Carolina Girls Archives - What's Better Than Books?

25
Oct
2023

#BookReview The Christmas Cabin by Michelle Major @michelle_major1 @HarlequinBooks #TheChristmasCabin #MichelleMajor #CarolinaGirls

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance

Title: The Christmas Cabin

Author: Michelle Major

Series: Carolina Girls #6

Published by: Canary Street Press on Oct. 24, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Michelle Major

Book Rating: 9/10

As a girl, single mom Lauren Maxwell hated Magnolia, South Carolina. And she thought she’d left her hometown in the rearview mirror years ago, but a message from her beloved baby brother, Brody, changes all that. He’s getting married on Christmas Eve. So a holiday at Camp Blossom, the rustic sleepaway camp that had been a haven during her growing-up years, it is. Lauren won’t even have to see her dictatorial father. Or her ex-husband, Ben…

When Ben greets her at the surprisingly decrepit cabin, he’s just as stubborn—and as irresistible—as ever. And when she discovers he’s working with her estranged father to buy the campgrounds and rebuild them as luxury housing, Lauren is furious. She won’t let the man who broke her heart win. So she and her daughter stay in town to block the sale.

But the magic of the Christmas season brings back memories Lauren tried so hard to forget: his crooked smile, their daughter’s laughter at the breakfast table, the feel of her hand in his. As the spark between them rekindles, Lauren realizes that second chances are real. And they’re worth fighting for.

Review:

Bighearted, uplifting, and festive!

The Christmas Cabin is a magical, heartwarming tale that takes you to Magnolia, North Carolina, and into the life of the independent, single mother Lauren Maxwell as she reluctantly heads back to her hometown in order to help her brother with his surprisingly quick nuptials, give her teenage daughter a little space from the fallout of her recent destructive behaviours, organize a holiday event one last time at the summer camp that holds a special place in her heart, and try not to fall too hard for the one man she once thought was her forever until she up and left him without a backward glance.

The writing is charming and smooth. The characters are scarred, stubborn, and loyal. And the plot is a sweet, absorbing tale about life, love, family, friendship, trust, compassion, romance, happiness, community, healing, self-reflection, tricky situations, and second chances.

Overall, The Christmas Cabin is another cosy, tender, delightfully enchanting tale by Major that reminds us that life is complicated, often the choices we make have consequences, letting people in is never a bad thing, and love is, ultimately, always worth fighting for.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to Michelle Major for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Michelle Major

Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

29
May
2023

#BookReview The Front Porch Club by Michelle Major @michelle_major1 @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #TheFrontPorchClub #MichelleMajor #CarolinaGirls

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance

Title: The Front Porch Club

Author: Michelle Major

Series: Carolina Girls #5

Published by: Canary Street Press on May 23, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 8.5/10

They have nothing in common—except a need to start over…

The drawback to having a picture-perfect life is that there’s nowhere to go but down—and Annalise Haverford is falling fast. Once, she was the self-proclaimed queen bee of Magnolia, North Carolina. Now her husband has been arrested for fraud, and she’s become an outcast in the shallow circles she used to rule. There’s only one affordable rental in town, and it’s owned by the woman Annalise got fired from a lucrative job.

Much as single mother Shauna Myer would like to refuse Annalise, who treated her like dirt on the bottom of her red-soled shoe, she needs that rent money. But when Shauna’s first love arrives in town, unraveling secrets she’d hoped to keep, Annalise becomes her unlikely defender. Meghan Banks, an elementary school art teacher whose quiet existence suddenly descends into chaos, is thrown an unexpected lifeline by Annalise, too.

As spring ripens into a sultry summer, the three spur each other on to share their fears and dreams, face new challenges, and seize second chances. Because no matter how turbulent life may be, it’s much easier to navigate those choppy waters when you’re buoyed by true friendship…

Review:

Romantic, cozy, and engaging!

The Front Porch Club is an enchanting, heartwarming story set in the quaint town of Magnolia, North Carolina, that takes you into the lives of three unlikely friends, Shauna, Annalise, and Meghan, who together tackle all the highs and lows of life including single motherhood, new love, old love, career woes, taking chances, and new beginnings.

The prose is fluid and smooth. The characters are genuine, supportive, and reliable. And the plot is a tender, hopeful tale about life, love, family, parenthood, heartbreak, attraction, introspection, contentment, and small-town living.

