The was a in depth story of a family unit. The struggles they go through, the secrets they keep and the way they pull together while falling apart.

Ansley is the mother, who puts her children first always. Sloane is struggling to deal with her husband who is MIA overseas. Emerson the youngest is dealing with an unknown illness, and the middle child Caroline is dealing with a cheating husband and whether to take him back.

This was a charming and well written book. I don't recall getting closure on Emerson's story line but maybe that will be in the next book?

I liked this book a lot. First time I ever heard of and read from this author. I think I will read more of her books. This book kept me interested the whole time.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the second in the Peachtree Bluff series. Ms. Harvey is a new (to me) author. Since I had not yet read the first book in this series, Slightly South of Simple, I purchased and read that book before starting this one. Slightly South of Simple was a well-written book and The Secret to Southern Charm picked up where the first book left off. The characters are well-developed and the story line is compelling.

Ansley is a “Steel Magnolia”, a strong southern woman, who raised three daughters alone following the death of her husband in the 9-11 attack on the Twin Towers. She moved her daughters back to the small town of Peachtree Bluff to a home left to her by her grandmother.

This is a novel of family secrets. It was a compelling read. I couldn’t put it down. I recommend this series to anyone who likes a good family story. I recommend reading Slightly South of Simple before reading this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

After her Army husband is declared MIA, Sloane goes home to Peachtree Bluff, staying with her mother and grandmother, terrified that her two little boys will grow up without their father. In addition to helping with the boys, Sloane’s mother Ansley is caring for her mother and running an interior design company. Widowed during 9/11, Ansley is reconnecting with Jack, her first love. Ansley’s oldest daughter, Caroline, has left her husband, and she and her daughter, Vivi, have moved into Ansley’s guesthouse. And youngest daughter Emerson is focusing on her acting career, but still takes every opportunity to be with her mother and sisters.

I know…there’s a lot going on. And yet, The Secret to Southern Charm is warm and engaging, with strong women who occasionally break down, who make stupid decisions, but they persevere. I haven’t read the first book in this series, but no matter…I was able to figure out the characters and was instantly captivated by the storyline. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next book in the Peachtree Bluff series.

Kristy Woodson Harvey’s second novel in her acclaimed Peachtree Bluff series about a widowed mother and her three daughters,The Secret to Southern Charm, was not at all the chic-lit novel I expected. Instead, it was a warm and poignant look at the choices we make in our lives, and the joys and the regrets that follow, but mostly it was a commentary on the lives of our military families, particularly those left behind when a soldier goes missing or is killed in action.

After learning that her husband, Adam, is MIA, Sloane spends weeks in bed, grieving and watching old home videos of their family in happy times. Her faith, and a reminder from her sisters that she has children who need her finally gives her the strength to try to return to a normal life.

Meanwhile, Sloane’s mom, Ansley, has put her own life on hold to care for Sloane’s two boys, as well as her own aging mother. According to Ansley’s mom, the accent is the secret to Southern charm. Sloane disagrees, believing instead, that humility, kindness, and putting on a brave face in times of trouble make up the secret, then decides it isn’t a secret. Women are strong because they have to be.

There are several storylines in this book, as there are in any family. Each of these women makes peace with her choices and accept the challenge of second chances.

After reading The Secret to Southern Charm, I feel compelled to read the first book in the series. Kristy Woodson Harvey will soon rank right up there with well-known Southern writers, Mary Alice Monroe and Dorothea Benton Frank.

