I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This was a nice summer romantic read although it started out in a frustrating manner in the beginning.

Beautiful cover to match a new series. Fun to follow Avery, and how she navigates love, family secrets and sisters.

The Magnolia Sisters is the start of a new series by Michelle Major. If you are a fan of small-town romance, single dads, a hard to win over heroine, and a story line filled with intrigue about 3 half sisters that meet for the first time? This is the series for you.
Avery Keller grew up in San Francisco not knowing her “sperm-donor” father. But when he leaves her in his will, she is forced to return to the small town of Magnolia, North Carolina. Her goal is to tidy up her inheritance and return to California where she will figure out the next stage in her life. But when she arrives, she finds in addition to her inheritance, two half-sisters and a very swoon-worthy single dad.
What I thoroughly enjoyed about this story is the development of the sisters’ relationship. I’m sure as the series continues, this relationship will continue to grow. But even in book one, we’re introduced to three very different personalities, sibling squawking, and tender moments as the sisters learn about one another. I feel this is the strongest arc of the story and piques my interest in reading about the other two sisters’ happily ever afters, when they are written.
But onto the romance and our main couple. Grayson Atwell is almost too perfect. He’s the dad of the year, trying to overcompensate for his ex-wife’s less than stellar interest in their daughter. Enter Avery, who is also not a fan of kids. Yet Violet and Avery hit it off and they grow on each other. Of course this helps Gray to fall for Avery a bit more, seeing how she relates to his daughter.
Gray and Avery also have mad chemistry, though it’s not necessarily true love at first sight. Maybe perhaps insta-attraction/antagonism. But it works. And the more these two bicker, the more we see them falling for each other. So much so, that we know they will become a happy family, and it feels genuine. Because it’s not always easy, and all three must work on the relationship.
Finally, there’s the fact Avery is not meant to stay in Magnolia beyond working through the inheritance. And Gray and Violet are not moving to California, so how can this relationship work? But the lure of a growing relationship with newfound sisters as well as finding true love with Gray just might be enough to keep Avery put, allowing her to take a chance on love.
Book caught my eye and now I eagerly await book two!

I love finding a new to me author who can tug on my heartstrings but not leave me a complete emotional wreck. The Magnolia Sisters are three half sisters who had no idea they had the same father until he dies and leaves them a mess to clean up. I loved the contrast of these three women who all come from very different walks of life, the way they begin to bond despite their verbal sparring, and the support they give one another when things get rough. This is the first book in the series and it centers on Avery who as it turns out is the oldest of the sisters and who has no ties to Magnolia, North Carolina until she is notified of her father’s death and her inheritance.

Avery Keller’s life was turned upside down when the man she thought she loved turned out to be a lying, married jerk, she lost her job since they both worked at the same place, and then she is notified that the man she only knew as her sperm donor has died and she must travel to Magnolia, North Carolina to collect her inheritance which she intends to do and get right back out of town and on with her life. Little does she know the town is going to suck her right in, she’s actually going to like her new sisters, and then there is Gray Atwell the man she turns her sharp tongue on the minute she hits town and who happens to own the carriage house she is borrowing from one of her sisters and whose daughter doesn’t like her even though she does good braids. Her life has become something she doesn’t recognize and she’s not so sure that’s not a good thing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the sparring between Avery and Gray throughout this book and the slow burn to their romance. Add in Violet, Gray’s daughter, and their unusual relationship and it just upped the funny factor. This was a complex book with many layers, but we never lost sight of the growing romance between the two main characters or the fact that Avery was becoming entrenched into this small town.

While I am a lover of romance books, the ones that will prompt me to read again explore all kinds of relationships throughout its pages and The Magnolia Sisters gave me that in spades. I loved this well written and unique story and I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Avery Keller goes to Magnolia, NC to collect an inheritance from a father that never acknowledged her while he was alive. Along the way she meets her two half-sisters and the single dad next door.

It was fun reading this book and watching Avery's relationships with her sisters and her neighbor develop. Coming from a small town myself, I enjoyed seeing all the small town interactions.

I look forward to reading more books set in Magnolia in the future.

#TheMagnoliaSisters #NetGalley

This book was just ok for me. I'm not a huge fan of small towns, but I thought there would be more beach storyline since there is a beach on the cover. This book is about three sisters who all have the same dad but didn't know they each existed. After their dad died, they all were brought together in order to take care of his possessions, and come to find out he is a hoarder and was terrible with his money.
The rest of the book is spent with the sisters fixing their relationship (it was Rocky in the beginning), and with one of the sisters starting a romance with a single dad. The romance was pretty insta lovey, and I just feel like the story didn't have enough depth for me. I also don't like sister stories much.
This might be a good book if you are used to reading small town dramas/romances, but I don't think this type of storyline is for me.

