Welcome to Serenity (Sweet Magnolias, Book 4) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sherryl Woods (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2008

When Jeanette Brioche helped launch The Corner Spa in Serenity, South Carolina, she found a whole lot more than professional satisfaction. She discovered the deep and loyal friendships that had been missing from her life. But even the Sweet Magnolias can't mend the terrible rift between Jeanette and her family or persuade her that the holidays are anything more than a season of misery.

Pushed into working on the town's much-loved annual Christmas festival, Jeanette teams up with the sexy new town manager. Tom McDonald may be the only person in Serenity who's less enthused about family and the holidays than she is.

But with tree decorations going up on the town square and a bit of romance in the air, Jeanette and Tom take a fresh look at the past and a hopeful look into the future. Together they discover that this just may be a season of miracles after all.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Jeanette and Tom are opposites in some ways, but alike in many more, including an intense avoidance of Christmas and all its pageantry. But Tom, the new town manager, and Jeanette, spa services manager for one of its major attractions, are both chivvied into cooperating on Serenity’s committee to plan the annual Christmas festival, and their initial sexual attraction rapidly deepens into a more meaningful relationship. Woods updates her readers on the continuing antics of the Sweet Magnolias (Stealing Home, 2007; A Slice of Heaven, 2007; Feels Like Family, 2007) in her holiday-themed, heartwarming contemporary romance, paving the way for even more stories set in this charming South Carolina town only a short drive from Charleston. --Lynne Welch

About the Author

With her roots firmly planted in the South, Sherryl Woods has written many of her more than 100 books in that distinctive setting, whether her home state of Virginia, her adopted state, Florida, or her much-adored South Carolina. She's also especially partial to small towns, wherever they may be. A member of Novelists Inc., Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America, Sherryl divides her time between her childhood summer home overlooking the Potomac River in Colonial Beach, Virginia, and her oceanfront home, with its lighthouse view, in Key Biscayne, Florida. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Mira (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 077832589X
• ISBN-13: 978-0778325895
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #625,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With her roots firmly planted in the South, Sherryl Woods has written many of her more than 100 books in that distinctive setting, whether her home state of Virginia, her adopted state, Florida, or her much-adored South Carolina. She's also especially partial to small towns wherever they may be. In Amazing Gracie, as in her later Trinity Harbor series, Woods creates a fictional version of the town where she spends summers on the shores of the Potomac River. "This town just lends itself to fascinating characters and a charming locale," she says.

A member of Novelists Inc., Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America, Sherryl divides her time between her childhood summer home overlooking the Potomac River in Colonial Beach, Virginia, and her oceanfront home with its lighthouse view, in Key Biscayne, Florida. "Wherever I am, if there's no water in sight, I get a little antsy," she says.

Sherryl also loves hearing from readers. You can join her at her blog, www.justbetweenfriendsblog.com, visit her Web site at www.sherrylwoods.com or contact her directly at [e-mail].

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 2/3 good but last 1/3... ehh?, December 23, 2008

By 

K. Worsham (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to Serenity (Sweet Magnolias, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

Okay, I'll start this out by saying I really enjoy Sherryl Woods books. They're fun, fast paced and charming. But the last 30 pages left a lot to be desired and the climax was, well, anti-climatic. The conflict was resolved in 2 pages... seriously. Even the sub-plot about Mary-Vaughn didn't have a real resolution.

I don't want to give anything away though.

I would definitely read it if you've read the previous 3 books, and you are like me... you like to follow characters that you know. BUT be prepared to feel slightly let down at the end... like she just HAD to get the book out today and it was already over the amount of pages allowed.... it didn't feel right.

Oh and in my opinion ---> I think Ty and Annie are the next book, it feels set up to be that way, which should be fun.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, April 4, 2009

By 

T. Hawkins "TeeLee" (Saint Davids, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to Serenity (Sweet Magnolias, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

I read the first three books in the series, and they were all enjoyable. This book was a disappointment -- I couldn't figure out the characters. They kept acting out of, well, character. His father's a bear, then he's not, his mother's ok, then she's not. I agree with the other reviewer that the ending was very sudden and not satisfying. I actually preferred the subplot of Mary Vaughn to the main plot, although I think Ms. Woods took the easy way out there, too. Jeanette & Tom were very likable, I just don't know if the way it played out was consistent with what we learned about the characters as the story unfolded. A lot of sharp turns in motivation & reactions. It's almost like the author had a deadline to meet and sacrificed the quality of the series in the process.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet magnolia contemporary romance, December 6, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Welcome to Serenity (Sweet Magnolias, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

In Serenity, South Carolina, Jeanette Brioche has mixed feelings about her new friends. On the one hand, she welcomes for the first time in her lonely life people who care for her. However, on the other hand although she feels good for her new friends, she envies the loving marriages of Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue as she has no man in her life, never has had one, and never will.

Town manager, Tom McDonald meets Jeannette and does not hide is interest in her. Maddie realizes this and signs up Jeannette as a volunteer on the Serenity's annual Christmas festival committee. Jeanette and Tom are teamed up with each attracted to one another. However, both have had losses in their lives; whereas Tom has moved on and wants to start again with Jeannette, she has not and fears relationships mean loss.

The return to Serenity for another Sweet magnolia contemporary romance FEELS LIKE FAMILY visiting as the audience finds out what is happening to the stars of previous tales (see STEALING HOME). The lead couple is a fine matching as Tom is a nice person and Jeannette is the last one standing alone although Sherryl Woods hopefully has a few more singles in Serenity. Although there is little action, fans will feel the warn holiday WELCOME TO SERENITY.

Harriet Klausner