Chapters of Aubrey

MAGNOLIA PARKS: INTO THE DARK
★★★★★

BY JESSA HASTINGS

|Synopsis|

How many loves do you actually get in a lifetime? Everyone knows by now that Magnolia and BJ are in the stars, but is that enough?

Magnolia and BJ are reeling from a devastating loss as they try to plan what’s been dubbed “the wedding of the century”. As family tensions mount and their respective pasts begin catching up to them, they finally have to look the truth in the Can they learn to trust and be with one another again, or will they die trying?

|Review|

If you had told me after my first read of Magnolia Parks that I would be crying while reading the third and final book, I’d call you a goddamn liar. Somehow this series that I saw as a dumpster fire car crash that you can’t look away from has wormed its way into my heart and left such an impact on me. I literally hate-read the first book and had a full breakdown after finishing Into the Dark. It was the perfect conclusion to Magnolia and BJ’s love story.

“it will echo through space and through time, and it’ll brush up against the edge of this universe and press into the next one that I loved you more than anything.”

Not to be dramatic, but I thought this book was going to break me. As an older sister this was such a hard read. How do you go on without your younger sister, without your best friend. Magnolia was stronger than me because I don’t think I could. Grief was a topic obviously front and center in this story and I loved how it was dealt with. We went through the 5 stages with Magnolia and it was one of the hardest journeys I’ve been through with a character; and yet it was also a beautiful one. The trip at the end of the book was what I’d desperately wanted for Magnolia’s journey though grief and I’m so glad it happened.

When I first read about Beej and Magnolia’s relationship I called it a lethal one and said they were caught in a toxic loop. They finally broke free of that cycle in The Long Way Home and the peace I was hoping they’d find just had to go on a bit of a different side journey before they find it. While they most certainly can bring out the worst in each other, when finally together I think they also bring out the best in one another. BJ was so supportive of Magnolia, even going so far as to better himself in therapy and then trying to help make their relationship less of a trauma bond through couples’ therapy as well. They went from superficial, flat characters who grew and changed so much that by the end of this book they’re unrecognizable in the best way.

From the first book I couldn’t understand why Magnolia was so liked by everyone. She came off as shallow and superficial. It wasn’t until Into the Dark where she’s fully back with BJ that I finally saw the Magnolia everyone else saw. Her compassion, love for her friends and quirky personality with a dash of that ADHD that made her hilarious and relatable. She was addicting to be around it was easy to see why guys fell for her so easily. She was like a shot of espresso.

While crazy and definitely incredibly toxic at times, Beej and Magnolia were meant for each other and Into the Dark just cemented that for me (sorry Julian shippers!). To say I’m sad to see this series come to a close would be an understatement, but Beej and Magnolia earned this ending. They don’t deserve to have it dragged out more and it wouldn’t do them justice. Here’s hoping we see them in Daisy’s books.