Where Azaleas Bloom (Sweet Magnolias Series #10)

( 51 )

Overview

Single mom Lynn Morrow is determined to put food on the table for her son and daughter. Her soon-to-be-ex-husband has failed to meet his obligations time and again—but it turns out that Ed is struggling with his own demons.

Enter contractor Mitch Franklin, an unlikely knight in shining armor. A widower with two grieving sons, Mitch once admired Lynn from afar. Now he sees in her not only the sweet girl who got away, but a woman desperately in need of support. While rushing to ...

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Where Azaleas Bloom (Sweet Magnolias Series #10)

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Overview

Single mom Lynn Morrow is determined to put food on the table for her son and daughter. Her soon-to-be-ex-husband has failed to meet his obligations time and again—but it turns out that Ed is struggling with his own demons.

Enter contractor Mitch Franklin, an unlikely knight in shining armor. A widower with two grieving sons, Mitch once admired Lynn from afar. Now he sees in her not only the sweet girl who got away, but a woman desperately in need of support. While rushing to the rescue of Lynn and her children comes naturally to Mitch, he's also wise enough to encourage Lynn to find her own way…hopefully straight into his arms.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
"Sherryl Woods always delights her readers-including me!"

-#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

"Woods is the master of conveying emotions of the heart."-RT Book Reviews on Beach Lane

"Sherryl Woods gives her characters depth, intensity, and the right amount of humor."

-RT Book Reviews

"Once again, Woods proves her expertise in matters of the heart as she gives us characters that we genuinely relate to and care about. A truly delightful read!"

-RT Book Reviews on Moonlight Cove

"Characters are handled well and have real chemistry-as well as a way with one-liners."

-RT Book Reviews on Harbor Lights

"Love, marriage, family, and forgiveness all play an important part in Woods' latest richly nourishing, holiday-spiced novel." -Chicago Tribune on A Chesapeake Shores Christmas

"Sparks fly in a lively tale that is overflowing with family conflict and the possibility of rekindled love."

-Library Journal on Flowers on Main

"Launching the Chesapeake Shores series, Woods creates an engrossing...family drama."

-Publishers Weekly on The Inn at Eagle Point

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780778313694
  • Publisher: Harlequin
  • Publication date: 8/28/2012
  • Series: Sweet Magnolias Series , #10
  • Format: Mass Market Paperback
  • Edition description: Original
  • Pages: 384
  • Sales rank: 95339
  • Product dimensions: 4.32 (w) x 6.46 (h) x 1.03 (d)

Meet 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 in her home state of Virginia, her adopted state, Florida, or her much-adored South Carolina. Sherryl is best known for her ability to creating endearing small town communities and families. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 75 romances for Silhouette Desire and Special Edition.

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Read an Excerpt

Lynn Morrow was at her wit's end. Her tiny desk tucked into a corner of the kitchen was piled high with bills and her checkbook balance was a stunningly low $24.35. Not since college had she seen such a scary balance.

The refrigerator held a half-empty carton of milk, five eggs and some rapidly wilting lettuce. There was a can of diced tomatoes in the cupboard, along with a box of spaghetti, a few spoonfuls of peanut butter left in a jar and maybe a bowlful of Cheerios in the bottom of the box. That, too, reminded her of college. But it was one thing to scrape by at nineteen, and quite another to try to do it in her forties with kids to care for.

"Mom, I'm starving," Jeremy announced when he walked in the door from school. It was the standard cry of her ten-year-old. "What can I have for a snack?"

Lexie, who was right on his heels, took one look at her mother, apparently interpreted her dire expression for the near-panic Lynn was feeling, and turned on her brother. "You don't need food. You need sensitivity training."

Tears sprang to Lynn's eyes as Jeremy bolted from the room. Lately, Alexis, who was only fourteen, had spent way too much time trying to protect her mother. Ever since the divorce proceedings had been initiated, Lynn had been struggling to make ends meet. She and Ed were still in court wrangling over everything from custody of the kids to support. The temporary order in place barely kept her and the kids above water and, by the end of the month, she was scraping bottom financially, even with the part-time job she'd managed to find at her neighbor Raylene's boutique on Serenity's Main Street.

One of these days she supposed she'd thank Ed for providing this unexpected life challenge, but she really, really wasn't there yet. She was spitting mad, not because he'd left, but because of the upheaval he'd left in his wake.

She'd worked hard to keep her worries from spilling over onto the kids, but Lexie was a smart girl. She'd quickly figured out what was going on. Sometimes her overnight transformation from carefree teen into world-weary adult nearly broke Lynn's heart. Lexie should be paying attention to her grades, maybe having her first crush on a boy, not trying to be her mother's savior.

Now, with her brother gone in an indignant huff, Lexie came over to give Lynn a hug. She seemed to know instinctively just when Lynn was in desperate need of one.

"Dad's late with the check again, isn't he? How bad is it?" Lexie asked.

Lynn tried to reassure her. "We're going to be fine, sweetie. I don't want you to worry about this."

"We're not going to be fine," Lexie retorted angrily. "How did Dad turn out to be such a huge jerk?"

Lynn wondered about the same thing, but somehow Ed had turned into a man she didn't even recognize any longer. He'd taken his midlife crisis to new heights. He was self-absorbed, self-indulgent and thoughtless.

His family might not have enough money to put food on the table, but she'd overheard a conversation two days ago when it was mentioned that he was off on some expensive golf vacation, his third in the past six months. The wife of one of his business associates apparently hadn't realized Lynn was nearby when she'd made her remarks about Ed's latest spending spree. Or perhaps she had, Lynn thought cynically.

"Don't talk about your father that way," she admonished Lexie now, albeit halfheartedly. She didn't want her children to start hating their father, but she wasn't quite prepared to sing his praises, either. Every single day felt like a balancing act between her own ragged emotions and her children's needs. No matter how upbeat she pretended to be, lately it seemed she wasn't fooling anyone.

Lexie's eyes filled with tears, though it was impossible to tell if she was reacting to Lynn's stern admonition or to her own panic. "It's really bad, isn't it?"

"Bad enough," Lynn admitted carefully. She gave Lexie's hand a squeeze. "But this is a temporary blip, sweetheart. It will get sorted out. I promise."

"Are we going to have to move?" Lexie asked, giving voice to what was obviously her greatest fear.

Lynn wasn't one to sugarcoat bad news, though she'd hoped to have a plan in place before revealing the sad truth. "More than likely," she said quietly.

Though she'd been counting on Helen Decatur-Whitney, who was fierce when it came to getting the best possible settlement for her clients, she also knew that even Helen couldn't work miracles. Still, she tried to reassure her daughter. "Hopefully, Helen will be able to work this out in court before it comes to that, but I won't lie to you—giving up the house is a real possibility."

"But I love it here," Lexie protested with a sniff. "It's a great house and my best friend lives right next door." Then, apparently seeing something in Lynn's face, she squared her shoulders. "But it'll be okay." She gave her mother a plaintive look that nearly shredded what was left of Lynn's heart. "Won't it?"

"As long as you, Jeremy and I are together, it will be okay," she vowed.

She would do everything in her power to see that it was. Right now, though, with unpaid bills and little money, she was feeling pretty darn powerless. For a woman who'd always felt confident and in control, that was a new sensation, one she didn't much like. Just one more thing to lay at Ed's feet when she was doling out blame.

Contractor Mitch Franklin had been working on a new addition for Raylene and Carter Rollins for a few weeks now. He'd started in late fall, taken only a brief break during the holidays, and was hoping to have every interior detail finished for them in time for the annual Memorial Day party the couple hosted for all their friends. Normally, winters in Serenity tended to be mild with only a few days when the weather was too bad for construction, but this year had been a nasty exception with bitter cold and more snow and ice storms than he could remember in a lifetime here in South Carolina. While the snow and ice seldom lasted, he was still further behind schedule than he liked.

With various other jobs he was finishing up—mostly interior work—Mitch was proud that he'd kept his crew working enough to put paychecks in their pockets. Now, though, the crunch was on to get this addition built. To keep costs in check he had his men working the usual number of hours, but he'd gotten into the habit of putting in a lot of overtime. He had a reputation for bringing his jobs in on time and he didn't want this to be an exception.

Of course, there were other things motivating him, as well. For one thing, Raylene was an amazing cook, who usually invited him to join the family for a meal if he was still hanging around at dinnertime. For another, his home felt way too empty without his wife, who'd been killed by a drunk driver a year ago. It had been bad enough with his two boys away at school, but with Amy gone, too, he could barely stand to be in his house even to sleep. The bed he'd shared with his wife for twenty-two years was way too cold and lonely.

His sons were exactly where they needed to be, in college and living their lives, but he was at loose ends way more than he liked. Raylene, Carter and Carter's younger sisters were filling a huge, gaping hole in Mitch's life. He suspected that Raylene understood that.

He looked up when Raylene wandered into the midst of what would eventually be a new family room with soaring windows and a spectacular stonework fireplace.

"Thought I told you not to come in here without a hard hat," he scolded pointlessly. To his everlasting dismay, she did whatever she liked. She'd been that way as far back as he could remember, though it seemed she'd gone a little crazy now that she'd recovered from her agoraphobia and was getting out of the house and around town again. Seemed to him that she'd gotten a little reckless.

"I can't help sneaking in every chance I get," she said, looking around, her expression filled with delight. "You're making such incredible progress, Mitch, and it really is going to be amazing. I usually don't like to rush the seasons, but I can hardly wait for Memorial Day to have everyone over."

Mitch wasn't used to people who threw parties at the drop of a hat, but he'd noticed that Raylene and her husband, Police Chief Carter Rollins, and their friends looked for any excuse to get together.

"You talking about that Sweet Magnolia crew you hang out with?" he asked. "Didn't you have them all poking around in here right before the holidays, some kind of celebration when that bullying situation at the high school was resolved?"

"What can I say? That seems like eons ago and we're a curious bunch. Maybe it's time I invite them over for another sneak peek. They couldn't really tell what was happening back then. Mostly it was a demolition mess with the new building materials piled everywhere. Just look at it now! You can already tell how fantastic it's going to be."

He frowned at her. "Promise me you won't have them poking around in here until I give the word that it's safe," he insisted, knowing he was probably wasting his breath. "Even if my guys are off the job, there are things people can trip over or send crashing down on someone's head. And the electrician still has some work left to do."

She laughed. "I was just teasing you. I know how you hate people tramping all over your work site, myself included."

"Then why do you do it? Just to annoy me?"

"Nope. I figure it's really my work site, so I get special privileges."

He shook his head. "Know who you sound like? Maddie Maddox. I swear that woman almost gave me a heart attack when we were doing the renovations for The Corner Spa." He glanced at Raylene. "You knew we did those, right?"

"Of course. Maddie recommended you."

"Well, she insisted on sitting right there, practically in the middle of the chaos, the whole time we were working. Said she had things to get done. I have no idea how she could think, much less work with all that hammering and whatnot going on. It makes me a little crazy, and I'm used to it."

"When Maddie's motivated, I suspect there's not much that can deter her," Raylene said.

"She's a real pistol, all right," Mitch said, a grudging note of respect in his voice. "Truth is, I thought working for the three of them—her, Helen and Dana Sue—would be a nightmare. Whoever heard of three women agreeing on anything? Boy, was I wrong! Maddie knew what she wanted, and the other two left her to it. Never before knew Helen to let someone else take charge like that."

"They're a great team," Raylene agreed. "They inspire me, and they're the best friends in the world."

"Friends are important, all right," Mitch said. "I should have done a better job of keeping in touch with mine. With Amy gone and the boys away, I really regret that. I don't much like hanging out with my crew. It blurs the lines, if you know what I mean. Still, they've been there to back me up since Amy was killed. There are good people in this town."

"There are," Raylene agreed. "And it's never too late to restore old friendships or to make new ones. I cut Annie Townsend and Sarah McDonald out of my life for way too long, but look at us now. We're thick as thieves again. That's one of the best things about moving back home to Serenity." She grinned. "That and marrying Carter, of course."

"Of course," he said dryly, knowing perfectly well that those two couldn't seem to keep their hands to themselves.

She gave him a sly look. "You'd be a great catch for some woman, you know."

