， Matilda Monroe， who is There's lovin' and fightin' in this heartwarming story of a family feud and a couple caught in the middle of it！It's a fight for the heart and soul and also the funeral dinner rights of the small Texas town， Bonnet。 In this corner is Liddy Latham who has lived in Bonnet all her life， has carried on the funeral dinner tradition of her mother and grandmother and wants the small town to stay just as it is， friendly and welcoming。In the opposite corner is Liddy's bitter rival， Matilda Monroe， who is mean and nasty and who moved away from Bonnet a number of years ago to marry a man for money and a more urbane and sophisticated life。 She is back in Bonnet after her divorce and wants to change the friendly town into her fiefdom with sophisticated progress and snobby ways。 Also she wants to ruin Liddy financially and queen it over Liddy and the whole town。During the course of this story there are a number of rounds fought。 But in the end。。。 she's down for the count。 But who wins， you ask。 That's for the author to tell。So the family feud between the Taylors， Liddy's family and the Monroes spills over to affect Liddy's niece Amelia and Matilda's son Nick。 Matilda's return to Bonnet means the two young people are placed right in the middle。 Matilda is spitting mad and letting her nastiness explode where the couple is concerned。 Liddy's family isn't real happy about the couple getting together either。 You'll have to read the book to get the lowdown on the couple and the family feud。It's a knockdown， drag-out battle but the reader is rewarded with a charming story in author Carolyn Brown's The Bluebonnet Battle。 Ms。 Brown has woven a tale full of likable characters， well most of them， and threads of family love and a HEA for Amelia and Nick。 I love Carolyn Brown's writing style and this latest story has fulfilled my love of a tale well told。I received an ARC and this is my honest review。 。。。more

Samadhee Ismail ，

If you like to read a modern version of Romeo and Juliet， then this book will be the one for you！Liddy Latham is known as the "queen" of the funeral dinners。 However， when her arch rival。 Matilda comes back to the small town of Bonnet， Texas， their rivalry starts developing。 Then things get more personal when Matilda's son， Nick falls in love with Liddy's niece Amelia。 The story is how these two lovebirds are entangled in this rivalry mess。First of all this is the first time， I have been reading If you like to read a modern version of Romeo and Juliet， then this book will be the one for you！Liddy Latham is known as the "queen" of the funeral dinners。 However， when her arch rival。 Matilda comes back to the small town of Bonnet， Texas， their rivalry starts developing。 Then things get more personal when Matilda's son， Nick falls in love with Liddy's niece Amelia。 The story is how these two lovebirds are entangled in this rivalry mess。First of all this is the first time， I have been reading Carolyn Brown's story。 The writing was good--though initially， to me it was slightly boring at first， but gradually， as the romance between Nick and Amelia developed， the story got interesting as the feud between Liddy and Matilda seemed to be increasing and developing as well。 Matilda， seemed to be an unlikable character to many and that Nick is trying in vain to get along with his own mother， who seemed to be a very difficult person to get on with。 The author has done a good job of drawing the reader into the story。 Usually， these types of stories are not really my cup of tea but nonetheless， I actually enjoyed reading this story and so glad and happy that the story ended the way I wanted it to end！ Though initially I thought it was predictable， I was proved wrong after I read the ending。If you like more Hallmark romances， then this book might be the one for you！ A cute， heartwarming family tale of drama that will make you laugh and cry at the same time！ Oh not to mention--there are recipes of lemon pies at the back of the book--the famous lemon pies that Liddy is famous for making！ Worth five stars！Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC。 The review is based on my honest opinion only。 。。。more

