Review: Sugar by Bernice L. McFadden

Sugar by Bernice L. McFadden

Published: January 2, 2001

Publisher: Plume

Format: via paperback

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

The novel opens when a young prostitute comes to Bigelow, Arkansas, to start over, far from her haunting past. Sugar moves next door to Pearl, who is still grieving for the daughter who was murdered fifteen years before. Over sweet-potato pie, an unlikely friendship begins, transforming both women's lives--and the life of an entire town.

Sugar brings a Southern African-American town vividly to life, with its flowering magnolia trees, lingering scents of jasmine and honeysuckle, and white picket fences that keep strangers out--but ignorance and superstition in. To read this novel is to take a journey through loss and suffering to a place of forgiveness, understanding, and grace.

My Thoughts

When Sugar rolls into town the whole place is turned upside down, she is a known prostitute but she moved to Bigelow to try to start over. She moves next door to Pearl who has suffered a lot in her life, to say the least. She is still mourning over the death of her daughter who was killed in the most vicious way and once she was gone Pearl just gave up. Her marriage suffered a bit but the love of her husband helped her slowly move on. With the town talking rumors about Sugar, Pearl has decided to not let that sway her opinions about her. Sugar, on the other hand, doesn't like people in her business so she isn't too keen on Pearl trying to be neighborly thinking she is just like the rest of them, judging Sugar on who she is.

With time Pearl and Sugar become friends and this friendship brings Pearl out of her shell. She is laughing and having fun again, enjoying life like she hasn't done since her daughter died. Both of them are an odd pair to the naked eye but I feel like they balance each other out. Both have experienced pain that no one could understand and I think they find comfort in that. When both are together no one is judging them and they get to be who they truly are without the thoughts of what others are thinking about them.

Both are just women who are searching for that something in life. Sugar just wants a place where she feels loved and belongs and Pearl just wants that closure and justice for her daughter. Sugar just might find that love with someone but her past is soon to rear its ugly head and that love she has for that someone is so strong she will do the unthinkable to protect him. Ironically the past is the key to her future when secrets are uncovered and we find out the missing pieces to Sugar’s life.

This is a powerful and emotional read one that will make you laugh and make you cry. Sugar’s story of how she grew up and was raised is heartbreaking. Her struggle to survive is something that only a strong person could handle and despite what others think of her Sugar is a true survivor. The fact that Sugar and Pearl were placed in each other's lives is something that only could happen on purpose. They were brought together to help each other heal and to become family. Bernice McFadden gives us characters that are raw, broken, flawed but at the same time incredibly strong. The world has given up on these women but they haven't given up on themselves and nothing is stronger than a woman who still believes she can. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who wants a great story with impactful characters.

Cover Reveal: The Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey

COVER REVEAL

COMING MAY 2019

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).

PRE-ORDER

AMAZON / BN / INDIEBOUND

“One of the hottest new Southern writers.” —Parade.com

"Writers come and writers go, but Kristy Woodson Harvey is here to stay. The warmth, wit, and wisdom of this novel pave her way into the exclusive sisterhood of southern writers.” —The Huffington Post 

"The south is known for breeding brilliant storytellers and Kristy Woodson Harvey has proven herself to be one of the south’s most heartfelt female driven authors of our generation.”—Jaime Pressly, star of CBS’s Mom

Release Day Blitz: The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey

The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Peachtree Bluff #2

Published: April 3, 2018

Publisher: Gallery Books

Leaving fans “practically [begging] for a sequel” (Bookpage), critically acclaimed author Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with the second novel in her beloved Peachtree Bluff series, featuring a trio of sisters and their mother who discover a truth that will change not only the way they see themselves, but also how they fit together as a family.

After finding out her military husband is missing in action, middle sister Sloane’s world crumbles as her worst nightmare comes true. She can barely climb out of bed, much less summon the strength to be the parent her children deserve.

Her mother, Ansley, provides a much-needed respite as she puts her personal life on hold to help Sloane and her grandchildren wade through their new grief-stricken lives. But between caring for her own aging mother, her daughters, and her grandchildren, Ansley’s private worry is that secrets from her past will come to light.