2.5/5

Avery Keller has come to Magnolia, North Carolina for the reading of her father's will. She never knew him. After his recent death, she found out she has two sisters, only one of whom actually knew their dad. Their father has split his properties and left portions of his estate to each daughter. Avery initially wants to sell her portion, take the money, and go back to San Francisco. The slow pace of life and the nosy neighbors in Magnolia are off-putting to her. As she gets to know her sisters and the town (and Gray Atwell) a little more, she becomes more reluctant to sell and leave.

I chose to read this book because of the Southeastern North Carolina setting, which is home to me, and because of the beach scene on the cover. A Southern beach read is really hard for me to resist. But I struggled a bit with the story in the first half before finally making a connection with it in the second half.

Things I liked: the North Carolina setting, the small town with the nosy/sometimes overbearing neighbors, Gray Atwell and his young daughter Violet, Avery's sisters

Things I didn't really like: This book was set in what appears to be a beach town, but there isn't really any beach to the story. Also, the real Magnolia, NC isn't on the beach-it's actually pretty close to where I live, further inland. I had a hard time warming up to Avery because of her attitude throughout parts of the story. She and her sisters didn't warm up to one another very quickly, so their relationship was contentious for a little while (thankfully, this changed).

Sidenote: This book mentions Scarlett O'Hara and Gone With The Wind in comparison to Magnolia and its residents, which felt incongruous considering that this area of North Carolina is much more nuanced than the South that Scarlett knew.

I think my expectations were a little high for this one considering that I've just finished another excellent newly-published book with three sisters who found one another as adults. There are some similarities with that book that made it nearly impossible for me not to compare them. I liked the bond that the sisters eventually form but it takes a while to get there, so the time that they liked and trusted one another is quite short in this installment. Hopefully Avery, Cassie, and Meredith will start off on a better foot in the next installment. It took me until about halfway through the story to really want to pick it up. For the second half, I was invested in the way things would turn out.

Of note, there is a single dad in the story. The romance progressed quickly and ended well. The end of the book is the set-up for the next installment featuring one of Avery's sisters.


Thank you to Harlequin publishing for sending me a free digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my thoughts in the form of a review!

The Magnolia Sisters by Michelle Major is the 1st book in the Magnolia Sister series, and my first book by this author. Avery Keller arrives in Magnolia, North Carolina to get her inheritance, from a father who didn't even acknowledge her when he was alive. Avery discovers she has a mess to clean up before she can leave and two half sisters she has never met. On top of that there is a handsome single dad, Gray, next door, and his daughter Violet. Neither Avery or Gray are looking for a relationship. I enjoy this sweet romance and highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a nice read about sisters who need each other to inherit their father's estate. Avery never knew her dad until she gets the letter from the lawyer to come to North carolina for the reading of the will. The first person she runs into is Grayson, a firefighter with a young daughter. It's not love at first sight. This is book 1 in a new series, The Magnolia Sisters. The next 2 books will be for Avery's half sisters. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Great story! I really like the main character and could feel her struggle about falling for this small town. I enjoyed the characters and dialogue. Definitely recommended!

This book is heatwarming, fun to read and poignant. It can move you to tears and make you laugh.
An entertaining and engrossing read with a cast of great characters and a lovely setting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The Magnolia Sisters is a delightful, optimistic tale set in the small town of Magnolia, North Carolina. We meet Avery Keller, the main character of this story who is dealing with a broken life. She is dealing with the fallout of a disastrous relationship, the loss of her job and the discovery that she has to settle the estate of a father she didn't even know existed. Moving to Magnolia, she discovers that she also has two half-sisters. Throw in a romance with the local, divorced, handsome firefighter, who is also a single dad and Avery's life is about to be turned upside down.

