A review by _beccareads
Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings

lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow wow wow I loved this book.

The concept just gives off major gossip girl vibes and the drama had me hooked, so much so that I couldn’t put this book down. 

The story follows the messy lives of Londons socialites, centring on Magnolia and BJ’s toxic on/off relationship. Madly in love, but entirely wrong for each other their romance definitely isn’t one I would pine after, but for me, the book was not about their love, but Magnolia. 

Magnolia’s relationship with BJ was completely relatable for me, he’s her first love and deep down she knows he’s hurting her, but for some reason she can’t seem to let him go. I think this is commonplace for a lot of first loves, and I really felt for Magnolia as she tried to navigate these complicated feelings for the first time.

Throughout the entire book, much like a little sister, I was routing for Magnolia, hoping she’d finally be able to get over him, let him go and move on, and whilst the back and forth got a little tedious I was completely strapped in for the ride. 

Overall this was a captivating easy read, it’s not a wholesome romance, it’s definitely a toxic one, but the drama sucked me in, and the twist at the end has me so excited about binge reading the next book.