Overall, The Front Porch Club is another sweet, uplifting, satisfying addition to the Carolina Girls series by Major that touches on the importance of healing, friendship, self-discovery, and finding happiness.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to Kaye Publicity for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Michelle Major

Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

26
Apr
2022

#BookReview Wedding Season by Michelle Major @michelle_major1 @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #WeddingSeason #MichelleMajor #CarolinaGirls

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance

Title: Wedding Season

Author: Michelle Major

Series: Carolina Girls #3

Published by: HQN Books on Apr. 26, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 8.5/10

The last person she wants to see in Magnolia, North Carolina, could be exactly whom she’s been waiting for…

Mariella Jacob was one of the world’s premier bridal designers, but one viral PR disaster later, she’s trying to get her torpedoed career back on track in small-town Magnolia, North Carolina. With a secondhand store and a new business venture helping her friends turn the Wildflower Inn into a wedding venue, Mariella is finally putting at least one mistake behind her. Until that mistake—in the glowering, handsome form of Alex Ralsten—moves to Magnolia too.

Mariella ruined Alex’s wedding by announcing that his starlet bride-to-be was sleeping with Mariella’s fiancé. While he’s furious when they’re forced to work together, there’s no denying Mariella is hardworking, talented…and gorgeous. In fact, though Alex keeps reminding himself that they’re enemies, something deeper is growing…daring them to admit that a rocky past might lead to something unexpectedly wonderful.

Review:

Quaint, hopeful, and absorbing!

Wedding Season is a heartwarming, uplifting tale that takes you back to Magnolia, North Carolina and into the life of the hardworking, designer extraordinaire Mariella Jacob, as she juggles a new boutique, a partnership in the Wildflower Inn, a past that still haunts, undeniable chemistry with the one man she humiliated and hoped to never see again, and a reunion she never dreamed would happen but will ultimately change her life forever.

The prose is light and tender. The characters are resilient, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is a charming mix of life, love, family, friendship, forgiveness, understanding, attraction, self-discovery, heartfelt moments, taking chances, and moving on.

Overall, Wedding Season is another sweet, engaging, emotional tale by Major with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a swoon-worthy ending that left me smitten, satisfied, and wishing for more.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to Kaye Publicity for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Michelle Major

Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

27
Oct
2021

#BookReview Mistletoe Season by Michelle Major @michelle_major1 @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #MistletoeSeason #MichelleMajor #CarolinaGirls

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance

Title: Mistletoe Season

Author: Michelle Major

Series: Carolina Girls #2

Published by: HQN Books on Oct. 26, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 288

Format: Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Spend the holidays in Magnolia, North Carolina, where two lonely hearts find exactly what they need for Christmas.

Anji Guilardi needs a man for Christmas—at least, according to her mother. What she really needs is to grow her fledgling catering business. Partnering with Magnolia’s Wildflower Inn holds promise, but when her mother falls ill, Anji’s drawn back to the responsibility of the family restaurant. Balancing work and her eight-year-old son, she has no time for romance…until Anji runs into Gabriel Carlyle.

Temporarily helping at his grandmother’s flower shop, Gabriel doesn’t plan to stick around, especially after he bumps into Anji, one of his childhood bullies. Sure, she’s all grown up and gorgeous now, and when they find themselves under the mistletoe, their chemistry is undeniable. But it’ll take more than a Christmas miracle for Anji to break through the defenses of Gabriel’s well-guarded heart and find a love built to last.

Review:

Stirring, compassionate, and charming!

Mistletoe Season is a heartfelt, magical tale that takes you to Magnolia, North Carolina and into the life of the overwhelmed, single parent Angi Guilardi as she juggles the family restaurant, her mother’s recuperation, a catering career she is truly passionate about, a son who seems to be the target of some nasty bullying, and an unexpected attraction to the man she turned her back on all those years ago, Gabriel Carlyle.

The prose is smooth and sweet. The characters are anxious, hardworking, and tentative. And the plot is a delightful tale of life, loss, love, drama, family, friendship, community, self-discovery, parenthood, strength, acceptance, undeniable chemistry, happiness, and moving on.

Overall, Mistletoe Season is another winsome, uplifting, cosy tale by Major that’s a lovely addition to the Carolina Girls series with its endearing characters, heartening storyline, and festive cheer.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to Kaye Publicity for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Michelle Major

Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.