Review will be posted week of 5/7/18
Things pick up where Slightly South of Simple left off. Sloane is going through a really, really tough time as her husband, who is in the military, is missing in action overseas. It's obviously a nightmare for Sloane; she can barely function let alone take care of her two young boys, but thankfully she can lean on her mom, Ansley, and her two sisters who are also in Peachtree Bluff. Regrind Ansley, she has pushed away the love of her life for various reasons, but one major reason is that it's very complicated. And to complicate matters even further, Ansley's mother, the girls' grandmother, has come to live with them for the time being. There's also Caroline, who is trying to rebuild her marriage, and Emerson, who is still pursuing her acting career, but things also get complicated for her as well. Meanwhile, readers know Ansley's major secret she is hiding from her girls and we can't help but worry what might happen if they find out the truth. Kirsty Woodson Harvey's The Secret to Southern Charm is a fantastic beach read that tugged on my heartstrings. There's romance, family drama, secrets, and life-altering moments that will impact all the women's lives irrevocably.

I love all of the women in this family and I adore that Harvey features multi-generational relationships in The Secret to Southern Charm. I was rooting for Ansley from the beginning and I had my fingers crossed that she would start to take some risks personally as her happiness is just as important as her girls'. The flashbacks to her younger years with Jack really helped develop her as a character.

What Sloane goes through in The Secret to Southern Charm was really devastating. I think Harvey was able to capture this type of grief that is all encompassing and I liked how Sloane slowly pieces her life back together with the help of her sisters and mother. Caroline and Emerson's stories are also interesting in this sequel, but not as compelling as Sloane's. Also, I enjoyed the girls' grandmother so very much. She especially tugged on my heartstrings in this novel. It made me long for my own grandmother and our long talks. All in all, Harvey truly gets female relationships and is able to depict them very well.

One of my favorite aspects of The Secret to Southern Charm is the coastal small town setting. It's so memorable and vivid; it's the kind of dreamy Southern town that you'd want to go to relax and unwind.

If you are looking for a beach read that has a lot of heart and deals with family issues, you must check out the Peachtree Bluff series, especially if you love Southern fiction.

I liked this second book more than the first. I felt like I understood the characters better this time. I liked that this time the narrators were Sloan and Ansley.

This story picks up immediately after the first book. Sloan has just found out her husband is missing. She believes he has been captured but is still alive. She is deeply sad, thinking of what he is going though, and she’s taken to her bed at her mother Ansley’s house.

Once again, Ansley steps up to help her girls.
Both of Sloan’s sisters, Caroline and Emerson, are still home and helping her out.

In addition, poor Ansley is caring for her sick mother.
I didn’t like her mom much in the first book but I found the scenes with the whole family to be some of my very favorites in this story.

Also, Ansley’s love story might be about the most complicated one I’ve read.

I enjoyed Sloan more as a character than I liked Caroline. So, getting Sloan’s story was more enjoyable to me.

I feel like more of the storylines were given closer at the end of this story. But we still didn’t get much time devoted to Emerson. I would definitely wager there will be a third book to close this series and I will definitely read it :)

I got to read an early e book edition through NetGalley. Thank you, I enjoyed it!

The Secret to Southern Charm was a wonderful followup to Slightly South of Simple. While this could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading them both to fully enjoy this one, It took a little longer than it's predicessor to get into, and I felt there wasn't as much going on. However, the last half of the book fully redeemed itself!! Everything was beautifully wrapped up, but I could see where the author could continue on with the Peachtree Bluff books. Thank you to Netgally and Gallery Books for the eARC for review.

This is my first visit to Pinetree Bluff, Georgia, but the second in the series. The novels focus on three generations of women in one Southern family in both their happy times and the sad ones. Alternating between Ansley and her middle daughter, Sloane, we get to know two very different women who need to find the strength to face challenges and follow their heart. Sloane is facing a tough time, and had to deal with the changes in her life and her guilt that she wasn’t who she thought she should be. Ansley has to take a chance and embrace her second chance, despite the family secrets that may be revealed. Through this, the women work together to be each others’ strength and support when times are tough and cheerleaders when needed. I lost track of how many times I laughed or cried.
Grace and Southern Charm permeate this novel. The story was well-written and the characters perfectly imperfect. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Pinetree Bluff so much, I promptly added the first to my kindle and can’t wait to read it!

