Magnolia Parks And A Lesson On Forgiveness.
Magnolia deserves better and BJ should beg on his fucking knees...
“I know that some love is beautiful, and some is freeing, some unravels you, some love poisons you, some blinds you, some betters you, and some loves break you in invisible ways that no one else knows about until you have to stand up and the weight of your love crushes your bones.”
― Jessa Hastings, Magnolia Parks
Let me set the scene, I was laying on the couch feeling really freaking bored and on the verge of a horrific reading slump I decided to walk over to my overflowing bookshelf and grab the first book in the Magnolia Parks series and within the first two chapters I knew this book was gonna be a doozy. While I was transported into the world of extreme wealth - home girl is dripping in. chanel like its NBD, kids with no home training and two people who you know end up together but are desperately pretending that they can be JUST FRIENDS I felt like I was watching reality tv in my head while reading every word. The entire time I knew we were heading for the inevitable third act conflict and girrrrrrl I was EATTTTTTING it up but be so for real BJ, cheating on your girlfriend with her best friend?! It’s giving One Tree Hill Brooke, Peyton and Lucas triangle.
But, the ending of Magnolia Parks got me putting on my thinking cap and the painful art of forgiveness. While I am rooting for Magnolia to choose someone who is better for her in the the next book I am sure Ms. Hastings has made them endgame, sadly. What is it about love that makes people forgive so easily? And I am not delusional enough to not admit that I to have had to beg someone for forgiveness and hoped that they loved me enough I would be forgiven but it makes me wonder why I cannot seem to extend that same forgiveness I have had to beg someone for?
As the reader we see how DEEPLY toxic BJ and Magnolia are together, they are a walking contradiction - she is very much in love with BJ but terrified of putting herself out there with anyone else who could love her better than him and BJ is existing in this world where he knows he’s deeply hurt Magnolia but he’s just happy to have her in anyway they can. They are SO codependent that neither one of them can effectively move on.
It reminds me so much of a disgustingly toxic high school relationship we all may have had where we know without a doubt we should NOT be together and yet, here we are. Together. As I gear up for book 2 and dive back into the messy ass love life of Magnolia here is what I hope to walk away with..
Magnolia chooses herself (BFFR that is not gonna happen at all because I know how these romance books end….)
She ditches her so called best friend
BJ moooooves on
AT LEAST let Magnolia fuck someone else…BJ cant be the end all be all of peen out there
I’ll catch y’all back when I finish book 2!
Talk soon,
B
Forgiveness is a tricky thing. I’ve been eyeing this series for a while. And the main reason is that I was in a toxic situation where I kept forgiving and knowing the person hadn’t changed. Yet her best friend? With all the people in the world. For me that would’ve been the final straw for both of them. But I’ve learned that people hold purpose in your life, and it’ll repeat until the lesson is learned. Self love is the best love, but it comes with a price. Looking forward to the next review! 💛