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!

Quick, sweet, charming, second chance romance. Rating this 3.5 stars. While I enjoyed the story and didn’t see the “twist” coming, I wanted *more*. More development, more back story. It all seemed a little rushed. 2 timelines - flashbacks to Mack in college and present day.

Mack Bishop spent most of her life keeping her overbearing mother happy. Mack is currently separated, and working to showcase her talents in design when she gets to restore a home for the historical commission, on which her mom is a member. Her assistant encourages her to apply for a HGTV-esque show, they get to film a pilot, and an old flame buys the house next door to hers. Overall, I enjoyed this book but just wanted more details of the college romance, the present day romance, real dialogue with the mom.

Absolutely adored every second of this book! Adding Grace as a must read author and can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. I love a good women starting over and rediscovering themselves story. Nothing gets me turning pages quite as fast as self discovery and second chance love tropes.

Such a sweet story! It did take a bit to get into the meat of the story at least for me personally, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to recommend this one to friends! The southern setting was absolutely charming, and I adored the storyline, the characters, everything about this was so well done!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Southern by Design is a delightful and charming book written by an exciting new voice in Southern Women’s Fiction.

Mack Bishop has spent much of her life under her mother’s domineering and critical thumb, including marrying the son of her mother’s best friend much to the delight of both families. The one place where Mack feels confident is in her design business where she restores the old, grand homes of Charleston and gives them new life. She loses out on a coveted fellowship but gets another chance to showcase her talents when her mother presents her with an opportunity to restore a hidden gem from the Historical Commission that needs a lot of love to bring it back to glory. Mack’s assistant also encourages her to apply to host a reality show on home design and this new project will give them the content she and her design firm can use to apply.

Mack’s marriage is in its final stages, as the boy chosen for her by her mother has become a man increasingly difficult to live and work with. In a surprise twist, the boy she had fallen in love with during college comes back to town and buys the house next door. A single dad, his son becomes best friends with Mack’s daughter, forcing them together in ways that let them get to know one another all over again. In the end, we learn why Mack’s mother is the way she is, and it leads to a new understanding for Mack and a better relationship with her mother going forward.

This book had it all for me—home renovation and design, second chance at love with the one that got away, a complicated mother issue that gets resolved in the end, and a happy ending for a woman who has grown in her independence. Charleston plays a starring role in the book, and there is a host of secondary characters that provide layers of color and depth. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was kind of confused in the beginning because of the timeline. It was cleared up at the end, the whole story was really the precursor to the climax of the story. Mack and her mother Magnolia have a very difficult relationship. Mack's only family is her mother so she feels like she has the appease the only family she has left. It is a very clean closed door romance, the most there is kissing. Her ex husband sucks, like there was nothing that gave a glimpse that they even had a happy marriage. Mack is such a pushover it is unbearable, we get it, she doesn't like her mother. Mack is incredibly dramatic in the flashbacks. The writing was good but the story was cookie cutter and a huge plot dump. I took about break from this book for a month and then powered through. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mack Bishop is the product of a strong Southern woman. She has her own design business in Charleston with one of her college buddies, Fitz. Her marriage is over due to her husband’s selfie of his privates that he texted to an unsuspecting person. Her daughter is a doll. Mack is finishing up a restoration job when she gets an opportunity to do a video for a home and garden tv segment. There is the set up. The story itself involves flashbacks to her college years and a lost love; a family secret that bursts open; and finding love once again. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I did receive an ARC of the book.

This book was so much drama and I was here for it! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! This book was based in my hometown, Charleston SC. I was born and raised here in Charleston and I am still here. It was so neat to read about the college I went to and the others I am very familiar with, the restaurants, the cities near by. The book itself was brilliant and kept me interested from start to finish. The home restoration & HGTV vibe was so fun to read about! I feel like it tied into the story well. The drama was raw and messy but the story drove home that beauty comes from ashes.

I love a book with a Southern flavor and Southern by Design delivers. All the down South charm, plus a wonderful story of family, following your dreams, and navigating the rough roads in life. This book hits all the right. spots and makes you happier for reading it!'
4/5

Magnolia (Mack) Bishop, still reeling over the loss of a impressive design fellowship in her Charleston home town, is offered the chance of a lifetime. Exquisite Interiors, the most popular reality home design show, wants her to audition for their show. Her restoration work for the Carolina Historic Society on the Daniel House will be featured. To succeed, Mack has to rely on her trusted assistant Maya, her college friend and confidant Fitz and her many loyal workman from the city. There are problems. Her untrustworthy, soon to be ex-husband Grady must do his share of child care for their seven year daughter. Her mother, the original Magnolia, must be prevented from interfering with Mack’s work. This will not be easy. And then there’s a complication. The handsome man who just moved in next door is…the man who broke her heart when he chose a photography residency over her.

All of this fills Southern by Design to the brimming. There is heartbreak, romance, anger and a delightful look at the backstage world of creating a reality home show. I’m hoping that Holy City Flip becomes a series! I want to see more of these characters who I would recognize if I saw them walking down the street. If you like Kristy Woodson Harvey, Mary Kay Andrews or Patti Callahan Henry, you will love Grace Helena Walz and Southern By Design! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollinsFocus and Grace Helena Walz.

Coming from the South, I as a reader can understand how a certain last name carries weight as it epitomizes where that family stands in society. Society is extremely important as the girls and eventually women learn how to speak and behave in a certain way. Mack was born in that type of society; however, she was determined to capitalize on her talent as a designer and create her own path which eventually resulted in a reality television show. Even though it may have been frowned upon, she knew that divorcing Grady was the right decision as it enabled her to allow Hallie to be a child and express her wants and desires. Love does not go away when Mack had such strong feelings for Licoln.and I was glad she stood up to her mother and knew that she couldn't let him find someone else. Just like Fitz, love supersedes what society believes who one should be. This is a charming read.