MAGNOLIA is the story of Jemma Cafferty, a teenage girl
who lives in
Mississippi. Her family and the Marsden's next door have
always been
friends, leading back to the War. Not just any war, but
you know, The Civil
War. The two families are constantly pressuring Jemma and
Ryder
Marsden to get married and unite the families once and for
all. The only
problem is Jemma and Ryder can't stand each other. While
reading
MAGNOLIA you can't help but think of Romeo and Juliet only
in reverse.
The parents grew up together, went to school together,
have always loved
each other and the kids don't want to even been in the
same room!
Jemma and Ryder's relationship is written very
realistically. It isn't too fast
or unbelievable, and the chemistry is real. So, there is
Jemma, who works
hard and is the "good" daughter who follows the rules and
does what her
parents want. The problem is that she is now starting to
realize that she
doesn't want what her mom has planned for her. What she
wants is to be
able to go to NYU to study film. But when tragedy strikes
and her sister is
diagnosed with a severe illness, things get a little
rocky, and suddenly she
doesn't know how to ask for what she wants.
Ryder is full of mystery. He grew up with Jemma, and has
always
sort of looked after her from afar. He is a hot,
successful, intelligent football
player with gentlemanly manners - basically the total
package. Due to
some stupidity on his part, trying to act bad in front of
his friends, his
friendship with Jemma ended years ago, and both are rather
spiteful to
each other. The banter between him and Jemma will have you
laughing out
loud.
First things first....why didn't I have a Ryder in my high
school? I would
have loved school so much more having him lurking in the
halls! I truly
loved MAGNOLIA! Jemma irritated me a bit but I learned to
like her.
Especially after she admitted to loving Jim Cantore from
the Weather
Channel! I mean.......don't we all?? Kristi Cook took
an interesting twist to
the classic Romeo & Juliet and crafted this fun and
entertaining read with
MAGNOLIA. It's the perfect definition of a YA contemporary
novel with its
fantastic cast of main characters, sweet romance, and the
gorgeous
southern setting.
MAGNOLIA is undoubtedly a book I'm incredibly happy I
read
because by the end, it gave me a warm feeling inside and
silly grin on my
face.
Jemma and Ryder are far from friends—until a storm stirs up their passion in this contemporary southern romance from New York Times bestselling author Kristi Cook. In Magnolia Branch, Mississippi, The Cafferty and Marsden families are practically 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 the families finally have a baby boy and girl at the same time, the perfect opportunity seems to have arrived. Except Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden have no intention of giving in to their parents’ wishes. They’re only seventeen—oh, and also? They hate each other. Jemma can’t stand Ryder’s nauseating golden-boy persona, and Ryder would prefer it if stubborn-headed Jemma didn’t exist. And their communication is not exactly effective: even a casual hello turns into a yelling match. But when a violent Mississippi storm ravages through Magnolia Branch, it unearths feelings Jemma and Ryder didn’t know they had. And the line between love and hate just might be thin enough to cross…