Preslaysa Williams, author of the “emotionally stirring debut” A Lowcountry Bride (Oprah Daily), returns to the Lowcountry with a heartwarming friends to lovers story about the courage to fall in love again.
Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from A Wedding In The Lowcountry by Preslaysa Williams, which is out now.
Avila Rogers’ mother kicked her out of the house as a teenager when a one night stand left her pregnant. So when her mother passes away and Avila must return to Myrtle Beach to get her mother’s house ready to put on the market, her feelings are complicated, to say the least.
Things get even more complicated when she runs into her childhood friend, Trevor, who is now a professor at the nearby HBCU. Years ago when Trevor left Myrtle Beach to attend Hampton University, Avila felt abandoned, but it’s clear that their connection hasn’t faded… and may even be something more than the friendship they once shared.
As Trevor supports Avila in the wake of her mother’s passing, they have to deal with the feelings that they have for one another. Avila is wary of trusting others—she’s used to taking care of herself and her daughter, but could Trevor hold the key to opening her heart?
Avila’s hand trembled; the letter shook. Amidst the chatter from the other parents, her vision blurred, and her brain went in a million different directions. Dread overtook the sadness. Why didn’t she keep in touch with her mother more regularly? Avila could have called once a month, at least. Last time they spoke was a year ago. The last thing her mother had said to her was: I can’t convince you to come home, even if I could. I know your theater career and my granddaughter keep you busy.
She never told her mother that she had stopped pursuing those career dreams when Ebony was born.
You always have a home in Charleston. Remember that.
But all Avila wanted to do was forget. Forget all the mess-ups she had made.
She skimmed over the funeral information. It would be held this weekend. Avila would have to return to Charleston soon. Ebony would come along, of course, but it would be awkward to attend a funeral for a grandmother whom she’d never met.
The words on the page made her chest tighten, and she held back the urge to cry. She should’ve visited her mother at least, but she hadn’t wanted her mother to see how much she had failed.
And then there was Terence. Yeah, they were friends, but when she had heard that he was engaged shortly after graduating from Hampton University—well, she felt some type of way about that too.
The chatter in the background sounded like a muffled din, and all she could do was breathe deeply, making a flimsy effort to push against the weight of a past that sought to pull her under.
Returning to Charleston would be tough. Was Terence there? Seeing him would be awkward.
Then there was her mother’s house. Before Avila left, her mother had given her a copy of a will that made Avila the executor and left the house to her, but what could Avila do with it? Avila couldn’t stay in Charleston. She would have to sell the house, which meant that she’d have to get it ready for sale. All of its contents would have to be put up for sale too. And the house would have to be cleaned out.
Knowing her mother, she probably had all of her affairs in order, and so being her executor wouldn’t be tough…but it would take time.
How long would it take to ready a house for sale? Since Avila had never taken a sick day or a vacation day, she had accumulated about six weeks of vacation time on the books. But Ebony couldn’t take six weeks off from school. Even with winter break, she’d be too far behind, and Avila would never let her daughter slack off on her education. How would she deal with this situation?
The thought of trying to work all this out made her stressed. Avila shifted her focus to the stage and saw Ebony standing there, alone. Just then, she began the monologue she’d been practicing for so long:
“There was a time when I had yearned for home, but that time wasn’t now. Nor will it ever be.”
Ebony’s wistful tone moved her. Looking at Ebony was like looking into the mirror at her own self—the younger, fearless version of herself.
“Very well done, Ebony,” Henrietta said. “I can tell that you practiced working on dramatic beats this time.”
“I did. Thank you.” Ebony smiled, and then she exited stage left. When she passed by the girl who had whispered to the other boy, the girl looked away, snubbing Ebony.
This was tough. She had stayed here to give Ebony the best education and the best opportunities. Besides, if Ebony ever became a professional performer, they would have to live near New York City. Being here was perfect—almost.
There were times when she couldn’t stretch her paycheck though, and then she’d get a call from the school stating that an anonymous person had covered Ebony’s tuition. She’d press the issue, asking who the person was so that she could thank them. Yet the school said that the person wished to remain anonymous.
She refocused her attention on the letter. Could Avila return? She could. If it meant that she could close off all ties to that place one last time and move on, she most definitely would.
From A Wedding in the Lowcountry by Preslaysa Williams. Copyright © 2025 by Preslaysa Cielita Williams. Reprinted by permission of Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
