Review: Home in Carolina by Sherryl Woods

by Karin on August 22, 2010 · 1 comment

in 2.5 Stars, Baseball, Children, Doctor, Estranged, Friends, V-Z

by Karin, guest reviewer from Savvy Thinker

This is the first of the 3 books given to me as ARCs to review, but it is the last of the three that I read.  And it is my least favorite of the three.  Whereas I rated the other two 5 out of 5 stars, I rate this 2.5 out of 5.

The Back Story

This is the story of Annie and Ty.  They were childhood friends growing up, best friends in their young adulthood, lovers during the same time frame.  Both of them always expected to marry each other. Ty was a professional ball player surrounded by groupies.  Out of stupidity, hormones, the belief of entitlement or whatever, he had a succession of lovers that likely Sarah never knew about.  But one of the women got pregnant.  It hit the tabloids, and Sarah felt understandably betrayed.  She cannot forgive.

After the baby was born, Ty took responsibility.  (One day, he found his son abandoned on his doorstep, and he takes full custody.)

The Story

Ty has a shoulder injury and comes back to Serenity with his son who is now 3, hoping to get back with Sarah who is a sports therapist – and hoping she will handle his therapy.

Both of them are still in love with each other, but Sarah can’t trust him.  Of course, because I read the other books first, I know there is a happily ever after, but it got tiresome waiting for it.

And to complicate matters, the mother of Ty’s son suddenly wants custody of their son, after being out of his life for 3 years.  There was a lot about that that I didn’t care for.

The other characters

This book tells the beginning story of Walter and Sarah.  And takes them through a reconciliation and filing for divorce.

It also tells something of the stories of many of the older generation of the Sweet Magnolias, the parents of Annie, Ty,and Sarah -- and Helen (the lawyer.)  I felt like I needed a map to know who was who and what had happened. That’s because I haven’t read the beginning of the series yet.  There were infidelities and reconciliations in that group too. Still there is love and caring – as well as conspiracies to bring Annie and Ty back together again.  And if that happens, it will make relationships between their mothers better, since all agree that Ty did wrong – and hope that they all can get past that.

Annie isn’t sure she can get past it with Ty’s son’s mother in the picture.

Additionally Annie and Sarah begin to be concerned about Raylene who is acting strangely, then she shows up beaten by her husband.  I feel as though there is a missing book here, because Raylene is thinking she will get back with him, to the shock of her friends. I know she ultimately doesn’t go back with him, but I don’t know if this is the point at which she makes this decision.  I know her husband goes to jail.  But it feels like we get from point A to point C and we are missing B.  That’s why I rated it 2.5 – I would  have preferred less of the story of Ty and Annie (having them get together sooner) and a bit more of the fill in on Raylene.

My take

Just like real life, life can be messy with loose ends.  But I do like the happily ever after that I know is coming.  They all end up in better places than they were.

Buy: Home in Carolina (Sweet Magnolias)

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This post was written by...

– who has written 19 posts on Love Romance Passion.

Karin likes solidly written romances that are heavy on the romantic suspense. She loves it when the good guy triumphs over the bad guy. She's not a fan of historical period romances in general, a duke in tight breeches makes her grimace. That said, she will read one every now and then to shake things up so long as she can immediately return to the land of contemporary crime solving heroes and heroines.

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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

1 Estella August 22, 2010 at 4:14 PM

I have read all of the books in this series. Raylene’s is next.

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