Even though The Merriest Magnolia sounds like a Christmas book, and the beautiful cover makes it look like a Christmas book… it’s not what I would call a true Christmas book.
And, I really liked that about it.
Hear me out, Countdown to Christmas fans: I love me a good seasonal read when December rolls around, but sometimes my beloved Debbie Macombers are a little too simple, too predictable, and too syrupy sweet for my taste.
Author Michelle Major’s newest installment of The Magnolia Sisters series kicks off just before Thanksgiving, ushering us into the Yuletide season by letting us know that the small Southern town of Magnolia, NC is in need of big-time saving – and devoted resident Carrie is aiming to do just that by organizing the town’s over-the-top Christmas extravaganza.
Of course, she’s reluctantly thrown together to organize the event with her long-lost, high school boyfriend Dylan, who’s suddenly back in town. Well, “reluctantly” at first because, as we all know, it ain’t a Christmas book without a lil’ romance. (Read: by a lil’, I mean a lot. Hold on to your Santa hats and earmuff the elves, folks; this one gets pretty steamy.)
This all sounds like standard Christmas rom-com fare, no? I’d agree … except that while we see a lot of Christmas planning, most of the Christmas events – the town tree lighting, visits with Santa, holiday concerts, etc – take place off-scene. We know they happen, but we don’t attend them. Even Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are pretty glossed over in terms of festive detail.
As a result, Christmas takes a backseat to the other, more interesting events going on in the The Merriest Magnolia: Carrie embracing her inner artist outside of her famous father’s shadow; Dylan struggling with sudden fatherhood after taking in his orphaned nephew; saving a run-down, beloved town on the brink of economic collapse; and navigating the sweet, strong friendship between three half-sisters.
Although I did wish for a little more Christmas-y feels in The Merriest Magnolia, I really loved that Major focused on the characters and their relationships, in addition to the holiday season. Hopeful holiday spirit still imbues the novel, but not just because it’s Christmas time – it’s because Magnolia is filled with really nice, good people, particularly Carrie, who steals your heart just as easily as she steals Dylan’s.
If you’re looking for a schmaltzy, over-the-top, Hallmark Movie-esque Christmas book that farts candy canes and gingerbread houses at every turn of the page, then you might be disappointed with this one. However, if you prefer a bit of substance with your holiday reads *raises hand* pick up The Merriest Magnolia for a sweet treat about life, love, and small-town charm… that just so happens to take place at Christmas.
Note: you don’t need to have read the other books in The Magnolia Sisters series to read this book. I haven’t, and I delved into The Merriest Magnolia just fine.
Be sure to check back in for my book-inspired recipe: Christmas Spice Brownies.
The Merriest Magnolia by Michelle Major is currently available for sale from Harlequin. Although I received a complimentary copy of this book – thanks, Kaye Publicity! – all opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I was not compensated in any way for this review or for any other promotion/publicity I’ve done related to this book.
