Stealing Home is a fantastic story about Maddie Townsend and the obstacles she faces after her marriage falls apart. As she struggles to find a job and get her family back together, she discovers that her son's sports coach, Cal Maddox, has feelings for her. As the whole town disapproves of the relationship, Maddie has to figure out how to get her family, friends and community back on track while navigating her relationship with Cal. Sherryl Woods' narrative style is engaging and captivating and keeps you wanting more. This heartwarming story of courage, resilience and self-discovery is one that you won't soon forget and is perfect for fans of contemporary drama.

For fans of this novel, Netflix has announced the launch of the new show Stealing Home. In the series, Maddie Townsend and Cal Maddox will battle obstacles of family, friends and their community as they pursue their relationship while struggling to find balance in their lives. With intense storylines, lovable characters and thrilling plot twists, Stealing Home is sure to keep viewers glued to their seats. Get ready to embark on Maddie's incredible journey to find her own serenity!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Mills and Boon and Sherryl Woods for this e book.
We meet Maddie who live in the town of Serenity with her 3 children. All are struggling to deal with the break up of Maddie’s marriage, the older boys hate their father whilst their young sister can’t understand why Daddy doesn’t live with them anymore.
Maddie has two great friends who know that they have to help her and come up with a new business idea, for which they want Maddie to be a partner. Maddie is very unsure that she has the skills required to help run the business. As they all work together Maddie learns she has more skills and aptitude than she thought. Add to the mix, her oldest son’s baseball coach, Cal, who is trying to help her son get control of his anger. Can Maddie and Cal be together or will the small-town busybodies and politics ruin this relationship?
I really enjoyed the characters, the strength of the friendship – those true friends are will be there to help you through all that life brings you. The plot was well written and developed.
A great start to a series and one I will be continuing with.

Very cute book, some characters that you really like and cheer on and a suitable baddie to go against! A strong story looking at some good wider personalities and great kids. You can’t wait till the ending so that Maddie can have her happy ending that she makes herself.

Headlines:
The netflix series is better
Cal and Maddie are sweet
Less sisterhood than I expected.

I'm going to do a pros/cons review here, pitching the book versus the TV series. I know no-one asked for this, but that's what you're getting! Let me just say firstly, that I enjoy the TV series immensely, its easy and cheesy but I'm so drawn to the three women who feature.

The book
Maddie is at the helm and she's an amazing MC but Dana Sue and Helen are not that prominent and I love them hard. I'm hoping the series pans out to include them more. Bill was (shocker) a little more self aware in the book, sometimes contrite but still hella frustrating and annoying. Noreen was similar. I was pleased the dialogue didn't have the constant God-cheese.

I loved Cal and Maddie's build until it turned into a sprint and towards the end everything just developed too fast for me, especially that surprise at the end, which was a no-no. Family vibes were strong throughout the book and I do feel all soft-spotted over the kids in this book.

The TV series
In contrast, the TV series decided not to rush Maddie and Cal which was the best decision ever. Bill and Noreen are like splinters all over your body, riling the watcher every moment. I have to say the book found more balance for that aspect.

The sisterhood in the TV series is strong and for me, that's one of the greatest pulls. I love more detail on Helen and Dana-Sue. The biggest drawback of the TV series is the constant Christian platitudes, they make my teeth hurt.

Overall, this series is worth your time. Whether you want to read first or binge TV is your choice. At the moment the TV series is winning for me, but the book also compliments nicely.

The story is about based around Maddie Townsend. After 20 years of marriage her husband walks out to be with his pregnant girlfriend. Her best friends Dana Sue and Helen want her to help start up a women only fitness spa with them. Needing time to think and to sort out her son Maddie goes to see Tyler's coach Cal Maddox, 10 years her junior but sparks fly.

I absolutely loved this book. Set in a small town where everybody knows everyone I just fell in love with the place as much as the characters. I do love her friends which have each others backs. There is still a narrow-minded feel in the town where a man can do certain things but a woman can't but I just loved the way it gets resolved. Very uplifting with a happily-ever-after ending. I did intend on reading a few chapters over a few days but I ended up reading it in one sitting.

There is a Netflix show based on the books and after reading book one and being hooked already I can definitely see why. But I think I will be binge reading the books first

After watching the tv adaptation of this book on Netflix, I just had to get in to the series and it was every bit delightful as the tv series was. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

When I saw that Netflix were dramatising the sweet magnolia books and Netgalley asked me to review the first two books in the series I was delighted.

Stupidly I read book two first so a bit of the surprises had already been discovered however this was a great enjoyable book and had I read it in order it would have been even better.

Maddie, Daba Sue and Helen are the Sweet Magnolias of Aerenity. The girls are there for each other through thick and thin and in this book its focusing on the unrest for Maddie a mother of 3 and married to a Dr who has just announced he is leaving her after 20 years of marriage for his nurse.

During the fallout the Magnolias decide she needs a project and managing the Corner House Spa bring Maddies confidence back up after all she's been through. But is a new love coming over the horizon and is she brave enough to go for it..

The characters are great and I cant wait till book 3.. I loved this book and have recommended it to friends.

✨Stealing Home by Sherryl Woods✨

This is the 1st book in the Sweet Magnolias series. As soon as I saw that Netflix was going to be showing the tv show I knew I wanted to read the book first.

The book follows Maddie and her two best friends in a town called Serenity. Maddie’s husband has recently left her after having an affair with the nurse he works with, leaving Maddie to look after their 3 kids and try and explain to them why their life changed so much over night.
And if that wasn’t enough throw in a crush on her sons baseball coach and opening a new business with her best friends too.

This is a super sweet book. It’s exactly what I’d hoped it would be and I can’t wait to watch the TV show now. The town setting and the characters reminded me (slightly) of stars hollow in Gilmore Girls but the book is definitely a lot more sugary sweet than GG.
If your looking for a lovely town to get to know and a story that is easy to get lost in and where nothing at all bad happens in it, then I would recommend this book!
Have any of you read this series or watched the Netflix show yet? ✨

Can we all just move to Serenity now? Stealing Home tells the story of a small town where everyone knows everyone and gossip is rife. When Maddie's husband Bill walks out on her and her children, she left feeling abandoned and like she doesn't know what to do next. It doesn't help that her three kids are making her life even more difficult, making her the peacekeeper between them and her ex-husband. In walks in Cal Maddox, a baseball coach at her son's high school, who is determined to help Maddie and take care of her.

I loved this book, it was real honest and full of so much love and spirit. This book is the perfect antidote to current times, I am really looking forward to reading the next book and returning one again to the world of Serenity.

Currently, a NetFlix series this story set in Serenity South Carolina is a heartwarming mix of family drama friendship and small-town romance. Focusing on the Sweet Magnolias, best friends Maddie, Dana Sue and Helen have a lifelong friendship. Maddie is the focus of Stealing Home.

Family drama when Maddie's marriage ends unexpectedly, a new career and forbidden romance all contribute to this story's addictive quality. There's a believable dynamic between the three women, as they unite against double standards and malicious gossip. Maddie's emotional journey is realistic and uplifting. Her gentle romance with Cal is the spice in the story, but her doubts are authentic and keep you guessing.

I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Stealing Home is the first book in the Sweet Magnolias series by Sherryl Woods. The series has been out for a while now, but it was brought to my attention by Netflix who have made this first book into a series. I have yet to watch it because I wanted to read the book first.

This story was such a pleasure to read. We are introduced to the 3 ladies who make up the sweet magnolias. Each of them has their own stories to delve into, but first up is Maggie. Her foundations are shaken when out of the blue her husband of many years tells her that he is leaving her for his pregnant younger girlfriend! The news devastates her but first and foremost she worries about their 3 children who don't take the news well at all.

Her friends, Dana Sue and Helen come up with a way to help her and to also help their finances. They want to open a women's only gym/spa and they want her to do most of the hiring/firing, admin etc. Keeping her busy and learning her worth will do Maggie the world of good.

Her eldest son Ty needs help too, he is failing classes in school that he excelled at previously, plus he is going from being the star pitcher on the school baseball team to being it's worst. His coach Cal knows something must be wrong and when he hears about Maggie's upcoming divorce he realises Ty's problems must stem from that. He has to speak with her and see if they can do something to help him.

Cal finds himself surprisingly attracted to Maggie, and even though he keeps Ty at the forefront of any interaction they have he can't help but enjoy his time with her. He thinks there may be a hint of attraction towards him from her too. Can they help Ty and also have a relationship? They live in a small town, he is her son's coach, and he is younger than her, will that cause Maggie to say no to anything more than his friendship? You will have to read the book or watch the show to find out!

Now that I have read the book I am definitely going to watch the series and hope it doesn't change too much because this story is just perfect as it is. Oh yes, there are double standards, especially where Bill (soon to be ex) and Maggie are concerned. He is horrified when he thinks she might be having an affair with Cal despite the fact that he left her for a younger woman and indeed got her pregnant! The town is just as close-minded, but that's just small-town living for you. The author couldn't very well write a story full of politically correct happenings in a town that is anything but that! I think it's one of the things that makes the book so great. You get so wound up by the double standards that you have to keep reading to see the outcome of them!

