Publication date: August 5th 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: eArc
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Pages: 384
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: eArc
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Pages: 384
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Goodreads:
In Magnolia Branch, Mississippi, the Cafferty and Marsden families are southern royalty. Neighbors since the Civil War, the families have shared vacations, holidays, backyard barbecues, and the overwhelming desire to unite their two clans by marriage. So when a baby boy and girl were born to the families at the same time, the perfect opportunity seemed to have finally arrived.
Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden have no intention of giving in to their parents’ wishes. They’re only seventeen, for goodness’ sake, not to mention that one little problem: They hate each other! Jemma can’t stand Ryder’s nauseating golden-boy persona, and Ryder would like nothing better than to pretend stubborn Jemma doesn’t exist.
But when a violent storm ravages Magnolia Branch, it unearths Jemma’s and Ryder’s true feelings for each other as the two discover that the line between love and hate may be thin enough to risk crossing over.
My Thoughts
Oh this book was just a wonderful delight to read and devour! I fell in love with Kristi’s decadent writing in this story. The scenery was richly described, with weeping willows, spanish moss, creeks, plantations and characters with sexy southern drawls that weren’t too overbearing in their southernness.
Jemma and Ryder’s relationship was rocky and frustrating most of the time, but there were secret and intimate moments between them that created the tension perfectly. Their families, and in particular their mother’s, have pushed the two on each other since birth, hoping to unite the Cafferty and Marsden clan’s through marriage. Backfiring on them, Jemma and Ryder seemingly hate each other, but it is really a fine line between love and hate.
The circumstances that brought these two together were believable and intense and it created a further bond that was even a little deeper than what they had grown up with. Basically, I loved this so so much. It was sweet, romantic, swoony, and had great family dynamics, all thrown in a southern setting that was so perfectly described, I (as someone who lives in Canada and has never been to the south) felt like I had lived there in Magnolia Branch with Jemma and Ryder my entire life.
Read this book everyone. It is the perfect summer read, even though i read it in the dead of winter.
Jemma and Ryder’s relationship was rocky and frustrating most of the time, but there were secret and intimate moments between them that created the tension perfectly. Their families, and in particular their mother’s, have pushed the two on each other since birth, hoping to unite the Cafferty and Marsden clan’s through marriage. Backfiring on them, Jemma and Ryder seemingly hate each other, but it is really a fine line between love and hate.
The circumstances that brought these two together were believable and intense and it created a further bond that was even a little deeper than what they had grown up with. Basically, I loved this so so much. It was sweet, romantic, swoony, and had great family dynamics, all thrown in a southern setting that was so perfectly described, I (as someone who lives in Canada and has never been to the south) felt like I had lived there in Magnolia Branch with Jemma and Ryder my entire life.
Read this book everyone. It is the perfect summer read, even though i read it in the dead of winter.

I’ve read really great reviews about this one and I’m glad you enjoyed it too. I definitely want to read this one now!
Eileen @ BookCatPin 🙂
I definitely have to check this one out now, especially since you mentioned that you’re in Canada too:) My library doesn’t show if it’s getting copies yet so I’ll just add it to my wishlist.