Showing posts with label sisters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sisters. Show all posts

7.29.2019

Review: Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
Published: June 11, 2019
Publisher: Atria Books
Format: via audiobook
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis
Do we change or does the world change us?

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.

But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?

In her most ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world? 

My Thoughts
Jo and Bethie are sisters but their lives followed different paths. Bethie is the wild child, growing up in the free lovin' 60s she enjoyed and partook in all that the decade offered. She was the one who always gave her mother trouble but no one really knew why. What was it in Bethie that made her this way? We see why later in the story, how she experienced some pain and tragedy in her childhood. 

Jo, on the other hand, had her secret knowing very early on she was gay and in love with her best friend but decided to never let anyone know. She went on to get married and have children, never letting her true self be happy and living the life she wanted and deserved until later on in life.

We see both these sisters lives evolve and how they each went from kids to adults and trying to find their niche in this world. Neither one had an easy life, both having hard lives and never really coming into their own until they were grown. This book was rich in storylines, the way we see these sisters go through decades is amazing and seeing them struggle at times pulls at your heartstrings.


Mrs. Everything is a well-written story with its focus on family, love and coming into your own with elements of feminism. I loved that it has strong female characters that many of us can relate to, and while some of the topics touched upon in this book can be tough to some, I believe its things that can help some people also. This is one book that I highly recommend for anyone who wants an honest to god amazing read.

4.23.2019

Review: The Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey

The Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey
[Peachtree Bluff #3]
Expected Publication: May 7, 2019
Publisher: Galley Books
Format: arc via publisher
Rating: 4/5


Synopsis
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.


My Thoughts
In Kristy Woodson Harvey’s final installment in her Peachtree Bluff series, we once again visit the Murphy family. In each of the previous books, we get the story of each sister and this one focuses on the youngest sister Emerson. Emerson is an up and coming actress who since she has been back home has had a health scare and has reunited with an old love. She is trying to deal with all of this and is also trying to find her way in life. She loves her sisters and mother but she has doubts about her upcoming marriage, especially when her and her fiance can't decide on where to live, she has to go back for work and he doesn’t want to leave Peachtree, and it doesn't help that a man from her past in L.A. has found his way to Peachtree and her feelings are getting the best of her. I felt that Emerson had so much thrown at her in this novel between her health scare and relationship problems to her career plus finding out the truth about her family but I felt she was the most well-rounded character. She was the one who I felt grew the most in the series. Just as in life, she didn't see any of the things that happened to her coming but they suited her well and made her complete they were her blessings in disguise.


While this story mainly focuses on Emerson we also get a glimpse of her mother’s story and her life with Jack. She is finally at a place where she can feel free to love him like she wants to without worrying how this will affect her daughters but still THAT secret looms over her and she knows that this final secret has to be told in order to be free. She has always put her family first but now she needs to live her own life and that means a future with Jack, however, someone from his past is determined to get him back and Ansley doesn't know if she has it in her to fight this fight. The story of Ansley and Jack was a long time coming and their story was one I was pleased with, it truly showed how true love can endure the test of time.


I fell in love with the Murphy women from book one and this last book is the perfect send-off. I felt that everyone’s stories wrapped up nicely and everyone got their happily ever after. I loved how Kristy Woodson Harvey gave us complex yet strong women who fought for what they wanted and stopped at nothing to get it. What I loved most about this series was that the overall message and theme is family. While they might have fought and disagreed with each other when it came down to it they had each other's backs. Nothing was too hard that together they couldn't conquer. I will miss these women and their stories so much but I am so glad I got to know them and thank you, Kristy Woodson Harvey, for giving us a group of women who showed us that family dynamics can be both entertaining and emotional yet heartwarming all at the same time.

1.31.2019

Review: This Bright Beauty by Emily Cavanagh

This Bright Beauty by Emily Cavanagh
Published: March 1, 2018
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis
Franci and Lottie may be identical twins, but that’s where the similarities end. Franci has always been the stable one, while Lottie has bipolar disorder, constantly battling depression and mania. After years of taking care of her sister, Franci moves across the country to build a life for herself. Now, all the two share is distance.

But when Lottie gets in an accident, Franci reluctantly steps back into her familiar role as protector. She returns to find her sister’s life in complete disarray and makes a shocking discovery: Lottie has an infant daughter she never told Franci about. Although Franci swore she wouldn’t get sucked back in, she can’t leave the baby alone in Lottie’s care.

As Lottie further unravels, a secret is revealed that she has kept since childhood—one that has the power to reframe the sisters’ entire relationship, forcing Franci to ask herself if the secret was too much for Lottie to bear. Was the accident really an accident, and who has been protecting whom all these years?

My Thoughts
In This Bright Beauty twins, Franci and Lottie have had a lifetime of sorrow. They lost their mother after a freak accident and now their father has Alzheimer’s. Franci seems to have the perfect life with a loving husband and twins of her own, she seems to have it all. Lottie, on the other hand, has always had the bad end when it came to life. She is bipolar and it has affected her life in so many ways, she has been with her boyfriend for many years and he and Franci see to it that Lottie is on her meds and does what she has to do to stay stable.

However, everything came to a halt years ago when Franci and Lottie have a falling out and years have passed since then and they haven't even talked until one day when Franci gets a call saying Lottie has been in an accident and she needs to come to look after the baby. Franci is shocked because she never even knew her sister had a baby and when she comes to help she’s even more shocked to find out she and her longtime boyfriend have ended their relationship and the baby isn't his. During their time together they clash and during these times is when secrets are revealed some that will test their relationship like nothing has before. I liked the relationship between the sisters and how while one clearly took care of the other, one knew why more things than the other did.

What I really liked was how in depth they went into Lottie’s disorder. We saw its highs and lows and how it played with her mind and how it changed who she was. It gave us a good look into how this disorder not only affects the person but those around them. This story was touching and emotional especially the ending and it brought me to tears. Its a story of sisterhood and how loving someone with mental illness is a daily struggle and how it can take its toll on everyone. This is definitely one story that will pull at your heartstrings and is well worth the read.

11.28.2018

Cover Reveal: The Lemon Sisters by Jill Shalvis

THE LEMON SISTERS by Jill Shalvis
A Wildstone Novel
Expected Publication: June 18, 2019


Two sisters who just might be lemons in life and love… True or not, they know one thing -- you can’t run far enough to outpace your demons. And when long-dead secrets surface, they’ll have to overcome their differences and learn that sometimes the one person who can help you the most is the one you never thought to ask in THE LEMON SISTERS.


Google Play: https://goo.gl/fJN5SD




Blurb
When Brooke’s older sister, Mindy, shows up at her door with her three kids in tow, she barely recognizes her sibling who looks like she’s on the verge of a total breakdown. While adventurous, wanderlust Brooke was always the problem child, eager to slip free of Wildstone and its small town constraints, Mindy was the golden child, who never had a hair out of place or a GPA below 4.0. The Mindy that arrives at Brooke’s apartment however, is a far cry from the ever-perfect doctor’s wife.

Brooke’s further stunned when Mindy asks to trade places with her for a few days so she can pick up her pieces and put herself back together. What Mindy doesn’t realize is that Brooke is just as broken. Her sister needs her though, so Brooke takes the kids and returns to Wildstone.

But how does one go home after seven years away and what feels like a lifetime of secrets? It doesn’t take long for Brooke to come face-to-face with her past, in the form of one tall, dark, sexy mistake. But Garrett’s no longer interested, or so he says. Only his words don’t match his actions, leaving Brooke feeling things she long ago shoved deep.

The sisters begin to wonder if the childhood taunts were true, are they lemons in life? In love? True or not, they know one thing — you can’t run far enough to outpace your demons. And when long-dead secrets surface, they’ll have to overcome their differences and learn that sometimes the one person who can help you the most is the one you never thought to ask.

About Jill
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.


Links

10.11.2018

Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
[To All the Boys I Loved Before #2]
Published: May 25, 2015
Publisher: Simon and Schuster BYR
Format: via audiobook
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis
Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

My Thoughts
P.S. I Still Love You picks up right where the first book left off, we see Lara Jean trying to figure out where exactly she and Peter K are in their relationship. We finally get introduced to John and that leads to more friction between her and Peter. While I did like the chemistry between Lara Jean and John let’s be real he is no Peter K! However, the friendship and scenes between these two were SO adorable. I also liked the scenes with the elders at the retirement home, those seniors are so feisty...LOVE IT!

What I continue to love is the relationships with Lara Jean and her family. I love the closeness they have and that they stick together no matter what. I really feel for Lara Jean when she talks about missing her mom and how that really is hard for her especially now that she needs her the most.


This series continues to keep me interested in the lives and loves of the Covey sisters and their bond is like no other. I will continue to root for Lara and Peter no matter what and can't wait to see how this story ends. Jenny Han gives us another great book and gives us those feels like only she can.

5.15.2018

Review: The Sometimes Sisters by Carolyn Brown

The Sometimes Sisters by Carolyn Brown
Published: February 27, 2018
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Format: audiobook via Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis
When they were growing up, Dana, Harper, and Tawny thought of themselves as “sometimes sisters.” They connected only during the summer month they’d all spend at their grandmother’s rustic lakeside resort in north Texas. But secrets started building, and ten years have passed since they’ve all been together—in fact, they’ve rarely spoken, and it broke their grandmother’s heart.

Now she’s gone, leaving Annie’s Place to her granddaughters—twelve cabins, a small house, a café, a convenience store, and a lot of family memories. It’s where Dana, Harper, and Tawny once shared so many good times. They’ve returned, sharing only hidden regrets, a guarded mistrust, and haunting guilt. But now, in this healing summer place, the secrets that once drove them apart could bring them back together—especially when they discover that their grandmother may have been hiding something, too…

To overcome the past and find future happiness, these “sometimes sisters” have one more chance to realize they are always family.

My Thoughts
The Sometimes Sisters is the story of sisters who come together after the death of their grandmother. They all would spend the summers together growing up with their grandmother and now that she has passed they come back together after many years to sort out her affairs. Each has their notions about each other but none of them know how the others are actually really living. They all agree to stay for awhile and work at her business but little do they know she wanted them there in hopes they would reconnect and finally act like sisters. There isn’t any real reason why they aren’t close but in spending time together they do eventually bond.

I really enjoyed this novel of love, family and family secrets. I loved how in the beginning they didn’t get along but let someone else hurt one of them they all came to each other's rescue. I loved the sense of community the small town had and how their grandmother's longtime friend, who they considered an uncle was there to guide them and to make their grandmothers wishes a reality. While the journey of the sisters was a wonderful thing to see what I really loved was the story of their grandmother. We see how after her death she confesses who her true love was and why she couldn’t live her truth. She lived in a different time and she didn’t want people to get hurt.

This was a wonderfully written tale of love at all levels and how the journey is well worth it in the end. It's about how family is the most important thing, and that no matter how much time has passed you can indeed go home again. Do yourself a favor and seek this read out it's an emotional read that you will LOVE!

3.29.2018

Review: Hurricane Sisters by Lauren K. Denton

Hurricane Season by Lauren K. Denton
Expected Publication: April 3, 2018
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Format: via NetGalley
Rating: 4/5

Synopsis
Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have decided to put life’s disappointments behind them. At least in theory. Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, while Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget the longing for motherhood set deep in her heart. But when Betsy’s free-spirited younger sister Jenna drops her young daughters off at the farm to attend a two-week art retreat in Florida, Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.

As those two weeks stretch much farther into the hot Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world and revel in a home that’s suddenly filled with the sound of laughter and life. Meanwhile, record heat promises to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.

Four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She’d once been free to travel and pursue a career in photography, but all that changed with the appearance of two pink lines on a plastic stick and a boyfriend who hit the road. At Halcyon art retreat, she finally has the time and energy to focus on her photography. As the summer continues, she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home with her two children.

When Hurricane Ingrid aims her steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that could affect both her and her children’s futures, and Betsy and Ty find themselves protecting their beloved farm as well as their own hearts.

My Thoughts
Hurricane Sisters is about two sisters Betsy and Jenna who are as different as night and day. Betsy is married and lives on a dairy farm and she and her husband are having a tough time trying to have children. Jenna is a single free-spirited mom who is feeling the pressure of being a single mom and kind of longs for a break.

Jenna is offered a spot at an artist retreat to explore her photography so she decides to call up Betsy out of the blue and ask if she could take care of her two girls. Betsy always being the pleasing one agrees and soon she and Ty have a house full of children and no idea what to do.

I honestly enjoyed this story. I loved how opposite each sister is and how each one kind of envy what the other one has even though they don’t know it. To be honest I enjoyed Betsy’s story more than Jenna’s for some reason. I think maybe I connected with her more and really felt everything she was going through. I know this story was named hurricane and there is a hurricane that plays a huge part of the storyline but I just thought there would be a bigger climax when it came to it, but I just didn’t get that payoff that I was expecting, otherwise, I was fully happy with the read.

Hurricane Sisters is a great story and beautifully written, the author gave us a story of love, forgiving and accepting plus I love any story that showcases the South. This is one story that was a quick and easy read one that will satisfy the pickiest of readers.

6.20.2017

Spotlight/Excerpt: Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis

Lost and Found Sisters [Wildstone #1] by Jill Shalvis
Published: June 20, 2017
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

ABOUT LOST AND FOUND SISTERS
After losing her sister in a devastating car accident, chef Quinn Weller is finally getting her life back on track. She appears to have it all: a loving family, a dream job in one of L.A.'s hottest eateries, and a gorgeous boyfriend dying to slip an engagement ring on her finger. So why does she feel so empty, like she's looking for a missing piece she can't find? The answer comes when a lawyer tracks down Quinn and reveals a bombshell secret and a mysterious inheritance that only she can claim. This shocking revelation washes over Quinn like a tidal wave. Her whole life has been a lie.

On impulse, Quinn gives up her job, home, and boyfriend. She heads up the coast to the small town of Wildstone, California, which is just a few hours north, but feels worlds apart from Los Angeles. Though she doesn't quite fit in right away, she can't help but be drawn to the town’s simple pleasures. As Quinn settles into Wildstone, she discovers there's another surprise in store for her. The inheritance isn't a house or money, but rather something earthshattering, something that will make her question everything she thought she knew about herself, about her family. Now with a world of possibilities opening up to Quinn, she must decide if this new life is the one she was always meant to have—and the one that could finally give her the fulfillment she's searched so long for.

Excerpt
To Mick’s relief, he caught Quinn in the parking lot, leaning against her car, her thumbs moving furiously over the screen of her phone. When she saw him, she grimaced.
He lifted his hands and stayed out of her personal space. “Thought you could use a ride back to the B and B,” he said.
“I’m not driving.” She lifted her phone. “I’m trying to get an Uber.”
He smiled. “How’s that going?”
She sighed and slipped her phone into her pocket. “So Wildstone doesn’t have drive-throughs, Thai takeout, or Uber? Seriously?”
“We have other things.”
“Yes,” she said. “Ghosts. Big bugs. Cute dogs. And girlfriends, apparently.”
“Lena’s not my girlfriend,” he said. “She’s Boomer’s. Sort of.” He shook his head. “It’s complicated.”
She didn’t take her eyes off him. “But you’ve slept together.”
He arched a brow.
“I’m sorry,” she said, closing her eyes. “That was rude. There’s a chemistry there, and a familiarity, that’s all. You know what? Don’t listen to me. My tongue’s running the show and I think I’m just jealous at how everyone else seems to take life’s shit in stride and keep going. I haven’t learned that trick and I need to. And how to keep going, that is. Like the Energizer Bunny. Or my electric toothbrush. God.” She pressed her hands to her face. “I really need to stop talking. Make me stop talking!”
He took her hand and tugged her to his truck.
“Wait,” she said, putting a hand to his chest and fisting it in his shirt to hold him to her. “You’re not a murderer or a rapist or anything like that, right?”
He lifted a hand. “Scout’s honor.”
“Were you a Boy Scout?”
Laughing a little at that because he’d been just about the furthest thing from a Boy Scout, he gently pushed her into the passenger seat and leaned in to buckle her seat belt, and suddenly their faces were an inch from each other. He heard her suck in a breath and he did the same.
Talk about chemistry.
“Mick?” she whispered.
“Yeah?”
“Are you feeling something?”
“You could say that,” he murmured. “You?”
She licked her lips and he nearly groaned. “I think so,” she whispered.
“That’s good.”
“Are you going to kiss me?”
He cupped her face, let his thumbs trace her jawbone, his fingers sinking into her silky waves. “No,” he said quietly. “And not because I don’t want to, but because when I do, I want to know you’re ready. That you’ll feel it.”
She sighed. “Guys do whatever they want all the time, no emotions necessary. I want that skill.” Another shaky breath escaped her, and since they were literally an inch apart, they shared air for a single heartbeat during which neither of them moved.
Her gaze dropped to his mouth. “Okay, so I’m definitely feeling things.” She hesitated and then her hands came up to his chest. “Maybe we should test it out to be sure.”
God, she was the sweetest temptation he’d ever met, and he wanted nothing more than to cover her mouth with his. Instead, he brushed his mouth to her cheek.
“Please, Mick,” she whispered, her exhale warming his throat. He loved the “please,” and he wanted to do just that more than anything. But when she tried to turn her head into his, to line up their mouths, he gently tightened his grip, dragging his mouth along her smooth skin instead, making his way to her ear.
“Not yet,” he whispered, letting his lips brush over her earlobe and the sensitive skin beneath it.
She moaned and clutched him. “Why not?”
It took every ounce of control he had to lift his head and meet her gaze. “Because I want to make sure you’re really with me, that you’re feeling everything I’m feeling. That there’ll be no doubt, no regrets.”
“You sure have a lot of requirements.”
He laughed. And she was right, it was all big talk for a guy who didn’t do relationships anymore. Still, he forced himself to step back and shut the passenger door.
As he rounded the hood to the driver’s side, he tried to remind himself of all the reasons she was a bad idea. He lived two hundred miles away and he was hoping to move his mom up by him and never come back here. Not to mention that Quinn lived an equal two hundred miles in the opposite direction and she was in a deeply vulnerable place. No way would he even think about taking advantage of that.
But when he slid behind the wheel and their eyes locked, he realized that while his mind could stand firm, the rest of his body wasn’t on board with the in-control program.

About Jill
New York Times bestselling author JILL SHALVIS lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.


Early praise for LOST AND FOUND SISTERS:
“Shalvis (“Heartbreaker Bay” & “Animal Magnetism” series) has crafted a wonderful summer read that will fit right in with beach blankets, flip-flops, and maybe a little moonshine.”
—Library Journal, http://www.publishersweekly.com/images/reviews-star-19b.pngstarred review

“The love story you need to read this summer isn't what you expect: it's about the love between sisters. Jill Shalvis has written something totally different for your beach read this year — and you're going to love it.”
—Bustle

“Part women’s fiction, part contemporary romance, the latest from Shalvis equals one wholly endearing novel. Humor lurks around other corners too, nicely balancing the heartwarming story about the bond between sisters. Humor, heart and heat make for a great combination!”
—RT Book Reviews, 4 stars

“This is a story of a woman whose foundations are shattered, and who finds that the self she builds on their ruins is better than she could have imagined. It’s a quiet story of survival, resilience, hope, and family, and how finding your true self is the most rewarding journey of all. I’d recommend Lost and Found Sisters to anyone who likes Ms. Shalvis’ signature snark and sass (they are both in abundance here) and her ability to create distinctive worlds.”
—All About Romance

”Readers will be utterly charmed by Shalvis’ latest, and will be eager to visit Wildstone again.”
— Bookish

“I love everything about this book, the family dynamics, the humor and the amazing romance. Just amazing!”
—Lori Foster, New York Times Bestselling Author

6.12.2017

Review: The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand
Published: June 13, 2017
Publisher: Little Brown and Co.
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis
Nantucket is only two and a half hours away from Martha's Vineyard by ferry. But the two islands might as well be worlds apart for a set of identical twin sisters who have been at odds for years. Just because twins look exactly the same doesn't mean they're anything alike--and Tabitha and Harper Frost have spent their whole lives trying to prove this point. When a family crisis forces them to band together--or at least appear to--the twins come to realize that the special bond that they share is more important than the resentments that have driven them apart. A story of new loves, old battles, and a threat that gives a whole new meaning to the term sibling rivalry, THE IDENTICALS is Elin Hilderbrand at her page-turning best.

My Thoughts
I look forward to the summer for the simple pleasure of knowing I will be blessed with an Elin Hilderbrand novel and this one is my favorite by far. In the Identicals, we meet identical sisters Tabitha and Harper who couldn’t be more opposite. When their parents got divorced they decided to split the sisters and when they couldn’t decide who would go with whom, they play rock paper scissors to decide their fate. Tabitha grew up with a fashion designer mother who likes the finer things in life and who only wanted the best things in life. Harper grew up with her father who leads a simple life, so different from her mother and sister. While they only lived a ferry ride away both sisters had no contact with each other for years after the death of Tabitha’s son.

After their father has died Tabitha and her mother along with her daughter make the trek to pay their respects and say goodbye, while there we find out that Harper has a boyfriend and also has been having an affair with her father's doctor. When her affair is exposed and her world tumbling down around her she decides she needs to leave. When an accident happens and she receives a call that her sister needs her help she soon goes to be with her niece. What happens next is a series of secrets as to why they aren’t close and how this has torn them apart as sisters and as a family.

I love nothing more than a story that centers around family especially those evolving sisters. The dynamics and emotions that are exposed are amazing. We see how each sister’s life might have been if each had been with the other parent and how their lives could’ve been totally different. However what I loved most were the sisters themselves and how old emotions needed to be brought back to the surface and finally settled. We see how those long ago feelings suffocated both of them and their ability to forgive and move on. This novel was wonderfully written and it made me laugh and cry. The sisters as much as they claimed to be different they were indeed very much alike. In the end, all they wanted was love. Love from others, their parents and especially from each other, through everything in the end they truly got what they have been searching for. I highly recommend this stunning read and it’s a must have on every summer reading list.

4.05.2017

Review: Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Published: April 25, 2017
Publisher: Gallery
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis
 Caroline Murphy swore she’d never set foot back in the small Southern town of Peachtree Bluff; she was a New York girl born and bred and the worst day of her life was when, in the wake of her father’s death, her mother selfishly forced her to move—during her senior year of high school, no less—back to that hick-infested rat trap where she'd spent her childhood summers. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has fallen apart in a very public, very embarrassing fashion, a pregnant Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley.

Ansley has always put her three daughters first, especially when she found out that her late husband, despite what he had always promised, left her with next to nothing. Now the proud owner of a charming waterfront design business and finally standing on her own two feet, Ansley welcomes Caroline and her brood back with open arms. But when her second daughter Sloane, whose military husband is overseas, and youngest daughter and successful actress Emerson join the fray, Ansley begins to feel like the piece of herself she had finally found might be slipping from her grasp. Even more discomfiting, when someone from her past reappears in Ansley's life, the secret she’s harbored from her daughters their entire lives might finally be forced into the open.

Exploring the powerful bonds between sisters and mothers and daughters, this engaging novel is filled with Southern charm, emotional drama, and plenty of heart.

My Thoughts
I love a good Southern read and Kristy Woodson Harvey brings it with each book she writes! In Slightly South of Simply, we Ansley and her three daughters. Just when Ansley has gotten into the groove of things all three of her daughters come back home and someone from her past threatens to mess everything up.
I love how each daughter is so different, which is perfect and interesting seeing how this is a series, and I hope we get to see each sister’s story play out. I found this book light, funny yet heartbreaking at times when we see Ansley’s past come to light. The person from her past is an old flame who has come back into town and Ansley can’t help to think if he will expose all her secrets. As much as she tries to keep him at a distance those old feelings are just too powerful to keep at bay.

While I love the characters and storyline what I enjoy and love the most in the author's books is the one thing that makes any book Southern or otherwise amazing…heart. Kristy Woodson Harvey always gives it her all in her reads and you can always feel that. The way she gives life to her characters and the way she brings the coastal South to life is utterly beautiful. If you want a great new series, one that will leave a little something after the last page as turned than Slightly South of Simple is the read for you.

         About Kristy
Kristy Woodson Harvey is the author of Dear Carolina (Berkley/Penguin Random House, 2015), Lies and Other Acts of Love(Berkley/Penguin Random House, 2016) and the Peachtree Bluff Series, beginning with Slightly South of Simple (Gallery/Simon & Schuster, 2017). Dear Carolina was long-listed for the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize, has been optioned for film and has appeared on numerous “must-read” lists. Lies and Other Acts of Love was a Romantic Times top pick, a Southern Booksellers Okra Pick and was chosen to be a part of the 2017 Trio display, an integration of story, art and song, which will spend the year traveling the country. Harvey is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism and holds a master’s in English from East Carolina University, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including Southern Living, Domino, Houzz and Our State. She has been seen featured in Readers’ Digest, The Huffington Post, USA Today’s Happy Every After, North Carolina Bookwatch, PopSugar, Glitter Guide and The Sits Girls. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and five-year-old son where she is working on her next novel.