Holiday At Magnolia Bay

Holidy at Magnolia Bay by Tracy Solheim. Published by Tule

September 26, 2014 by cayocosta72 Leave a comment

Navy SEAL, Drew Latham is only home for a short time to try to recover from the death of a teammate during a mission go bad, but he finds himself mighty distracted by Jenna Huntley. Jenna doesn’t have time for anything but her beloved, endangered sea turtles. A man just doesn’t fit into her picture. But for Drew, she just might make an exception………..

I loved this book because Jenna is so genuine and her love of her sea turtles shines through like a beacon

I hope this is just the beginning for Magnolia Bay because I would love to read about some of the secondary characters a bit more. This was a great start to what I would consider a great series. All of these characters, including our hero and heroine were very likeable. The story was well written with a kick ass ending :)
PS ... As per usual, the sex scenes are HOT HOT HOT! lol

ARC provided via NetGalley by Tule Publishing for an honest review.

Fans of Solheim will not be disappointed in her latest book. It is a bit of a departure from her last football-based series, but Magnolia Bay and their sea turtles do not disappoint. Mix one lost Navy SEAL and one lost marine biologist and you have a heck of a story with a very satisfying ending. This reader cannot wait for more from Solheim.

This was a lovely, quick, thoroughly enjoyable read. It had me at "sea turtles" to be honest, though this story is about more than those endearing marine reptiles.

True, there's a lot of military heroes knocking around the romance genre these days, with all kinds of PTSD-related troubles, but Drew's experience felt believable and really affected him. Jenna is passionate about her subject, but equally as compassionate. She has her own issues with the military, but when Drew needs her she doesn't turn him away.

The setting of Magnolia Bay was warm and lovely, providing a pleasant backdrop for this tale, and there were even a couple of irritating scientists hanging around to provide a little friction and conflict.

But mostly this is a story about passion (romantic and otherwise), compassion and love. It's sweet and enjoyable, and though short it doesn't feel rushed or overly contrived. There's even a hint of Christmas magic at the end, but not so much as to be overwhelming - after all, sea turtles are for life, not just for hatching.

Holiday at Magnolia Bay was romantic and delightful. A must read!

Loved this one! Great writing, great characters, and a wonderful story that made me smile. The banter between the H/h is great and you can't help but get pulled into the story. I highly recommend this one.

This books was a fun, overall enjoyable read.

HOLIDAY AT MAGNOLIA BAY is the first novella in the Southern Born four-part series. It is a short and sweet read.

Navy Seal Drew Lanham is forced to take a leave from active-duty after a mission goes terribly wrong and results in the death of a teammate. He retreats to his godmother Evie’s beach house in Magnolia bay. (You will LOVE Evie!)

Marine biologist, Jenna Huntley, has been searching for a place to call home and decides that Magnolia Bay is that place. She is spending her days giving tours at the town’s turtle rescue center. Not a very challenging job for someone with her education. She is working on a project with an older patroness (Evie) to develop a turtle hatchery, when out of the blue her godson arrives.

Drew is suspicious that the beautiful Jenna Huntley is after his godmother’s money. Suddenly Jenna finds that her future is hanging in the balance. She is thrown off by the sexy Seal who seems to be pulling all the strings on her project. For reasons of her own, Jenna has sworn off military men for the rest of her life. Hmm…that’s VERY inconvenient.

Tracy Solheim does a fantastic job of character development in a short number of pages. I loved the banter between Drew and Jenna. Her writing style is witty and fun and her sex scenes are HOT! HOLIDAY AT MAGNOLIA DAY is a fun and enjoyable diversion that can be read in an afternoon. Snuggle up in your favorite reading spot and enjoy!

*An advance reading copy was generously provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Christmas or Holiday books. The story was cute and a little different then your typical holiday romance book. The turtle stuff I found to be really interesting. The main characters had chemistry and were fun to read.

A quick read set in Magnolia Bay. Loved the characters, Drew, Navy Seal on a much needed vacations after a bad mission and Jenna a marine biologist at the sea turtle hatchery. Then you have Eve, Drew's Godmother, who likes to meddle into life. Jenna and Drew then decide to be friends with benefits, to help heal Drew but does it lead to more.
Loved the back story of sea turtles, wants me to even go more so the east coast. This is my first Tracy Solheim book and will not be my last. Would love to get a story about Drew's brother, Jack.
I highly recommend this book.

This is a great start to a series! The characters are realistic and the storyline will have you wanting to read more. The holiday theme is one of my favorite reads. Nothing like a sweet, short Christmas romance! The author grabs you on page one and leaves you wanting more - in a good way. Can't wait to read more in this series.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

*** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review ***

Holiday at Magnolia Bay is the first book in the new Southern Born Christmas and it was a good start to the series.

Drew Lanham, a Navy Seal is forced to take a leave from active-duty after a mission goes terribly wrong and one of his teammate is killed and he finds himself visiting his godmother Evie at Magnolia Bay.

Drew is suffering from PTSD but he's trying to ignore his problems and he's sure that all he needs is some rest and he'll be back to normal.

Jenna Huntley is a marine biologist and she loves living in Magnolia Bay, but in order for her to stay she needs her plan for a a turtle hatchery in Magnolia Bay to become a reality and she is hoping to get a big donation for the project from her good friend Evie.

Drew first meet Jenna on the beach and he's very attracted to her but he has concern that Jenna is trying to scam his godmother and he's keeping a close eye on her but quickly the sparks between them are out of control but Drew is not planning to stay in Magnolia Bay and he's afraid he has nothing to offer to Jenna.

I enjoyed reading Holiday at Magnolia Bay, the chemistry between Drew and Jenna was very strong.

I also enjoyed reading about Evie and her interaction with Drew and Jenna and it was great to learn new info about sea turtles.

Holiday at Magnolia Bay is another good holiday novella from Tule publishing.

Drew and Jenna meet on the beach on Magnolia Bay over a nest of turtle eggs. He's a navy seal on forced leave to recover from a bad mission and she's a nature conservationist that doesn't trust military men. A short Christmas novella, this is a nice evenings read. Tracy Solheim has written another winner.

Even though this is listed as a Christmas story, it is so much more than that.
The beautiful Magnolia Bay, with its charming residents, and turtles, mixed with a navy SEAL and marine biologist guaranteed for great entertainment!
Aunt Evie deserves a special mention with her charming maneuvers, funny disposition, and energetic yearn for life.
I always find it commendable, when stories of the heroes are included with the damage a war can and will do. Drew's struggle with PTSD, and sorrow for fallen brother, is deep. But he is able to find new purpose and passion from that heartache.
Jenna and Drew together are both sweet and passionate. I had a bit trouble to connect with them at the beginning, but that was soon resolved. Heartfelt tale of love, passion, and finding a meaning in the midst of pain. ~ Four spoons

I loved this quick, steamy holiday romance! There were instant sparks between Drew, a Navy SEAL, and Jenna, a marine biologist, that pull the reader into their story. The story was smooth reading and I couldn't believe when I reached the end.

Tracy Solheim always delivers on great characters with wonderful writing and a well-paced story. I'm always looking forward to the next book.

A sweet novella that took the time to let you get to know all the characters, primary and secondary. A well written story that had you with very believable players.

Nice romance novel. It was a quick easy read but enjoyable characters and storyline.

good story of a damaged Navy Seal (Drew) & a turtle loving marine biologist(Jenna). His godmother has been her friend for 20 yrs & she has plans for the 2 of them, but what happens between them because of his flashbacks is working better for them than her plans. Jenna is trying to prove to her military father that her career choice is a good one & Drew is trying to put his last mission out of his head but can't. The twists & turns of their love story only a few weeks long is wonderful but the fact that Drew would give up something that he loves to make the 2 most important women in his life happy was sweet. Jenna's turtles would be safe because of Drew & his family but he isn't around & that makes Jenna's heart break. What I loved about this book is that neither character was afraid to ask for what they needed from the other & it made for a lot of angst when they were fighting their real feelings for each other. I also like the idea of having different authors writing each different story in this series. I enjoy Tracy Solheim's stories & will be looking for more. Definite recommend to read.

Holiday At Magnolia Bay by Tracy Solheim is a pleasurable, not-to-long read. It reminds me of the Montana series by the same publisher, except that it is set in the South. Since I know these places best, it served only to increase my enjoyment of reading about Drew and Jenna. Miss Evie is just the kind of meddlesome older woman I would love to know. I just love her. Drew and Jenna benefit from her help. Without her, I’m not sure that they could have overcome their fears to find their HEA. When they are together the dialogue is witty, both challenging the other to be more. I’m hoping that there are more godsons and friends that she can get together in the future.

NetGalley provided a copy.

Andrew "Drew" Lanham is a Navy SEAL in desperate need of a vacation and what better place to go to than his godmother's home in Magnolia Bay.

Jenna Huntley is a Marine biologist with a love for sea turtles and Miss Evie (Drew's godmother). Her first meeting with Drew is less than stellar, the second is even worse, especially when Miss Evie starts playing matchmaker.

These two eventually form a relationship that quickly develops into love, granted a Navy SEAL with a lot of issues is bound to mess things up. Don't worry nothing a little reflection can't fix and to boot, he'll give Jenna the best Christmas ever. It's a very lighthearted read to curl up with these cold winter nights.

Rating 4 out of 5 Read@Book

This is a good short holiday read, and the main reason for giving 4 stars is the length, as my preference is longer. The characters are appealing, including the older and very charismatic Miss Evie. The inclusion of information about sea turtles and their rescue/rehabilitation is welcome. I look forward to anything Tracy Solheim writes.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

That was my first reaction after finishing his novella. It was simply awww.

Short, sweet, sexy, funny, a little sad. I loved the initial banter between the heroine and hero, I loved the heroine's spunk, the fact she was a military brat helped immensely in her dealing with Drew (the hero), I adored the hero - the strong, silent type, suffering but determined not to show it, not utterly afraid to show off his vulnerabilities, Navy SEAL ('nuff said)...And the sweet (fairy) godmother playing at matchmaker was the cherry on the cake.

Great author's voice, great story, great characterization, great resolution...To sum it up in one word - awww.

Loved it!

In best-selling author, Tracy Solheim's novel, HOLIDAY at MAGNOLIA BAY, Navy SEAL, Lt. Commander, Andrew Lanham hopes spending some time at his Godmother, Aunt Evie's Magnolia Bay, South Carolina beachfront mansion will help him quiet his PTSD. He can't shake the flashbacks or forget his last mission in Afghanistan.

The last thing he expects to encounter on the quiet sands is the gorgeous blue-eyed Jenna Huntley, a very close friend of his 88-year old Godmother. Jenna is the outspoken biologist in charge of the Turtle Rescue Center & Hatchery and is putting all of her energy into hopefully saving the endangered loggerheads from extinction. Immediately there's an attraction between the two, but the last thing either one needs is a relationship.

Well, we'll see. With Aunt Evie determined to fix Drew, as he likes to be called, and Jenna up, and plans for the Christmas Flotilla and Fishing Tournament underway, I'd bet on love! I suggest you read HOLIDAY at MAGNOLIA BAY to find out what happens next. Tracy Solheim makes that experience a lovely Holiday pleasure Thank you to Netgalley.com for a kindle copy for an honest review. Happy Holidays..

Romance with a Navy SEAL, Hooyah!

This isn’t your typical holiday novella since the story actually begins in the summer, then ends during the Christmas season. Drew is a Navy SEAL out on leave from active duty, haunted by the recent death of a teammate and Drew’s inability to save him, hoping to find healing in Magnolia Bay. Jenna is a marine biologist whose mission is the protection of sea turtles, and no stranger to the ways of military men. Two strong characters, both protectors, thrown together with lots of sparks and steam. There’s even a few solid secondary characters thrown in, as well as some plots twists – quite an accomplishment for such a small novel. Ms. Solheim is one talented writer, and I for one will be looking forward to her next book.

If you are interested in purchasing this as an e-book, it is currently on sale for .99 for a short time on Amazon.

My copy was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another very cute book from a great author. While, I love her first series this novella was great to hole me over until her new series comes out.

Sweet and funny story! So good. I wish it had been longer but still, a great read!

delightful read! Very believable characters. Ms. Solheim created a delightful world.

I loved this story it was both sweet and romantic and throw in a Navy Seal and enough said.

I enjoyed this very short holiday story about Drew Lanham and Jenna Huntley. Jenna studies sea turtles and is not looking for romance. Meeting Drew quickly changes that as the chemistry between them is not to be denied.

This was an entertaining and cute romance with very likable characters. The other books I've read by Solheim were part of a series, so it was good to try something a little different by her. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

You could never go wrong with turtles hatching on the beach and a Navy SEAL on leave. Seriously sweet book with tender moments, a bit of mystery and intrigue but let's not forget the Navy SEAL. Great book.