But when Sloane’s sisters, Caroline and Emerson, remind Sloane that no matter what, she promised her husband she would carry on for their young sons, Sloane finds the support and courage she needs to chase her biggest dreams—and face her deepest fears. Taking a cue from her middle daughter, Ansley takes her own leap of faith and realizes that, after all this time, she might finally be able to have it all.

Harvey’s signature warmth and wit make this a charming and poignant story of first loves, missed opportunities, and second chances and proves that she is "the next major voice in Southern fiction” (Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author).

Praise for Kristy Woodson Harvey and The Secret to Southern Charm:

*One of Southern Living’s “Best Spring Break Reads”*

“Escape to the beach with Southern writer Kristy Woodson Harvey’s newest book, the second in her Peachtree Bluff series. It’s a story about hope and heartache and the unbreakable bonds of family.”–Southern Living

“The Secret to Southern Charm is a compelling, beautifully drawn tale of love, hope, and small town secrets. The richly detailed backdrop of a charming coastal town and the struggles and joys of four generations of women solidifies Kristy Woodson Harvey’s spot as a rising star of Southern fiction.” --Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of Beach House for Rent

“Harvey’s (Slightly South of Simple, 2017) growing fan base will find another great beach read in this second novel in her Peachtree Bluff trilogy… Peachtree Bluff is the quintessential beach town, full of quirky residents and old bungalows, and readers will practically feel the hot sun and the sand between their toes. Harvey is an up-and-coming southern writer with staying power.” --Booklist

“Kristy Woodson Harvey has delivered another masterpiece with the second book in her beautifully Southern, evocative Peachtree Bluff series. Let's just say that this one had better have a sequel too, because I'm not ready to leave these charming ladies behind." --Kristin Harmel, international bestselling author of The Sweetness of Forgetting and When We Meet Again

“What a wonderful sequel to Slightly South of Simple in the Peachtree Bluff series. I couldn't have survived if Ms. Harvey hadn't resolved Sloan and Adam's crisis in this book and I have to admit I'm happy with the outcome. Now you have to wait for book 3 to see how Emerson and Mark turn out. This series is three generations of strong women who are the best support system for each other. This book is a great representation of the strong southern woman who put family first and deal with life as it happens. Great beach/pool read for your summer vacation if you can wait that long. Can read stand alone but strongly recommend you read book 1 first.” --Ann Klausing, Books-a-Million

“One of the hottest new Southern writers.” —Parade.com

 “The ‘it girl’ of Southern fiction.” --Daytime Confidential

“Writers come and writers go, but Kristy Woodson Harvey is here to stay. The warmth, wit, and wisdom of this novel pave her way into the exclusive sisterhood of southern writers.” ―The Huffington Post

About Kristy

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the bestselling 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 a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Slightly South of Simple was a Southern Bestseller, a Barnes & Noble Bestseller, one of PopSugar’s picks for “Ultimate Summer Reading” and one of Glitter Guide’s “Must-Reads for April.” The Secret to Southern Charm, the second book in the Peachtree Bluff series, releases April 3, 2018.

She blogs with her mom, Beth Woodson, daily on Design Chic, the inaugural member of the Design Blogger Hall of Fame sponsored by Traditional Home and winner of Amara’s Best Luxury Blog, sponsored by Roberto Cavalli, about how creating a beautiful home can be the catalyst for creating a beautiful life and loves connecting with readers at kristywoodsonharvey.com. 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, Traditional Home, Parade, USA Today, Domino, Our State and O. Henry. She has been seen in Women’s Health, The Washington Post, US News and World Report, The Huffington Post, USA Today’s Happy Every After, Marie Claire’s The Fix, Woman’s World, Readers’ Digest and North Carolina Bookwatch, among others. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and six-year-old son where she is working on her next novel.

The Secret to Southern Charm is available from your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble  Target, Books-a-Million, Indiebound and wherever books are sold! It is being simultaneously released in paperback, hardback, e-book and audio, so check out your favorite version!