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I'd read the previous book in the series. Maybe it's just me, but this book struck me as being so serious and so sad that it was almost hard to read about the raw feelings of these characters.

I love the world of Ansley and her girls! The overall premise is not overdone and the relationships are real and messy and mostly relatable.

I, unfortunately, was unable to finish. Not my type of writing or story, as it turns out.

I love these women in this series. They are strong and yet vulnerable. They have issues that are real. You want to be their friends and sit on the porch of the house in Peachtree Bluff and tell stories.

Ms. Harvey can hurry up and publish the next one.

Must-read women’s fiction: ‘Flying at Night,’ ‘The Secret to Southern Charm,’ ‘The Family Gathering’ and ‘Other People’s Houses’

It’s time again for some women’s fiction recommendations. What is so wonderful about this genre is there are books that explore every stage of a woman’s life — from finding love, to raising a family, to dealing with aging parents.
And while the books might explore the different challenges we face during our lifetime, the basic core of the books is the same. It’s in our DNA to build, nurture and repair relationships, and this month’s selections do a wonderful job of showcasing that.

Flying at Night by Rebecca L. Brown
What it’s about:
While she was growing up, Piper’s father, Lance “the Silver Eagle” Whitman, became a national hero piloting a plane through an emergency landing. But at home, he was a controlling and overbearing presence in her life, raining emotional and verbal abuse upon the entire family.
It’s no surprise, then, that as an adult, Piper has poured all of her energy into creating a warm and loving home for her own family, while catering to her son Fred’s ever-growing idiosyncrasies.
Then Lance has a heart attack, leaving him with a brain injury—and dependent upon Piper for his care—just before tests confirm Piper’s suspicions that Fred is on the autism spectrum.
A powerful and extraordinary novel, Flying at Night gives voice to Fred, trying to find his place in a world that doesn’t quite understand him; to Lance, who’s lost what made him the man he was, for better and worse; and to Piper, who, while desperately trying to navigate the shifting landscape around her, watches as her son and father start to connect—in the most miraculous ways.
Why you should read this: Truly a spectacular read. The developing bond between grandfather and grandson is exceptionally moving, as is the slow repair of the fractured relationship between father and daughter.

The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey
What it’s about:
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.
Why you should read this: Looking for a perfect romancey-angsty read? Then look no further. While the story is mainly centered around Sloane, all four women have plenty of romance challenges. Harvey’s exploration of infidelity and the challenges of being a military wife add wonderful layers to an already great read. (See an excerpt from The Secret to Southern Charm on HEA.)

The Family Gathering by Robyn Carr
What it’s about:
Having left the military, Dakota Jones is at a crossroads in his life. With his elder brother and youngest sister happily settled in Sullivan’s Crossing, he shows up hoping to clear his head before moving on to his next adventure. But, like every visitor to the Crossing, he’s immediately drawn to the down-to-earth people and the seemingly simple way of life.
Dakota is unprepared for how quickly things get complicated. As a newcomer, he is on everyone’s radar—especially the single women in town. While he enjoys the attention at first, he’s really only attracted to the one woman who isn’t interested. And spending quality time with his siblings is eye-opening. As he gets to know them, he also gets to know himself and what he truly wants.
When all the Jones siblings gather for a family wedding, the four adults are drawn together for the first time in a way they never were as children. As they struggle to accept each other, warts and all, the true nature and strength of their bond is tested. But all of them come to realize that your family are the people who see you for who you really are and love you anyway. And for Dakota, that truth allows him to find the home and family he’s always wanted.
Why you should read this: For many just seeing the name Robyn Carr is enough of a recommendation. If you need additional reasons, then this story is book three in the Sullivan’s Crossing series about the Jones siblings. We’ve fallen in love with the Jones family while seeing how the challenges they’ve faced — growing up with a schizophrenic father and an enabling mother — have impacted their adult lives, more so than they realized. So it is especially rewarding to see them find love and happiness. (See an excerpt from The Family Gathering on HEA.)

