The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories

By: Celeste Fletcher McHale

Narrated by: Nan Kelley

A Southern novel full of friendships and finding love.

"There's no time", Colin said. "You have to go. Find me, call me...."

Jacey and Colin shared the three most intense days of their lives together, waiting for help as Mississippi floodwaters surrounded them. Jacey knew Colin was the love of her life - until her rescue boat went underwater along with Colin's last name and pieces of Jacey's memory.

The last thing she remembered was being submerged in water. Again.

As Jacey walks down the aisle as the maid of honor in her friend's wedding a year later, the last person she expects to see is Colin. The biggest surprise, though, is that the man of her dreams is not wearing jeans and flip-flops, as he did when he held her through those long nights of the flood. He's the preacher.

As Jacey's memories come flooding back, it's almost more than she can take. The fate of the young family trapped with them haunts her. The unwavering honesty - and support - of her best friend, Georgia, forces her to take a fresh look at herself. She's spent her life afraid of love. But a flood is opening Jacey's heart in the most unexpected ways.

©2017 Celeste McHale (P)2017 Thomas Nelson Publishers

Loved this book!

Beautiful story about love, forgiveness and acceptance. This author writes from the heart and so importantly incorporates Christian faith.

Loved it

Loved the narrator’s voice and inflections, and the story. Hope to read/listen to more by this author

My favorite book I’ve read in a long time.

I loved this nook and even shed a tear or two. It was good and clean and so sweet. It was a little sad and a lot happy. I highly recommend this one!

I'm Praying For A Book 2.

This story was absolutely beautiful. Friendship, Love, compassion. I've also listened to, The Secret To Hummingbird Cake by this author and I loved that one as well. She really knows how to pull at your heartstrings, which I appreciate. I can't leave out the narrator, her narration of these two books, OUTSTANDING. The way she brings this story and each character to life, PRICELESS. I did not want this story to end. I'm keeping my fingers cross that there will be a book 2!🤞

Trigger warning - Religious and preachy

As a child of parents who were ministers, the non-stop religious jokes were distracting, ridiculous and do not reflect any person of God I've ever met. I actually had to Google this author as I was sure it was written by a teenager. The main females characters act childish, and Georgia is a terrible friend. Forgiveness is a theme, but the violations of these characters are hurtful and despicable in some instances, but forgiven in a minute. That is not how humans behave, even the most pious among us. Jaycee, the main character has a deadly allergy to some fruits, but apparently forgets and ingests without any forethought. Knowing people with deadly allergies, I can tell you it is ALWAYS front of mind when eating. As for the narrator, the up-speak was unnerving and like fingernails down the chalkboard. She has no acting range and in addition to sounding like she's reading, all characters used the same voice making it very confusing at times to know who was talking. The storyline was weak and without the lying and wrong assumptions of the characters, there wasn't much of a story. Prior to the new Audible policy of not being able to return books not purchased with a credit, I would have returned this in 15 minutes. Now that I can't, I'm compelled to listen. Skip this book unless you're looking for squeaky clean, Christian messaging.

Not as good

It’s not as a tear jerker and as good as “The Secret to Hummingbird Cake”. It’s like it was written by a ghost writer. The only character I like is Georgia.

Should be clearly marked that it is a clean romance.

So squeaky clean you are in a sugar coma when done.
It should be clearly marked.