On Magnolia Lane {A Book Review}

**Book received for consideration. Post contains affiliate links. All thoughts are 100% my own.

What have you been reading lately?

If you've been following along, you know that I've been on a bit of a romantic suspense kick lately myself... but I felt like I needed a little break from the murder and crime... and just needed a little good ol' fashioned romance.

I found that and more in Denise Hunter's 'On Magnolia Lane':

From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie) comes the final book in Hunter’s Blue Ridge Romance series.
Pastor Jack McReady has secretly carried a torch for Daisy for two long years. She’s a member of his congregation, after all, and she’ll never see him as more than a trusted counselor. Jack’s best friend Noah has taken every opportunity to encourage his lovesick friend, but when Noah catches wind that Daisy has joined an online dating site, he takes matters into his own hands and orchestrates a meet-cute of the most unconventional kind.
Owner of the local flower shop, Daisy Pendleton is content with her small-town life, but she’d sure like someone to share it with. After several disastrous first dates, she’s about to give up—and then she finds a seemingly wonderful man online. Daisy gets to know TJ through a series of messages but finds herself spending more time with Pastor Jack outside of the church at the same time. What she doesn’t know is that her online prospect and Jack are one and the same.
Just as Daisy’s love life starts to look promising, a mysterious woman appears in town. Daisy is faced with a revelation about her family that turns her world upside down, and she looks to both TJ and Jack for help.
Jack must find a way to reveal himself as her online suitor without breaking her heart and losing her trust. As Daisy faces Jack’s betrayal, she’ll have to learn to extend grace to herself, her family, and the man she’s grown to love.

I'll be 100% honest and let you know that I specifically chose this movie based on the first line in the book description. You see, I LOVE a Hallmark movie. My husband might even tell you I'm obsessed (particularly when it comes to their holiday movies). So, I thought what better way to find a good romance than to read one written by someone who'd had her stories turned into one of these beloved movies! That makes sense, right?

Reading the final book in a series though? That doesn't always make the most sense! Still, I decided to give it a go anyway. To be honest, I didn't feel like I was missing a thing. I did get the impression that perhaps some of the other couples in the story might have been the main subjects of some of the other books in the series, but it really didn't seem to impact my enjoyment of the story at hand in the slightest. It stood very well on its own, and I absolutely loved it.

And yes, chances are if you love those Hallmark movies too, this will likewise be up your alley. There is a drama, some mystery and most importantly a fantastic love story. When it comes to a romance, I feel like the characters themselves are key. They have to be realistic- imperfect, flawed... to me, that's what truly makes me want to learn more about them and invest in their growing relationship. This story certainly had that, not just in our main characters, but in ALL of those we are introduced to throughout the story. Despite his role as a pastor, our male lead Jack is far from perfect--- a reality that is certainly true in real life as well. In that however, we cannot help but root for him.

As much as I did love the romance though, I loved everything else going on in the story as well... who is this mysterious stranger? What news will she bring? I won't give any spoilers, but it certainly had me wanting to read more, more, more to hear the full story.

If you're looking for a great romantic read this winter, 'On Magnolia Lane' is a fantastic one to check out!