I loved the romance development between Cal and Maggie. It could be construed as a rebound thing after losing her husband after so many years. But it's not that, it is so much more and I found their interaction very believable.

I love the spa/gym set up and the reasons that each of the Magnolias wanted to get involved and how it benefits them. I wish we had something like that where I live, I'd be there like a shot. But I would also want the Magnolias and their lovely staff working there too!!

I enjoyed this book so much and the characters that I immediately started reading the second book in the series. It focuses on Dana Sue and her daughter but there is interaction with the other Magnolias and updates on what is happening with them too which I love. Something tells me that I am going to read this whole series and be sad when it ends!!

For now though I want to recommend you read this fabulous book and tell you it's well worth a 5-star review!

This is a metaphor title, for those who recognise it, for baseball. The very special feeling that ball players get when they advances to a base which they are not entitled to, and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner - them. ... Successful base stealers are not only fast but have good base running instincts and timing.
There is a film called Stealing Home and a famous book about the Los Angeles Dodgers too. So a metaphor that would be familiar to US readers – but not UK I’m afraid.
However, the story gradually explains the very special feeling that baseball runners get when they ‘steal’ this run, and how important it is for them to play.
What is also interesting is how this story explores what it means to be a woman many years older than her lover/boyfriend and society’s reaction to this combination – yes discrimination again as it is common among men and not commented on – other than sometimes salaciously by other men.
And adolescents and their hormones and their actions and reactions to their mother with a new life.
I thought the story was told empathetically and enjoyably. Well written in its genre.

This book was so easy to read and so enjoyable, the author made the main characters instantly feel like old friends and the description of the town of Serenity was really clear and believable. Maddie and Cal are strong, sympathetic characters and I was rooting for their relationship in no time at all. I am so glad this is the first novel in a long series as all the secondary characters were so interesting that I want to read their stories too.

I really enjoyed this book. The book is set in the small town of Serenity. Maddie is having to deal with the end of her 20-year marriage with Bill following his affair with his much younger nurse. Raising her three children and staring a new business with her best friends Dana Sue and Helen is going to be challenging. Add to that the whole town is talking about her and coach Cal Maddox and their relationship.

I love stories set in small towns and Serenity was no exception. I really liked all of the characters. I really liked seeing the friendship between Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue. I also felt that a lot of difficult topics were discussed including; divorce and the impact it has on a family, eating disorders, double standards. I am interested to see how the author will further develop Annie's storyline.

Overall I loved this book and I can't wait to read the second book and the rest of the series. If you like books set in a small town with a fantastic set of characters you need to read this series.

After 20 years of marriage Maddie is shocked to find out that her husband wants a divorce and is planning on marrying his employee who is pregnant with his baby! Maddie needs to pull herself together for the sake of her children and herself.
With her two bestfriends by her side she starts to realise that maybe she is better off out of her marriage after all and when her son's baseball coach makes his intentions towards her clear she finds herself falling for him, even if he is ten years younger.
I really enjoyed the story between the three best friends and felt for Maddie and her sons, wanting them to find their way. I thought the small town attitude was a little bit cliche and found it hard to understand why anyone would need to justify to their employer that they were interested in someone when it didnt impact on their work, but overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next in the series.

I devoured the series on Netflix in lockdown, and it provided a great escape. I hadn't read the books, so I practically inhaled this one! A great sweet read with laughter, drama and sweet moments - a perfect small town read for fans of that genre. I shall be checking out the rest of the books when I get a chance!

Given the hype and the appearance of the filmed version on Netflix, I was happy to receive an ARC of this and book 2 from Netflix in return for an honest review.

This is very well written, but I’m afraid it’s just not my cup of tea. It’s sentimental and despite the unpleasant and judgemental gossips, a cosy representation of small town America and it left me cold.

I could not identify with the main characters or the settings. Maddie was an interesting If somewhat irritating character and I liked her determination in the end to ignore the gossips and marry Cal - 10 years younger, sports coach to her oldest son. The whole sports focus/school sports coach- and the influence of powerful parents struck me (a European) as strange.

The stories of Dana Sue ( and what is it with the 2 names? - so infantile) and the lawyer are clearly going to be covered in other books but the friendship was a very strong plot line. I prefer romances which put the 2 protagonists right at the front of the story. For me, this was too overcrowded and too bitty. I got bored!

I’m sure folk who enjoy this genre - will love this book and the Netflix series - but it’s not for me.

I loved these books, I was so happy Netgalley gave me the opportunity to read the first two. Wonderful characters, relatable and warm, so much you want them in your lives. A lovely story that finds you smiling to yourself as you read. You want a book to escape reality, feel warm and happy. This is it. You won’t regret reading it.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion