I received a copy of Caramel and Magnolias by Tess Thompson in exchange for an honest review. What a thrilling, keep you on the edge of your seat book! I thought the prologue really opened the story, and I enjoyed that it wasn’t until a few chapters in that I made the connection between the beginning and the rest of the content. Cleo Tanner is the main character, a woman suffering a broken heart for the past ten years, who gave up her acting dreams and now is a teacher in Seattle. Her best friend, Sylvia, is having troubles in her marriage that seem to stem from the fact that she cannot get pregnant. When Cleo is approached by an adoption agency owner, she thinks she might have figured out a way to help her friend. But when a detective starts questioning the adoption agency, Cleo wonders if she didn’t make a huge mistake. She jumps into the investigation to try to get some answers and protect Sylvia – and also help herself get over her past and be able to move on.
This is such an amazing read. There is heartbreak, romance, deception, murder, mystery – all entwined around an engaging cast of characters. I really enjoyed the friendship between Cleo and Sylvia, as it reminded me of some of my friendships, and how a friend’s happiness can be worth taking a risk. I didn’t want to put this book down, but I found myself dragging out the ending because I didn’t want the story to stop! I have also read Riversong from Thompson and highly recommend you check out both of her titles!
