The Sweet Smell Of Magnolias And Memories By Celeste Fletcher McHale

Book Description:  Jacey and Colin shared the three most intense days of their lives together, waiting for help as Mississippi floodwaters surrounded them. Jacey knew Colin was the love of her life—until her rescue boat went under water, along with Colin’s last name and pieces of Jacey’s memory.  The last thing she remembered was being submerged in water. Again.  As Jacey walks down the aisle as the maid of honor in her friend’s wedding a year later, the last person she expects to see is Colin. The biggest surprise, though, is that the man of her dreams is not wearing jeans and flip-flops as he did when he held her through those long nights of the flood. He’s the preacher.  As Jacey’s memories come flooding back, it’s almost more than she can take. The fate of the young family trapped with them haunts her. The unwavering honesty—and support—of her best friend Georgia forces her to take a fresh look at herself. She’s spent her life afraid of love. But this flood is opening Jacey’s heart in the most unexpected ways.

My Thoughts:  Celeste Fletcher McHale is a brand new author for me.  

This was a cute.sort.of book.

The beginning is interesting when Jacey and Colin are stranded on a roof top during a flood.  

They become separated...he looks but can't find her.  And then, lo and behold, she is the maid of honor at a friend's wedding and as she looks up the aisle there he stands!  Colin is the preacher!  What a surprise!  and bit of shock for Jacey.

I was really enjoying this story and avidly reading and then I came to the part where Jacey gets flustered because she'll have to give up short skirts and margaritas. This was a bit of a disappointment and maybe I misread about Jacey...I thought she was a christian.  Yeah, I know margaritas and short skirts are okay for some christians but I like to think that most christians have some moral standard for not drinking alcohol and trying to look like the world.  

So this was an okay read for me.

*This book was provided for review by the Fiction Guild*

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 23, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071803984X
• ISBN-13: 978-0718039844