Maggie’s whole world is falling apart. The guy she’s been dating is hiding something, the Big Apple restaurant job she loves isn’t quite living up to expectations, and now her mom and grandma have been in a horrible accident. Mom’s OK, but the matriarch of the family is in a coma and she is called back to Sullivan’s Island and the life she was so quick to run from years earlier. Dreading her past, Maggie is sure nothing will have changed, but boy is she wrong! Will the changes be for the best, or will they confirm everything she’s always thought about small-town life on the South Carolina coast?
Victoria Benton Frank’s debut release My Magnolia Summer is a quirky-cute romance novel with a bit of mystery and family drama thrown in. As the daughter of the late Dorothea Benton Frank, the author is practically southern beach read royalty. This book is written for her mother’s audience with a stretch towards a younger generation. Full of southern hospitality and customs, this book pulls on her knowledge as a chef in New York City and her mother’s world on Sullivan’s Island. My Magnolia Summer is all about family ties and using the past to make the future we want.
I give My Magnolia Summer 3 out of 5 stars. I had put off reading this book for about a year since I attended an author signing for the release in 2023 where the author had more negative things to say about her publishers and their public relations team than good things about her writing. It was an off-putting experience and I didn’t want that to impact how I read this book. However, I felt the same way throughout this book because of the way the author name-dropped her mother multiple times in one chapter, and throughout the book, as every character’s favorite author. I also felt like this was not one cohesive story, but not because it’s written from the view point of multiple female characters. This felt disjointed like there was a mystery novel, a romance novel, and a cute beach read competing to take the lead. I did appreciate the way the author wove a flower theme throughout the book in the character names and in other ways. However, it also felt like a bit of a play on Sherryl Woods’ Sweet Magnolias series with the call to the Magnolia name, as well as one of the main characters working as a chef in a family restaurant in a small town, falling for the guy with the farm, and with girlfriends/sisters to gather over drinks.
I would recommend this book to readers who love Dorothea Benton Frank’s writings, as well as Mary Kay Andrews’ summer reads. With discussions of substance abuse and hospitalization from the car crash, I would caution readers who may find those triggering, and direct this to more mature audiences over 16. If you’re on the way to Sullivan’s Island for the summer vacation, you may find this a great weekend read!
As I mentioned, I’ve had this one on the shelf for close to a year. I’m glad I finally got a chance to read it, but it definitely wasn’t the book for me – you may love it though! Also, the paperback version of this book released earlier this month for easier packing!
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