Magnolia ~ Kristi Cook (arc) Tour Review + Giveaway [@SimonTeen @TUABFC @Asatoorian @Kristi_Cook]

Magnolia
by Kristi Cook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: August 5th 2014
Pages: 384
(purchase links after the review)


Synopsis:

In Magnolia Branch, Mississippi, the Cafferty and Marsden families are southern royalty. Neighbors since the Civil War, the families have shared vacations, holidays, backyard barbecues, and the overwhelming desire to unite their two clans by marriage. So when a baby boy and girl were born to the families at the same time, the perfect opportunity seemed to have finally arrived.

Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden have no intention of giving in to their parents’ wishes. They’re only seventeen, for goodness’ sake, not to mention that one little problem: They hate each other! Jemma can’t stand Ryder’s nauseating golden-boy persona, and Ryder would like nothing better than to pretend stubborn Jemma doesn’t exist.

But when a violent storm ravages Magnolia Branch, it unearths Jemma’s and Ryder’s true feelings for each other as the two discover that the line between love and hate may be thin enough to risk crossing over.

Kristi Cook's Magnolia is a great, fun, summertime read. Jemma and Ryder are what would happen if you flipped Romeo and Juliet's tale on its head: their families have been uber close for generations and have all but planned their wedding. Only, Jemma and Ryder cannot stand each other.

Or so they want to believe.

The families' history adds an interesting element to Magnolia and to Jemma and Ryder's lives, as well. Both their history - personal and familial - and their present play roles in their feelings for each other. It brings more depth to their relationship and the novel.

While it stays a fun, easy read, there are elements of the story that provide more substance. Characters are facing their own - internal and external - struggles that affect not only them but those around them. It all affects everything from why Ryder and Jemma have to brave the storm together to what their futures hold. We get a fuller picture of the characters and the 'why's for things feel logical and real. Even as the characters may be thrown together, there's a reason.

Those deeper issues that are part of the story and the characters' stories, make for a really enjoyable read. It's not just two characters who hate each other and then have to spend a stressful, trying time together. It's characters with a history (dating back to the Civil War), with their own stressors who have to face a trying event, together.

It is a full and well thought out story where nothing is isolated, everything - and everyone - affects everything else.

One of my favorite things about Magnolia was how well the author could set the scene. The characters live in Mississippi and that was not just so that the storm could happen. The descriptions from Jemma of her surroundings evoked a terrific sense of atmosphere. It was easy to imagine being in that same place, knowing how it would sound, smell, look and feel. It really brought the setting to life.

Favorite Quote:

"But yeah, Mama taught me to sew, Daddy to shoot. That's the way we roll here in Magnolia Branch."

Follow the FFBC Magnolia Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

As a child, Kristi Cook took her nose out of a book only long enough to take a ballet class (or five) each week. Not much has changed since then, except she’s added motherhood to the mix and enjoys penning her own novels as much as reading everybody else’s. A transplanted southern gal, Kristi lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.

That’s the official version–here are some other fun facts:

~ As an undergrad, I majored in History and minored in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. While at Southern Miss, I was a member of Phi Mu sorority, and I was a Dixie Darling. And yep, Brett Favre was our quarterback at the time!

~ I studied American History in grad school at Columbia University. I *love* history, especially the Civil War era (U.S.) and Regency- and Edwardian-era British history.

~ My all-time favorite book *and* movie is GONE WITH THE WIND. My favorite literary characters are Rhett Butler, Atticus Finch, and Mr. Darcy. I kind of want to add Peeta Mellark to that list!

~Weirdly enough (or maybe not so weirdly?) I’m also a big fan of STAR TREK (the original series). I never can remember if I’m supposed to call myself a “Trekkie” or a “Trekker,” though!

Giveaway:



Win (1) $25 gift card to an online bookstore of choice (Amazon or BN) plus an entire paperback set of the Winterhaven series (Haven, Mirage, and Eternal) [INT]

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Haven ~ Kristi Cook eARC review

Haven
Simon Pulse
February 22, 2011
416 pages
Buy/info @ Amazon

When her stepmother accepts a prestigious new job in New York, Violet has two choices, stay with her grandmother in Atlanta where she's lived her who life or move to New York with Patsy. Worried that her grandmother can't manage taking her on, Violet decides on New York--and a boarding school: Winterhaven.

The girl that even her friends would half jokingly call a 'freak,' Violet has been told she has a seizure disorder. Only Violet knows she doesn't actually have seizures, but psychic visions. Visions that are usually violent or dangerous and always involve someone close to her.

Violet hopes to have a fresh start at her new, beautiful, elite school outside of New York City. What she doesn't know is that no one at Winterhaven is going to be calling Violet a freak because Winterhaven is a school for those with psychic abilities.

In more ways than one, Violet is going to find a lot more than she expected at Winterhaven.


I've seen Winterhaven compared to Twilight but I think it's more like Evernight or even Dead Beautiful than Twilight. Also, Amazon once again has mega fun spoilers in its synopsis if you ask me!!)

Paranormal books set in boarding schools start out made of awesome for me and either go up or down from there so I do have to admit that I started this book with high expectations . . . and it mostly met them. I loved the introduction of the school and Violet's roommate and her friends.

There was some mystery with one or two characters and just what their role both in the story and with other characters was that added some intrigue--which I loved.

I missed some of the development between Violet and her romantic interest in the book. I would have liked to see more chemistry, I guess between them but I think some of that had to be left out for the rest of the story so I can easily forgive it. (I think I also have super high standards in that arena after reading a few books that really blew me away there!)

I also don't know if it was the layout of the eGalley but sometimes (time) transitions seemed to happen just one paragraph to the next with no breaks which was a little confusing . . . (if I see a finished copy I will try to check on that!)

The beginning of the book was a fast, engrossing read that really drew me in. Then, a little bit of the middle did go a little slower, but definitely stick with it because the ending (and middle/end) really gets going again and draws you right back in! Overall, I really did enjoy this book and hope for more from Kristi Cook!

8/10


Read thanks to Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab



(nb: the only thing I can figure for why there's a butterfly on the cover is because a [yellow]butterfly was flitting around my backyard for a long time while I was reading the middle/end-ish of the book . . . Other than that, I'm not sure.)