Denise Schenk ，

In Bonnet， Texas Liddy overseas all funeral dinners。 She widely known for her Lemon Pies。 Matilda Monroes shows back up in town with her adult son。 Matilda hates Liddy and the feeling is mutual。 Matilda loves to stir up trouble and sets out to make funeral dinners Vegan。 Nick is Matilda's son he knows his mother is a tyrant and stays as much away as he can。 Nick's uncle decides to retire and leave the family home and real estate business to Nick。Amelia is Liddy's niece and when her and Nick meet In Bonnet， Texas Liddy overseas all funeral dinners。 She widely known for her Lemon Pies。 Matilda Monroes shows back up in town with her adult son。 Matilda hates Liddy and the feeling is mutual。 Matilda loves to stir up trouble and sets out to make funeral dinners Vegan。 Nick is Matilda's son he knows his mother is a tyrant and stays as much away as he can。 Nick's uncle decides to retire and leave the family home and real estate business to Nick。Amelia is Liddy's niece and when her and Nick meets the sparks fly。 Both know they are playing with fire; they decide to keep the attraction a secret。 We all know there are no secrets in a small town。Matilda's husband divorced her， and she has money and want to start a B&B in town。 After agreeing to purchase the home she finds out the town will not change to zoning laws for a business。 Any little thing that happens to Matilda is always some else's fault。 Will the family except the relationship between Nick and Amelia you will have to read to find out？ I just love Carolyn's books。 。。。more

Barbara Tobey ，

Four and a half stars。 Fun， entertaining， engaging small town romance。 Many characters add humor， grief， and pie。 I do have a craving for lemon squares and pie， but will have to settle for lemonade。 Sweet tale with family issues。 Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley。

Sophia ，

Let’s get ready to rumble small-town country style！ When Liddy Latham learns her hated enemy is coming back to her town， she’s ready to fight Mathilda Monroe with all she has and the whole town is either taking sides or settling their lawn chairs in for front row seats。 With such goings on， what are the chances for their survival when Liddy’s niece and Mathilda’s son feel quite the opposite of enemies when they meet over the dessert table at the latest town funeral？ I got comfy and settled in to Let’s get ready to rumble small-town country style！ When Liddy Latham learns her hated enemy is coming back to her town， she’s ready to fight Mathilda Monroe with all she has and the whole town is either taking sides or settling their lawn chairs in for front row seats。 With such goings on， what are the chances for their survival when Liddy’s niece and Mathilda’s son feel quite the opposite of enemies when they meet over the dessert table at the latest town funeral？ I got comfy and settled in to find out。My full review will post at Books of My Heart on Mar 9th 。。。more

Kathleen ，

In the small town of Bonnet， Tx， Liddy Latham reigns supreme over the funeral suppers， and other social events in town。 She loves to feed her friends and neighbors with good old southern cooking that brings comfort for whatever the occasion。 But soon， an ill wind blows into town in the form of her very least favorite person in the world， Matilde Monroe and it maybe be pistols at down， as Matilda seems to think she can come into town and take over the funeral dinners and other places situations w In the small town of Bonnet， Tx， Liddy Latham reigns supreme over the funeral suppers， and other social events in town。 She loves to feed her friends and neighbors with good old southern cooking that brings comfort for whatever the occasion。 But soon， an ill wind blows into town in the form of her very least favorite person in the world， Matilde Monroe and it maybe be pistols at down， as Matilda seems to think she can come into town and take over the funeral dinners and other places situations where Liddy has been the one to be at the forefront。 And the whole town just may have to take sides to see whose food will come out on top。 And into the mix is Liddy’s niece Amelia and Matilda's son Nick whose eyes met across a crowded room and the sparks nearly set the church on fire。。。 There is no way Liddy is going to let Matilda have reign over her town。 Can Nick and Amelia be the ones， as their relationship builds to heal Liddy’s heart and melt Matilda's， and they can each live in harmony in Bonnet， TX。 As always Carolyn Brown has me hooked with in the first page of her book with her strong southern women， who you just want to sit down at the table with your fav beverage have a natter and catch up with your lives。 This story really resonated with me because of the conflicts between Liddy and Matilda and as I was reading the story， in some parts were things that have happened in my own family and how they were resolved。 It’s done with that southern charm and humor， great characters and a wonderful story that will have you laughing and crying and at the same time cheering for the good guys。 Carolyn Brown’s books always leave me with a warm and happy feeling at the finish of her story。 This ARC was kindly provided to me by the author and I gladly give my honest review of this book。 Thank you Carolyn Brown with trusting me with your wonderful story's。 。。。more

