Family Drama

Annie became too whiny, yes Ty cheated on her, but it was not an official relationship. I think Ty was OK if she dated when he was gone maybe would have woken him up sooner. DeeDee as groupie who got pregnant, was the only one to truly grow up. Ty was good for son but how much was the boy with the nanny. Still loved fathers Ronnie and Cal as well as Sweet Magnolia friendship group. Annie has a right to be leery of marriage and should wait to see how Ty behaves when traveling with team again. Until Annie has own kids not sure how accepting of split parenting she will be. ( )

Sherryl woods is a wonderful comfort read usually for me. Im not sure I would have agreed with annie's choices. Looking forward to the sweet magnolias series on netflix. ( )

This is the fifth book in the series but the first in this series and the first by this author that I've read. It started out slowly for me, but the characters are compelling and I found myself entwined in their lives. I was a bit let down when certain things were revealed near the end of the book--things that maybe I should have suspected, but that hadn't really been hinted at prior (at least not in this book).

There's a lot of history between characters in this book that I don't know since I hadn't read the previous novels. I did have trouble keeping Helen, Maggie, and Dana Sue's romantic histories separated. That may have been improved if I'd read their stories before reading this one. I did like their long-enduring friendships that have spanned years and many trials. I did like that the author is setting Annie, Raylene and Sarah up to be a second generation of "Sweet Magnolias". I wasn't crazy about the fact that margaritas are central to both groups get-togethers, as seems to be drinking to excess--though at least they are somewhat responsible in not driving after so much indulgence and the author does show the aftermath (hangover and regret) of having over-indulged.

I'm not quite sure why Ty made the decisions he did. I'm sure part of it was immaturity and peer pressure--maybe also enjoying the adulation of the baseball groupies--but in the end, he lost the woman he truly loved and ended up being a single father to Trevor.

Perhaps with all the emphasis on Ty's exploits, I shouldn't have been surprised to find out late in the novel that he and Annie had slept together long ago (before his affair with Dee Dee had been outed). And they do sleep together again before marriage in this novel (though it's not graphically described). I would have preferred if the author had let them wait for that until they were married. Annie apparently still hadn't settled her trust of Ty --not the best way to start an intimate relationship. I was ready to give the book an additional star until this plot point turned up late in the novel. ( )

Wonderful book about love lost and reconnecting. ( )