Magnolia Parks was not the book I expected it to be when I first picked it up off the shelf at my local Barnes & Noble.
The novel, written by Jessa Hastings, follows the toxic relationship of two wealthy London socialites, Magnolia Parks and BJ Ballentine. The first book in the four-part Magnolia Parks Universe series, Magnolia Parks recurrently raises the question, “how many loves do you get in a lifetime?”
What I originally thought was going to be your average cheesy romance novel (which, don’t get me wrong – this novel definitely had its corny parts) actually ended up having a much more significant message than I thought.
In this article, I am going to share my biggest takeaways from Magnolia Parks, and just to include a fair warning:
There are spoilers ahead!
Double Standards and dating
While reading this novel, I couldn’t help but notice the stark difference between how the media portrayed Magnolia’s love life compared to how the media portrayed BJ’s. It’s continuously mentioned throughout the book that the media shames Magnolia for going on dates with several different men, as the papers and magazines often refer to her as a “slut.” Unlike Magnolia, the media praises BJ’s tendency to sleep around, as his countless sexual encounters contribute to his desirable, bad-boy persona.
I felt that this obvious double standard is relevant to the sexism that many female celebrities face today regarding their dating life. I couldn’t help but think of female celebrities in real life, like Taylor Swift for example, who is often shamed for having dated several different men throughout her career. Yet, for male celebrities in the real world (like BJ in the fictional world) the more girls they hookup with the more status and sex appeal they gain.
I also found BJ’s constant jealousy and anger towards Magnolia’s other romantic partners to be obnoxious, not to mention sexist, considering that he cheated on her and hooked up with countless amounts of women! I thought that the differing expectations that Magnolia and BJ had out of each other in their off-and-on relationship spoke to what is expected out of men and women in today’s romantic relationships.
The Significance of Shallow characters
I have read several Magnolia Parks reviews online; most say that the book is insufferable with its shallow characters and messy plot line. However, I would argue that the character’s shallowness and lack of redeeming qualities are a product of being born and raised in London’s high society. I believe Hastings is trying to make a comment here on how status and wealth can make you not only a lousy lover, but a lousy person.
Almost all of the love in the book (if not all) is dysfunctional. Between BJ cheating on Magnolia with Magnolia’s best friend, and Magnolia’s father cheating on Magnolia’s mother with their nanny, it seems that none of the characters are capable of genuinely caring for one another.
While the characters’ poor decision-making made Magnolia Parks frustrating to read at times, I thought that the inconsiderateness and coldhearted nature of the characters were a necessary component to the story, because it shows how the psychological impacts of having wealth and power can affect one’s romantic relationships.
I also must add, I was so upset that Magnolia didn’t end up with the kind and charming Tom England in the end. I was rooting for them! Watching her go after BJ was so painful when Tom, who is basically every girl’s dream man, was in love with her and willing to start a relationship.
But I think her preference for BJ had its own significance to the overall meaning of the story. I believe that Magnolia’s unwavering love for BJ supported Hasting’s message that we have little control over who we love in our lifetime, and that we can get attached to people even when we know they are bad for us.
final thoughts
Despite being over 400 pages, Magnolia Parks was an engaging story that was hard to put down. Reading this book felt like a friend debriefing to me or telling me a deep-dark secret. I would also highly recommend this book to any Gossip Girl fans, as the two series have many similarities!
And if you are hesitant to read this book because of the negative reviews, or if you read it and didn’t like it, I would ask that you try and look at the book from beneath the surface. I think it has a lot more to say than it may seem!
And just like it was asked several times throughout the novel, Magnolia Parks really made me wonder “how many loves do you get in a lifetime?”
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