Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.

But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm.

In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong.

Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication May 5, 2026

 by Gallery Books

3/5 stars

Summer State of Mind has all the makings of a breezy beach read, a charming setting, an unexpected new arrival and a budding romance. And judging by the overwhelmingly positive response from readers, most people would agree. For me, however, a few elements kept pulling me out of the story.

The central premise revolves around an abandoned newborn discovered in a dumpster, which sets up what could be a gripping emotional journey. Unfortunately, the handling of this storyline required more suspension of disbelief than I was able to manage, making it difficult to fully invest in the plot.

The romance, while sweet, also felt rushed. The connection between the characters developed so quickly that it was hard to feel the emotional side.  A slower burn would have worked better (for me anyways).

Summer State of Mind is a story of new beginnings, healing past hurts and family - where family doesn't necessarily mean blood connections. Harvey has a warm, inviting writing style that keeps me reading her books.  She still delivered the feel-good resolution fans of her and this genre are looking for. If you're a Kristy Woodson Harvey fan or just need a light summer escape, check this one out, it releases today.

My thanks to to Gallery Books for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a delightfully moving new novel about a mother-daughter duo learning to lean on their community of women—and each other—after their world is turned upside down.

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

Beach House Rules is a charming exploration of the joy of friendship, the true meaning of family, and reclaiming the power to reshape our own destiny.

Paperback, 368 pages

Expected publication May 27, 2025 

by Gallery Books

3.5/5 stars

There is a lot going on in Kristy Woodson Harvey’s new book, Beach House Rules.   

Beginning after Charlotte‘s husband is arrested for security fraud, she is at her wits end as she has to deal with no access to her bank account and even her home. Through a chance encounter, she becomes part of a community called mommune. A home for single moms struggling to get back on their feet.

Told from a couple points of view, one being Charlotte herself, but also her daughter and the owner of this mommune. What follows is a story of rumors, some mystery, family dynamics, trust and coming to terms with the past. It was an interesting premise with a few twists that caught me by surprise.

Beach House Rules is a perfect beach read, it is a story of friendship but maybe a little on the lighthearted side.

My thanks to the publisher for a print arc in exchange for a honest review.

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Present Day: Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on the market—the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now—she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, she’s confronted with secrets about grandparents who died before she was born. And as she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, she soon finds she has more questions than answers.

1976: Rebecca “Becks” Saint James has made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.

As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations.

Softcover, 384 pages

Published June 25, 2024

 by Gallery Books

4.5/5 stars

Kristy Woodhouse Harvey has once again pinned a story with Southern charmed and family, makes for a perfect beach read, even though it is with some hard facts of life and a touch of mystery.

Keaton Smith needs something to do after suddenly facing unemployment. When the opportunity comes to put her mother’s childhood house in order she jumps at the chance. What she gets is what she needs most, new friends, a change and a 10-year-old boy that steals her heart.

This book alternates between present day and 1976 with Keaton‘s grandmother.  Some nice family history and what really happened that fateful summer.

A Happier Life was an entertaining read. A tight knit community, good food and maybe a bit of romance. There are some great characters with a great setting and a mystery to solve.. It’s a story of secrets and hope. 

Kristy Woodson Harvey has solidified herself into an auto read author for me. Her books are well written, refreshing with some good banter and I always walk away with a clear message.

Thanks to gallery books for print copy in exchange for honest review.

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series.

Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.

June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice.

Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most.

But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.

From an author whose “writing coats your soul with heart” ( E! Online ), The Summer of Songbirds is a lyrical and unforgettable celebration of female friendship, summertime freedom, and enduring sisterhood—and a love letter to the places and people that make us who we are.

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published July 11, 2023

 by Gallery Books 

4.5/5 stars

The cover of this book immediately gives off a summery vibe, and let me tell you, it lives up to the hype. I haven't read many books by Kristy Woodson Harvey, but she has quickly become one of my go-to authors.

The Summer of Songbirds kicks off with three scared six-year-old girls meeting at Camp Holly Springs and becoming the best of friends. This story is all about friendship - the highs, the lows, the heartbreak, and the unbreakable bonds that hold them together. I could go into all the nitty-gritty details, but it's a story with many layers and quite capitvating.

The story is told from different perspectives and jumps between timelines, allowing me to really get to know these women. Despite staying in touch and remaining close over the next 30 or so years, they come together to save their beloved camp. There's a lot happening in this book - secrets, marriages, first loves, babies, family drama, and even more secrets. It's beautifully written and showcases how family isn't always about blood ties.  

The Summer of Songbirds has all the ingredients for a perfect summer read.

This book was part of my 2023 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge - #51

The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Four women. One family heirloom. A secret connection that will change their lives—and history as they know it.

