a nice quick summer read. I liked how the story was told

The Summer of New Beginnings by Bette Lee Crosby is a wonderful start to her new Magnolia Grove series. It's a story of family fraught with grief and sadness, and yet it's a story of love and loyalty as well. A story of two sisters who are so different and yet perhaps not as much as they once thought. Would Meghan ever be free to follow her dreams and not feel responsible to hold things together for the family? Would Tracy ever find it within herself to give up her so-called freedom and become a responsible adult? Will they have the courage it takes to survive, to forgive and move ahead with life? A powerfully emotional story of a family in need of healing and new beginnings. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series from a favorite author.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

THE SUMMER OF NEW BEGINNINGS is the first book in the Magnolia Grove series. This, is a heartwarming sweet story of family, new beginnings, and surviving the loss of parents . I love the small town atmosphere and the warm characters. This is the perfect afternoon read. The author has a masterful style of creating this story and enthralling the reader .
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review

I had a very difficult time trudging through the first several chapters of this book. I contemplated setting the book aside, as it just wasn't my cup of tea in terms of character development and overall plot. At that time, I checked the reviews to see if the book "got better." I was shocked to see the high ratings. So I continued reading, but when I reached the 2/3 point of the book, I just couldn't do it anymore. As such, the following is my review for the first 2/3 of the book.
The Summer of New Beginnings is a very slow paced book. Ordinary moments are drawn out without providing much excitement or progress in the storyline. I was unable to connect with the characters and found the three women, Lila, Tracey, and Meghan, wholly naive and a bit childish. Lila treats her daughters without the respect due to grown women. Meghan is over twenty years old but acts as though she is around 16(especially when she drags her feet about finding the dog's owner). Speaking of Meghan, I was actually surpised to find a case of INSTA-LOVE in a book such as this. Maybe the most unbelievable aspect of the book is the claim that Lila and Meghan were so close to Tracey but did not travel to support Tracey during the birth of her son. They actually did not see her son until he was 14 months old when Tracey came to them. It was very strange and increased my dislike of the characters.
Overall, I struggled with caring about the characters and storyline. It was too hum-drum for my tastes with unlikable characters that seemed to have no self-reflection or emotional growth. Although the writer uses beautiful prose in describing each setting, it wasn't enough to carry the lack of plot.

So many people loved this book, but I just don't really see it. It was a sweet story and a quick, easy read. However, it was a little too simple for my taste. The storyline was fairly predictable (though I still loved the Secret Santa chapter!)

There were several parts of the story that I found... odd. I thought it was strange that Lila didn't see her grandson until Tracey moved back from Philadelphia and he was already one. That simply did not seem realistic to me at all. Also, they have landlines?!?! What year is this?

It was also strange to me that in a single chapter the author told the story from both Meghan's and Tom's point of view, yet it wasn't omniscient. Every time the author switched to Tom's point of view, I caught the change and it threw off my reading of the story.

Overall, it was a good way to pass the time, but I won't be eagerly awaiting the remaining books in the series.

The Summer of New Beginnings

Bette Lee Crosby


THE SUMMER OF NEW BEGINNINGS is the first book in the Magnolia Grove series. No one writes Southern fiction like Bette Lee Crosby does. She tugs at the reader's heart and never lets them go as they are falling in love with all of her characters. Bette Lee puts her readers on such an emotional roller coaster and pulls them right in to the story. That is exactly what happened as I was reading THE SUMMER OF NEW BEGINNINGS. I have read almost all of this wonderful authors books and still have a few more to go and that makes me very happy.


Magnolia Grove is one of those towns that you want to pack your bags and move to. Bette Lee does such an awesome job of describing the town that you feel as if you have been there and know exactly where she is writing about. THE SUMMER OF NEW BEGINNINGS is such a heartwarming story of family and you find your heart going out to Meghan and Tracy as they deal with the death of their father. Lila, their mother is struggling as well. Tracy is the wild child and lives her life to the beat of her own drum. Meghan is the responsible daughter and tries to keep her father's company afloat after he passes away. It feels like the last thing she has of her dad's and is willing to sacrifice going away to college to keep it going.


