Mack is definitely struggling. She is going through a divorce, lost a good fellowship job for her business, and now, her ex-boyfriend from college just moved into her neighborhood. Nothing else to do but put on her work boots and overcome!

Y’all know I love a good southern fiction and this one is pretty dang good. I loved the characters, especially Mack’s mom! We all know a southern woman just like her! And Mack, handles her mom like a pro!

Then there is Lincoln, Mack’s long lost love that got away. These two have some difficulties but definitely worth the fight!

There is a slight twist at the end that just added to the drama!! I love a good family secret and some southern meddling!

The narrator, Amanda Stribling, did a good job, even with the child’s voice. You follow me long enough, you know this is a pet peeve. I always cringe if the narrator gets a child’s voice wrong. But she nailed this one.

Need a good southern fiction…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Southern By Design is the debut novel from Grace Helena Walz, a fresh new voice in southern women’s literature. Magnolia “Mack” Bishop has lived her life dealing with her controlling mother, Magnolia the first. Magnolia has done everything to keep Mack in line even to the point of keeping the identity of the father she never met a secret.

Now, in the midst of a divorce from the two timing son of Magnolia’s best friend Delta, a union that Magnolia and Delta had orchestrated, and in the running for the prestigious Savannah Historic Preservation Design Fellowship perhaps Mack can finally get out from under her mother’s thumb. But when things go awry in the final round of judging, as consolation Mack’s mother brings her an excellent opportunity, of course with strings attached, to restore the Davis house, a recent endowment to the Savannah Historic Preservation Society.

With this new prospect, Mack and her second in command and best friend Magnus Fitzgerald, are excited to begin both the design and its execution, making Mack feel relieved. That is until Mack spots her new neighbor as the moving truck unloads next door. When she is near enough to tell for sure, she is astounded to find Lincoln Kelly, the one who got away and broke her heart fifteen years before when he left to pursue his own dreams.

This is such an impressive debut work. Ms. Walz has designed a story with well crafted characters, intertwining subplots, and an overarching message of forgiveness. I very much enjoyed this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it!

I think this was a solid debut novel. I appreciated the main character, Mack, as she navigates a complicated divorce while trying to take her interior design business to the next level. I loved Charleston aspect of the story, as I've spent a lot of time there and really love the city. I was less enthusiastic about the romance piece of the novel, but was fully invested in Mack and her mother's relationship issues, though some of it was a bit tedious - I just couldn't understand the difficulty around her name! All in all, an enjoyable book.

I absolutely adored the narrator of this audiobook! Her southern accent was the perfect narration for this book. The book itself was a lot of fun and kept my attention the whole time. Mack was an incredibly likable character, even as dealing with her not so likable mom. The home improvement show aspect of the book reminded me of all the shows on HGTV. It was an entertaining listen that I would highly recommend.

This one unfortunately didn’t work for me. The plot was incredibly slow and I didn’t find the characters to be very interesting. I received an audio copy of this book and the voice actor doing the child’s voice really threw me off. I think this would’ve been instantly more compelling if there had been a narration cast rather than a single narrator. The cover design was beautiful and i appreciate the ARC. Thank you to the author and publisher.

Magnolia “Mack” Bishop’s ex-husband was caught cheating on her and was involved in a scandal which was revealed in a group text chain. Mack is trying to pick up the pieces of her life as she raises her 7-year-old daughter, and an opportunity arrives to try to be on a design show. As an interior designer, I was excited to read a book that focused on renovation. I wish more of the story was centered around this. The story was told in two timelines, present day and 15 years earlier. There is a second chance romance between Mack and her new neighbor, her high school sweetheart, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two in either timeline. There is a lot written about Mack and her mother’s relationship. I enjoyed the twist at the end but found the middle of the story to be lackluster. The story makes me want to go to Charleston! Overall, this was a decent debut and I’m curious to see what Walz comes up with next.

Entertaining debut novel with likable characters, family drama, loss, love, and a new found identity. Enjoyed the audio ARC; thank you Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest assessment.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for feedback.
What a beautiful cover, who can resist a great cover, and that the book is set in Charleston! This debut novel reminds me of a cross between Fixer Upper and Designing Women. Magnolia "Mack", newly divorced and a single mother" is trying to kickstart her own career without her mother's influence. She is charged with restoring an old historical house in Charleston, and hopes to make her mother proud.
Meanwhile, an old flame moves back to town. Lincoln broke her heart when he left town over 15 years prior, but Mack soon learns the real reasons he left. Will they be able to rekindle their love?
There are other secrets to come to light, secrets that separated mother and daughter and best friends. Some relationships can be repaired while others cannot.
The book is told through two timelines - when Mack was younger and present day. Great debut!

3.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus/Harper Muse for my review copy. These are my thoughts:

This was a charming southern, small town story.

Magnolia “Mack” and her very meddling mother - and namesake - Magnolia “senior”, had a complicated relationship. I quite enjoyed the twist on the second chance - Mack gets a second chance at love after her divorce and also to mend or redefine her relationship with her mother. Magnolia senior was insufferable for most of the book but I enjoyed her “redemption arc”.
I did not see the plot twist towards the end coming and was not expecting the added drama from the way it was handled.

I don't normally listen to audio books, but I enjoyed the narrator and her subtle accent.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was a slow ride for me. It started slow moving and some of the beginning, honestly could have been trimmed. The back end of the story was wonderful though.

