The Tomorrow Tree by Carolyn Brown @carolynbrownbooks @carolynbrown.bsky.social @britpressley @brilliancepublishing #TheTomorrowTree

the setup…
Thirteen years ago, Tina O’Grady left her Benson, Texas hometown and never looked back, ghosting her two best friends since childhood, Walker Cosay and Gracie Ruiz, and the two women who were their beloved child care providers. She’s now back, a bit broken and alone on her way to stay with her distant parents in California. But Tina had to see the Tomorrow Tree, the stately oak in the park across the street from Cleo Butler and Mae Baker. As she climbed it and sat with her memories, Cleo sees her and, despite all of those years, welcomes her back with open arms, along with Mae. Will Walker and Gracie be as receptive? Can she return to the place of her heart?the heart of the story…
It’s not clear why Tina first left town but it’s abundantly obvious why she returned. A broken relationship, financial ruin and loneliness had her remembering her real family, Cleo & Mae and her best friends since grade school. While they had questions and were initially unhappy she’d never kept in touch, they quickly put all that behind them and convinced her to stay. However, the town bullies, now obnoxious adults, weren’t giving her a pass.the narration…
Brittany Pressley created the best Texas accents for these characters and feisty charm for Cleo and Mae. Her storytelling was lively and made everything seem real.the bottom line…
The themes of found family and lifelong friendships are strong here, which are what kept me invested. There’s also lots of hilarious Cleo & Mae moments as they protected their “adopted” brood like ferocious mama bears. I had a tougher time with the romances as they didn’t have the depths I’d expected and found it hard to connect. The Tomorrow Tree is a grounding force and it’s a sweet story that reinforces home is where the heart is and family isn’t always the one you were born to.

Book Info

• Release Day: July 1, 2026
• Narrator: Brittany Pressley
• Audio Length: 8 hours, 14 minutes
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio

 

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(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)