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. 

The Vault and PopSugar's Reading Challenge

After working as a shelver for a year at our public library, I was able to move up to a position in our Youth Services department in October.  The Vault is our teen center and they have picked up a challenge from PopSugar.  I have decided to do this challenge as well, but felt it should have it's own page since it is my library.  :)

You can find out more about this challenge by either visiting The Vault or PopSugar's challenge page.

The challenge is to read a book that will fit into each of the categories below:

You can fulfill the list however you would like, with whatever type of books you would like.  You could even make your book fit more than one category.  I am going to try it the hard way though and try to do a separate book for each category.  

I will be keeping track of my books with a separate google spreadsheet - but will also update my progress here.

For printable lists - please visit The Vault as they have a few different ways to access the list.


To view other challenges that I have joined, please see the tabs at the top of the page.


1. A book by a female author - Stealing Home by Sherryl Woods (January)
2. A book you can finish in a day - Arcady's Goal by Eugene Yelchin (January)
3. A book with nonhuman characters - Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (January)
4. A Book with more than 500 pages - The Liar by Nora Roberts
5. A Book with a One Word Title - Nil by Lynne Matson
6. A trilogy - Blood Red Road/Rebel Heart/Raging Star by Moira Young
7. A book with a love triangle - Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
8. A book set in the future - The Ark by Laura Nolen
9. A book set in highschool - A Really Awesome Mess by Cook,Halpin