Swan Point

The 11th Sweet Magnolia story (after Where Azaleas Bloom) stars Adelia Hernandez, who has to build a new life for herself and her four children after she leaves her neglectful, unfaithful husband. That means going back to work for the first time since she married, buying a new home in Serenity, S.C., and trying to quash her feelings for Gabe Franklin, a former town miscreant now working for his cousin’s renovation business. While Gabe and Adelia try to avoid rushing into a romance, the local gossips keep nudging them, and domestic life with Adelia’s children holds promising allure for them both. But if they don’t step up to fight for their relationship, Adelia’s ex-husband just might step in to thwart it. Despite a cardboard setting that never feels particularly Southern and a Latina heroine whose life is almost entirely devoid of her ostensible heritage, this is a decent addition to a well established series. (Aug.)