Review: The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey

The Secret to Southern Charm [Peachtree Bluff #2] by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Published: April 3, 2018

Publisher: Gallery Books

Format: via author

Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis

After finding out her military husband is missing in action, middle sister Sloane’s world crumbles as her worst nightmare comes true. She can barely climb out of bed, much less summon the strength to be the parent her children deserve.

Her mother, Ansley, provides a much-needed respite as she puts her personal life on hold to help Sloane and her grandchildren wade through their new grief-stricken lives. But between caring for her own aging mother, her daughters, and her grandchildren, Ansley’s private worry is that secrets from her past will come to light.

But when Sloane’s sisters, Caroline and Emerson, remind Sloane that no matter what, she promised her husband she would carry on for their young sons, Sloane finds the support and courage she needs to chase her biggest dreams—and face her deepest fears. Taking a cue from her middle daughter, Ansley takes her own leap of faith and realizes that, after all this time, she might finally be able to have it all.

My Thoughts

This is the second book in the Peachtree Bluff series and once again Kristy Woodson Harvey gives us a story of family and ties so strong nothing can break them apart. In this book, while we get glimpses of all three sisters and their mother Ansley this one does focus on Sloane and the aftermath she must face when her husband is MIA in the military. We see how the family comes together and try to make Sloane not just wallow and sink into depression but to keep on living for the sake of her children.

Her mother Ansley still hasn’t decided what to do since her first true love has moved into the house next door yet she finds herself jealous when she thinks he has moved on to someone new. She must decide what she wants and do whats best for her and make herself happy for a change and not just worry about others.

As someone who has read all of Kristy’s books the one common thread that I love throughout them all is family. I love how she makes arguments, lies and everyday family things that could be overlooked standout. She writes so flawlessly that you cannot help but be drawn in and mesmerized by her words. With so many characters and storylines other authors might not be up to the job but Kristy never confuses you and every character has their own distinct voice. She gives us another winner with The Secret to Southern Charm so do yourself a favor and devour this one just like I did.

Teaser Blitz: Morning on Main by Jodi Thomas

    From the beloved and bestselling author of the Ransom Canyon and Harmony, Texas series comes a powerful, heartwarming story about generations of family and the ironclad bonds they forge. Jodi Thomas’s MORNINGS ON MAIN releases on April 10, 2018. Pre-order your copy today!

   

When Jillian James lands in the small town Texas community of Laurel Springs, she’s definitely not planning to stay—except to find a few clues about the father who abandoned her and destroyed her faith in family.

Connor Larady is a single dad, and the only one caring for his grandmother, Eugenia, who has Alzheimer’s. And now he has to close Eugenia’s quilt shop. When Connor meets down-on-her-luck Jillian, he’s out of options. Can he trust the newcomer to do right by his grandmother’s legacy?

Jillian is done with relationships. But as she grows closer to Connor and Eugenia, she must consider giving up her nomadic life for a future with those who need her.

An inspiring family saga that asks us to consider what love and chosen family really mean.

    Pre-order MORNINGS ON MAIN here!

Amazon | Kindle | B&N | B-A-M | IndieBound

Google Play | iBooks | Kobo | Book Depository

     

“Compelling and beautifully written.” —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author on Ransom Canyon

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

   

About Jodi Thomas

 New York Times and USA Today's bestselling author Jodi Thomas has published over 30 books in both the historical romance and contemporary genres, the majority of which are set in her home state of Texas. Publishers Weekly calls her novels "Distinctive...Memorable," and that in her stories "[tension] rides high, mixed with humor and kisses more passionate than most full-on love scenes." In 2006, Romance Writers of America (RITA) inducted Thomas into the RWA Hall of Fame for winning her third RITA for THE TEXAN'S REWARD. She also received the National Readers' Choice Award in 2009 for TWISTED CREEK (2008) and TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN (2008). While continuing to work as a novelist, Thomas also functions as Writer in Residence at the West Texas A&M University campus, where she inspires students and alumni in their own writing pursuits.    

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

     

Book Blast: Somebody Like You & Nearest Thing to Heaven by Lynnette Austin

The question begs to be asked. Is there anything sexier than a cowboy?

