The Merriest Magnolia - Michelle Major (HQN - Oct 2020)

Series: Magnolia Sisters (Book 2)

Home for the holidays has always meant cozy small-town traditions…but this year all that may change…

Carrie Reed has always been known as her hometown’s good girl, yet she still loves Magnolia, North Carolina—after all, this is where her newly discovered sisters, Avery and Meredith, live. But Christmas is on its way, and with it her first love, Dylan Scott—back in town and planning on changing everything she’s ever loved about Magnolia with his real estate development project…but not without a fight.

Returning to Magnolia was never in Dylan’s plans—it holds too many reminders that he would never be good enough…and memories of the girl he left behind. But when a tragedy leaves him as the guardian of a grieving teenager, Dylan returns, ready to remake the town into something only money can buy, small-town traditions be damned. But with Carrie determined to stop him, he finds himself wondering if redeeming his teenage reputation is worth losing out on his second chance at love.

This is the second book in the Magnolia Sisters series and easily as good as the first book (The Magnolia Sisters). It can be read as a stand-alone, as the backstory is deftly handled, but I recommend reading the first book before this one for a more satisfying experience. The background is that three young women discover that they are half-sisters when their father dies. Carrie and Meredith are Magnolia natives, though they didn't know of their relationship while growing up. Avery arrived after learning of her inheritance. Though initially shocked by the news, it didn't take long for them to become friends. I loved watching them band together to deal with the fallout from their father's death.

Carrie was the legitimate daughter and looked at as the town princess (though she hated the idea). When her parents divorced, she stayed with her father and looked after him, giving up on her dreams of an art career. Carrie loves her hometown and was heartbroken at the mess her father left behind. She and her sisters are determined to rebuild the town and made good progress toward that goal in the previous book. They have great plans for the holiday season, hoping to lure back the tourists who used to be the town's mainstay. Those plans run into a snag when Carrie's high school boyfriend, now a hotshot real estate developer, returns to Magnolia with plans of his own.

Dylan was Carrie's boyfriend in high school, the bad boy to her good girl. It all came to an end when Carrie's father bribed him to leave town. Dylan has two purposes in returning to Magnolia. The first is to give his grieving teenage ward a change of scenery. When Dylan's cousin and his wife died in a plane crash, Dylan was left to pick up the pieces. He struggles with knowing the best way to help Sam. His second purpose is to carry out his plan to turn Magnolia into a destination for the wealthy by building luxury condos and high-end shops. It would also serve a secondary purpose of destroying her father's legacy.

Carrie isn't happy to see Dylan, especially once she learns of his plans. Their opposite visions don't bode well for a smooth process. Their confrontation at a town meeting ends with the mayor assigning them to work together on the Merry Magnolia Christmas festival. Dylan, who hates everything Christmas, does his best to avoid following through. But when Sam gets in trouble for vandalizing the school, he is assigned community service with Carrie.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Carrie and Dylan. Brought together by their concern for Sam, it doesn't take long to re-establish their earlier friendship. As long as they don't talk about their plans for the town, they enjoy spending time with each other. There were some terrific scenes as their friendship deepens and grows. Dylan hasn't forgotten anything about Carrie, and he uses that knowledge to push her toward thinking about herself sometimes instead of always putting others first. I loved seeing him try to boost her confidence in her painting. At the same time, Carrie helps Dylan with Sam, aided by a dog and a kitten. Carrie has high hopes that she will succeed in showing Dylan that Magnolia doesn't need "upgrading" while he plows ahead with his plans, driven by his insecurities. Carrie's pain and heartbreak were palpable when she discovered the truth. I ached for Dylan, too. His kick in the pants came in an unexpected conversation with an old foe. I loved the ending and the surprise that awaited Carrie when she returned to Magnolia.

The secondary characters were wonderful. I liked seeing how the sisters grew closer as they worked through their plans for the town and their feelings about their father. There were some especially poignant moments as they continued to work through their father's estate. I also loved how they had each others' backs when things were difficult. I loved Sam. Besides being a fantastic character himself, he was a shining example of how good a man Dylan is. I liked the realism of how his parents' deaths affected him, from acting out at school to lashing out at Dylan.

The Magnolia Sisters - Michelle Major (HQN - Mar 2020)

Series: Magnolia Sisters (Book 1)

An inheritance brought her to Magnolia, but love just might keep her there…

Avery Keller arrives in Magnolia, North Carolina, with one aim: collect her inheritance and quickly put the quirky town in her rearview mirror. But the father who didn't acknowledge her when he was alive has left Avery a mess to sort through -- along with two half-sisters she's never met and a gorgeous single dad living next door. Soon her plan to keep this colorful, close-knit community at a distance gets complicated….

