Every Bride Has Her Day

March 7, 2016
Austin’s engaging second Magnolia Brides contemporary (after The Best Laid Wedding Plans) brings a Yankee into the heart of the South. N.Y.C. detective Sam DeLuca rides his Harley into Misty Bottoms, Ga., to claim the neglected house he inherited from his aunt. Wounded both mentally and physically by the betrayal of a woman, Sam needs a place to heal, and where better than the small town where he spent boyhood summers? He feels like he’s being watched, and his city instincts scream danger, but across the country road, trusting Cricket, the new owner of the flower shop in town, doesn’t even lock her doors. Sparks fly when the two meet, and the attraction increases as Sam, claiming he’ll only stay long enough to fix up his old house, gets sucked into Southern life via an old man, an abandoned dog, and a juvenile delinquent. The charming side of small-town living and some creative flower-arrangement tips make this sweet romance a delightful read. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency.

May 1, 2016
In this Southern contemporary, a surly NYPD narcotics detective hides away in small-town Georgia after an investigation ends badly, only to find himself reluctantly drawn to his florist neighbor. Austin (The Best Laid Wedding Plans, 2015, etc.) brings an entire cast of quirky characters to life in the second installment of her Magnolia Brides series. The run-down house Sam DeLuca inherited from his great-aunt in Misty Bottoms, Georgia, offers the perfect excuse for him to lie low while he recuperates from a gunshot wound, until his neighbor Cricket O'Malley bangs on his front door and accuses him of trespassing. Cricket is also new in town. But unlike Sam, she plans to put down roots, starting with the opening of her shop, the Enchanted Florist. Still tormented by his last case and knowing he will ultimately return to New York, Sam struggles against his growing feelings for Cricket and his affection for the eccentric residents of Misty Bottoms. And Cricket knows she would be better off finding someone else. But while the story's premise offers the potential for an exciting emotional conflict, the plot frequently gets bogged down by subplots involving a large cast of secondary characters whose purpose in the story is not always clear. The book includes everything from a lovable stray dog to a charming eccentric with a rusty truck. Austin is clearly attempting to make readers fall in love with the fictional town where the series takes place, but, unfortunately, all the extra details come at the expense of Sam and Cricket's story. Readers may find themselves feeling more impatient than charmed. Readers who enjoy detailed worldbuilding and secondary character development will like this story. Those who prefer a faster pace and more focus on the main characters should skip it.

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May 1, 2016
Southern charm and sweet romance combine in the second book in Austin's Magnolia Brides series, following The Best Laid Wedding Plans (2015). New York City cop Sam DeLuca spent a couple of summers at his aunt's house in Misty Bottoms, Georgia, when he was a kid. Burned out after he was shot and betrayed while working undercover, Sam returns to fix up the house he has inherited. Across the street, Cricket O'Malley has come back to Misty Bottoms to realize her dreams of becoming a florist. The attraction between them is immediate, but Sam is transient and Cricket is there to put down roots. Familiar characters and behind-the-scenes details of the wedding business will have readers dreaming of their own trip south.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)