Jessa Hastings truly outdid herself with her final book about Magnolia and Bj. For me, Magnolia Parks was just never a relatable character. Let's be honest she's a bit vapid and shallow. If its not her immediate friend group she's instantly disinterested in anyone else. It was fun to read about her, but Daisy Haites is more me. However, Jessa did the incredible and she made her one of my favorites because of this book. This highly emotional book deals with grief and that's something everyone can relate to, including myself. The details surrounding Magnolias grief were so similar to what is currently my life that I felt understood. Losing someone is such an isolating experience, but Jessa let's you feel everything since page one. It's her best book. These characters feel so real at times but I think it's what makes this series so wonderful. Magnolia and Bjs story has been full of love, heartbreak, ups and downs. But into the dark gives us what we readers have wanted since day one of their relationship; a great ending. Read this series you won't regret it.

How many loves do you get in a lifetime? “That if space and time and history has taught me anything, it's you are the love a lifetime."

How many lines did I highlight in this? It was just never ending . I would go through the trenches and broken glass again, do it all over again in this series, to have this ending with BJ and Magnolia. They both would too, to end up together. My loves of a lifetime. WHAT A LOVE. To be in the stars, to have this soulmate kinship. Each other's best day. Each other's high. I'm a metaphor-chronic person now for these two. I love them like how you might love a star!!! How I cried reading this. I mean, it's not shocking. Also it’s a long book, with 720+ pages. Take it or leave it!

This book was tough, with lots of grief and hard topics. (triggers: eating disorder, grief, parental trauma) which I think are important to note for readers. I thought the layers of grief were so real, heartbreaking, but realistic. She didn't shy away from it. The journey you're on with these two, the frustrating but no less love storm since that man was six years old and in love with his doe-eyed girl. It was legendary to me, these two were legendary and I'll say it again and again but I've never read a book or series quite like how Jessa writes it. With so much emotion and repetition, that had my head wrapped. Myself ENGROSSED. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than with these trauma bonds.

It was a beautiful, epic ending to their love story and it shows the hurdles and mountains they've been through together, to get there. Their love conquers all. I loved the emphasis on how mistakes happen, how people are human, and how they can recover from them, but how it's also so healing. Let's be real, these two are so ridiculous and I just love them. I truly just love them though. So much unpacking that needed to be unpacked and put back together again. A lot of growth for both Magnolia and our summertime light and wonder, BJ.

My relationship with my sister is so so so similar to how Magnolia is with Bridget. I'm just a puddle of emotions with the ending of this series and I wish I could unleash the 30+ quotes but I'll try to leave some. This review is a blunder fest and maybe I'll come back to recover it and my thoughts soon. I mean, their vows alone!!!!! Ugh, goodbye. I love you. I was so emo finishing their proper chapter by the end for these two, with tears in my eyes. What a journey! I cannot wait for the next Daisy Haites and how that was set up (obviously scared too but I won't go there just yet).

"Grief stops you in your tracks but doesn't even throw a pebble onto the footpath of the world. They just step right over it."

"She's the only thing I've ever properly wanted in my adult life and I've got her. She is the home I've spent years building."

"But there is another kind of love. A love like ours—you drown in it, fill up your lungs with it, choke on it."

"You are the thing I have to show for in my life, and that won't ever not be enough to me."

"We're what the poems are about, they'll write movies about how much I love you."

“I love being responsible for a person, fucking love being tamed. Tame me forever.”

“You are my noble, worthy cause.” 😭😭😭

6 stars because it was more than perfect and 5 stars almost feels like a disservice. This was the most emotionally distraught I have ever been while reading a book by jessa and I am almost at a loss for words about how beautiful this story truly was. Everything you see happen and watch magnolia and bj go through, the ebs and flows of it all, it is sooo vulnerable and raw!!
The love in this?! Like no other.
Jessa in her epic conclusion to magnolia and bj, writes a story so poetic that truly captivates and puts you through it ALL, every emotion!
When I tell you my eyes were filled with tears almost the entire time I read this, I’m not joking and I could have put a tissue company out business with all the tears I shed!! This was over 700 pages and I can confidently say I’d beg jessa to read another 700, I never felt like this was “too long” !!!

