Praise for the novels of
SHERRYL
WOODS
âWoodsâs latest entry in her Sweet Magnolias series (after Stealing Home) is sure to please fans and entice new readers withâ¦flesh-and-blood characters, terrific dialogue and substantial stakes.â
âPublishers Weekly on A Slice of Heaven
âStrong supporting characters, a vivid sense of place, and a strong appreciation for the past add to the appeal of Woodsâ contemporary romance.â
âBooklist on The Backup Plan
âCompulsively readableâ¦a universal tale of friendshipâs redemptive power.â
âPublishers Weekly on Mending Fences
âRedolent with Southern small-town atmosphere, this emotionally rich story deals with some serious issues and delivers on a number of levels.â
âLibrary Journal on A Slice of Heaven
âSweetly satisfying, clever characters and snappy, realistic dialogueâ¦a delightful read.â
âPublishers Weekly on About That Man
âSherryl Woods is a uniquely gifted writer whose deep understanding of human nature is woven into every page.â
âNew York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers
Dear Friends,
So many of you have welcomed the Sweet Magnolias into your lives and asked for more that I couldnât resist. For all of you, hereâs Jeanetteâs story, along with a subplot about that diabolical Mary Vaughn who tried to steal Ronnie away from Dana Sueâ¦twice! I think youâll gain some new insights into what makes her tick and maybe even feel some sympathy for all sheâs gone through in her life.
Of course, since this is coming out during my very favorite time of the yearâChristmasâI couldnât resist making the holidays a critical part of the story. We all know people who hate the entire season with a passion, but we rarely learn the reason for those bah-humbug attitudes. In Welcome to Serenity, both Jeanette and Tom have plenty of issues with the holidays. In Jeanetteâs case, the reason is tragic. Itâs shaped her entire adult life. Loving her as he does, Tom gains a whole new perspective on his own distaste for the season of goodwill. But the fun of the story is their bossesâ insistence that these two are among those responsible for making Christmas magic happen in Serenity, a town that absolutely adores its holidays.
I hope youâll enjoy being back with the Sweet Magnolias at this wonderful time of year and that your own holiday season is filled with joy.
All best,
Sherryl
The relaxing scent of lavender in the hand cream that Jeanette Brioche was massaging into her cramped fingers did absolutely nothing to calm her jittery nerves. A few hours ago Maddie Maddox, her boss at The Corner Spa, had scheduled a meeting for six oâclock, immediately after Jeanette was due to finish with her last client. Maddie hadnât said what it was about, but her grim expression suggested it wasnât a celebration, something she and her friends Dana Sue and Helen organized at the drop of a hat.
Since Jeanette tended to be a worrier who saw disaster around every corner, she decided to get this over with even though it wasnât quite six. Her stomach knotted with dread, she walked down the hall to Maddieâs office.
After tapping on the partially open door, Jeanette stepped inside to chaos. A disheveled Maddie was holding a wriggling six-month-old Cole in her arms and trying to feed him, while two-year-old Jessica Lynn ran wildly around the room, knocking everything in sight onto the floor. Maddieâs usually well-organized folders were in a chaotic heap, and samples from their suppliers were scattered everywhere. A topless bottle of hand lotion had been upended.
âHelp!â Maddie said to Jeanette, who promptly scooped up Jessica Lynn and tickled her until the child dissolved into giggles.
âHaving a bad day?â Jeanette inquired, feeling her stomach unknot as the toddler patted her cheek with sticky fingers that smelled of rose-scented hand lotion. The more time she spent around Jessica Lynn and Cole, as well as Helenâs little girl, however, the louder the ticking of Jeanetteâs biological clock seemed to get. The alarm hadnât gone off yet, but she sensed it was about to when the scent of baby powder started to smell better to her than the herbal aromas in the spa.
âA bad day, a bad week and more than likely a bad month,â Maddie replied.
The weary response pretty much confirmed the reason for her earlier grim expression. Maddie had already had three children when sheâd married Cal Maddox a few years ago and now had two more. Her oldest son, Ty, was a sophomore at Duke and star of the schoolâs baseball team. Kyle was in high school and finally regaining his equilibrium after Maddieâs divorce from his dad, and Katie had just turned nine and was only marginally impressed with being a big sister, rather than the baby of the family.