Other People’s Houses by Abbi Waxman
What it’s about:
At any given moment in other people’s houses, you can find…repressed hopes and dreams…moments of unexpected joy…someone making love on the floor to a man who is most definitely not her husband…
*record scratch*
As the longtime local carpool mom, Frances Bloom is sometimes an unwilling witness to her neighbors’ private lives. She knows her cousin is hiding her desire for another baby from her spouse, Bill Horton’s wife is mysteriously missing, and now this…
After the shock of seeing Anne Porter in all her extramarital glory, Frances vows to stay in her own lane. But that’s a notion easier said than done when Anne’s husband throws her out a couple of days later. The repercussions of the affair reverberate through the four carpool families—and Frances finds herself navigating a moral minefield that could make or break a marriage.
Why you should read this: This one is wonderfully sardonic, insightful and humorous — like her interview on HEA. Waxman’s exploration of infidelity shows the impact it can have not only on family but friends, too. Her stay-at-home-mom scenarios are fun and humorous.
Leigh Davis is a former contributor to Heroes and Heartbreakers. When she is not reading, she’s usually outside throwing balls to her insatiable dogs. She loves hearing and talking about great books. You can connect with her on Twitter and Goodreads.
MORE ON HEA: See more posts by Leigh
https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/04/19/leigh-davis-womens-fiction-recommendations-rebecca-l-brown-kristy-woodson-harvey-robyn-carr-abbi-waxman/

The second book in this series did not disappoint. A great story that describes the bond of sisters and the love of family. The dynamics of Ansley’s family tells a wonderful story of how these strong women deal with every day problems as well as the hardships that come their way. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

I was so excited to return to Peachtree Bluff. The first book had so many adventures and laughs. I loved it!!!

In this book, the family matriarch (Ansley's mother) gets cancer, Sloane's husband, Adam, is missing in Iraq and Ansley is overplaying a somewhat teenage role far beneath her age over Jack. For me, it was mostly all sadness and a LOT of complaining going on. I like these characters a whole lot better with some happiness and fun going on. This one was just too sad, gloomy and depressing for me.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, but I definitely did not enjoy it as much as the first one.

The next book is setting up to answer some serious questions and I hope to see a lot more fun and sisterly rivalry in the next one.

Thanks to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Such a beautifully fun novel about small town charm and charming people.

Can’t beat a story about three sisters, all together for the summer with their families – including mother and grandmother. One of my own favorite memories is of visiting my childhood home at the same time my brother and sister were there. We enjoyed that at-home feeling. Not that we didn’t have our own homes, but there was something comforting about being in the backyard while Dad grilled dinner, mom brought out the sides, and we all talked. Easy, cozy, safe.

That’s the mood Harvey sets forth in Southern Charm. The three sisters get along, annoy but love each other, and take care of each other’s families. My favorite part was when Sloane’s husband wasn’t sure they should take Caroline’s offer to stay in her house for a while. Sloane said that what was Caroline’s was hers, because she, Caroline and Emerson were all the same one person.

Despite the ups and downs of life, the heartbreak and the grief, that’s how I feel … my siblings and I will always be the same person. We are rooted in our parents love, as are these three Southern sisters.

The book is a little slow (boring? overly descriptive) in some places, and could use some tightening up. There are also a few plot lines that I take moral issues with. Besides that, I enjoyed it, and it brought back some nice memories for me.
https://randombookmuses.com/2018/04/17/review-the-secret-to-southern-charm-by-kristy-woodson-harvey/

Kristy Woodson Harvey has another winner here! When Sloane finds out that her husband is MIA, she withdrawals into herself. She can't get past her grief, not even to take care of her young children. Her mother steps in to help her, but it's not enough, so her sisters come to her aid too. With the strength of her family behind her, will she be able to do what she promised her husband before he left? Will she be able to take care of their children and make sure they never forget him? And is he really dead? An excellent book that describes the horror that so many military families face in this day and age. An excellent read!