"Don't go getting any ideas about matchmaking, you hear? Enough of that goes on in this town. Grace Wharton has made my social life her personal mission. I can't walk in the door at Wharton's without her dragging one woman or another over to meet me."

"And not a one of them has interested you?"

"Not so far," he declared. "Can't see that changing, either." Unable to keep a nostalgic note from his voice, he added, "Once a man has a woman like Amy in his life, he's not likely to get that lucky again."

Clearly undeterred, Raylene said, "Well, I'm just saying you're a good-looking man. You have a few other appealing traits I've noticed, as well." Grinning impudently, she gave him a thoroughly disconcerting onceover.

Mitch felt his cheeks heat at the compliment and the blatant survey. He'd been happily married every one of the twenty-two years he'd had with Amy. Before they'd met, he'd had quite a roving eye, but he could honestly say that once he'd said I do, that had been it for him. She'd been his whole world.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 51 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(30)

4 Star

(13)

3 Star

(4)

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(2)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 51 Customer Reviews
  • Posted Tue Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    Review:Where Azaleas Bloom by Sherryl Woods 5 STARS This was a

    Review:Where Azaleas Bloom by Sherryl Woods 5 STARS This was a moving
    story in so many ways. This is the third book of this series that I have
    read. I look forward to reading more about thier town in the A Sweet
    Magnolia Novel. Most of the characters I have seen in the other books
    and Its like coming back to visit old friends. Lynn is going through a
    divorce at the start of the book. She only has less than 25$ in her
    checking book. She has not got support for the last two months. Just
    found out her exhusband has not paid the morgage on house for two
    months. Lynn has one part time job and looking for another to help and
    than a third job. Mitch is working to remodel lynn's boss house which is
    also right next to Lynns house. Lynn broke his heart when she would not
    go out with him when he was 13 years old. Mitch's wife was killed a year
    ago by a drunk driver. He coped by drinking to much and when he realized
    stopped drinking. Mitch has two grown sons in collage. Lyn has two kids
    at home the oldest a teenager. Thier is a lot in the book about the
    three Old Sweet Magnolias and thats really touching. Lynn divorce is
    getting really nasty. Her daughter does not want to even go over to her
    grandmas house until she tells her she is sorry. Everyone seems to take
    sides in the divorce. Lynn tells her friends that if everyone stops
    buying insurance from her husband it will hurt her kids even more. I
    like the book club questions at the end of the book. I was given this
    ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley. 08/28/2012
    PUB Harlequin Mira

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Sun Aug 26 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    I really enjoyed this book. I hate that this the last book in

    I really enjoyed this book. I hate that this the last book in this
    series. I liked Mitch and how patient he was with Lynn.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Sat Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2014

    more from this reviewer

    Reviewed by Aubrey Book provided by NetGalley for review Review

    Reviewed by Aubrey
    Book provided by NetGalley for review
    Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

    A great return to Serenity where everyone loves each other and not many secrets are kept. Lynn Morrow, the heroine, finds herself in a bind when her ex-husband is not holding up his end of the bargain. Mitch Franklin, is an unlikely hero in that his wife recently passed away and just doesn’t physically fit a typical here with his red hair.

    I was totally shocked at why Lynn’s ex was being such a jerk. Definitely something I never would have guessed. I love how Woods can keep you guessing and where you want to read the whole book in one sitting. I finished the novel and was quite sad because I want more Sweet Magnolias.

    Mitch has a long way to win Lynn over. She doesn’t think she is ready for a relationship or that she deserves someone like Mitch. Mitch is the type of guy we all wish existed. He is thoughtful, caring and honest.