READ THIS SERIES

In no world could I write a review that would do this book the justice it deserves, but I’m going to try anyway.

This was the most perfect ending to BJ and Magnolia’s story. The growth and healing that they endured throughout ITD was equally beautiful and devastating to read. Watching BJ and Magnolia work through all the shit they’ve been through together was so inspiring and I loved seeing their relationship come out stronger because of it. I also loved that Jessa didn’t just make everything okay. Nothing was okay. These two worked and fought so hard for their love and for each other and for themselves just so that they could come out of it alive, and I think that made it so realistic and refreshing to read. (not me crying as I write this)

Jessa’s writing is a work of art. I have no idea how she does it. You feel so connected to all of her characters and you understand and feel all of their feelings so strongly it’s like you’re there, experiencing it with them. They truly feel like my best friends and I am so proud and so in awe of them. I love them all so much.

Magnolia and BJ are the definition of written in the stars. These two are so meant to be and so real to me that I refuse to believe they are fictional. They’re not. And neither is the rest of the box set. The best found family there ever was.

As miss Jessa Hasting’s says, “it’s a great time to be team BJ”
And boyyyy was she right. This one’s for the BJ girlies ❤️‍🩹🤞🏼

Into The Dark also set up for what I think is going to be the best DH book yet??? I am itching to get my hands on it!!!

Thank you so so much to Dutton and NetGalley for the arc. This was truly a dream come true to arc read 🐝❤️‍🩹🦌🌳💌

The absolute best series I've ever read. I'm so sad I finished the book. 720 pages weren't enough. No other fictional couple will ever compare to BJ and Magnolia. Their story was my absolute favorite, and this book was no exception. I loved every single minute. I'm now counting down the days until the next Daisy book because I still have so many questions! In the meantime, I'll just reread this incredible book.

what a fitting end to bj and magnolia’s story!

i am not a huge fan of this couple (biiiig daisychristian girl), but they have continuously grown on me over the course of the series. I think this last book showcases a lot of character growth for both of them.

however, there was no reason this book needed to be 700 pages long. most of this felt like fluff and filler just to make it more dramatic. I got bored during a lot of this just because it was so repetitive and unnecessary.

if you are a big bj and magnolia fan, you’ll love this one. personally, i can’t wait to read more about my precious angel babies daisy and christian.

thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much Dutton for the arc!

6 star READ!!!! THE PERFECT ENDING TO Beej + Parks LOVE STORY! 😭♥️

Into the Dark takes you on a beautiful journey of grief and healing. Jessa delivered everything I wanted from BJ & Magnolia and more. While it was quite a heavy read we also have moments of comedic relief and I felt that it was so perfectly balanced. Now this one is for the BJ girls — boy did he deliver!

IF YOU DONT THINK BJ & PARKS ARE ENDGAME AFTER THIS YOU ARE WRONG. No one gets parks like BJ does. THE GROWTH between these two and as individuals and in their relationship was so beautiful to see. I’m just so incredibly proud of them.

Jessa’s writing per usual was absolutely perfect!! She left no stone unturned. I was so weepy the entire book, and sobbed a few times bc it was just so insanely good.

ALL HAIL BAXTER JAMES BALLENTINE
+ MAGNOLIA PARKS!! This series will forever have such a special place in my heart!!

I can’t wait for Daisy’s book!! I truly have no idea where it’s going, but I’m so excited to see!

OBSESSED with this series!!!!! I loved this one even though it felt so much heavier (understandably) than all of the others. I adore these characters & cannot wait to see what's next for the series.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. I wasn't quite sure what to expect with how The Long Way Home ended, but leave it to Jessa to not only make me laugh but also make me cry while reading this book.

I loved so many parts of this book - Magnolia and BJ's relationship, their individual growth and of course the found family that we have come to love over the course of the last four books.

I am extremely happy for Magnolia and BJ and yet at the same time, Jessa sets us up for the next Daisy book and I'm already looking forward to it.

All the stars to this book and to the couple who took me on a rollercoaster the last few books. I can't wait to go back and reread already.

