Sleeping at the Magnolia

by Lisa G. Brown

For 100 years, the Tennessee moon had shone down on the Magnolia Inn, the old hotel that Lainie Thorne's family has always owned. Nowadays the place is crumbling to nothing. Its walls hold only memories and secrets. Lainie had once loved loner Colley Rawlins, but that love ended in blood and tears. Colley had been exiled from the Magnolia forever, but "forever" ends one red-moon night when he defiantly walks back through the screens of the doors of the inn. The Magnolia is about to add to its collection of memories. This summer it will witness jealousy, revenge, murder... and love.

Genres: Romance

464 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 31, 1997

Reviews

[Chickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books is very similar to The Sweet Gum Tree (Although this book was published in the mid 90's.)

Orphaned as a child, Colley was forced to live in a dirt floor shanty with a sharecropper by his rich grandfather. Lanie grew up at her family's bed and breakfast and her father is the overseer for Colley's grandfather. Hero and Heroine spent their childhood playing together in secret and things turn romantic during their teen years. But one night ruined everything and left the heroine's father dead. Guilt keeps them apart, until Colley is called home by the grandfather who forsook him as a child. It's time for him to take over the family business.

Lanie is now engaged to Colley's slimy but legitimate cousin in an attempt to save the bed and breakfast so loved by her family.

Colley isn't nearly as interested in business as he is the girl he left behind all those years ago. He's has only ever wanted one thing, and Lanie wants it, too, if she's honest with herself. But before they can come together again, the past comes back to haunt everyone involved.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outcast Colley Rawlins has been trained from the time he was very young to be a strong, hard ass SOB. His grandfather beat into him young that love for anyone or anything is a weakness. And Colley's grandfather "Devil" as everyone calls him, does not tolerate weakness. Colley lives up to Devil's expectations until as a young teenager he comes across Elaina Thorne, the daughter of Devil's farm manager John Thorne. Lainie shows Colley that caring for another is not a weakness and as they grow older Colley and Lainie fall in love.

Colley's grandfather is not the only obstacle standing in Colley and Lainie's way. Lainie's father John does not want his daughter associating with Devil's white trash bastard grandson either. After years of trying to stay away from each other Colley and Lainie finally give into their love and agree to be together, until something horrible happens that Lainie can never forgive Colley for.

Sleeping at the Magnolia was extremely slow moving for me in the beginning. I set it down several times, for several days. The first 200 or so pages could have been whittled by half. We are not introduced to the pure love that Colley feels for Lainie until then, we are simply given little teaser flashbacks that barely satisfy the urge to continue reading. After we learn what it is that Colley did that was so horrible to hurt Lainie (he doesn't cheat) and why they really can't be together my heart went out to them and I had to keep reading.

In the end this turned into a sweet satisfying read (more like 3.5 stars). I loved Colley, he was a rough, tough farm man but when it came to Lainie he let all his emotions pour out only for her. Very sweet once you get past the first 200 pages of set up.

[Rachel Sulfridge]

This is my favorite book of all time filled with mystery and suspense and yet a beautifully fucked up love story

[Tima Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED This book. It's hard to fine now, I found a copy from a used bookstore. I read this back in the early 90's, good old romance :)

[Dls · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how Lisa Brown writes, and her stories have enormous emotional impact. But ultimately it was just not satisfying, probably because we don't really get to see them together as a couple in the book--we are told they have a handful of times together as kids, a few emotional meetings as very young adults, a traumatic event, and then they don't talk for three years. It didn't quite work for me. But I'll read anything she writes.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating is actually 3.5 stars. I didn't love this book, during most of it I really just tolerated it, yet I couldn't put it down & was determined to finish it. The author is very fond of using the same phrases over & over when describing her characters & in their dialogue, to the point where these phrases become clichés. It becomes very annoying. The plot was alright if rather predictable. If you're looking for a quick beach/summer read this fits.