Magnolia Moon (Callahan Brothers Trilogy) [Mass Market Paperback]

JoAnn Ross (Author)

Book Description

Series: Callahan Brothers Trilogy | Publication Date: March 1, 2003

JoAnn Ross's breathtaking novels have made her one of the most popular authors of contemporary romantic fiction. Here, set amid the sultry grandeur of Blue Bayou, is the eagerly awaited conclusion to her captivating Callahan Brothers trilogy.

L.A. homicide detective Regan Hart's life is turned upside down with the discovery that she was adopted. Following a trail left in her birth mother's journal, she lands in Louisiana's Blue Bayou, where she's determined not to let Nate Callahan, the town's handsome, sweet-talking mayor, distract her from her search.

Nate Callahan loves women -- and they've always loved him right back. No-nonsense Regan couldn't be more different from his usual type, but as they spend time together, unlocking the puzzles of Regan's past, neither can deny the attraction sizzling between them -- and both come to realize that family bonds are forged not through blood ties, but through choices of the heart.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers seduced by the first two books in JoAnn Ross's Callahan Brothers trilogy (Blue Bayou; River Road) will be equally charmed by Magnolia Moon. When charismatic Nate Callahan, the mayor of Blue Bayou, La., tracks down Los Angeles homicide detective Regan Hart to deliver a journal and a tidy sum in stock certificates left to her by her birth mother, Nate is surprised by Regan's reaction. She isn't interested in her inheritance, but she's stunned to learn that she's adopted. To uncover the truth about her past, Regan returns to Blue Bayou, where she delves into the mystery behind her mother's death and becomes intimately involved with Nate. Meanwhile, Nate receives temporary custody of an abused 12-year-old runaway. Ross focuses heavily on the topic of domestic violence, and her frequent moralizing may put off some readers. Others, however, will be sufficiently beguiled by the book's Southern ambiance and pleasing, if predictable, romance.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

When L.A. homicide detective Regan Hart learns from Blue Bayou's mayor, Nate Callahan, that she was possibly adopted and that the unsolved mystery of her mother's death lies in Louisiana, she goes there to find the truth, not realizing that discovering Nate is at least as important as delving into her unknown past. Regan is as single-minded and obstinate as Nate is easy-going. Neither is interested in marriage, but neither can deny the passionate attraction that grows between them as he accompanies her and paves the way for her to interview people who knew her "real" mother. Nate is the last of the three Callahan brothers (Jake in Blue Bayou [BKL Ap 1 02] and Finn in River Road [BKL S 1 02]) to fall in love for real, and how the mystery of Regan's parenthood and her ultimate admission that she can't stand to be parted from Nate form the plot resolution makes for a very satisfying conclusion not only to the book but also to Ross' sensual trilogy. Mary K. Chelton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743457439
• ISBN-13: 978-0743457439
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I wrote my first story -- a tragic romance about two star-crossed Mallard ducks -- as a second grade writing assignment. The paper earned a gold star. And I kept writing.

I've since written around a hundred novels and have been published in twenty-six countries. Two of my titles have been excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine and my books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Mystery Guild, and Literary Guild bookclubs. As a New York Times, U.S. Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller, I'm also a member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors.

I'm currently writing my Shelter Bay series, set on the magnificent Oregon coast where, when I was eighteen-years-old, my high school sweetheart bought me a bag of taffy, then proposed. The smartest thing I ever did was say yes!

My husband and I live in our beloved Pacific Northwest, with three rescued dogs who pretty much rule the house. (And, in case you're wondering, that taffy store is still there! )

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars To the moon Alice is ditto'd here, people! Yuck..., April 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Magnolia Moon (Callahan Brothers Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you like predictable and boring then MAGNOLIA MOON is definately the book for you. "Mcquire" fans might like this one, but I sure didn't. I was disappointed in a very big way! This was my first and last JOANN ROSS book!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasent Read But Not Over The Moon, April 11, 2003

By 

Kristi Ahlers (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Magnolia Moon (Callahan Brothers Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)

Although I liked the first two books in this series this installment left me a little let down. I think that this was due in large part because of the actual characters.

Nate Callahan is a ladies man. The reader will be aware of this trait if you have read the previous two books in the series. He was also very likable which is why I feel that his pairing with sarcastic, acid tongue, tough as nails I need to prove myself Regan Hart was a mismatch in my opinion. Although many may find a strong willed heroine enjoyable I found her to be too abrasive and unlikeable.

As a result I did not find the romance as interesting as I found the mystery surrounding Regan's mother's death. This book was saved by my opinion by the Callahan brother's and other character's that we have been introduced to throughout the trilogy. If you have not read the previous titles in this series, do yourself a favor and get them. They are worth the time it takes to read them.

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars "To the MOON, Alice!", March 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Magnolia Moon (Callahan Brothers Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)

MAGNOLIA MOON, along with the first two installments in the trilogy (BLUE BAYOU and RIVER ROAD) are going into my discard pile. All of the characters in these books are likeable, but the plots are shallow. One reviewer of the first installment (BLUE BAYOU) found a similarity to Nora Roberts/J. D. Robb. This similarity is even more apparent in MAGNOLIA MOON. Regan Hart is J. D. Robb's Eve Dallas down to the plain gray suit and the "Detective Cherie." Regan Hart is a poor substitute for the real Eve Dallas. I suggest that you give this trilogy a bye and go straight to the J. D. Robb IN DEATH series, if you haven't already.