    You get to find out what’s going on with the other Sweet Magnolias but mainly you find out a lot about Raylene and how she is doing. Her husband Carter befriends Mitch which makes it easier for Lynn.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Nov 19 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Beth

    Sure no problem. If you care to talk to me anymore, this can be our book. I'm back to being on nook almost every night again......me and my convictions~_~

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Icepelts speech for deputy

    Alot of people dont know me well but i can tell you guys this i have been a leader a deputy and a father in my life. I have what it takes to be deputy of tigerclan. In the past my clan have been though starvation moved camps no herbs in leafbare and bloodclan battles beyond what anyone has seen and have stayed strong since i know that if i become deputy of tigerclan that we will live strong,brave and noble to all the other clans. Thanks you for your time.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Moonswirl

    I would like to be deputy. I am responsible, kind, brave, a natural leader, respectful, and polite. Please choose me, for you won't regret it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Lostspirit

    Moonswirl u have my vote

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  • Posted Fri Oct 18 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Very highly recommend

    Loved it I am going to start reading the rest of the series

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Nov 18 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Xavier

    Oh, duhhhh. xP Thanks. xD

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Good story

    Interesting family, can't wait to read about Bree next,

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Mar 29 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Leaders den

    Leaders den

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Dec 27 00:00:00 EST 2012

    It is so good you won"t what to put it down,

    it was as if you left off with the other sweet magnolias book in this series ,can not wait for the next one,

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Guthix

    I rp somewhere. I accidently tapped this book. It was related to the one i am rping at. ^_^ XD

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Jun 26 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Xavier

    Ooooh. :O That's some cool trivia. ^_^

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Mon Oct 22 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    Highly Recommended

    Loved the entire series, you need to start with #1, they are all wonderful.

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  • Posted Sun Oct 14 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    Wonderful - loved it

    I loved this book, as I do all of Sherryl's books. I have read all of this series, as well as a couple of others. Never can wait for the next one!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted Sun Sep 30 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    more from this reviewer

    B rating....

    My Review:
    I really enjoyed the parts of this book that featured Lynn and Mitch. I liked them together and like that they have a bit of history...i.e. Mitch had a crush on her when they were kids, but it was unrequited because Lynn only had eyes for her soon-to-be-ex-husband Ed. I also liked that there was a bit of suspense/mystery to the story line because no one knows what is truly going on with Ed. All they know is that he's suddenly acting and doing things that are completely out of character for him.

    The problem is that most of those things are adversely affecting Lynn's life and she's about to the point of breaking with the stress of it all. She's looking at losing her house and not being able to feed her kids, but she's still trying to take care of everything herself rather than going to her friends for help.

    Mitch's wife Amy died a year before as the result of a drunk driver hitting her. He has two grown boys but they are away at college. He's a construction contractor and is re-doing Raylene's house. She just happens to live next door to Lynn and Lynn has caught his eye once again...mainly because he realizes that she's in trouble. You have to love a guy with a protective streak and a white-in-shining-armor complex. Mitch definitely fits that description, but Lynn won't let him save her. She's determined to do it on her own.

    Overall, I enjoyed her story. Lynn has two kids...a ten yo boy and a fourteen yo girl. I like the perspective they added to the story and especially like the bond that Jeremy and Mitch form. I also really liked Mitch's boys when they came into the story.

    I had NO IDEA what was going on with the soon-to-be-ex until right before it was revealed...definite shocker! I liked how Lynn handled him throughout the book. It would be so easy to make her bitter against him, but the mental health of her kids takes priority for her (as it should be) throughout the entire thing...no matter how angry she is. I liked that she kept a good mothers perspective to their conflict.

    Part of these books is the Sweet Magnolias and the Senior Magnolias side stories. Before this book, I've enjoyed them. But in this one, I think the Senior Magnolia story line and the romance between Francis and Donnie took too much page space....to the point where I started skipping those sections. I didn't mind the story, but I just think it ran too heavily within this book when it truly had nothing to do with Mitch and Lynn.

    Overall, I have loved getting to read these three books out of this series. Sherryl Woods has a great contemporary, small-town voice and her books are just a pleasure to read. I know there's a few of the previous books from this series that I want to pick up to add to my TBR pile.

    I received a complementary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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  • Posted Fri Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    Wonderfully written & keeps you engaged throughout!

    I really enjoy Cheryl Woods books . I think she has out done herself on this .
    Read it and find out for yourself.

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  • Posted Fri Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    Series Wearing Out

    The series has gone on long enough. Not interesting anymore.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    Excellent reading

    I have read all of Ms. Woods' books (Sweet Magnolias series) as well as other of her books and love them all. I find her books to be heart warming. Am waiting for Novel #11.

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