This story is very Sweet Magnolias coded. And while i dont appreciate the over sensationalized “southern” stereotypes and name stereotypes, it’s what people love. Its the small town southern money drama.

The romance aspect was so sweet. I loved Mack and Lincoln. They made sense all along, and you could feel their connection come through. I also loved Fitz. He is the best friend any girl could want.

HGTV addicts and romance readers will enjoy following this historical renovation project and personal discovery journey set in Charleston. Complete with unforeseen complications in every story line, this was hopeful, funny, and truly Southern.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨ (3.75/5)

“I’ve got an overdue temper and an axe to grind.”

This one is described as Sweet Magnolias meets Fixer Upper in this delightfully refreshing debut about a woman bravely chasing her dreams, building a life on her own terms, and maybe even discovering a second chance at love.

When I first started it I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but I changed my mind as the book progressed and secrets came to light, especially in the 2nd half of the book.

I loved seeing the MC Mack grow into her own and fight for what she wanted…mostly ANSWERS.

When secrets are revealed they are devastating and even moreso because sometimes in life it’s too little too late BUT that doesn’t mean the world stops spinning, you have to dust yourself off and get back to it. The MC takes control of her life and puts her best foot forward.

I really thought the ending was well done and everything was brought to a solid conclusion even if certain aspects were sad/unfortunate.

It sort of reminded me of a more serious Homewreckers by MKA but with more focus on family dynamics and big southern design elements. It makes me want to go back to Charleston.

Thank you, Net Galley, for the advanced audio of SOUTHERN BY DESIGN by Grace Helena Walz. I enjoyed this dual-timeline novel that focused on a mother-daughter relationship as well as the relationship between two exes and their child. I liked the relationship between the mother and daughter, although I found it to be predictable. I think the relationship between the exes was too stereotypical. I generally like dual timeline novels but found this one (though it may have been me) a bit confusing. Overall, I liked the book.

Absolute southern delight!

This was a fun little listen and I totally felt the southern vibes while reading/listening.

3.5 stars. This one had lots of potential, but Walz didn't capitalize on some potential plot points or character arcs like she could have.

What I enjoyed:
* Who doesn't love a Charleston setting
* lots of small town dynamics
* second chance romance
* backdrop of a home improvement show

What I didn't love:
* the lack of depth to highly charged, emotionally wrought relationships - everything just worked out too easily for the amount of baggage present
* two dimensional characters that did not really grow or change much throughout the book.

I didn't hate this book, but I do think there are better books out there that can scratch the same itch.

Cute story, great accent.
The story is good and entertaining. But at the same like it feels kind of long and it's quite predictable

I love a good Southern-set book, and Southern By Design did not disappoint! Set in Charleston—one of my favorite cities—it had everything I adore about Southern fiction: charm, humor, and heart. The second-chance romance between Mack and Lincoln was sweet and satisfying, with just the right mix of tension and warmth. Grace Helena Walz captured the essence of the South so well, giving me the same feel-good vibes as Dorothea Benton Frank and Mary Kay Andrews. If you love a cozy, funny, and heartfelt Southern story, this one’s a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperColins Focus for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this great audiobook.

this audiobook was pretty good. It was okay, it was decent but felt like it had dragged on a bit at points. Overall the story was good, and the themes were good. The pacing was a little slow and it kept me entertained other than that!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Just coming here to write my review, and I see that this is a DEBUT NOVEL for this author! Color me impressed!!

Mack (Magnolia Bishop,Jr) is a historical home renovator extraordinaire!! Based in Charleston, SC, she’s also a southern Belle with lots of spunk and flair! Her soon to be ex-husband worked beside her, but after a huge foul up on his part, she’s shooing him out of the picture, and her life! However, she’ll still need to see him because of their 7 year old daughter….

Magnolia Sr, is her Mom. And what a piece of work she is! Set in her ways…. Always right, even when she’s wrong. And always giving her thoughts and opinions….

And, she wants nothing more than to get her daughter, and ex son-in-law law back together again!! 😮😮

On top of all else, the house next door is sold, and who moves in? No one other than the one who got away…all those years ago!

This one kept me on my toes, smiling and then sad... Happy and then mad…

Wanting so much to hate her Mom, and then melting down towards the end when you realize what actually happened…. And why…

Beautifully written with nice character development, making you feel like a part of the fabric of the story! Looking forward to what lies ahead for this new author!

#SouthernByDesign by #GraceHelenaWalz and narrated beautifully by #AmandaStribling.

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, happily rounded up to 5!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperMuse and #HarperCollinsFocua for an ARC of the audiobook. This is due to be released tomorrow, February 11, 2025!
So, look 👀 for it then!

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Thanks to Harper Muse for this ARC and ALC! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

First of all, the cover is stunning! The description is correct--this is the best cross between Sweet Magnolias (Netflix show) and Fixer Upper (HGTV show)! Charleston is my favorite city, so I loved the setting. As a southerner myself, I appreciated the Southern culture representation. The southern accent of the narrator was perfect. I was happy to see my favorite restaurant, Fleet Landing, mentioned!

It was wild to see the main character having the same name as her mother, Magnolia. Senior Magnolia was seen as your typical southern insufferable mother for most of the book. I keep thinking in my head, "She is the worstttt (in Jean Ralphio voice)".

This book alternated between present day and 15 years ago. We get to see second chance romance of a lost love.

The ending had me sobbing! This was a wonderful book.

I will post a review to my bookstagram account, @toomanyfivestarreads, around publication date.