Book Blurb
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.
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Toot's Review by Stacy Sabala
In Magnolia Branch, Mississippi Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden have grown up together and their mothers are best friends. In fact their families have always been friends ever since the Civil War. So Jemma and Ryder’s mothers have been planning their lives since they were born determined that Jemma and Ryder will end up together.
Jemma has other ideas. Ryder is the one person that annoys her the most. There is no way her mother is getting what she wants, no matter how hard she tries. When Jemma’s sister, Nan, has a sudden health issue, Ryder is there and comforts Jemma. He leaves her confused by his kindness and angry at herself when she thinks he might be looking at her in a different way. Apparently she never learns.
Then Jemma and Ryder are left alone together to ride out a hurricane. They have to rely on each other in order to stay safe. They grow closer together. Jemma even tells him where she wants to go to school and what she secretly wants to study. After the storm things change and now there is no going back to the way things were.
This was a cute story. I loved Jemma immediately as a character. She was tough and the best shot in the county, but also had normal teenage thoughts and feelings. Her biggest obstacle tended to be her mother, and sometimes her father. I like how she was torn to do what her parents wanted her to do and what she wanted for herself. That seems to be a universal theme for that age group. The author wrote it in a big and fun way full of southern charm.
The story included a journey of self discovery for Jemma and Ryder who both had to find the courage to follow their dreams, even if they went against their parents’ wishes. I give it a 4 out of 5.
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