Newly divorced, Magnolia ‘Mack’ Bishop was so close to her dream of securing Charleston’s prestigious Historic Preservation Design Fellowship. With the loss of that dream her mother, the original Magnolia Bishop, has secured Mack a new design job with plenty of strings attached. When a home renovation television network reached out to Mack’s design firm about applying for a TV pilot, Mack knows this is her chance to get out from under her mother’s thumb and prove to everyone that she is a success. As her and her team prepare for the pilot – Mack will find herself facing questions and people from her past. Will these end up derailing her newly built life? Or will she finally be able to answer questions she’s had all her life.
I enjoyed this book but found it slightly lacking in execution. There were so many areas that could have been flushed out to really draw a reader in, but overall, I still found myself enjoying the story. As a debut, I think it could have used a bit more editing and focus -as the plot seemed to be stretched and trying to do too many things and felt it didn’t commit to any singular trope or topic. For example, it seemed it could have easily gone down as a romance, but lacked any true chemistry, instead brushing over the opportunity a bit. However, I did find our characters to be charming (minus her ex) and as a big fan of design shows, I loved the concept of Mack’s livelihood.
If you are a big fan of renovation shows, you will love Southern By Design. Filled with plenty of colorful characters, southern charm, and of course home design – this was a cute story perfect for an easy beach read. I’d certainly be interested to see what a sophomore approach looks like for Walz. 3.5 rounded up to 4 for the ‘easy breezy’ atmosphere.
AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKSHOP |★★★★
Southern By Design comes out February 11, 2025! Huge thank you to Harper Muse for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