I enjoyed meeting the characters in this story. Avery and her sisters all have very distinct personalities who tiptoe around each other as they become acquainted. They all inherit something different from their father and want to protect the estate for different reasons. As they get to know each other, they realize that they really do like each other and begin to forge a tentative relationship. Violet, Grayson's daughter is adorable. She is spunky, sassy and very realistic. She evoked a lot of feelings in me as she traversed her life with divorced parents. Then there was Gray. He was an awesome father, that loved his daughter with all his heart. He had not had it easy once his marriage broke up, but he is figuring it out. I was not sure about Avery in the beginning of this book. She seemed ready to give up everything without a fight, but as she begins to develop feelings for Gray, Violet and her sisters, Magnolia looked more and more like home to her. The writing was enjoyable with a great pacing. The story is a hopeful tale full of love, drama, family, friendship, community, self-discovery, new beginnings taking a chance to find happiness. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. The setup for Carrie's story was well done in the epilogue and definitely had me anticipating another visit to Magnolia.

This is the first book in the Magnolia series and I am hoping the others are just as good as this. Avery's arrival to Magnolia, North Carolina to collect the inheritance her father left her starts of an emotional journey that shows the struggles of finding new family and attempting to fit them into your life and of how the past can affect generations in the future.

A new author for me and since the synopsis of the book sounded intriguing I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did and I encourage you to read it too.

Avery has been told by her mother that she was the result of her mother's one night stand and never knew her father. Now almost 30 years later she finds out her father left her an inheritance along with two half sisters! Since her life is in an upheaval and she lost her job there's no reason to stay in California. She heads to N Carolina for the reading of the will only to find a new life, family, and the charm of a southern town.

The sisters learn to work together to sort out their father's estate and in doing so gain something they never inagined. I'm hoping there's another story to follow about Carrie and Dylan!

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

I didn't think I was going to like this book and saying that, it was not one of my favorites. I was able to finish it. I found Averys mouth to be annoying. Too much sass, especially with Violet.

This kick-off to a new small town romance series is full of sass and heart and had me chuckling out loud on more than one occasion! Michelle Major never fails to deliver a warm cast of wayward souls just looking for that happily ever after and with THE MAGNOLIA SISTERS, she keeps up her stellar delivery. I'm looking forward to watching Avery's new-found sisters find their true loves soon!

Avery evokes sympathy from a reader from the first moment she enters the first scene and is in our hearts throughout. She's tough as nails, but is being thrown for a loop in more than one aspect of her life and it feels like it's suddenly all crumbling down around her. Watching her connect with these two somewhat bitter sister that she never knew she had is heartwarming.

Grayson is the epitome of a kind-hearted single father and I adored him. He's helpful, he's nice and he's so yummy!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a small town romance filled with a fun supporting cast of townspeople who make the story that much more rewarding. I am highly anticipating the next in the series!

In the Magnolia Sisters by Michelle Major, Avery Keller arrives in Magnolia, North Carolina after discovering who her father was (after his passing) and that she has two half-sisters. She expects to drive in, maybe get a piece of the inheritance, and then leave, but she is quickly drawn into the small southern town and its residents. This includes local firefighter and single-dad Grayson; as she gets to know Gray, his daughter Violet and her sisters more, Avery is finding it harder and harder to leave Magnolia.

This was such a delightful surprise; going in I thought it would be an enjoyable small-town romance but it was so much more than that. It was a wonderful blend of small-town charm, family drama and romance. Each aspect of the story was great - I loved seeing the relationship develop between the three sisters, the romance between Avery and Gray was well-done and the overall arc that Avery went on in the story was just-right for the character.

4/5 stars

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Avery drives across country to the reading of her father's will. A father who never contacted her, or really even knew her. When she arrives at the attorney's office, there are two other women about her age awaiting the reading of the will too. They are both her half sisters who she had never met or even realized that she had. The estate has been divided among the three of them and now it's up to them to work it out. and perhaps forge a family. Just a bit too hokey for me.

Avery is a broken California transplant, new to Magnolia NC. She isn't here to stay. She is here for the reading of her father's will, a man she does not know. An inconventional romance with family ties interlaced within. Gray is a single dad whose job choice can harm his custody chances with his daughter Violet. Can Gray convince Avery that he, Violet and Magnolia are home?

This was a really good book. A one sitting reader. You will hate that it ends but will be glad that it is the first in a three part series.

What a wonderful piece of fiction - perfect for fans of Susan Mallery or Kristan Higgins. Life altering events (an unknown father leaving behind a surprising inheritance) lead to complex situations in small town America with just the right dash of scandal, steamy romance, and family drama. A great engaging read that is dazzling and delightful. Are there some details that had me raising my eyebrows? Yes... but contemporary women's fiction is just that - fiction, and sometimes the more unrealistic, the easier it is to get carried away. Overall I enjoyed the varied cast of characters, small town setting, and building if new family relationships. I cannot wait for the next installment.