This blog post is all about the Magnolia Parks book series.
Discovering the Magnolia Parks Universe by Jessa Hastings was one of the best things to happen to me in the literature world in the last two years.
If Gossip Girl and Made and Chelsea combined to make a wonder-series, it would be this.
With Chuck and Blair-type love and drama, set within a world of the elite, rich teenagers of London, what more could you want?!
I read the Magnolia Parks series in order and am so gutted that it’s come to an end! Below is my review of every book in the Magnolia Parks book series, in order.
This blog post is all about the Magnolia Parks book series.
Review of the Magnolia Parks Book Series
Below you’ll find my reviews of the books within the Magnolia Parks Universe by Jessa Hastings.
If you’d like to keep up with my reading in real-time, follow me on Goodreads here!
1. Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings
Magnolia Parks and BJ Ballentine are a glamorous yet toxic pair destined for each other despite their self-destructive love. Caught in a cycle of dating others and sabotaging each other, their deep connection always pulls them back together. But as secrets emerge and their fragile world begins to unravel, they must confront the ultimate question: how many chances does true love really get?
My rating: ★★★★★
If there’s a gaping Gossip Girl hole in your heart like there is in mine, this book might just fill the void. If Chuck and Blair were transported to London, they would be Magnolia and BJ. Think couture fashion, socialites and posh people problems. Magnolia Parks gives this and more and I couldn’t read the book fast enough. I can’t wait to fully dive into this series and read even more about these characters.
2. Daisy Haites by Jessa Hastings
Daisy Haites, heir to London’s most infamous crime empire, craves a normal life but is trapped by her brother Julian’s dangerous world. When she falls for Christian Hemmes, who’s secretly in love with his best friend’s girlfriend, their unexpected romance complicates everything. As Daisy, Christian, and Julian’s lives intertwine, they face the harsh truth that love and loyalty in their world come with a heavy price—sometimes paid in blood.
My rating: ★★★★★
I want to stay in the Magnolia Parks Universe forever. I’m actually dreading when they make this into a TV series or movie series because I have the characters in my head and I just know they’re going to ruin it. I’m tempted to even say that I preferred Daisy Haites over Magnolia Parks, but the whole book had me screaming for Daisy and Christian to stop being so stubborn and be together. It was definitely a frustrating book, but I couldn’t put it down for 48 hours. Obsessed.
3. Magnolia Parks: The Long Way Home by Jessa Hastings
It’s been nearly a year since everything happened between Magnolia Parks and BJ Ballentine on the steps of the Mandarin Oriental, and since then it seems like everything has changed. Magnolia has a life in New York now and BJ appears to have finally let go and moved on. But when they both wind up back in London and are thrust together once again, they find themselves asking their age-old How many loves do you actually get in a lifetime, and, most important—are they each other’s?
My rating: ★★★★★
You probably know by now how obsessed I am with this series. And as I read further into the series, the more obsessed I become. I had started to favour Daisy Haites’ story above Magnolia’s in book two, but now I’m back to being a fan of Magnolia and BJ again. You were able to see a softer, more vulnerable side of Magnolia in The Long Way Home and there were so many times I had to put my head in the book out of frustration at these two characters doing everything they can to push the other away, when it’s so clear they belong together. The most frustratingly incredible series that you need to read!
4. Daisy Haites: The Great Undoing by Jessa Hastings
Daisy thought she’d escaped her past of crime, family ties, and lost love, but when her safety is threatened, she’s pulled back into the world of her gang-lord brother Julian and ex-boyfriend Christian. Complications arise when socialite Magnolia Parks enters the picture, and Julian’s dangerous attraction to her could put everyone at risk.
My Rating: ★★★★
I’ve said it so many times that I’m obsessed with this series. This is book number four and I couldn’t put it down, once again. I will say that I didn’t enjoy it as much as the others, but I think it’s because I prefer Magnolia and BJ’s love story over Daisy and Christian’s. I’m excited to read book number five, but also not because it’s the last instalment that’s published.
5. Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark Jessa Hastings
In the fifth book of the Magnolia Parks Universe, Magnolia and BJ grapple with a heartbreaking loss while planning their highly anticipated wedding. As family pressures rise and past mistakes resurface, they must confront their deep-seated issues. Can they rebuild trust and find their way back to each other, or will their love story end in tragedy?
My Rating: ★★★★★
Five stars. The perfect ending to the perfect series. I’m so gutted this is over, but so happy I picked it up last year. I will say however, there do seem to be a few unanswered questions, so thought there might be another book but it doesn’t appear to be. But there was definitely something brewing with Christian, Jo and Julian… but that storyline seemed to fizzle out. There has to be a TV series made about this show which will hopefully fill the Gossip Girl hole in my life.
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