SOMEBODY LIKE YOU

Maverick Junction #1

Lynnette Austin

Forever Yours

WHEN A COWBOY MEETS AN HEIRESS…
Cash Hardeman thinks he’ll have all the time in the world to find the right woman...until he discovers he might lose the family ranch if he’s not married by his 30th birthday. So when Boston beauty Annelise blows into town on her Harley, Cash can't help wondering if she's the sexy, leather-clad answer to all his problems.

Giving her bodyguards and the paparazzi the slip, heiress Annelise Montjoy comes to Maverick Junction on a mission to help her ailing grandfather. But keeping her identity hidden in the small Texas town is harder than she expected—especially around a tempting cowboy like Cash. He’s the kind of man who makes her want to spill all her secrets. Soon Annelise starts to wonder if she’s finally found the man who can love her for herself rather than her money. But will the secrets they both keep ruin their plans to ride off into the sunset together?

 *~*

NEAREST THING TO HEAVEN

Maverick Junction #2

Lynnette Austin

Forever Yours

THE COWBOY AND THE CITY GIRL
Sophie London hates Texas. The longhorns freak her out and the wide-open spaces are more unnerving than a Chicago alleyway at night. But Sophie wouldn’t miss her cousin’s wedding for the world—even if it means returning to Maverick Junction . . . and to the dangerously irresistible Ty Rawlins.

A single father of rambunctious triplet boys, Ty knows trouble when he sees it—and Sophie’s got it written all over her. Yet he’s never been able to stop thinking about her, after their one brief meeting. Maybe fate is giving him a second chance. But if Ty wants Sophie to swap her stilettos for cowgirl boots, they’ll each have to face the past—together.

Excerpt From Somebody Like You: Maverick Junction #1 by Lynette Austin

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Annelise Montjoy motored her Harley along what appeared to be the town’s main street. This was Maverick Junction?

A blue Cadillac, surely old enough to be in a museum, was parked nose-in to the curb. An incredibly ugly dog sat in the front seat.

Thank God, this, the final destination of her cross-country trip from Boston, was temporary. It looked like the kind of place you ran away from, not toward. If luck was on her side, she’d be out of here in a couple weeks at the most.

And then a store door opened and her breath caught. Go, Texas! Look at that cowboy. So different from any of the men in her life. So…intriguing. She slowed to nearly a standstill and watched as he swiped an arm across his forehead, then dumped a grocery bag in the backseat of the old Caddy.

Cracking open a bottle of water, he turned his head in her direction. Her breath hitched as his gaze ran lazily over her, her bike. Then he snagged a Styrofoam cup from inside his car and filled it before setting it on the blistering pavement for the dog waiting patiently beside him.

Leaning against the faded fender, he thumbed back his battered Stetson and chugged the rest of the water. Twisting the cap back on, he tossed the bottle into the recycling bin beside the grocer’s door.

Annelise pulled her bike into a parking space across the street, deliberately turning her back on the stranger. While his clothes might have been stereotypical cowboy—worn jeans, a faded T-shirt, cowboy boots, and hat—he took everything from simmer to boiling point. The jeans hugged long legs, while the shirt stretched taut across his muscled chest. There was something very alluring about him and that surprised her. He wasn’t the kind of man she was usually drawn to.

He shouldn’t appeal to her.

He did.

Not so much as a breeze stirred. The flag on the post office hung limp, and the cheerful red, white, and blue balloons someone had hung outside a beauty salon drooped listlessly.

Unable to stop herself, she peeked in the bike’s rearview mirror. Cowboy was bent over, talking to the dog. Quite a view, but she wasn’t here to admire a fine jean-clad butt. She needed something cold to drink and something light to eat. Then she’d go in search of Dottie Willis and the apartment she’d rented over the Internet. Maverick Junction, Texas. Annelise wished she was driving through, wished she could view it as simply a spot on the map where she’d stopped for lunch one summer day.

Well, she’d just have to work fast.

Lynnette Austin, a recovering middle school teacher, loves long rides with the top down and the music cranked up, the Gulf of Mexico when a storm is brewing, chocolate frozen custard, anything by Blake Shelton, Chris Young, and Thomas Rhett, and sitting in her local coffee shop reading and enjoying an iced coffee. She and her husband divide their time between Southwest Florida's beaches and Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Having grown up in a small town, that's where her heart takes her—to those quirky small towns where everybody knows everybody...and all their business, for better or worse. Writing for Grand Central and Sourcebooks, she’s published twelve novels and is at work on a new series.

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Mini Review: Linny's Sweet Dream List by Susan Schild

Linny’s Sweet Dream List by Susan Schild

Published: January 5, 2016

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Format: via author [in exchange for an honest review]

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

At thirty-eight, Linny Taylor is suddenly living a life she thought only happened to other, more careless people. Widowed for the second time, and broke, thanks to her cheating late husband, Linny has no house, no job, and no options except to go back home. There, in a trailer, as run down as her self-esteem, Linny makes a list of things that might bring happiness. A porch swing. A job that nourishes her heart as well as her bank balance. Maybe even a date or two.

At first, every goal seems beyond reach. But it’s hard for Linny to stay in the doldrums when a stray puppy is coercing her out of her shell—right into the path of the town’s kind, compassionate vet. The quirky town is filled with friends and family, including Linny’s mother, Dottie, who knows more about heartache than her daughters ever guessed. And as Linny contemplates each item on her list, she begins to realize that the dreams most worth holding on to can only be measured in the sweetness of a life lived to the fullest…

My Thoughts

How I love a good Southern read and this is one that I fully enjoyed! Linny is a girl who hasn’t had it good when it comes to men in her life. Her first husband was a great guy who was gone too soon, her second husband was a downright fool and cheater who died in a hotel room with one of his other women. After he left her in debt up to her eyeballs she doesn’t have anywhere else to go but home.

Down on her luck she decides to stay in her mom’s trailer and tries to pull her life back together and maybe just maybe open herself up to love and trusting again. We see her struggle and we see her slow gain that confidence she once had. What I loved most was her relationship with her sister and her mom. I thought this book was funny and shows us that despite life’s obstacles we can all dust ourselves off and make life work again. Linny didn’t let all the bad stuff get her down she rediscovers who she was and decided to take her life back. She realizes what she wanted in life and with the help of her sweet dream list she slowly but surely makes it happen.

In finding out who she was she also reconnected with her family. While they were close she discovered things about her parents she never knew and in that found more respect and understanding for her mother and their bond is strengthened like never before. All in all this book was a real joy. This was a wonderfully written book that focuses on love, life, and second chances. If you want a real good read that will make you smile and laugh then definitely check this one out.

WoW [122]

Waiting on Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

The Bourbon Kings [The Bourbon Kings #1] by J.R. Ward

Expected Publication: July 28, 2015

Publisher: NAL

Synopsis

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.

For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.

As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.

Why I Can’t Wait

First off I LOVE a Southern book and honestly this one just sounds so good! I see romance and drama what more can you ask for? Honestly I didn’t even know about this new series until last week when I received a copy and now I’m all in!

Feel free to link me to yours.

Blog Tour & Review: Dear Carolina by Kristy Woodson Harvey

 Dear Carolina by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Published: May 5, 2015

Publisher: Berkley

Add to Goodreads

Buy:

BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | BOOKS A MILLION | AMAZON | POWELLS | TARGET | iTUNES | GOOGLE PLAY | KOBO

Synopsis

A moving debut novel about two mothers—one biological and one adoptive—from a compelling new voice in Southern women’s fiction.

One baby girl.

Two strong Southern women.

And the most difficult decision they’ll ever make.

Frances “Khaki” Mason has it all: a thriving interior design career, a loving husband and son, homes in North Carolina and Manhattan—everything except the second child she has always wanted. Jodi, her husband’s nineteen-year-old cousin, is fresh out of rehab, pregnant, and alone. Although the two women couldn’t seem more different, they forge a lifelong connection as Khaki reaches out to Jodi, encouraging her to have her baby. But as Jodi struggles to be the mother she knows her daughter deserves, she will ask Khaki the ultimate favor…

Written to baby Carolina, by both her birth mother and her adoptive one, this is a story that proves that life circumstances shape us but don’t define us—and that families aren’t born, they’re made…

“Characters with rich, complicated lives…beautifully shows how a family comes to be.”—New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas

"Dear Carolina is Southern fiction at its best. Lovely and lyrical, with the strong voices of the two female narrators taking us deep into the heart of what being a mother is about. It shows us that love is not without sacrifice, and there’s little in life that doesn’t go down easier with a spoonful of jam. Beautifully written."—New York Times bestselling author Eileen Goudge

"Dear Carolina is like the Southern women within its pages and those who will love this book, sweet as sweet tea on the outside and strong as steel on the inside. The dialect of the south is so entwined in these pages the reader is transported to a place where women and children are treasured and family rules all. Kristy Harvey is a natural."—Ann Garvin, Author of On Maggie’s Watch and The Dog Year

       About Kristy

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the author of Dear Carolina. She blogs at Design Chic about how creating a beautiful home can be the catalyst for creating a beautiful life and loves connecting with readers at kristywoodsonharvey.com. She is a 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. She is a regular contributor for The Salisbury Post, Domino magazine and Houzz. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three-year-old son.

Connect with Kristy

Website / FB / Twitter

My Thoughts

Simply put this is Southern Lit at its best! This is the story of Carolina and how she brought love and joy to two women. First there's Jodi who gave birth to her but who yearned for more for both Carolina and herself. She didn’t want her little girl to go through what she did and knew she deserved more than a broken down trailer and a teen mom who drank too much. The other woman, Khaki who was family and who wanted so desperately to have another child with her husband but no matter how hard she tried couldn’t. Two women polar opposites but whose lives mirrored each other that it was almost meant to be. Each could help each other in more ways than one.

Jodi was left pregnant by her boyfriend and knew from the start that she didn’t want her child to be like she was with an alcoholic mom and no future to speak of. Her father the only person besides her late grandma that truly cared for her passed away and all she had left was her cousin and his wife Khaki to lean on. They loved and cared for her like their own but no matter how much help she had she knew her baby deserved more than she could give.

Khaki and her husband where old sweethearts but broke up when Khaki was in college. She later met and married another man and had a son who later died before she had her child. Always loving Khaki her ex and her married and he raised her child as his own. She always saw them having a ton of kids so when she couldn’t get pregnant she was beyond words. Along came Jodi who needed her help and then decided she wanted them to adopt Carolina. While Jodi thought Khaki was helping her it was quite the opposite. Through Jodi Khaki learned that while she had money and was a successful business woman, family was in fact the most important thing in life.

This is the most heartfelt and amazing book I’ve read in a while. It shows us that families don’t have to be genetic that home and family lie with those who simply love you unconditionally. So if you want an honest to god great read this summer look no further Dear Carolina it will touch your soul like no other.

Rating: 5/5

WoW [91]

Waiting on Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

The Happy Hour Choir by Sally Kilpatrick

Expected Publication: April 28, 2015

Publisher: Kensington

Synopsis...

From debut author Sally Kilpatrick comes a hopeful tale of love and redemption in a quiet Southern town where a lost soul finds her way with the help of an unlikely circle of friends…

Life has dealt Beulah Land a tough hand to play, least of all being named after a hymn. A teenage pregnancy estranged her from her family, and a tragedy caused her to lose what little faith remained. The wayward daughter of a Baptist deacon, she spends her nights playing the piano at The Fountain, a honky-tonk located just across the road from County Line Methodist. But when she learns that a dear friend’s dying wish is for her to take over as the church’s piano player, she realizes it may be time to face the music…

Beulah butts heads with Luke Daniels, the new pastor at County Line, who is determined to cling to tradition even though he needs to attract more congregants to the aging church. But the choir also isn’t enthusiastic about Beulah’s contemporary take on the old songs and refuse to perform. Undaunted, Beulah assembles a ragtag group of patrons from The Fountain to form the Happy Hour Choir. And as the unexpected gig helps her let go of her painful past—and accept the love she didn’t think she deserved—she just may be able to prove to Luke that she can toe the line between sinner and saint.

Why I Can’t Wait…

I love me a good Southern read and this one seems to have all the elements! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

Feel free to link me to yours.