Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I loved it. What a great new voice in women’s fiction. The characters, the setting, even the main character’s career choice went to making this book of second chances at love a warm and appealing story. I can’t wait to read what Grace Helena Walz comes up with next.

You can't judge a book by its cover, but I can usually tell immediately if a book is for me & if I'm going to enjoy it. From the moment I started the prologue I was confused. So many characters were mentioned. Her mom, mil & long last dad? Their was formatting & typing errors that was also bothering me. The first chapter more characters were thrown into the loop. I dislike the authors writing style & the voice. Not my cup of tea. Maybe it's cause I'm not a southern.

Set in Charleston and following the story of Mack. This book was definitely interesting, especially with the HGTV vibes. Though the second chance lovers plot was sweet overall the story was a little slow for me.

This is an absolutely stunning debut. Mack is dealing with divorce, a second chance romance and her overbearing dragon of a mother. I loved all the lough out loud moments that this book had. I was not prepared at all for the twists this story had. I highly recommend this one! Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for a chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC copy from NetGalley. I loved the colouring on the cover of the book. I think based on this I went into it with high expectations of the story. I was excited to get stuck in but I feel like it fell flat for me. I enjoyed the inter generational aspect between Mack and her mother Magnolia and the plot twist I absolutely did not see coming. I just felt like it was dragged out too much with all the design talk, the design tv show and all that. I enjoyed the side characters like Fitz and Maya, they added a bit of comedy to the story. I liked the flashbacks to the past that we got snippets of and I enjoyed the second chance romance element of it. I got quite bored during a lot of it but once the plot twist start to play out then I was interested again! This is just my personal opinion so don’t take it that you won’t like it!

A Southern drama about Charleston interior designer Magnolia “Mack” Bishop. She has a complicated relationship with her mother and ex-husband, a darling 7-year-old daughter, a thriving business and opportunity for a TV show, a loyal best friend, and a new neighbor who just happens to be “the one who got away.” Southern By Design is full of family drama, betrayal, dreamy Charleston design, love lost and found, and behind-the-scenes details of shooting a TV show.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Loved the setting and the characters.
Not a huge fan of the flashbacks and present day type plot.
The second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes.
home design, Charleston, and a sweet little romance.

A great story about protagonist, Magnolia “Mack” Bishop, fighting for success in the middle of a divorce; struggling for a relationship with her mother who believes she rules all; finding true love; and finding her biological father in order to heal and thrive in her life’s journey.

The engrossing story is told in flashbacks to fifteen years before, and present time. The cast of characters is unique; especially Fritz, Mack’s best friend; Lincoln, Mack’s beau; and the team of experts Mack works with restoring an old historic home. The Charleston setting is wonderful. If you enjoy home remodeling and renovation TV shows, you should enjoy this story.

Southern by Design is a heartwarming read. Keep a tissue handy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Magnolia "Mack" Bishop restores historical homes in Charleston and after losing an important fellowship, takes on a project her mother arranges for her firm. In the mean time, she's fighting with her ex for the company. And her old flame moves in next door.

It's like HGTV meets Hallmark - a sweet romance, fun characters, a solid storyline

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I'm sorry but I had to DNF this. The writing was good and the present timeline was something I usually love but the flashbacks made me lose the momentum in my reading and could have been its own story. It really felt like I was reading two different books.

This is such a charming story. The setting feels so atmospheric. You can feel Mack’s passion for interior design and the Daniel House through the pages. There is a perfect amount of drama and plot. The subplot of romance was a perfect little addition to the story and a good way to push the plot forward.

It was wonderful to discover this debut novel -- here's hoping there are many more to come! It all takes place in scenic Charleston, in the world of interior design and historic preservation, where "Mack" Bishop is striving to prove herself as a designer of note by preserving an older home. Things don't go as planned, and she has to start over again, beholden to her imperious mother and then to a long lost boyfriend. Lots of romance, humor, and happenings here which will definitely keep you turning the pages. I look forward to recommending this title, especially to readers who enjoy books by Mary Kay Andrews, Elin Hilderbrand, Kristan Higgans, and Susan Mallery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In terms of writing, this book wasn't bad by any means. However, I found it to be quite uneventful. The characters where pretty one-dimensional, the mother-daughter relationship felt emotionally flat, the romance was barely explored and the plot was just a real drag for me. It felt like it just wasn’t going anywhere.

I enjoyed this while I was reading it, but the more I think about it the more I realize I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to others.

I loved books about second chance love stories. I always rooted for them get together at the end. The author made a great idea incorporating fashbacks of Mack and Lincolon background. She gave her readers better understanding of the characters. I also am so delighted because my big fan of HGTV, and I savor beautiful scenes of historic downtown Charleston. I recieved a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.75

If you love a good Charleston setting, southern drama, and witty characters, this book is for you! I loved the Fixer Upper aspect of the story as it added the perfect amount of tension and humor that I look for in a fun romance. Mack is a great character that I loved to see succeed! I felt like her personal cheerleader all the way through. This witty romantic novel is the perfect read for anyone fighting for their own dreams and way in life.

I appreciate this book for what it is, but it didn't hit the right notes to me. It's a great Women's Fiction book, but I wouldn't consider it a romance. Aspects of romances were part of the story, but the focus was on family dynamics. I personally would have liked to see the ending happen closer to the first 1/3 of the book, and see the "what comes next" be the main plot of the book. I found the whole story to be quite sad. A lot of misunderstandings and even family cycles. Cover is beautiful, no issue with the writing.

Sweet story about family, love, loss, and second chances. Relatable characters, and a fun home renovation storyline made this a winner for me.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for the ARC!

Right from the beginning I really enjoyed Mack's personality and her figuring out how to navigate her new life after splitting up with her husband. I however could not stand her mother for the majority of this book. Every time she was mentioned I rolled my eyes and thought oh what now. Luckily at the end of the book she was redeemed in my eyes. I love that it left room for more character development with what all occurred in the the final chapters of this book. I will admit however I wish there had been more written on her and Lincoln in the present day. It seemed a bit glossed over of them getting to know each other again and going on dates.

Overall I'm giving this book a 3.75/5 stars. I would potentially read this book again but not for a long time.

Magnolia -Mack- has worked hard for everything. And then one day it's just not working. Yes, she assumed her husband, son of her mother's life long best friend, was cheating, but an unsolicited picture to a much younger girl sets a divorce in motion. And that Fellowship she was aiming for falls through.
Time for her Mother (the capital is mine) to step in - again. Magnolia Sr is always impeccable, never too kind and Mack isn't too happy with the design job she offers, but there wouldn't be a story if she didn't take the job.

Meanwhile we get to read what Mack's life was like 15 years before. How even then her single mother -Mack's father was never in the picture- was very on top of things, including Mack's life. We read about Mack and her highschool sweetheart, her leaving to study design and falling in love with someone else. It's slow going but it starts making sense when -in current timeline- a new neighbour arrives.

Overall it could've been more concise, I mean, it's not a hefty book, but there was a lot of explaining and plot dumping, partly in unnatural dialogue, which now and then was so obvious it interrupted my reading. To stay in design and building terms: one has to admire the wall, not see the stones that were used to build it. There were stones, plenty. Also, lots of people chuckled.
That said, the Grand Finale was great, kudos to Magnolia Senior

I received a NetGalley ARC in return for my honest opinion

I am also Southern by Design and this book did not disappoint. Drama, charm, interior design and second chance romance.... I mean, what more could anyone ask for? And this cover is absolutely stunning!

Big thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for this arc in exchange for review!