Grayson Atwell has rescued plenty of people in his firefighting career. His work and his little girl, Violet, are his entire world and there's no time for anything -- or anyone -- else. But the vulnerability beneath Avery's prickly facade brings out a fiercely protective side of him. Despite her protests, Gray can see that Avery's falling under Magnolia's spell -- just like he's falling for her. Now the only question is: How can he convince her to give them both a chance at forever?

Terrific story set in a small town and full of love, laughter, family, and friendship. It is the story of three half-sisters who knew nothing about each other until their father died, and they attended the will reading. The main focus of this book is on Avery, the oldest of the three girls.

Avery grew up in California, the daughter of a single mother. She always thought she was the result of a one-night stand and sometimes wondered about her father. Her mom was a successful surgeon who was not very affectionate and had high expectations for Avery. Avery had an excellent job in risk management, but she is only too happy to escape California for Magnolia, North Carolina, when the story opened. Her life imploded because the man she loved turned out to be married. The description of how she found out was painful, not just for how it happened, but also for how she was treated. I ached for the undeserved guilt she felt. As she neared Magnolia, all she wants is to get her inheritance, whatever it is, and get on with her life. She's not in a good mood and takes it out on an unsuspecting stranger at a gas station as she enters the town.

Avery receives quite a shock at the reading when she finds out about her sisters. They aren't any too pleased to see her either. Things become even more complicated when each woman's inheritance is turned about from what is logical. Then there are their father's debts to deal with. Avery sees her quick escape fading fast as it is obvious she will have to stay longer. She takes her sister Carrie up on her offer to use Carrie's apartment while she's there, and Carrie stays at their father's house. She gets another shock the next morning when she finds out that her landlord is the hot stranger from yesterday's confrontation.

Grayson is a single dad whose four-year-old daughter is the center of his universe. He has a career he loves as a firefighter. The last thing Grayson needs is a prickly neighbor getting under his skin. But he can't deny his attraction to her - or the unexpected bond she forms with his daughter Violet.

I admit that I wasn't sure I was going to like Avery. First impressions were that she was a bit of a snob, rude, and only out for herself. But she made me laugh with her first encounter with Violet. I loved the whole "I don't like kids, but sure I'll braid your hair for you." Violet is an interesting little girl who appreciates Avery's bluntness and returns it with the same. I loved watching Violet worm her way into Avery's heart.

I also liked seeing the relationship develop between Grayson and Avery. It's a little rough at first, but anyone good to Violet is a winner in his book. There are sparks of attraction between them that they consider pursuing temporarily. But as Avery gets caught up in life in Magnolia, leaving becomes less appealing. I liked seeing her and Grayson grow closer, from shared meals to town events to a growing feeling of family with Violet. There are some issues with Grayson's ex-wife, and trouble comes when Stacy carries tales about Avery's past. I wanted to shake Gray at that point for being such a bone-headed jerk. I thought he deserved every bit of misery he experienced. I ached for Avery and her renewed feeling of failure. I cheered at the support she received from Carrie and Meredith and loved how they backed her up as she faced her past. Avery's return to Magnolia gave her the feeling of home that she was looking for. I loved the surprise that waited for her and laughed out loud at all of the "help" that Grayson received with it.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the three sisters, Avery, Carrie, and Meredith, became each other's best friends. Things were a little rough at first with Avery's intention of leaving. I liked the dynamics of the trio. Carrie and Meredith grew up together but never knew they were sisters until after their father's death. They are very different personalities and spend a lot of time arguing with each other. Avery is a buffer between them and does well at defusing tensions. I loved seeing how both Carrie and Meredith worked to make Avery see the good side of Magnolia. Meredith was a bit sneaky in her methods, which involved getting Avery to "foster" an overweight dog. I loved seeing Avery fall under the dog's spell.

I loved the town of Magnolia. It is the typical small town where everyone knows your business, which took Avery a while to get used to. It was interesting to learn about the strange relationship between the town and its famous citizen. The more I knew of the women's father, the less I liked him. I liked how the various townspeople worked to convince Avery to stay. It wasn't too long before the town began to grow on her. I loved it when she made her choice and what she decided to do about it. I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing how the progress goes.