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Roses Painted Red: Magnolia Seasons Series
Spring is a time for love and growth, whether you expected it or not.
Jesse Romano, an ex ER nurse, wasn’t interested in having useless small talk with the locals, participating in community events, or going to church like everyone else in town. He only wanted three things when he moved to the small town, Magnolia Meadows, to open his own tea shop at the end of Spring, be near his family, and live a quiet life to help manage his anxiety. However, when he finds himself falling for Magnolia Meadows resident, Ms. Sunshine, he wonders if maybe everything he wanted to avoid is worth the involvement, after all.
Ophelia Bennett, Magnolia Meadows, Ms. Sunshine - as Jesse has coined her - has nothing to complain about. She owns and runs what she considers her second her grandmother’s flower shop. She lives with her best friend and grumpy cat, and she is surrounded by many friends and family. Life is great! Well…almost great. After her father’s affair came to light ten years ago, Ophelia has been living in fear. Fear of losing her relationship with her father. Also, fear of falling in love with someone who could change and walk away.
As Ophelia and Jesse grow closer to each other, they’re faced with learning how to address their own anxieties, while learning how to love each other for who they are and the people they can become.
Jesse Romano, an ex ER nurse, wasn’t interested in having useless small talk with the locals, participating in community events, or going to church like everyone else in town. He only wanted three things when he moved to the small town, Magnolia Meadows, to open his own tea shop at the end of Spring, be near his family, and live a quiet life to help manage his anxiety. However, when he finds himself falling for Magnolia Meadows resident, Ms. Sunshine, he wonders if maybe everything he wanted to avoid is worth the involvement, after all.
Ophelia Bennett, Magnolia Meadows, Ms. Sunshine - as Jesse has coined her - has nothing to complain about. She owns and runs what she considers her second her grandmother’s flower shop. She lives with her best friend and grumpy cat, and she is surrounded by many friends and family. Life is great! Well…almost great. After her father’s affair came to light ten years ago, Ophelia has been living in fear. Fear of losing her relationship with her father. Also, fear of falling in love with someone who could change and walk away.
As Ophelia and Jesse grow closer to each other, they’re faced with learning how to address their own anxieties, while learning how to love each other for who they are and the people they can become.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
A grumpy/sunshine, small town, romance with an anxiety rep and learning to deal with a horrible parent. I enjoyed reading this book and seeing the emotions and thought patterns of both the MMC and FMC.
Ophelia “Ms Sunshine” is a twin and owner of Upsidaisy, the small town’s floral shop that she took over from her grandmother. When grumpy Jesse moves to town and she finds out he is the new owner of Blue Ridge Teas and they share a wall, she is determined to pull out his good side and make him smile.
Jesse “Mr. Pouty Lips” is an ex-ER nurse and has decided to move to Magnolia Meadows to get away from the city and be closer to his family. He is looking for a slower pace of life after starting to have panic attacks.
Jesse seems to always show up when she needs him especially when some of her family seems to not know how to treat others. His protectiveness starts to draw Ophelia closer while he works on allowing others to be there for him.
Some favorite quotes:
“All I wanted was to move to the same town as my family and open a tea shop, not join a cult.”
“She's beautiful, funny, and so uniquely her. Ophelia doesn't judge or pity my struggle with anxiety, and her smile always makes me feel like she's genuinely happy to see me.”
“You know, it’s okay to admit that you’re a crazy plant lady. I won’t judge.”
“As I start to feel lighter, I begin to realize that forgiveness isn’t just a command from God; it’s what we need so we don’t get eaten alive by all of the baggage that comes with failing to forgive.”
“Her smile feels like she’s hugging you without having to touch you.”
Trigger warnings from author:
Mention of extramarital affairs.
Emotional neglect and manipulation by a parent to their adult children.
Depictions of panic attacks.
From the author: While it is not explicitly stated, the characters in this story are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
A note from me: I would say that about 90% of the faith elements portrayed would align with my values as well, but not all as I am not a part of the Latter-Day Saints but a member of a non-denominational church.
Ophelia “Ms Sunshine” is a twin and owner of Upsidaisy, the small town’s floral shop that she took over from her grandmother. When grumpy Jesse moves to town and she finds out he is the new owner of Blue Ridge Teas and they share a wall, she is determined to pull out his good side and make him smile.
Jesse “Mr. Pouty Lips” is an ex-ER nurse and has decided to move to Magnolia Meadows to get away from the city and be closer to his family. He is looking for a slower pace of life after starting to have panic attacks.
Jesse seems to always show up when she needs him especially when some of her family seems to not know how to treat others. His protectiveness starts to draw Ophelia closer while he works on allowing others to be there for him.
Some favorite quotes:
“All I wanted was to move to the same town as my family and open a tea shop, not join a cult.”
“She's beautiful, funny, and so uniquely her. Ophelia doesn't judge or pity my struggle with anxiety, and her smile always makes me feel like she's genuinely happy to see me.”
“You know, it’s okay to admit that you’re a crazy plant lady. I won’t judge.”
“As I start to feel lighter, I begin to realize that forgiveness isn’t just a command from God; it’s what we need so we don’t get eaten alive by all of the baggage that comes with failing to forgive.”
“Her smile feels like she’s hugging you without having to touch you.”
Trigger warnings from author:
Mention of extramarital affairs.
Emotional neglect and manipulation by a parent to their adult children.
Depictions of panic attacks.
