cover image Magnolia

Magnolia

Kristi Cook. Simon Pulse, $9.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-1-4424-8534-1

Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden are destined to be together%E2%80%94at least according to their families in Magnolia Branch, Miss., which have been intertwined for generations. Since Jemma and Ryder were kids (they're now 17) their parents have been planning their marriage, and Jemma finds it suffocating. Despite Jemma's attraction to Ryder, a star student and football player, she has been hot-tempered with him even years after he stood her up and insulted her behind her back in eighth grade. Instead, Jemma is attempting to shrug off her dutiful nature, dating a rebellious classmate and applying to film school at NYU, instead of Ole Miss. When Jemma's sister has to have a brain tumor removed and a tropical storm descends on Magnolia Branch, the two teenagers must weather the storm together, and few readers will be surprised by what happens next. While the brewing tempests (both literal and figural) are somewhat overblown, Cook's (the Haven series) central characters provide enough constancy to keep the storyline grounded. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. Agent: Marcy Posner, Folio Literary Management. (Aug.)