Sherryl Woods

4.5 stars.

Swan Point is another warm and inviting novel in Sherryl Woods' incredibly heartwarming Sweet Magnolias series. In this latest visit to Serenity, newly divorced Adelia Hernandez is beginning a new life with her four children while Gabe Franklin is trying to make peace with his turbulent past. They are caught off guard by their mutual attraction, but with plenty of encouragement from interfering but well-meaning friends and family, they tentatively begin dating. While this couple show more has plenty of external obstacles to overcome, it is their internal struggles that threaten to derail their burgeoning romance.

Moving into a new house is just the first step Adelia makes in regaining her independence. After years of criticism from her ex-husband, her flagging self-esteem gets a boost with a well deserved promotion to manager of the clothing boutique where she works. Her biggest concern is the emotional well-being of her children and she is focused on helping them adjust to their new life.

Gabe has a lot of misgivings about his temporary return to Serenity but he is pleasantly surprised by the how well received he is by most of the townspeople. Growing up with an promiscuous mother with an alcohol addiction, his childhood was marred by rumors of her numerous affairs and his countless fights to defend her honor. Older, wiser and more mature, Gabe gains a new perspective on his past and while it would be easy to slip back into old habits, he now considers the consequences before acting on his impulses.

The romance between Adelia and Gabe is sweet and slow-growing. Both are hesitant to enter into a serious relationship but when Gabe begins renovations on Adelia's house, their attraction becomes impossible to ignore. They begin dating, but the close scrutiny of family and friends adds tension to their already shaky romance. Adelia's family is dismayed that she is dating and her slimy ex-husband becomes a force to be reckoned with as well. But, in the end, it is Gabe's unresolved issues that are the real threat to their relationship.

Swan Point is another captivating novel in The Sweet Magnolias series. This lovely romance unfolds at a leisurely pace but it is always quite engrossing. The cast of characters is beautifully developed with realistic flaws that are easy to relate to. The town of Serenity is quite charming and while the townspeople sometimes overstep their boundaries, they genuinely care about one another. Another superbly written love story from Sherryl Woods that I highly recommend. show less

Oh, barf.

I've read the reviews for this book and I can't see why people were so bothered with Caitlyn. She has plans/dreams of being a doctor and going to help poor people in Africa, so naturally she is upset about a surprise pregnancy... especially when her family is trying to push her into it! She is selfish??? Maybe if she was a irresponsible party animal who didn't want to be responsible for a baby. But this was a woman with a noble dream and goal, and it doesn't help that her show more grandfather is a meddling asshole who even went so far as to try to pit Caitlyn against her twin sister in an attempt to get her to the altar faster.

Honestly, part of me wanted Caitlyn to get an abortion, but I have the feeling that Mick would raise holy hell over a woman daring to exercise her right to choose.

Mick is an asshole, pure and simple. He is repeatedly told to leave shit alone, and he won't. He's an narcissist who loves to stir the pot and manipulate his family into following his wishes. Sure, they might try to fight back a little... but he steamrolls over them, ignoring explicitly expressed wishes for space and privacy. It's no wonder Caitlyn was so reluctant to have Noah meet her family... she's a smart girl who had legit reason to feel nervous.

Especially with an narcissistic asshole of a grandfather who just won't stop meddling in the affairs of his whole damn family (and even his workers!) show less

Oh, barf.

I've read the reviews for this book and I can't see why people were so bothered with Catelyn. She has plans/dreams of being a doctor and going to help poor people in Africa, so naturally she is upset about a surprise pregnancy... especially when her family is trying to push her into it! She is selfish??? Maybe if she was a irresponsible party animal who didn't want to be responsible for a baby. But this was a woman with a noble dream and goal, and it doesn't help that her show more grandfather is a meddling asshole who even went so far as to try to pit Catelyn against her twin sister in an attempt to get her to the altar faster.

Mick is an asshole, pure and simple. He is repeatedly told to leave shit alone, and he won't. He's an narcissist who loves to stir the pot and manipulate his family into following his wishes. Sure, they might try to fight back a little... but he steamrolls over them, ignoring explicitly expressed wishes for space and privacy. It's no wonder Catelyn was so reluctant to have Noah meet her family... she's a smart girl who had legit reason to feel nervous.

Mick is an asshole again in the novella Bayside Retreat. He bullies his employee, Jamie, into taking his convalescence in Chesapeake Shores after the man injures himself on the job. Jamie is bored out of his mind... and the asshole Mick refuses to let him do anything work-related even when it's clear Jamie wants to, to the point where the asshole Mick (yes, he really is an asshole) hides his laptop from him, and forbids staff at their company to keep Jamie in the loop of things.

I mean, what a fucking asshole. An entitled, controlling, narcissistic asshole. I feel sorry for his family. At least Jamie's romance didn't drag out and though it was cliched, it was admittedly a bit sweet. But that doesn't make Mick any less of an asshole. show less

"He had the boarding-up routine down pat. But when it came right down to it, Mother Nature was always in control of the outcome."

Sand Castle Bay by Sherryl Woods

My review:

The fact that I liked this book so much, was as much of a surprise as it was to see many DIDN'T love it on GR.

The reason my liking it so much surprised me is because romance isn't a genre I read alot of. I did when I was younger although it never was my favorite. But this was such a pleasant surprise. I liked it-GREATLY.

And show more I guess I can understand why some did not. What I liked was not just the romance which was believeable but the family aspect of it. This is a book about family as much as romance and I really took to that.

I also LOVED the setting. I am addicted to the sea and books that take place there have an advantage for me. With Sand Castle Bay, the story takes place in a seaside coastal small town in North Carolina. Seriously, visiting North Carolina's outer banks has always been a dream of mine. Reading this made me YEARN to go there. And the book also made me feel like I was already there-not an easy thing to acomplish.

Now-I can understand the dislike for Emily that many have expressed. The truth? She wasn't my favorite person either. She is not someone I would choose for a friend. She is also someone I basically have nothing in common with so there is that. I could not relate to her choices at all. I am not a person to put my job above everything else, I am not a big city person, and there was a corporate crispness to Emily's demeanor that I didn't love.

But I did like Boone. And other members of Emily's family. And I did root for the romance. I got pulled in and that is something because this is not a genre I read much of anymore. Although maybe I will have st start.

The romance wasn't corny either.

To the contrary, the relationship portrayed here was very realistic. I did not know this was part of a trilogy when I first sat down to read this. (Three sisters and each book is about a different sister.). I have read one more from the trilogy but I prefer this one. I have not read the third.

It is perfect beach reading with an engrossing story set against the beauty of a small southern beach town. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended. show less