Review: Magnolia Parks

I know we’ve all seen this one EVERYWHERE on booktok/bookstagram, and let me start off by saying… I get it.

Now, this scrappy little (not so) romance probably isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but this had me doing emotional sprints back and forth each and every chapter!

For a quick summary, Magnolia and BJ are on-again, off-again sweethearts who are currently off-again but crossing every possible boundary of toxic dependency. She’s a fashion-forward tabloid queen, and he’s the bad boy everyone has been with, and they sit at the centre of their little clique, mostly seeing nothing but each other. Drama is all around; jealousy is a constant companion, and it’s gossip girl meets the crown type vibes.

I love the world-building that Jessa Hastings clearly put a lot of hard work into. I really did find myself falling into this high-class whirlwind of Channel and expensive champaign. It’s a messy world, so it’s a messy read, and it’s hard to find someone I consistently actually liked (Probably just Tom England; if you’ve read it, you get it), but I was still super invested, which I think says a lot about the intricate little web of a story Hastings has created.

The toxic nature of Magnolia and BJ’s relationship had me up in arms so many times, so it wasn’t altogether a comfortable read, and I did struggle at times to reconcile with their morally grey behaviour. BUT that’s also just a personal preference on my end. While it didn’t reach all-time favourite for me, I still enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who loves a little drama in their lives! This is a world I will be revisiting because it felt like a trainwreck, and I just couldn’t look away.

Also, the original covers of all the books in the MPU (Magnolia Parks Universe) are thoroughly pleasing to the eyes. There’s just something about them that’s so different and drew me in immediately when I saw them.

Keep your eyes peeled because The Daisy Haites review will be up soon!

Rating: **** (4/5)