Magnolia Storms by Janet Ferguson Reprinted with authors permission, Copyright by Janet Ferguson

Maggie Marovich couldn’t save her father or her home from Hurricane Katrina, but she’s dedicated her life to meteorology so she can warn others when the monster storms approach. Except…she works three hours inland and rarely risks returning to her childhood hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Both her single-parent sister and the ship pilot Maggie once loved refused to leave the Coast, despite Maggie’s requests. Now a hurricane’s headed toward Mississippi, and Maggie’s sister is seriously injured, leaving Maggie little choice but to head south—into the storm.

The water and tides flow through Josh Bergeron’s veins, and he can’t imagine giving up piloting—even for the love of his life, the infuriating Magnolia Marovich. He tried to move on without her, marrying and having a child. But after his wife abandons him and his little boy, his career choice is threatened by the weight of his parental responsibilities. Moving next door to Maggie’s sister and sharing their child care seems like the perfect set-up. Until Maggie blows back into town.

Being forced to lean on Josh for help washes up the wreckage in Maggie’s faith. Where was God during the destruction of Katrina? Why do some prayers seem to go unanswered? Between the hurricane looming in the Gulf and another gale raging in her heart, can Maggie overcome her past and find the trust to truly live?

my point of view:

Janet Ferguson takes us on a personal journey, drawing on her own experiences for the back drop of Magnolia Storms. This is an amazing story of how devastating the damage was on the coast of Mississippi from Hurricane Katrina.

Magnolia Marovich blames all her family’s problems since 2005 on the most devastating event to ever occur for them – Hurricane Katrina. Maggie’s heart was broken in the devastation Katrina brought upon the Coast of Mississippi, not only losing their family home, but her father was lost at sea trying to perform a rescue during the storm.

Maggie never fully recovered from her family’s losses. Now having to face all the painful memories, including her lost love, Josh, it is going to take all of Maggie’s strength and will power to get through this next phase of her life.

How does one learn to lean on God’s saving grace and trust in the Lord again in the midst of so much chaos? Not only is a storm heading their way, but her sister’s injuries are severe and Maggie must also care for her neice, her aunt’s business, and Josh’s little boy, all while trying not fall hopelessly in love with the three year old, and his father all over again.

I truly loved this story and could tell it came straight from the author’s heart. I am, admittedly, a product of the news media – and I never knew the devastation was so great in the Mississippi coastal area, as all I ever saw was the terrible situation the people from New Orleans were going through. I learned an awful lot from reading this story, and that is something I love to take away from a book along with the “feel good – warm and fuzzies”!

One of my favorite themes is second chance love stories, so Maggie and Josh’s rediscovery of one another was near and dear to my heart. I am also a big fan of the single parent, I love when children are involved, and Magnolia Storms gives us a double dose with three year old, JD, Josh’s son and ten year old, Dahlia, Maggie’s niece involved so deeply in the novel. I adored Maggie’s devotion to her family and doing whatever needs to be done in the face of adversity. I found a lot of my own past traits in Maggie as well – needing to handle everything on my own! I was an extremely stubborn person for many years, believing I could only rely on myself to get things done, Maggie has to learn to give up control to God once and for all and depend on the ‘kindness of strangers’ in order to truly be able to take care of her loved ones to the best of her ability.

I will definitely be re-reading this one, especially since this is the first installment of Janet Ferguson’s newest series – Coastal Hearts. I have read all of Janet’s Southern Hearts series, and enjoyed each of them in their own right, as well!

About the author:

Janet W. Ferguson grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. She has served as a children’s minister and a church youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. She writes humorous inspirational fiction for people with real lives and real problems. Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a few cats that allow them to share the space.

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