In CATCHING FIREFLIES, the second in a series which began
with Sweet Magnolias, the main theme is school
bullying, an age-old problem made more vicious by the age of
the internet. In Sherryl Woods' story, a young girl is the
victim of taunting rather than physical bullying.
Laura Reed, the English teacher in a town called Serenity,
notices promising pupil Misty Dawson skipping classes to
avoid Annabel, a more 'popular' girl. In fact, Annabel thinks
that Greg, a handsome football player, is interested in
Misty and doesn't like it. In retaliation, Annabel begins
to harass Misty online. Greg is reveling in being the
center of female attention but Misty just wants to be left
alone. It doesn't help that Misty's mother is fighting
divorce proceedings and is suffering from depression, barely
able to take care of herself and
her two children. Unwilling to add to her mother's burdens,
Misty asks the local pediatrician for a note to get her out
of school. He sensibly refuses and encourages her to share
her troubles with another adult. Misty chats with Laura Reed
but doesn't tell her what is at the core of her unhappiness.
Mixed in with this sad tale is the happier one of Laura
Reed and JC Ellerton, the pediatrician, who get together
over their concern for the girls in their care and turn
friendship into romance.
CATCHING FIREFLIES incorporates characters from Sherryl
Woods' previous book. Fans of the Sweet Magnolias series
will be happy to see their return. Being new to the series
and reading this as a standalone story, I found the
inclusions of several pages of girl talk and drinking as an
interruption to the flow of the detailed and slow-burning
story. The one thing that did not ring true was the adults
failure to quickly recognize the possibility of cyber
bulling, given the media attention this topic has received.
When bullying threatens to destroy a teen’s life, painful memories resurface for dedicated high school teacher Laura Reed and pediatrician J.C. Fullerton. With the support of the Sweet Magnolias, they bring the town together to ensure that a promising student’s future isn’t ruined. And to establish once and for all that bullying has no place in Serenity, South Carolina. Both J.C.’s and Laura’s passion for the cause is deeply personal, and their growing feelings for each other are just as strong. But with so many secret hurts to overcome, can these two vulnerable lovers find the strength to believe in happily ever after?
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