A #1 Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller.New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown brings together two wounded hearts in a Texas romance of second chances and twice-in-a-lifetime true love.Inheriting the Magnolia Inn, a Victorian home nestled in the East Texas pines, is a fantasy come true for Jolene Broussard. After living with the guilt of failing to rescue her self-destructive … guilt of failing to rescue her self-destructive mother, Jolene knows her aunt and uncle’s B&B is the perfect jump start for a new life and a comforting place to call home. There’s just one hitch: stubborn and moody carpenter Tucker Malone. He’s got a half interest in the Magnolia Inn, and he’s planting his dusty cowboy boots squarely in the middle of her dream.
Ever since his wife’s death, Tucker’s own guilt and demons have left him as guarded as Jolene. The last thing he expects is for his new partner to stir something inside him he thought was gone forever. And as wary as Jolene is, she may have found a kindred spirit—someone she can help, and someone she can hold on to.
Restoring the Magnolia Inn is the first step toward restoring their hearts. Will they be able to let go of the past and trust each other to do it together?
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Another great book from Carolyn Brown. She never fails.
I absolutely loved this book!
Jolene inherited half of Magnolia Inn from her Aunt Sugar and Uncle Jasper when they decided to retire. Jasper’s nephew Rueben inherited the other half. Jolene and Rueben never got along when the visited at the same time, and Jolene wasn’t sure how it was going to work running the B & B with him. Rueben barely let the ink dry, and as soon as he inherited it he put his half up for sale.
Tucker lost his wife Melanie a few years back, and his job with the police . He’s been working as a handy man, and figured it’d be a good opportunity, when the chance came up. He remembered his wife talking about the Inn, so he felt it was the right decision.
The main problem is that Tucker drinks a lot on the weekends to dull the pain of his wife’s accident. After Jolene’s dad passed away her mother turned to drugs and alcohol, and eventually overdosed. Along with a bad relationship with a man who was also a drunk. Jolene held high reservations on how this would all work out. Tucker and Jolene had the same dream fro Magnolia Inn, and with Tucker’s handyman work it’d hopefully come through.
The characters are wonderful & I love how their loved one’s spirits help them move on.
Flossie, Dotty & Lucy are just a hoot! You’ll love them all, and fall in love with this book!!!
Carolyn Brown is an author that I love for her easy romance, unique settings, and beautiful relationships. In Magnolia Inn, we meet Jolene who only wants to make her aunt and uncle’s B&B a success after they left it to her when they retired. When the nephew on her uncle’s side sells his half of the B&B to a local man who is living in grief and gets drunk every weekend she doesn’t know what to expect but she does know that living and working with a weekend drunk is not something that she is willing to do.
There is less romance and more about figuring out life in Magnolia Inn. Tucker is a widow, he cannot figure out how to get past his wife’s death. Jolene grew up with an alcoholic mother and an abusive boyfriend. They both have demons and push each other, gently, to work through them. There is nothing easy about what they have to do but together they can do it. I love Jolene’s easy understanding of Tucker’s loss but she also has a tough love stance. She knows what she is willing to accept and isn’t willing to accept anything less. Tucker realized that there is something special about Jolene and with nudging from his dead wife starts to open his heart and his soul to her. By proving that he can be the man she needs to him to be, he allows her heart to heal from all the heartache that her past has left within her.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Jolene Broussard’s life is about to change. Tucker Malone seems to have a lonely existence. He’s like a bulldozer that had me looking forward to what I might see on the next page. He also had me wishing that I could be around to help.
Tucker reminds me of Don Johnson in the movie Long Hot Summer – I wonder if he has a dimple. The problem I had was trying to think of who would portray Jolene – wonder who the author would want. Once I finished this book, I wanted to go back and actually watch the movie.
I came to love our author’s secondary characters. They gave some extra life to the story. Even though they didn’t talk directly to us, they’ll make you feel as if you are a part of what’s happening. I wouldn’t want to get rid of any of them because I’ve enjoyed getting to know them – well, maybe just one and you’ll understand when you start reading.