From the author: While it is not explicitly stated, the characters in this story are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
A note from me: I would say that about 90% of the faith elements portrayed would align with my values as well, but not all as I am not a part of the Latter-Day Saints but a member of a non-denominational church.
May 9, 2026
Jesse was exactly my kind of grumpy character. He acted like he wanted nothing to do with anyone, but underneath all of that was someone incredibly tender who was just trying to quiet his mind and build a life that felt safe. I loved watching those walls slowly crack.
And Ophelia was basically a walking sunflower. Warm, bright, caring, and impossible not to love. Her flower shop fit her perfectly, and I loved how she brought light into every scene without feeling over the top.
One thing this book did really well was the family dynamics. Nobody felt perfect, and the relationships carried the kind of hurt and tension that a lot of real families deal with. The story also handled anxiety in a way that felt grounded and honest instead of dramatic for the sake of drama.
The connection between Jesse and Ophelia felt natural and comforting to read, and Magnolia Meadows ended up being the kind of small town I wanted to stay in long after I finished the book. This was such a solid start to the Magnolia Seasons series, and now I already want to pick up the next one.
Thank you to the author for the ARC these thoughts are entirely my own.
And Ophelia was basically a walking sunflower. Warm, bright, caring, and impossible not to love. Her flower shop fit her perfectly, and I loved how she brought light into every scene without feeling over the top.
One thing this book did really well was the family dynamics. Nobody felt perfect, and the relationships carried the kind of hurt and tension that a lot of real families deal with. The story also handled anxiety in a way that felt grounded and honest instead of dramatic for the sake of drama.
The connection between Jesse and Ophelia felt natural and comforting to read, and Magnolia Meadows ended up being the kind of small town I wanted to stay in long after I finished the book. This was such a solid start to the Magnolia Seasons series, and now I already want to pick up the next one.
Thank you to the author for the ARC these thoughts are entirely my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This a such a cute read. I absolutely loved it!
Make sure to check out the content warnings as they can be possibly triggering, but I feel like the author did a wonderful job handling some hard topics!
I love a grump who is a cinnamon roll for the girl he loves! And Jesse is exactly that🤭
I also loved the anxiety rep! It was encouraging to see the way Jesse was working with and managing his anxiety!
All in all, this was a fantastic read and I’m hoping for more soon in this series💖
🌷Neighbors
☕️Small Town
🌷Grumpy x Sunshine
☕️Faith Themes
🌷Cute Nicknames
☕️Protective MMC
🌷Anxiety Rep
☕️Summer Read
🤬: 1 use of pr*ck
🌶️: Kisses Only
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Content Warnings: mention of extramarital affairs, emotional neglect and manipulation by a parent to their adult children, and depiction a of panic attacks.
Make sure to check out the content warnings as they can be possibly triggering, but I feel like the author did a wonderful job handling some hard topics!
I love a grump who is a cinnamon roll for the girl he loves! And Jesse is exactly that🤭
I also loved the anxiety rep! It was encouraging to see the way Jesse was working with and managing his anxiety!
All in all, this was a fantastic read and I’m hoping for more soon in this series💖
🌷Neighbors
☕️Small Town
🌷Grumpy x Sunshine
☕️Faith Themes
🌷Cute Nicknames
☕️Protective MMC
🌷Anxiety Rep
☕️Summer Read
🤬: 1 use of pr*ck
🌶️: Kisses Only
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Content Warnings: mention of extramarital affairs, emotional neglect and manipulation by a parent to their adult children, and depiction a of panic attacks.
Review of advance copy received from Author
First of all, I absolutely love the way Carolyn writes love stories, and Roses Painted Red is no exception. The dynamic between the sweet, sunshine FMC and the grumpy, closed-off MMC was done perfectly. Their relationship felt natural, heartfelt, and incredibly easy to root for.
What really stood out to me, though, was how relatable the toxic family dynamics were. Carolyn handled those emotional moments with care while still delivering a romance full of warmth and heart.
If you’re a fan of small-town sunshine/grumpy romances with emotional depth and lovable characters, I highly recommend checking out this newest release from Carolyn Beus.
What really stood out to me, though, was how relatable the toxic family dynamics were. Carolyn handled those emotional moments with care while still delivering a romance full of warmth and heart.
If you’re a fan of small-town sunshine/grumpy romances with emotional depth and lovable characters, I highly recommend checking out this newest release from Carolyn Beus.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a cute book Jesse ( who is an ex ER nurse ) just wants to open his own tea shop and live in peace and be near his family .
Ophelia has a flower shop and she’s “ resident sunshine “
She lives in fear of relationships and then she meets Jesse .
He isn’t sure what to think of Ophelia and her flower shop.
I really loved the puns in this book and the humor had me laughing .
This is a clean romance book ❤️
Warning you won’t want to stop reading this book
Thank you Carolyn for my ARC
Ophelia has a flower shop and she’s “ resident sunshine “
She lives in fear of relationships and then she meets Jesse .
He isn’t sure what to think of Ophelia and her flower shop.
I really loved the puns in this book and the humor had me laughing .
This is a clean romance book ❤️
Warning you won’t want to stop reading this book
Thank you Carolyn for my ARC
Review of advance copy received from Author
I enjoyed this one. The plot and the romance was well done. I loved how the story flowed and how realistic it was. You could see this taking place in any town. The tension and romance was beautifully done. Definitely recommend! Thank you for the chance to read this early!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was an amazing book. Jesse and Ophelia's story was sweet and relatable. I loved how faith themes were included, and the swoony romance and funny puns were amazing. 😊
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews