The Magnolia Inn

Good slow-building romance between two hurting people who can't seem to let go of their painful pasts. Jolene was raised by a mother who was an alcoholic and a drug addict, making Jolene the "adult" in the family. After Jolene grew up and moved out, her mom died of an overdose, leaving Jolene feeling guilty for deserting her. Then Jolene's boyfriend also turned out to be an alcoholic who cleaned out her bank accounts. She needed a chance for a fresh start.

Jolene's Aunt Sugar has given her a half-interest in the Magnolia Inn, the bed and breakfast that Sugar and her husband run together. He has given his half to his nephew Reuben, who Jolene detests (with good reason). Reuben has no interest in doing anything with his half and show more immediately sells it to Tucker. Jolene has some great ideas for the inn, but no capital to carry them out.

Tucker is the local handyman. He used to be a cop until his wife died in a car accident. Unable to handle his grief, Tucker turned to alcohol and eventually lost his job. Now he works as a handyman during the week and drinks his way through the weekends to dull the pain of her loss. When he heard about the inn, he thought it would be a good opportunity for him. He has the cash to invest and the skills to do the renovations.

Jolene wasn't too sure about having Tucker as a partner. She was all too familiar with living with a drunk, and she didn't want to do it again. I liked the way that she and Tucker sat down and laid out their expectations so that there would be no misunderstandings. I enjoyed the development of their relationship. They started as partners, working together to renovate the inn. I loved the easy exchange of ideas, and their willingness to compromise when necessary. As they worked together, their partnership became friendship. There were some terrific scenes of their more lighthearted moments, as well as some emotional scenes as they shared the more painful parts of their pasts. All that time together also gave a simmering attraction time to grow. But both were wary of risking their hearts again. Jolene feared getting involved with another alcoholic and did her best to keep Tucker at arm's length. But she also has a good influence on him after he heard her story. Tucker was buried in guilt over his wife's death, which made getting past it that much harder. He also fought his growing feelings for Jolene because they made him feel disloyal to his wife. It was very interesting to see the mental conversations he had with Melanie as she tried to get him to let her go. There were some heartbreaking moments as Tucker worked his way through that grief. The slow buildup of the feelings between Jolene and Tucker was believable and right for them. I loved seeing them realize that their pasts don't have to define their futures and that they can build that future together.

The secondary characters are a huge part of the story. First, there are Aunt Sugar and Uncle Jasper, who were ready to retire and live their dream of traveling. It was fun to follow their travels and see the effects it had on them. I loved Sugar's phone calls back to Jolene and "the girls." Her ability to sense when Jolene needed her was great, and I enjoyed the kernels of wisdom she dropped along the way. I wasn't at all surprised by her feelings as the trip went on. The surprise she had for everyone at the end was terrific. Her three friends, Dottie, Flossie, and Lucy, were a riot. Each of them was very different, but their friendship was bone deep. It was fun to see them rag on Lucy about her actions after romantic breakups. I loved how they supported Jolene with the inn and kept a wary eye on Tucker until they were sure he was okay to be around her. Their Sunday lunches were a hoot and added a bit of lightness when emotions got a little heavy. show less

The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown
Source: NetGalley
My Rating: 5/5 stars

Without doubt, Carolyn Brown is my go-to girl for all things sweet romance, small town life, and generally good writing. While I feel that way about her books in general, I have particularly fond feelings for The Magnolia Inn.

Though the opening chapters are a bit of a rough go for Jolene (her cousin is an ass!) she gets a plan of action in place quickly and prays for the best. Remodeling, refurbishing, and revamping the Magnolia Inn is going to take a monumental effort and even more money, but Jolene is dedicated and determined. As fate would have it, she isn’t going to be in the remodeling/refurbishing business alone.

Tucker Malone has spent the past months and show more years mourning the loss of his beloved wife. Tucker’s mourning takes the form of hard work during the week and hard drinking come the weekend. With a pile of money in his bank account and a desire to stay busy, Tucker buys a half interest in the Magnolia Inn. With every intention of getting right to work, Tucker strolls in, takes a look around, and makes a list of what needs to be done. With he and Jolene in near total agreement on the plan, the work begins and so does a new life for each.

Jolene can clearly see Tucker is hurting, but given her past experiences, she has no tolerance for drinking and drunks. Though Tucker only drinks “on the weekends” and never while he’s working, the Magnolia Inn is a huge job, Jolene is a tough cookie (you only get ONE hangover cure!), and the memories of his wife seem to be fading which is making every aspect of life even harder. What’s even tougher and more confusing, Jolene makes Tucker feel and want things he vowed to never feel and want again following the loss of his wife. He wants to do better and to be better if not for himself then for Jolene and the Magnolia Inn.

Keeping both Tucker and Jolene on their feet are Jolene’s aunt’s three best friends. Three of the feistiest old birds Jolene and Tucker have ever met, the ladies take the kids under their collective wings and help keep them moving in the right direction both professionally and personally. With those three involved, and frequent phone calls to and from Jolene’s aunt, Jolene and Tucker have no choice but to face their respective issues head on and get the Magnolia Inn up and running.

The Bottom Line: Hands down, my favorite part of this book would be those three feisty old birds who have a tendency to walk right on into a room without knocking, intervene in each other’s lives when and if needed, and generally be there for one another through all life’s ups and downs. It’s those three old birds who help Jolene and Tucker on their way to a beautiful HEA and very much bind every aspect of this book together. Another particularly interesting aspect of this book would be the recurring voices in both Jolene and Tucker’s heads; the voices not only give insight into Jolene and Tucker’s respective pasts but help each move forward toward a happy and fulfilling future. On top of everything else, this book is just well-written, easy to read, and completely engaging. Finally, it has a completely satisfying epilogue that just brought everything together for me. I am absolutely looking forward to anything and everything Carolyn Brown has for me in 2019! show less

The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown

Jolene is left half of a B&B by her aunt and uncle and Tucker, a carpenter quickly buys the other half. Both have love and lost and neither are looking for love but they are living together as they renovate the out of date B&B.

Tucker has demons hounding him and is still holding on to his dead wife and Jolene is getting over an alcoholic mother and ex-boyfriend.

This is a story that starts with the background of both characters and slowly advances into a beautiful romance for two people that have had loss and heartache.

3.5 Stars for this romance story. I love to find connections in books....a special date mentioned, a place, a name of a loved one. This was no exception. After a few books with heavier subject matter, I enjoy a sweet love story.

Joelene and Tucker both have demons and are running from them. Fate brings them together and sparks fly. Endearing characters, realistic issues. A cozy read for a cool night.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone

Life is not about the mistakes made, but the lessons learned. For Tucker and Jolene fate is about to teach them the beauty of a second chance. Knocked down by life, crippled by heartache and wishing for something more, the lonely widower and the determined thorn in his side are about to discover that even a bruised heart can heal. The Magnolia Inn is a restoration project for the soul.

Cheesy romance to pass the time but I liked it and that’s what I was in the mood for! 1st Carolyn Brown. Had a hard time at the start with so much dialogue and trying to keep
Characters straight but then I fell into east reading and I’ll read more of hers!

I loved this book! It has southern charm and 2 people renovating an old inn. I love to read about the beauty of an old building and with this, you get the whole sense of moving forward in a life journey.