This book and its characters feel imprinted on my soul and I am changed by it. This felt like a warm hug, a good scream, and the biggest cry all at once. It felt representative of the human experience: how family can be the people around us and how grief changes us.

I cried three times, all for different reasons, and felt every emotion there was. Walking with Parks and BJ on their journey was long and hard, but this ending felt representative of their great + infinite love. Healing for everyone!!

But also, this book was heavy - I felt like I was ripped apart and put back together. It was hard to read at times, but that’s the point I suppose. Grief is hard and inevitable.

I feel that I will think about Magnolia and BJ for the rest of my life & I sure do think the weather will be eternally sunny

thank you dutton books + jessa for letting me read an arc!

𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 : 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
♾️ ☆ | @JessaHastings

·˚ ༘ ੈ✩‧₊˚

‘𝘐 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. “𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵.”’

“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢, 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.”

·˚ ༘ ੈ✩‧₊˚

As I write this i’ve just finished it at a lovely 11:20pm on the 14th of January and WTF JESSA HASTINGS. I have to wait a whole month to copy these annotations onto paper!!! However, You never fail to absolutely amaze me. You’ve blown it out of the 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴. This book is everything. Feel like it’s known now that this series is in my big 3. Constantly thinking about these characters and their stories because Jessa has such an amazing way at bringing them to life.

Where do I actually start. This book was deeper than the others, more personal for the group. So many different emotions , events and yet I feel like their story was closed off perfectly. That’s so sad it’s done omg, anyways. Magnolia will forever have my heart - I feel so connected to her like she’s more than just a fictional character. Bj, he’s just done such an amazing job at working on himself - I adore him. They have the best friend group ever (Im a sucker for a found family) and I loved hearing about them as much as we did in this book. Also the vegetable scene? amazing, one of my favourites 😉

Some moments I paused , did a highlight, reread and thought - okay Wordsworth. Jessa you’re literally a poet, I don’t know how you do it but every single chapter in this book was perfect. Also the METAPHORS. omg.

Enough of me blabbering on or I’ll spoil something (I’ve rewrote this twice.) but you’ve left a certain someone on a cliffhanger and i’m really really impatient so if you see this dm me and tell me what happens, I’ll sign an NDA I swear.

I love you Bj and Magnolia , Daisys book come faster pls I need answers <3

To say that Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark was an anticipated release for me is an understatement. I've practically been counting down the days until this book's release. Being approved for an ARC was so exciting!
Full disclosure: All of the books in the Magnolia Parks Universe are difficult to get through. They deal with intense subject matter and at times, unlikeable characters. This book is likely the most difficult of them all.
For the majority of this story, grief is front and center. Fortunately, it's handled so well by Jessa Hastings. She takes time to show the depths of grief, the ways in which we try to avoid it, try to outsmart it, try to bypass it. But it's a struggle seeing Magnolia in such a dark place.
I absolutely loved the development of Magnolia and BJ's relationship throughout this story. Seeing them together, navigating life together, is so refreshing. I leave the character of BJ feeling so different than I did when reading the first few chapters of the first Magnolia Parks book. His character arc and growth is wonderful.
Is this my favorite book in the Magnolia Parks Universe? No. But I am really pleased with the way Hastings finished off Magnolia and BJ's story. I also can't wait to see what's to come in future Daisy Haites books.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

“If I die, when I die– it will echo through space and through time, and it’ll brush up against the edge of this universe and press into the next one that I loved you more than anything.”

This book made me SOB. It was a perfect ending to Magnolia and BJ’s story and will leave readers satisfied.

This book focuses heavily on Magnolia’s experience with grief and I think it was written so realistically and so beautifully. My heart truly hurt for Magnolia and I could really feel her pain in how much she missed her sister. Bridget was such an amazing character in this series and I adored her so this storyline hit hard. The scenes where Magnolia was speaking to her and texting her hurt too.

Also this is a Harley Parks hate club! I don’t care if he had a smidge of a redemption arc in the end, the stuff he said to Magnolia was absolutely horrid and we do not allow that in this house.

10/10 book as always, I love BJMagnolia forever and I’m so glad they got their forever. And they got their little girl :( Long live the Ballentines.

