Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Book Review - On Magnolia Lane by Denise Hunter

Book Synopsis
From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie) comes the final book in Hunter’s Blue Ridge Romance series.

Pastor Jack McReady has secretly carried a torch for Daisy for two long years. She’s a member of his congregation, after all, and she’ll never see him as more than a trusted counselor. Jack’s best friend Noah has taken every opportunity to encourage his lovesick friend, but when Noah catches wind that Daisy has joined an online dating site, he takes matters into his own hands and orchestrates a meet-cute of the most unconventional kind.

Owner of the local flower shop, Daisy Pendleton is content with her small-town life, but she’d sure like someone to share it with. After several disastrous first dates, she’s about to give up—and then she finds a seemingly wonderful man online. Daisy gets to know TJ through a series of messages but finds herself spending more time with Pastor Jack outside of the church at the same time. What she doesn’t know is that her online prospect and Jack are one and the same.

Just as Daisy’s love life starts to look promising, a mysterious woman appears in town. Daisy is faced with a revelation about her family that turns her world upside down, and she looks to both TJ and Jack for help.

Jack must find a way to reveal himself as her online suitor without breaking her heart and losing her trust. As Daisy faces Jack’s betrayal, she’ll have to learn to extend grace to herself, her family, and the man she’s grown to love.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

 

My Review

On Magnolia Lane is the story of Daisy Pendleton and Pastor Jack McReady.  They live in the same small town - Blue Ridge, Georgia.  Jack has had a crush on Daisy, a parishoner at his church, for a couple of years.  His friends set up a dating app for him and sign him up.   Daisy is already on the app and they end up connecting -- although Daisy doesn't know it is Jack she is talking to.  In the meantime, Daisy and Jack get to be better friends in real life and sparks fly.

 

If there was ever a novel that should be made into a Hallmark movie, it is this one!   On Magnolia Lane is such a sweet, in many ways old fashioned love story.  The small town setting (based on a real town in North Georgia - I've been there!) is charming.  I love the glimpse of southern small town life from this book.

 

Daisy and Jack are both such likeable, kind, somewhat insecure people.  I really was pulling for things to work out with them.   There is a secondary storyline involving Daisy's family and a long ago family secret that comes to light.  It was also very interesting, and I enjoyed the family scenes in this novel as well.

 

This book is part of Denise Hunter's Blue Ridge Romance series.  Although I think readers will enjoy the entire series, this novel does work as a standalone. 

 

I recommend On Magnolia Lane to fans of small town fiction, clean love stories, and Christian fiction.  It is a really enjoyable read.

 

About Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 30 novels, including “The Convenient Groom” and “A December Bride” which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 club and won awards such as The Holt Medallion Award, The Carol Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.

In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking good coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband raised three boys and are currently enjoying an empty nest.

 

Connect with Denise

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours.