Among the Fair Magnolias

Tamera Alexander--To Mend a Dream
Shelley Gray--An Outlaw's Heart
Dorothy Love--A Heart So True
Elizabeth Musser--Love Beyond Limits

All of these ladies write incredible love stories and they have been put together in one anthology of novellas for readers' enjoyment. Taking place from late 1850's to 1880's, this collection of stories matches unlikely people together with romantic intentions. I spent several enjoyable hours reading them. I only had one hiccup in my reading because one of the plots was too much like another book I've read.

All four authors know how to write quality fiction and do it often with amazing results. With the small space of a novella, there is not much time to truly develop a plot or the characters. That doesn't stop these four ladies. They give these shorter stories the same research and attention they give their novels. They have worked in the Civil War (or the War of Northern Aggression as it is called in one of the stories), the reconstruction, and post-war living where northerners move to the south to live. A variety of occupations and situations keep the reader engaged in the stories, and one of them even includes sewing (a favorite hobby of mine).

All in all, if it weren't for the soooooo similar plot line in one of the novellas, I'd give every story here five stars, but overall, I'd have to give this one a strong four stars.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book.