Stealing Home by Sherryl Woods

Stealing Home by Sherryl Woods is the first book in The Sweet Magnolia series.  I saw Swan Point advertised sometime last year, and as it is the latest in The Sweet Magnolia series, I wanted to go back and start at the beginning.  (Swan Point is book 11, so I have a ways to go!)

The Sweet Magnolias are comprised of Maddie, Dana Sue and Helen, best friends since high school.  Stealing Home is Maddie's story and it starts out with Maddie finding out about her doctor-husband's affair with his nurse.  Well, she is pregnant (and 16 years younger) and he wants a divorce. I have a feeling that this happens more than we would like to admit in the medical field.

After wallowing in some much deserved self-pity, her friends set out to give her a new purpose by deciding to open a new spa/health club in town. They decide that Maddie needs to be the one to run it - to put her unused business degree to good use.  Dana Sue already runs a very successful restaurant and Helen is a very successful lawyer. 

As with all of Ms. Woods' books, there has to be some romance - and this comes in the shape of a much younger, easy-on-the-eyes ex-ballplayer (who just happens to be Maddie's son's baseball coach), Cal Maddox.  Cal remembers the first time he saw Maddie, and never dreamed that her 20-year marriage would soon be over.  Wanting to give her time to heal, but also needing to be there to lend a hand, he slowly develops a friendship with Maddie - both denying the attraction that is simmering under the surface. 

I have read The Ocean Breeze Trilogy by Sherryl Woods and knew that I would enjoy this one.  I was looking for a light-hearted romance that would be an easy read, and this one fit the bill.  I look forward to continuing on in this series.  The second book, A Slice of Heaven, is Dana Sue's story. 

Book Review: Wind Chime Point by Sherryl Woods

Title: Wind Chime Point (Ocean Breeze #2)
Author: Sherryl Woods
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

About the book: Facing a personal crisis, ambitious and driven Gabriella Castle retreats to the welcoming arms of her family. Everything she's worked for has been yanked out from under her, and she seeks the serenity of her grandmother's home on the North Carolina coast. With difficult decisions to make about her future, the last thing she wants is an unexpected love.

Wade Johnson fell for Gabi the first time he saw her. It's not the only time he's found himself in the role of knight in shining armor, but Gabi isn't looking for a rescuer. To get her to stay, Wade will need a whole lot of patience and gentle persuasion…and maybe the soothing sound of wind chimes on a summer breeze.

Purchase Links

~Amazon~     ~Barnes & Noble~     ~IndieBound~

My thoughts: WIth this book, the story starts right off and you learn all the 'stuff' that Gabi is having to deal with all at once - she has been forced out of her job - after they found out she was pregnant - and the baby daddy has decided that after five years with Gabi that this is her mistake to handle.  So Gabi does what anyone would do - goes home to heal in the arms of her family.  

The three sisters are very loyal to one another and actually very level headed despite their absentee father and deceased mother.  I think their Grandmother Cora Jane gets a lot of kudos for that. Emily is quite happy with Boone (Sand Castle Bay, Ocean Breeze #1) and would like to see her sisters happy as well.  Of course, Cora Jane had to do some meddling in the first book to get things to turn out the way she wanted them too.  So when Gabi shows up with her unexpected news, and local widower Wade Johnson has been stopping by since the hurricane just to pick up any news on Gabi, Cora Jane decides they might need some help. 

I continue to like this family and how they back each other up, no matter the circumstances.  They are not afraid to tell it like it is, but also know when to back off to give their siblings time to process.  The third book, Sea Glass Island is due out in June - Can't wait!

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from McAllister PR and Harlequin MIRA in exchange for my unbiased review.~

Wind Chime Point

Publisher/Publication Date: Harlequin MIRA, April 30, 2013

ISBN:  9780778314424

400 pages

Book Review: Sand Castle Bay by Sherryl Woods

Title: Sand Castle Bay (An Ocean Breeze Novel)
Author: Sherryl Woods
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

About the Book: In a trade-off she's lived to regret, Emily Castle left home years ago to become an interior designer. The youngest of three sisters, Emily desperately wanted to prove herself. Success, though, came at the cost of leaving behind the man she loved.For Boone Dorsett, losing Emily left his heart shattered, but another woman was waiting in the wings. Now a widower with a young son, Boone has a second chance with Emily when a storm brings her home. But with his former in-laws threatening a custody suit, the stakes of loving her are higher than ever.

Will fate once again separate them—or is the time finally right for these two star-crossed lovers?

Purchase Links:

~Amazon~     ~Barnes and Noble~     ~IndieBound~

Add on Goodreads

My Thoughts: This is the first in a new trilogy about sisters by Sherryl Woods. I love trilogies and so I jumped on the chance to review all three of these (Wind Chime Point will be reviewed in April, followed by Sea Glass Island in June).  

This one focused on Emily, the youngest of the three sisters.  She left home ten years before and has since become a very successful interior designer.  She has only returned home after a hurricane has damaged her Grandma Cora Jane's restaurant.  Both of her sisters also return to help with the clean up -so you get to meet them all in this book.  There is Gaby, who has a career in PR and still lives in North Carolina.  Samantha is the oldest sister and is an aspiring actress in New York City.  

Cora Jane is somewhat of a meddler and begins pushing to get Emily and Boone back together almost before Emily gets there.  She has always liked Boone and he has become a son to her, so it is only natural for her to want him paired with Emily. He has a precocious son, BJ, who is always welcomed at Cora's restaurant and Emily finds a place in his heart without even trying.  This causes some dissension between Emily and Boone though.  Boone does not want BJ to be hurt as he is still recovering from the death  of his mother.  Where Emily is concerned, Boone is still hurting himself over her leaving years before and wants to spare his son that. Even though they both try to pull away, the attraction between them continues to grow.  

I really hated Jodie, BJ's maternal grandmother.  I just wanted to pick her up and shake her!  She does everything to make Boone feel guilty about the death of Jenny and even threatens to try to take BJ away from him if he continues to see Emily!  Aargh!  Talk about unreasonable!

My only criticism is that the book seemed to get a little long about 3/4 of the way through.  But I had to keep reading because I had to find out how it ended!

~I received a complimentary ecopy of Sand Castle Bay from McAllister PR and Harlequin MIRA publishers in exchange for my unbiased review.~

Sand Castle Bay

Publisher/Publication Date: Harlequin/MIRA, March 2013

ISBN: 978-0778314363

384 pages