Snow on Magnolias
Fearful he wouldn’t survive the Civil War, Bryce Day made the worst mistake of his life. He sent a message to his true love, the smart and entrepreneurial Magnolia “Lia” Merryweather, freeing her from her commitment to wait for him. Now that the war is over, and Christmas is only a month away, he is heading back to Alabama to see her. He can only hope she will forgive him and take him back four years after ending things. Lia has spent the war living with her parents and siblings, raising horses, and harboring a secret she is sure would destroy her relationship with her family. The last person she wants to see is Bryce, and she is in no mood for a reconciliation. To complicate matters, she’s gained the attention of a new suitor, Dylan. Perhaps she should start fresh with him, but a piece of her heart still belongs to Bryce. Should she move on and see what life with Dylan has to offer, or hear Bryce out and see if they can rekindle their romance?
The strong family ties and warm bond between Lia and her brother and sisters draw the reader in and are the highlight of this story. Also interesting is Bryce’s struggle as a former Union soldier returning to a community that, even after the war, still predominately supports the Confederacy. The novel is slightly hindered by its short length, as there isn’t enough time to fully explore the characters’ motivations and pasts, particularly Bryce and Lia’s relationship before the war. Still, fans of second chance romances will find this one worth reading, and the Christmas backdrop makes it one to put on a holiday reading list.