THE SUMMER OF NEW BEGINNINGS is a very quick read and I was flipping the pages like a mad woman because I had to know what was going to happen to these women. When Meghan finds a dog swimming for his life in a lake and meets the new vet in town, her life completely changes but she tries to fight it. Will this family ever be able to heal and find happiness? Is their dad, George, guiding them from above? Do yourself a favor and read this beautiful story. You will finish with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. All of the characters are so relatable that you won't be able to stop yourself from cheering for them. I'm so excited to continue with the Magnolia Grove series.

If Bette Lee Crosby writes it, I'll read it! Her style of writing is refreshingly honest and real. "The Summer of New Beginnings" is her newest book and starts the Magnolia Grove series. It's a touching family story about two sisters, Meghan and Tracy, and how their father's death impacts the family. The sisters are very different so they deal with his death by going down their own paths. Please take this journey with them as they deal with their struggles and challenges in this beautiful story about love and new beginnings!

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved these characters. From the start, I was hooked on this story and wanted to learn about the Briggs girls in their journeys. I was invested in seeing what happened to them. I was not disappointed. Bette has a way of writing that keeps the reader engaged and keeps details concise without being too wordy! I love it!! I loved each of the storylines for the characters, especially Sox, the dog, as I am a dog mom! I am so excited that this is the first of more stories in the Magnolia Grove series and can’t wait to learn more about the lives of the Briggs girls!

You can always depend on Bette Lee Crosby to give the reader a great book and this one is no exception. It's a story about a family that works through many hardships as they continue to love each other.

Lila and George have the perfect family with daughters Tracy and Meghan. George has a small news flyer that he publishes weekly called Snip 'N Save and his daughter Meghan frequently helped him with it. The summer before she was due to go to college, there was a tragedy in the family when George died unexpectedly. Meghan decides to wait a year to start college to try to help the family. Her sister Tracy starts to ignore curfews and family rules and eventually runs away with her boyfriend. Lila and Meghan try to keep the family together as the dynamics of the original family change because now it's only the two of them wondering and hoping the Tracy will return to their family.

This is a wonderful story about love and forgiveness within a family. I hope that this will be a series because this book is mainly Meghan's story and I'd love to read more about Tracy. I am hoping that since the title calls it a magnolia grove novel, that means that this is the first book about this family with more to follow.

Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this new book by Bette Lee Crosby. Her books never disappoint. The relationship between the little deaf boy Lucas and how the dog related to him. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

When Meghan's father dies she gives up her dreams of college and stays at home to run the family business. Her sister is a bit wayward and ends up coming home with her son Lucas...... can they pull together and become a proper family? When Meghan rescues a dog from a lake the family seems complete but what if someone comes back and claims Sox...... how could they not he is so adorable........ and there is the hot vet,.... maybe staying at home wont be so bad after all

A lovely book with great characters and the sort of book that leaves you with a nice warm feeling

Very good writing. Liked the characters. Kind of hard for me to read because it hasn't been that long since I lost my dog, and the closeness with the dog hurt my heart, but that shows how real her writing is!

Bette Lee Crosby has done it again. A sweet story of family and love and how these two things work together to give readers a wonderful story. No one goes through life without problems. This is true for the characters in this book and how family is there to help them through. Hopefully this is the beginning of a new series for Ms Crosby!

The Summer of New Beginnings is a heart warming read that is filled with characters that will stick with you long after the last page has been finished!

The matron, Lila is so warm. Her daughters, Tracy and Meghan are engaging as well. I love that all three women pulled together to weather anything as a family. Yet, when I talk about family, I can't talk about it without mentioning Tracy's son, Lucas and furry addition, Sox. Tracy really impressed me. She started out as such a wild child but really matured into a great mother by the end. Meghan showed passion to carry on her father's legacy.

This book may be about the women but there were two men that require mention as well. There is Gabriel who loved Tracy. He was patient with Tracy. Then there is Tom. He and Meghan were great together. I loved both relationships. I can't wait to read the next book from this author.

I always know when I read a book by Ms Crosby that it will be a story beyond compare. I find myself unable to put the book down - one more chapter I tell myself.

And now I am hooked on her Magnolia Grove series..a story as sweet as sugar - a family that pulls you into their lives. Lila loses her husband, and now she has to raise her girls, Meghan and Tracy by herself. As with any family there are times we do not agree - when Tracy runs off with her boyfriend against her mom's wishes. But Meghan, the daughter who stays instead of going to the college of her dreams. She takes over her father business, and settles in. And then one day she finds a dog drowning in the lake, she rescues him....and they become close.

