My Rating: 5
As soon as I finished The Magnolia Story, I started it all over again- that is how much I enjoyed reading about Chip and Joanna Gaines.
In case you aren't familiar with Chip and Joanna, they are the husband-and-wife team behind the ridiculously popular show Fixer Upper on HGTV. Fixer Upper follows them as they renovate families’ houses in order to create their dream homes. Chip does all the construction work while Joanna does all of the designing. They both had these separate strengths throughout their lives and ended up combining them into what they are today.
The Magnolia Story is about how the couple met and how their relationship evolved into a marriage and then children. The book is told mainly from Joanna’s point of view, but Chip also chimes in from time to time with his side of things or his own story. What I love about this that you can perfectly hear their voices and their back and forth banter (I can only imagine how hilarious the audiobook is).
The best part about the book, however, is learning about how their passions and career pursuits changed over the years and eventually turned into multiple extremely successful businesses. I loved hearing about their dreams and how they followed them, even if the road was not easy (or financially stable). Joanna talked about how she always listened to this little voice that guided her, and things just had a way of working out.
Overall, this was an easy read that was an uplifting and feel-good story. If you enjoy their show or their products, then you absolutely have to read The Magnolia Story. Chip and Joanna are a wonderful couple and their story feels like you are having dinner with old friends, laughing and chatting the night away. Their journey has been an amazing one, and I can't wait to see what else Chip and Joanna have in store.
-Busy Brunette 
Labels: Nonfiction, Rating 5