This author will remind you that you don’t need a lot of intimacy to have a great romance. Building the world that our characters are in is what becomes important. Without that world, would they even have met? The inn even becomes an important character to this story – it’s one thing that connects everyone. Any type of relationship that blossoms here is just secondary. People can get pleasure out of the simple things. It’s not hard to see that even though we may have challenges in life, the care of the right people will help make those burdens easier to bear. I can’t wait for warmer weather to get here so I can find the perfect spot with the warm sun shining down as I read this book for the second time.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Jolene Broussard was given ½ ownership in The Magnolia Inn by her Aunt Sugar and Uncle Jasper when they decided to retire. The other half was given to Uncle Jasper’s nephew, who promptly sold it to Tucker Malone. Tucker was an amazing carpenter and he had the money to front the renovations for B&B. Jolene was a wonderful cook so she provided the meals. They had plans to renovate and reopen the B&B in just a few short months. They were just partners, nothing more, but there was chemistry that neither wanted to acknowledge.
Tucker had lost his beloved wife, Melanie, two years earlier and was having a hard time coming to grips with the loss. He dealt with his pain by getting falling-down-drunk every Saturday night. Jolene had her own pain and loss to deal with but one thing she couldn’t abide was a drunk.
As they began to restore the inn, they both felt changes beginning in each of them. First there was friendship and a listening ear. Could there be more and would they learn to trust each other in order to find what fate was handing them?
I loved the story of Jolene and Tucker and all the secondary characters in this book that made such a wonderful story. There was some foul language used in the book and there was a sex scene that was behind closed doors. I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my review.
Jolene was thrilled when she learned that she was inheriting the Magnolia Inn from her aunt and uncle. Then she learned that she was only inheriting one half of the inn while her cousin, Reuben, inherited the other half. Reuben had no intention of working with as he felt he should have inherited the entire inn and therefore sold his half interest to Tucker Malone. Jolene did not learn of this until Tucker moved his travel trailer on to the property and showed up at the inn. Tucker is a carpenter and has plans for the restoration that may not coincide with Jolene’s. Also, he still has feelings of guilt over using the money he inherited from his late wife, Melanie. Would she approve? Jolene agrees to work with Tucker as he has the funds for the restoration and she does not. She fights her increasing attraction to him as she believes he is still in love with his wife. Tucker never thought he would feel this way about another woman, but Jolene is lovely, strong and independent. Travel along with Jolene and Tucker as they learn to let go of the past. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
This is the first Carolyn Brown book I’ve read. I thought it sounded like a sweet romance when I read the blurb the publisher sent over for consideration. Sweet is right. I didn’t know what to expect since I’d not read this author before.
At The Magnolia Inn we have Jolene who’s inherited half of the Inn from her Aunt & Uncle. The other half belonged to her cousin who she couldn’t stand to be in the same room with. Luckily he sells his half to a man named Tucker.
Tucker is known as the best handyman around town and he has a pretty good nest egg since his wife died in the bank. He uses this to buy into the bed and breakfast his late wife seemed to love so much.
Both of these characters have tortured pasts and it effects their present as well as their future. The entire book is about dealing with your demons. It’s a necessity for these two. For Jolene she shouldn’t judge Tucker by the sins of others. As for Tucker he needs to allow the memories of his wife to not hurt him anymore so he can see the love right in front of him.
Their love story isn’t quick. It isn’t easy. It’s definitely sweet. One that takes time to build, savor, and respect. I hope if you read this book you enjoy the route these two take to get to their happy ever after.
3.5 stars
Another great story from Carolyn Brown. Also, another story from her where the characters talk to themselves (or dead relatives) a bit too much. I just need to resolve myself to the fact that this author uses that device a lot and I either have to live with it or quit reading her books. For the most part, I enjoy her stories. So, for now, I’ll have to live with it I guess.