I can go on and on but I dont want to give the story away....this book has surprises, love, romance, tears, anger and a story that will stay with you long after you are done reading. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

When Meghan gives up her dream of attending journalism school to take on her dad George’s Snip n Save it changes her life forever. The title of this book is a perfect description for this story: for all the characters. If Meghan had been away at school she never would have found Sox, met Tom and been there to help Tracy with
Lucas. The characters in this book are easy to like, except for Dominic, and the story is beautifully woven to the perfect ending. This is another fabulous story by Bette Lee Crosby. If you’re looking for a feel good read then this is the book for you!

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Summer of New Beginnings. The characters are well-developed with emotions that ring true to the situations in the book. The story line is interesting, with the story being told from many different points of view. At times, though, the time transitions felt stilted to me. I was involved in the story, anticipating what might happen next, and then it suddenly jumped ahead a few weeks or months.

The Summer of New Beginnings by Bette Lee Crosby is A Magnolia Grove Novel. Meghan Briggs has just graduated from high school in Magnolia Grove, Georgia and is looking forward to attending the Grady College of Journalism in the fall. But then her father has a deadly heart attack, and Meghan steps in to take over the running of her father’s business, Snip ‘N’ Save magazine. She wants to preserve her father’s legacy and memory by keeping the publication alive. Tracy is more about enjoying life and rebelling against the norm. When Tracy’s boyfriend, Dominic gets a job in Philadelphia, she announces she is moving with him. Two years later Tracy returns home with her son, Lucas who has yet to start talking. Tracy has grown up while she was away and begins helping Meghan with the magazine. It turns out that Tracy has a flair for graphic design. Meghan has devoted her time to running the magazine and not allowing anytime for a personal life. One day Meghan is out running and sees a puppy struggling in the lake. She rescues the little fellow and names him Sox. She does not want to fall for the him in case his owner shows up, but Meghan is soon under his spell. Meghan takes Sox to Dr. Tom Whitely to check for a chip, and she discovers her love of working with animals. Megan used to write in composition books and she picks up the habit again. It gives her an opportunity to work out her thoughts and emotions. As the summer progresses, new challenges are put in their paths. These women will need to reconcile the past in order to have a bright new beginning. Come along for the journey in The Summer of New Beginnings.

The Summer of New Beginnings is nicely written and has a relaxed pace. Bette Lee Crosby has a writing style that is relaxed (conversational) and draws the reader in. The point-of-view switches between the characters with sections that remind me of diary entries. It allows readers to discover what each character is thinking and feeling which I appreciate. I like how each character is dealing with real life issues such as the loss of a loved one, problems with a child, limited income, dealing with an ex-boyfriend, falling in love, having to give up on a dream, etc. There is a great family dynamic and it is lovely seeing these three women come together (help each other, support each other and love each other). The author created realistic characters that readers can relate to along with their issues. Ms. Crosby handled the issue with Lucas gently and with sensitively (I would say more but I do not want to spoil it for you). There are some lovely life lessons in the story that many people will be able to relate to and apply to their own life. The Summer of New Beginnings is what I call a feel-good book that will leave you with a smile on your face and a good feeling in your heart.

I loved this book. Bette Lee Crosby writes such wonderful, heartwarming stories and has done so again with The Summer of New Beginnings. I thought the story flowed beautifully from beginning to end with very likable and well-developed characters. It was indeed a very touching story about family being there for each other no matter what the circumstances may be. I'm so looking forward to reading the next book in this series. I highly recommend The Summer of New Beginnings.

A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Over the past few years, Bette Lee Crosby’s books have been among my favorite “go to” books for pure
enjoyment. The Summer of New Beginnings did not disappoint. It is the wonderfully heartwarming story of an average family facings life’s difficulties, death, disappointment, fear, love and forgiveness. Each character seems to come to life under the magic pen of Ms Crosby writing. The dialogue between characters is so real that it seems you have somehow been transported unseen into the room with them, and the obstacles they face are believable. At the end of the book, you are left wanting more, to continue to visit with your new friends and anxious for what new trials and triumphs the family faces. Bette lee Crosby’s next book can’t come soon enough