JANELLE ，

Honestly， this book just mostly irritated me。 There is a long standing feud between small town Liddy and the girl who moved away， Matilda。 Liddy is the queen of the town - she hosts the funerals， she runs the festivals， she's used to being in charge。 Matilda moved away but is coming back after a divorce - she's trying to horn her way into Liddy's business to mess with her and overtake the town。 It's just a bunch of petty back and forth that doesn't stop and ends up drawing in most of the town。 T Honestly， this book just mostly irritated me。 There is a long standing feud between small town Liddy and the girl who moved away， Matilda。 Liddy is the queen of the town - she hosts the funerals， she runs the festivals， she's used to being in charge。 Matilda moved away but is coming back after a divorce - she's trying to horn her way into Liddy's business to mess with her and overtake the town。 It's just a bunch of petty back and forth that doesn't stop and ends up drawing in most of the town。 Then there is Matilda's son， who moves back to take over his uncle's real estate business -- he falls in love with Liddy's niece and there are so many Romeo/Juliet comparisons it gets tiring。Thank you to NetGalley， the author and publisher for a temporary， digital ARC in return for my review。 。。。more

Wendy W。 ，

The Bluebonnet Battle by Carolyn Brown is a sweet look at small-town life in Texas。 This delightful look into small-town life made me laugh， giggle and smile， and if this story doesn’t make you crave a Lemon pie then nothing will。 Recently retired Laddie Lantham lives to serve the small town of Bonnet， Texas， and her church。 She’s been organizing the funeral dinners for years， and she keeps tabs on her brother， Paul， and his wife， Ruth Ann， and her niece Amelia。 She also works at the hospital as The Bluebonnet Battle by Carolyn Brown is a sweet look at small-town life in Texas。 This delightful look into small-town life made me laugh， giggle and smile， and if this story doesn’t make you crave a Lemon pie then nothing will。 Recently retired Laddie Lantham lives to serve the small town of Bonnet， Texas， and her church。 She’s been organizing the funeral dinners for years， and she keeps tabs on her brother， Paul， and his wife， Ruth Ann， and her niece Amelia。 She also works at the hospital as a volunteer with her sister-in-law， Ruth Ann。 But， when her arch-enemy， Matilda， comes back to town with her son， Nick， Laddie’s quiet life is turned upside down。 Matilda insists on doing the funeral dinners with healthy， vegan dishes instead of the homestyle fare that is usually served。 The years-long feud between Laddie’s family and Matilda’s family is dredged back up， and it’s a full-time battle in the town of Bonnet， Texas。 However， when Laddie’s niece， Amelia， and Matilda’s son Nick start to have feelings for each other， the older generation is not having it。 Nick and Amelia know they can’t have a relationship with their families feuding， especially in a town the size of Bonnet。 But， they can’t seem to keep away from each other。 Can their love finally repair the decades-long feud between their two families？ I enjoyed this fun， sweet story of small-town life in Texas。 The main characters were definitely Laddie and Matilda and the book focused on their feud and the years of hurt and miscommunication that fed the feud for decades。 The romance between Nick and Ameilia was sweet but secondary to the main story of the feuding families。 I did feel like the feud was a bit over the top and dominated the story a bit too much。 I enjoyed the small-town feel， and the side characters very much。 I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about small-town life。 I received a complimentary copy of this book。 The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more

Serenechaosnyc ，

Overall， this was a fun story- I wouldn’t say that this is a romance although there are romantic elements - a Romeo and Juliet-esq type of romance。 Nick and Amelia are caught in a war between her grand-aunt （Liddy） and Nick’s mother （Mathilda）。 The meat of the story surrounds the dynamics of this feud and how it affects the romance， the town and the inhabitants。 It is quite clear who the bad gal is and the author makes no qualms about putting her in the worst absolute light。 I think that the sto Overall， this was a fun story- I wouldn’t say that this is a romance although there are romantic elements - a Romeo and Juliet-esq type of romance。 Nick and Amelia are caught in a war between her grand-aunt （Liddy） and Nick’s mother （Mathilda）。 The meat of the story surrounds the dynamics of this feud and how it affects the romance， the town and the inhabitants。 It is quite clear who the bad gal is and the author makes no qualms about putting her in the worst absolute light。 I think that the story dragged for me aLittle because I kind of just wanted to move forward instead of constantly getting entrenched in this middle aged woman’s mean girl routine。 Overall though， the story kept my attention， I smiled a bit whenever Mathilda got what she deserved and this small town story had quite a bit of charm。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Bluebonnet Battle

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Bluebonnet Battle&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Bluebonnet Battle&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0