Tucker is a very sympathetic character. When he’s first introduced I didn’t think that would be so, but as he started interacting with other people his kindness and good heart shone through. My issues with this author having people talk to themselves did not extend to this character because it really worked for him and his part of the story. If such things had been kept to this one character it would have been completely fine.
In all ways but one I liked Jolene. I felt she was way too judgmental of Tucker, even while understanding her reasons for judging him so harshly. It’s not so much her strong feelings about his drinking that annoyed me, it was that she seemed to think there was some kind of bad seed within him. Her aunt had taught her that nobody is all good or all bad, and she often thought about that when thinking of Tucker. But not in the “hey, he’s a great guy but I know there has to be something bad in there, too” way. Nope. It was more like “this guy is bad news but I see that goodness trying to peek through”, which made no sense with how giving his character is throughout this story.
Needless to say, Jolene and Tucker had things in their own lives to work through before they could see if there could be something more than a friendship and partnership between them. Throughout the whole story there was definitely chemistry with the characters. I was truly rooting for them to resolve their issues and find a way to reach out to each other.
While this wasn’t my favorite Carolyn Brown book, it did a great job of keeping me turning the pages.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
This review can also be found at https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/the-magnolia-inn-arc-review/
The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown is a captivatingly sweet second chance contemporary love story of a man and a woman who are both damaged by their past. I found this book to be well written with characters that were easy to connect and relate too. This is the first book by Carolyn Brown that I have read and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Jolene has had a far from perfect life growing up, but what she does have is a wonderful aunt and uncle who has given her half of the Magnolia Inn. Unfortunately, the other half was given to her pseudo-cousin, who is a despicable human being. Through a series of events, he sells his half to Tucker Malone. Tucker is a tortured soul who is still grieving for his wife, of 5 years. He has lost his job as a cop due to his drinking and now works refurbishing houses. Tucker and Jolene strike up a deal to work together, as partners/friends of sorts, and fix up the Magnolia Inn. There are some definite ups and downs, and their romance develops in a slow, sweet southern way.
The story wouldn’t be complete without Tucker and Jolene being joined by three eccentric “aunties” who are instructed by Jolene’s Aunt Sugar to keep close tabs on her…and Tucker. These women sure did take their job seriously, they had me cracking up, I just adored them all, the world definitely needs more “aunties”!
I also liked how the author used the analogy of reinventing the Magnolia Inn and at the same time healing the broken hearts of Jolene and Tucker. This book is like wrapping yourself up in a warm and fuzzy blanket on a snowy day. If you are looking for a sweet, slow burn of a romance, you have found your next book.
***I kindly received an ARC of this book by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***
The Magnolia Inn is an emotional journey filled with heartbreak, humor, love, forgiveness, friendship, and of course, good food. I enjoyed the camaraderie amongst the women and how they pulled Jolene and Tucker into their circle. And I loved their sassiness. I bet they kept the townsfolk on their toes. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC.
Jolene Broussard’s Aunt Sugar and Uncle Jasper are set to start their new life exploring the U.S.A. in a new RV. They have signed over half interest in The Magnolia Inn, their Victorian home and B&B to Jolene. Too bad they signed the other half interest over to Jasper’s nephew, Reuben who was always being mean to her during her visits as a child. Jolene has decided though to pull up her big girl panties and deal as best she can with Reuben hoping he will be easier to deal with as an adult. Nope! When they meet to discuss plans for renovating the inn and reopening it he is just as nasty as he always was. The good news that comes out of that meeting is that he put his half interest up for sale. Jolene is happy to hear this but worries about who might buy his half interest since she is broke and sure can’t. Will she be able to work with the buyer?
Tucker Malone is living in a trailer and doing carpentry work to keep himself busy after the tragic death of his beloved wife Melanie in an automobile accident. It’s been a few years and he still isn’t over her death and isn’t dealing with it in a healthy way. Getting drunk every weekend is definitely not healthy. He decides that getting invested in the Magnolia Inn might help. What he finds is another soul with a sad history of her own in his new partner Jolene. She spent many years dealing with her alcoholic mother and she still hasn’t moved on from that mess. Misery loves company they say so Jolene and Tucker should get along just fine. Will they?
The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown is a great big helping of comfort food with characters that will leave you with that warm feeling of having met some great new friends. You laugh with them. You experience joy and sadness with them. You can’t help but come away at the end of this story with a wad of used tear-filled tissues and then a big smile on your face. Carolyn Brown never disappoints her readers and The Magnolia Inn is no exception!
Sweet, sexy, fun, engaging and enchanting second chance romance with a small town feel and down home heartwarming goodness…. Loved it! This is as real as it gets loved how these beautifully broken charters found the healing touch they each needed.
This is a great bittersweet story about healing, both Jolene and Tucker have some healing to do before either are ready for any kind of a relationship. I love how the story starts with them finding a way to become friends even though there were sparks from the beginning. Jolene has had a hard life, especially handling her mother after her father’s death, she’ watched her mother go down a slippery slope of drugs and alcohol but her strive not to be pulled down with her mother has her building walls around her heart.. Plus her relationships with men proved to be poor choices, so moving across Texas to be a part owner in her new retired aunt and uncle’s inn seemed to be a good step in a new path, but when her uncle’s nephew sells his half to a stranger she knows she’s going to have to do some quick talking to keep her ideas for the inn in place. Tucker is a grieving widower, whose wife died too young, he has turned to alcohol to numb his pain. After loosing his job as a cop because of his drinking he moved to be closer to his wife’s grave and into her world. Making a name for himself in contracting skills buying half a an inn that needs work seemed perfect, but the inn came with an half owner that wasn’t happy to be getting a drunk for a partner. He’s not ready to give up his wife yet but he knows there’s something between Jolene and himself. This book is filled with wonderful quirky characters who all part of the family of community. A real feel good read!
Okay
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I had a hard time staying interested in this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.
This is the first book I read by this author.
The storyline centers around Joelene Broussard and Tucker Malone.
Joelene has just inherited an inn that needs renovations . She got half the inn and the other half was given to Reuben, her uncle’s despicable nephew. Who in turn sells that 1/2 to Tucker.
Tucker the carpenter who bought that half on a whim, is a widower, still recovering from his loss, and dealing with that loss with booze.
These two have baggage to fill a truck.
As the story progresses , so does the relationship.
Somehow I expected more, but for me it was just ok. I suspect I was hoping to like the characters more and to get more romance.
In the end it’s story about , hope, new beginnings, letting go and finding someone to love.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
I’ve read a few of Carolyn Brown’s books and definitely enjoy the small town Texas story that she favors. The Magnolia Inn is a stand alone slow burn clean story, full of all the best southern charm and a HEA.
I loved the symbolism of Jolene and Tucker giving the inherited beautiful old Victorian home a remodel and fixing themselves along the way. I’m a big fan of HGTV so this was perfect for me. Tucker has a broken heart and soul to match finding his relief in the bottom of a bottle. Jolene has a beaten down heart and has no patience for drunks. I adored the meddlesome quartet of sweet southern aunties who conspire to get this pair together. Their friendship is and sisterhood is the glue and foundation of family that Tucker and Jolene need to mend. I would have enjoyed a longer look into the couple after they got together.
Jolene Broussard has had a tough life. Her luck seems to be changing when her Aunt Sugar decides to retire and gives her half of her B&B, the Magnolia Inn. Tucker Malone is still grieving for his dead wife, when he decides to buy the other half of the Inn. They decide to remodel the Inn together, and the become friends and work through their respective issues. The friendship eventually becomes more. This is a clean romance, with minimal angst. The secondary characters were sweet, Aunt Sugar and her friends. What kept this from being a five star book was Tucker. He was wallowing for too long, I just wanted someone to slap him and say “Snap out of it”. I was given an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.
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