“If I die, when I die– it will echo through space and through time, and it’ll brush up against the edge of this universe and press into the next one that I loved you more than anything.”

This book made me SOB. It was a perfect ending to Magnolia and BJ’s story and will leave readers satisfied.

This book focuses heavily on Magnolia’s experience with grief and I think it was written so realistically and so beautifully. My heart truly hurt for Magnolia and I could really feel her pain in how much she missed her sister. Bridget was such an amazing character in this series and I adored her so this storyline hit hard. The scenes where Magnolia was speaking to her and texting her hurt too.

Also this is a Harley Parks hate club! I don’t care if he had a smidge of a redemption arc in the end, the stuff he said to Magnolia was absolutely horrid and we do not allow that in this house.

10/10 book as always, I love BJMagnolia forever and I’m so glad they got their forever. And they got their little girl :( Long live the Ballentines.

Being back with this group of people wad so nice and wonderful. I missed them all so much. This book was filled with emotional moments, a little bit of drama (as always) and a lot of plot holes that I am excited to get the answers to in the next Daisy Haites book.

Magnolia and BJ ... there's no doubt that these two are soulmates. I adored this book so much. Jessa Hastings writing is immaculate as always.

Jessa Hastings does it again! I love this series so much, and with every book, it just keeps getting better. What a ride!

OBSESSED does not begin to cover it for me! I do not have enough flowery language to describe the way this book makes me feel. If you're this far into the series you know the characters and the romance so well and you know how they carry the book and make you care. If you're a fan like me you might even wish the books were longer! Genuinely I fly through the 600+ page books and am sad when they end. This book live up to the magic of the rest of this series and honored the characters and love story we have come to know so well. The thing that sets this book apart is the way this book deals with grief, I have never read something that captures that feeling so well. I am already excited for this book to come out and to reread it (specifically listen to the audiobook, which I cannot recommend enough). If you haven't already started this series let this be your sign and you're welcome and if you're already in on the series then I am sure you're eagerly anticipating this one and I am her to say you will not be disappointed.

Well... I finished this book a week ago today and am finally ready to try and put words to my thoughts. Let's see how this goes...

This is the final book in BJ and Magnolias story, and after how the last books ended (both Long Way Home and the Great Undoing) I truly had no idea what to expect. Sure, there were certain things I thought would happen but absolutely nothing could prepare me for what happened in this book.

Into the Dark felt healing and cathartic. It's (Very with a capital V) emotional and intense and impactful and moving and also FUNNY while also being deeply, deeply romantic. Guys I'm not lying when I said the tears started brimming around chapter 2 and I felt like I was in a permanent state of watery eyes the entire book with maybe three or four instances of boo-hoo, snot-ridden crying. BJ and Magnolia's journey throughout their final installment is hands down one of the most beautiful endings (that hurt to type omg) to a couple I've ever had the privilege of reading about. I'm going to miss them so, so dearly.

Jessa Hastings manages to beautifully tie together all the loose ends for Magnolia and BJ and truly I could not have been more satisfied with their ending. This book is 720 pages and I legitimately would have been happy to read 720 more. No a page, not a letter, not a period was wasted in my opinion, I tell you! Each time we read a passage from BJ or Magnolia describing their love for each other, it feels fresh. There was not a moment where I felt "hmm I've read this before" or "this is repetitive" because each time Jessa finds a new way to tell us about their love. This woman is kinda sick but damn her pen will not fail in this series!

Overall, I absolutely am head over heels for this entire series and canNOT wait for readers to experience this ending for Magnolia and BJ. Now.... DH3 when?

I wish 6 stars was an option. Not shockingly, was incredibly blown away once again by Jessa Hastings. The depth of her character work and the ability to draw out a multitude of emotions is unmatched. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to read and follow these characters through her eloquence and intentionality. Thank you, Dutton!

This was such a delight to read. A fitting ending for a love story that I admittedly never want to end.

It's a long romance novel, but every word is used well. Jessa Hastings is as always, sharp, funny, and fun to read. You can feel how well she knows and loves these characters and the great care she took to give readers a satisfying ending.