Books On Tour (Review): The Magnolia Sisters by Alys Murray

I came into this book expecting it to be about sisters (not much of a reach, given the title). While there were moments of sisterhood, this ultimately was more of a romance with the focus on one sister in particular, and that wasn’t a bad thing.

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There was still a lot of emphasis on family throughout the book. Both Luke and Harper always had their sisters’ best interests in mind, even as they ignored what was right in front of them. This made them realistic and not typical romance novel stereotypes. Their reactions were natural and entirely in tune with people just too stubborn to see outside of their bubbles.

That being said, the author did a nice job of building the tension between the two of them. I especially liked that Harper was a strong, dedicated woman without being a raging feminist. Her description of why she loved flowers, and what they meant to her, was heartfelt and stirring. And her devotion to the traditions of the farm and her family were well-described.

I did not care for her youngest sister May. I know that she was an important character and the catalyst for more than one plot point. However, I found her to be selfish and spoiled. Again, I know that this was vital to the story, but it wasn’t in any way endearing. Annie and Rose, however, were a hoot.

As to the setting, I loved it. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. My parents and I used to take Sunday drives around the Bay, finding backroads and small towns. The descriptions of both the town and the people of Hillsboro reminded me of those towns. It was a sweet memory to revisit. And the flower farm was unique and intriguing.

All in all, it was a pleasant read with natural emotion and realistic characters…and a perfect rom-com ending (no spoiler, you know it’s coming). Take the emotional journey with Luke and Harper. You’ll enjoy it.

Author Bio

Alys Murray is an author who writes for the romantic in all of us. Though she graduated with a degree in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Master’s in Film Studies from King’s College London, her irrepressible love of romance led her to a career as an author, and she couldn’t be happier to write these stories! Currently splitting time between her home state of Louisiana and London, she enjoys kissing books, Star Wars, and creating original pie recipes for all of her books. Tobey Maguire is her Spider-Man.