"Home in Carolina"

by Sherryl Woods, The Sweet Magnolias book #5, AF, 2010, Playaway audio, 10hrs, rating=2.5
*Spoiler alert?*

"There's no place like home, especially if it's Serenity, South Carolina. For Annie Sullivan, though, the homecoming is bittersweet. She'd always envisioned a life there with her childhood best friend, Tyler Townsend. But Ty's betrayal has cost her the family and the future they'd once planned.  For Ty, losing Annie was heartbreaking. Still, he can't imagine life without the three-year-old son whose mother left him for Ty to raise. Ty wants it all—Annie, his child and the future he'd dreamed about—and he's back home in Serenity to fight for it. But getting Annie to forgive and
forget may be the hardest challenge he's ever faced. With the stakes so high, this is one game he can't afford to lose." (audio book flap)

I like books set in the South so I picked up this audio book ... again oblivious to the fact that it's the fifth book to a series.  There was nothing in the case/cover stating so (I only found out when I plugged it in at Goodreads), hence, this review reflects my thoughts of this book as a stand alone. 

It was an all right read.  The plot was not particularly original but the emotions was palpable.  I could understand Annie's reservation to distance herself from Ty and Ty's urgency to try to get Annie back.  Of course, Ty had to work hard to convince Annie that he really loves her but just got caught up in the life of a major league baseball player and doing the honorable thing in its consequences ...after all, having groupies was part of that life.  In Ty's case, he had a son to show for it and before he knew it, a child custody battle was ensuing just in time when Ty was trying to woo Annie back.  Thanks to a small town setting, Annie's employer happen to be Ty's mom and it's part of a mom's job and community of friends to butt in ... in a good way of course.  And so you guessed it, ... a chick lit that ends abounding in love.