Steal My Magnolia

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ All the stars. Not that it’s a surprise. I LOVE Karla Sorensen’s writing style, I love Green Valley and all things Penny-verse, and I especially love the Buchanans and their end-all, be-all love you til the end of time “family curse”. Sorensen has done such an incredible job creating this sub-series in the world of Green Valley and integrating the Buchanans into the town and lives that we have come to know so well. I love the dialogues she creates – laugh out loud funny, facepalm moments, sweet smiles...eventhe evil eye you give your Kindle when things start going off the rails...you get it ALL. The depth of character; feisty, steamy, snarky, heartfelt, swoony, love and loyalty...there are not enough adjectives to describe my adoration. Magnolia and Grady are fantastic. I was thrilled to go along for the ride as Magnolia spread her wings with grace and skill, holding everything together for herself and her family, falling in love with Grady and seeing them grow with each other. A few of my favorite tidbits about Sorensen’s style – she’s all about the couple. She uses the secondary characters to support them and help tell the story, but there is so much truth in their hopes & fears that you’re just completely enmeshed in their lives, invested in their HEA. You know the HEA is coming – of course it’s coming. You’d be pretty wrecked if it didn’t, don’t lie. But as with most things in life, it’s the journey that gets ya. In the case of the Smartypants Romance book series, we have the fantastic added bonus of seeing all of our favorite Green Valley friends popping their heads in to say hi or lend an anecdote to the story. The seamless way these authors hold true to the personalities of characters other writers have created is a beautiful thing. As far as Magnolia and Grady go - I’m out of words. You don’t need mine anyway, when you can have Karla’s. She’s a 1-click for me every time. Go. Read. Swoon. Cry. Laugh. Love. You’re welcome!

I don’t usually enjoy a slow-burn romance but this one was wicked funny, smartly paced, ingeniously nuanced, and highly amusing. I have smirked and giggled-snorted my way through each clever installment of Ms. Sorenson’s contributions. Regardless of the series or author, the denizens of Green Valley are a peculiar and curiously enticing sort, but in the hands of a skilled storyteller such as this, there is no end to the appeal and the odd secondary characters hold up the foundations as well as add extra sparkle. I cannot wait to read the next issue and see what she comes up with next.

The Buchanan Curse was real and Grady knew he was doomed. Of all the women why did it have to be Magnolia!?! Magnolia is ready to branch out on her own and working for Grady is her first step. Now can she trick Grady into hiring her. Fate puts these two together and love will keep them together. Such a perfectly written story! Read it!!