Present Day: Julia Baxter’s wedding veil, bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, has passed through generations of her family as a symbol of a happy marriage. But on the morning of her wedding day, something tells her that even the veil’s good luck isn’t enough to make her marriage last forever. Overwhelmed and panicked, she escapes to the Virgin Islands to clear her head. Meanwhile, her grandmother Babs is also feeling shaken. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, she decides to move out of the house they once shared and into a retirement community. Though she hopes it’s a new beginning, she does not expect to run into an old flame, dredging up the same complicated emotions she felt a lifetime ago.

1914: Socialite Edith Vanderbilt is struggling to manage the luxurious Biltmore Estate after the untimely death of her cherished husband. With 250 rooms to oversee and an entire village dependent on her family to stay afloat, Edith is determined to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy—and prepare her free-spirited daughter Cornelia to inherit it—in spite of her family’s deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own. Asheville, North Carolina has always been her safe haven away from the prying eyes of the press, but as she explores more of the rapidly changing world around her, she’s torn between upholding tradition and pursuing the exciting future that lies beyond Biltmore’s gilded gates.

In the vein of Therese Anne Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman and Jennifer Robson’s The Gown, The Wedding Veil brings to vivid life a group of remarkable women forging their own paths—and explores the mystery of a national heirloom lost to time.

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published March 29th 2022

 by Gallery Books

4.5/5 stars

The Wedding Veil was a fun and entertaining read for me. I really enjoyed the author's previous book, Under the Southern Sky, it was my first time reading a Harvey book, I will definitely be reading more.

The Wedding Veil is more than the story of Julia and her upcoming wedding. Cut short with startling revelations she embarks on her honeymoon alone. This book is told not just from Julia‘s point of view but also her grandmother, Babs, who is still grieving the loss of her husband. Going on a journey with these two was enjoyable to read, to watch their progression as life changes and to see the outcome. I love Babs, I loved her wit, strength and character.

Jump back to 1914, Edith Vanderbilt, also a recently widow is struggling, trying to keep afloat the Vanderbilt legacy, as well as the mansion.

I love the historical aspect, I don’t know much about the rich and famous in the US but the Vanderbilt name evokes money and power. The Wedding Veil is a story of three women, their strengths and weaknesses and how they overcame in ways we wouldn’t expect.

Kristy Woodson Harvey has turned into a go-to author for me, I love her writing style, the southern charm and how she weaves various time pieces together in what looks and feels effortlessly. I read this book when it was first released, how I missed reviewing until now was an oversight. I highly recommend both the author and this book.

I obtained this book from the library but honestly I wish I had bought it to put on my shelf.

Review: Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Two childhood friends discover that love—and family—can be found in unconventional ways in this timely, moving novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of the “beautifully Southern, evocative Peachtree Bluff series” (Kristin Harmel, internationally bestselling author of The Winemaker’s Wife).

Amelia Buxton, a dedicated journalist and a recent divorcée, never expected that uncovering the biggest story of her career would become deeply personal. But when she discovers that a cluster of embryos belonging to her childhood friend Parker and his late wife Greer have been deemed “abandoned,” she’s put in the unenviable position of telling Parker—and dredging up old wounds in the process.

Parker has been unable to move forward since the loss of his beloved wife three years ago. He has all but forgotten about the frozen embryos, but once Amelia reveals her discovery, he knows that if he ever wants to get a part of Greer back, he’ll need to accept his fate as a single father and find a surrogate.

Each dealing with their own private griefs, Parker and Amelia slowly begin to find solace in one another as they navigate an uncertain future against the backdrop of the pristine waters of their childhood home, Buxton Beach. The journey of self-discovery leads them to an unforgettable and life-changing lesson: Family—the one you’re born into and the one you choose—is always closer than you think.

From “the next major voice in Southern fiction” (Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Under the Southern Sky is a fresh and unforgettable exploration of love, friendship, and the unbreakable ties that bind.

Kindle Edition

Published April 20th 2021

by Gallery Books

4.5/5 stars

I've wanted to read this book since the Facebook Group, The Friends & Fiction Book Club started during the first lockdown (we are on #3 at the moment). Five authors who get together to chat books with guest authors.  I was familiar with some of the authors but those I wasn't, I wanted to read.  Which brings me to Kristy Woodson Harvey.

Under the Southern Sky recently released and my big question was was this going to live up to all the hype I've seen on social media.  The answer for me is a resounding yes it did.  I did a combination read and audiobook.  I recommend both.  With 2 major POVs and 2 smaller parts, the audio had a different voice for each one - I love that.  It sets the tone and gives each character a voice that matched their personality.  

The story was unique with characters that were authentic.  It had a nice balance between a lighter tone and then more serious for the emotional parts.  There are some serious topics - grief and fertility, both of which were handled with respect and heart.

Under the Southern Sky is a story of love and loss, family and friends, and self discovery. Definitely one I recommend.