Always on My Mind (Magnolia Sound) by Samantha Chase-Review Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 22, 2022

Returning to Magnolia Sound was never part of the plan. Then again, Parker Bishop rarely had one. Yet after confessing her love to her best friend right before his wedding, she needs time to lick her wounds from the disastrous scene that unfolds. After the unsympathetic welcome she receives from her parents and siblings, Parker finds herself absentmindedly driving through town in search of a place to stay.

That’s when she spots the flier and a familiar name…

Ethan Harlow enjoys the peace and quiet. Unfortunately, finding a moment of it becomes impossible when the flier he posts for a roommate brings Parker crashing into his life. Of course, he remembers her from high school. It’s impossible to forget little miss popular who was always the center of attention. All he wanted was to split the rent and keep to himself. Instead, Parker transforms his home and makes him question the dreams he gave up out of fear of stepping out of his comfort zone.

The attraction they feel to one another makes crossing the line from roommates to lovers seem inevitable. But the more Parker encourages Ethan to pursue his dreams, the less likely it becomes that they can have any kind of future together. Can they find a way to claim their happily ever after or will their individual paths make a future impossible?

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REVIEW: ALWAYS ON MY MIND is the tenth instalment in Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult MAGNOLIA SOUND romance series. This is college professor Ethan Harlow, and Parker Bishop’s story line. ALWAYS ON MY MIND can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Ethan and Parker) ALWAYS ON MY MIND sees another Coleman-Bishop heir find their own happily ever after. Months earlier Parker’s great grandfather Coleman died, leaving a little part of himself, and Magnolia Sound to his great grandchildren, grandchildren and heirs. As one of the founding families of Magnolia Sound, the Coleman-Bishop clan owned a large number of properties and business, business that apparently skipped over our story line heroine. Parker Bishop, always the proverbial nomad, was gifted money, and a letter asking her to enjoy her life travelling the world but Parker would soon discover that her best friend was getting married, and she would be homeless in a matter of days. Returning to Magnolia Sound, our heroine was not easily accepted by her family and friends, and once again, homelessness was but a matter of hours on the horizon. Enter college professor Ethan Harlow, and the man with whom Parker would fall in love. Ethan has a room available for rent but Parker is not the type of person Ethan is looking for. What ensues is the roommates to friends to lovers relationship between Ethan and Parker, and the potential fall-out as Ethan reaches his own professional crossroad, a crossroad that could pull Ethan out of Parker’s life.

Parker Bishop has always been unsettled and a little erratic; a person who struggled in school, having no direction in life, including no direction for her immediate future. Parker’s siblings and family never understood our story line heroine, and Parker felt she was always on the outside looking in, without benefit of support or love. Renting a room from Ethan Harlow, meant the possibility of putting down roots in Magnolia Sound, but our heroine’s inability to settle, to remain in one place, pushes at our story line hero who struggles with the roommate he never wanted. Ethan Harlow remembers Parker Bishop from their days in high school but never expected to find a roommate and lover in our story line heroine. When Ethan is offered the opportunity of a lifetime, Ethan must chose between Parker or going it alone.

The relationship between Parker and Ethan begins acrimoniously as Ethan struggles to accept the over the top nuances of our story line heroine. Parker battles with issues of low self-worth and low self-esteem such that she finds the negativity in everything including her small chances at success.Having lived her life fighting for acceptance, it is only a matter of time before she begins to think that she is not worthy of friendship or love.Battling between head and heart Parker has plans for a future, a future that may not include the man that she loves. There are no $ex scenes, everything is implied.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including Parker’s judgemental and stifling siblings, none of whom support our story line heroine. From her mother to siblings, cousins and friends, Parker constantly fights for a place in the family, a family that sees Parker as nothing more than a loose end.

ALWAYS ON MY MIND is a story of family, friendships and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is heart breaking and emotional; the romance is passionate; the characters are struggling to move on with their lives.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Sunkissed Days
Remind Me
A Girl Like You
In case You Didn’t Know
All the Befores 3.5
And Then One Day
Can’t Help Falling in Love
Last Beautiful Girl
The Way The Story Goes
Since You’ve Been Gone

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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New York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan’s Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40’s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.