20190224_161457.jpgI feel like I need a drumroll, especially today because I have a review of The Southern Side of Paradise by a favorite author of mine, Kristy Woodson Harvey! The Southern Side of Paradise is the third and final installment in the Peachtree Bluff series, and it will be available on May 7, 2019 via Gallery Books.

I have read all of Kristy’s books since the very beginning, starting with Dear Carolina, in which I discovered not only a new-to-me North Carolina author, but also that we share a beloved alma mater. I could gush about Kristy all day, but if you haven’t read her books yet and are looking for a smoothly-written bowl of southern comfort storytelling, you have to check them out! And, while I know not everyone is on instagram, I have a mega-giveaway over there for those of you who are, including this book and all of her backlist. Please check it out if you are interested.

 

My Thoughts:

Ansley Murphy is in a much better place. She has a devoted man in her life, and all of her daughters are happy. Nevertheless, Ansley feels unsettled. 

Emerson, Ansley’s youngest daughter, is an actress. She’s recently engaged and in a high place in her career and still climbing, yet something is worrying Emerson, too. 

Two new women come to Peachtree Bluff who could shatter both Ansley and Emerson’s worlds. There are also big secrets that could divide the sisters and their mother in ways they never could have imagined. 

I’ve said it before, but Kristy Woodson Harvey is a smoooooooth and precise writer. I read once that she deeply edits her own writing, making sure each word flows into the next, and I think it shows (and I could benefit from her skills in editing!). I have worried and fretted about this being the last book in the series, that I would miss these characters (and I definitely will!), but this book added something new for the sisters and Ansley, while also offering closure, and that’s what all series lovers want more than anything.

The Southern Side of Paradise has secrets, spicy drama, and enthralling family dynamics between sisters and mother-daughter, as well. Because I’ve known these characters through three books now, they have become like family, and they were still evolving and surprising me, too. 

And, at the heart of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s stories? The most beautiful, charming, smart quotes that have me highlighting my book or Kindle over and over again. Love it!

If you are looking for a treasure of a read and a warmhearted, entertaining series you can binge on, check out the ladies of Peachtree Bluff!

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

Synopsis:

From internationally bestselling author and “rising star of Southern fiction” (Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author) Kristy Woodson Harvey comes the third novel in her Peachtree Bluff series, in which a secret threatens the tight-knit bond between a trio of sisters and their mother.

With the man of her dreams back in her life and all three of her daughters happy, Ansley Murphy should be content. But she can’t help but feel like it’s all a little too good to be true.

Meanwhile, youngest daughter and actress Emerson, who is recently engaged and has just landed the role of a lifetime, seemingly has the world by the tail. Only, something she can’t quite put her finger on is worrying her—and it has nothing to do with her recent health scare.

When two new women arrive in Peachtree Bluff—one who has the potential to wreck Ansley’s happiness and one who could tear Emerson’s world apart—everything is put in perspective. And after secrets that were never meant to be told come to light, the powerful bond between the Murphy sisters and their mother comes crumbling down, testing their devotion to each other and forcing them to evaluate the meaning of family.

With Kristy Woodson Harvey’s signature charm, wit, and heart, The Southern Side of Paradise is another masterful Peachtree Bluff novel that proves she is a “Southern writer with staying power” (Booklist).

Have you read The Southern Side of Paradise, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR

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