Ain't She a Peach by Molly Harper is a great fit for readers looking for a lighthearted and humorous contemporary romance with a unique small-town setting and quirky characters.

I absolutely love this series and this book is not an exception! I love southern based novels. This series is filled with humor, romance and adventure! If you haven't checked out this series, it's definitely a must read!

Fun book. Frankie was one of my favorite characters from the first book Sweet Tea And Sympathy, so I was happy to see her get her own story. Frankie is the wild child of the family. She is impulsive, sassy, snarky, and sarcastic, but also loving and loyal to her family. A survivor of childhood leukemia, Frankie still lives at home with her very overprotective parents. She longs to break out on her own but doesn't want to hurt their feelings. When the pressure gets to be too much, she sneaks off to Atlanta for a "hit it and quit it" night with a random man. One of those encounters comes back to bite her when he shows up in Lake Sackett as the new interim sheriff.

Eric was a cop in Atlanta until a confrontation gone wrong sent him looking for a slower paced life and job. It takes him a while to adjust, and in the meantime, he sees foul play in almost every death. This brings him into frequent contact with town coroner and mortician Frankie, the woman he hasn't been able to forget.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Frankie and Eric. The chemistry between them is strong, though each tries to fight it. It was fun to see her jerk Eric's chain about his tendency to see murder in the most normal of deaths. The barbs and insults that fly between them highlight the emotion that both try to deny. Franke has to dial down the snark when she goes to Eric for help catching the vandal who has targeted the funeral home. Frankie is sure she knows who it is, but Eric believes in law and order and evidence. As they worked together to catch the culprit, they frequently clash over methods, but also grow closer emotionally. But when Frankie goes a little too far with one of her plans, it puts Eric's job in jeopardy and causes a rift between them. Harsh words were spoken, and though they hurt, they also created some serious self-reflection. I ached a bit for Frankie as she saw herself through new eyes, but I also cheered for her and the changes she made. I liked her big moment at the end as she and Eric realized that they belonged together.

As in the previous book, life in Lake Sackett is not dull. Small town life has everyone poking their noses in everyone else's lives, making some go to extreme lengths to get a little privacy. Small town politics also invade every facet of life, from the PTA to the town government. Frankie and her cousin Margot got yet another taste of this when it came time to plan the annual Trunk-or-Treat for Halloween. The planning session was a riot, from deciding on the venue to arguments over costumes allowed. I loved seeing Margot maintain control and give as good as she gets in the process. The other big story is the case of the vandalism at the funeral home. Since Frankie is confident who is behind it, she is ready to have it out with him, but Eric reminds her that without solid evidence, he can't do anything about it. I could feel Frankie's frustration, especially when one attempt goes so badly wrong. I loved that she learned her lesson, and when the opportunity came to set a trap, she was extremely clever about it. I loved how it played out and seeing the punk get what was coming to him. There was also a nice little twist that had a connection to Eric.

I enjoyed seeing more of Frankie's family members. Aunt Tootie is always a hoot with her abundance of rescue dogs and her unfiltered commentary on everything. I liked catching up on what is happening with Margot and Kyle, especially the surprise that Margot is facing. I'm looking forward to seeing how that works out. I saw more of the relationship between Frankie and her parents and completely understood her frustration. Their overprotectiveness was definitely over the top, though it was also understandable. It was difficult for her to break away without feeling guilty about hurting their feelings. Their confrontation over the issue was emotional but productive.

4 Peachy Stars

I love this book/series. The characters are quirky and entertaining! Frankie McCready is hilarious and the banter between her and the new sheriff, Eric Linden, is non-stop fun. The charm of the McCready family and the people in the town of Lake Sackett, GA makes me want more!

Frankie McCready runs her family's mortuary. She's young, sassy and a bit eccentric. When her and the cute sheriff, Eric, start working on cases together, they do nothing more than bicker! Eric Linden is new to Lake Sackett and learning quick how tight the Lake Sackett community is. Eric is just trying to be thorough with his job and protecting the town. But doesn't help when he has to deal with Frankie and all her quirkiness.

Not only do I love the snarkiness and banter between Frankie and Eric, the chemistry that these two have between the pages is nothing but cute! Ain't She a Peach is a fun read that I can't wait to get more in the McCready family.

Molly Harper delivers again, executing the perfect sweet spot of tenderness and humor. With Sackett, Georgia as the setting, only Harper could pull off romance, humor, and mystery in a storyline. Well done.

Recommended! AIN’T SHE A PEACH by Molly Harper continues the snarky fun we had in SWEET TEA AND SYMPATHY with the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop as the stage. Bet you can’t read just one!

Frankie McCready loves to talk to her customers and play their favorite music while she does their makeup. Friends are a little weirded out since her customers are deceased, but Frankie thinks it’s normal. After all, she grew up at the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop in Georgia. As the coroner, death is a weekly ritual that she insists is handled with respect for these people she has known her whole life.

A one-night stand with new Sheriff Eric Linden wasn’t exactly the best way to start a working relationship. Not that Frankie knew he was the sheriff when she had sex with the man. Just her luck to love him and leave him and then have him show up in her hometown. If that wasn’t enough, now he feels the need to be Dick Tracy and claim every death in town suspicious.

I highlighted far more passages in this book than normal. Author Molly Harper cracks me up, especially in this series. I find this family to be a hoot and a holler away from crazy, just the way I like them in a romantic comedy. She makes me laugh and laugh – it’s such good therapy. The writing isn’t just funny, it’s extremely clever snark that pokes fun at the ridiculous side of humanity.

So much so that I read this book twice before writing the review. I read it last summer while on vacation, but I didn’t take enough notes to be able to write a worthy review. Thinking I could just skim it the second time to write the review, the story and characters pulled me in. I easily read it cover to cover in 24 hours.

Enemies-to-Lovers is one of my favorite tropes but it’s extra-fun when it’s a reunited pair who thought they were a one-night stand. Frankie’s observations about Eric at the beginning of the novel are hilarious. Even her description of Eric’s looks is laugh-out-loud funny. The coroner vs. sheriff routine reminds me of one of my favorite television shows – NCIS. Frankie is the perfect description of the geeky brainchild and her quirky behavior is addictive. Frankie and Eric together are like Mutt and Jeff or two of the Three Stooges until they finally come to an understanding. Always poking at one another, even in love they’re open in warfare.

Word of warning – situations are sometimes outrageously naughty and the characters often have potty mouths. They have a jar for that, so they’re well aware that swearing costs them money every time. It’s good fun, silly, and entertaining. I’m completely amazed at the comedic material in these books. Molly Harper should be a stand-up comedian. She takes life’s little moments and human characteristics, twists them on their head, making them both corny and believable.

Margot Cary from book one, SWEET TEA AND SYMPATHY, gets a lot of page time, so fans will enjoy her continuing story with Kyle and his girls. I was thrilled to get more pages with this couple. The cousins also spend a lot of time counseling Frankie so their hilarity continues as well. I did miss Donna as she doesn’t have any page time, but there’s a good laugh-out-loud moment where she’s mentioned.

I loved the book so much the second time that when I realized there were three novellas that were published in-between the novels, I immediately bought them. If you love a Kindle deal – the price is good. And that would be an easy way to introduce you to why I find this series so addictive.

In the end, the second time I read this book was just as much fun as when I read it on my vacation the first time. It’s not necessary to read the books in order as AIN’T SHE A PEACH reads fine as a standalone, but I don’t recommend it. You’ll miss half the fun if you don’t read SWEET TEA AND SYMPATHY first.

Frankie and Eric are perfect for one another. Their love story is filled with outrageous behavior and sentimental sweetness. There’s some crime they need to solve together, so that adds to their conflict and respect for one another. It’s hard to imagine one without the other as they’re a natural fit. I can’t wait to find out more about their happy-for-now in the next book, GIMME SOME SUGAR, releasing in April 2019.

Creative and quirky, full of trash talk, snark and backwoods oddities, Molly Harper once again made me laugh with her entertaining characters in AIN’T SHE A PEACH. I highly recommend the SOUTHERN ECLECTIC series to anyone in need of a really good time. Just be aware that anyone close to you will be reading over your shoulder, curious about why you’re laughing, snorting, or guffawing. Go on now, you know you want to buy it and see why I’m smiling. Happy Reading!

Review by Dorine, courtesy of TheZestQuest.com.

This book had promise. I enjoyed the first book in the series so I was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately though I did not find myself looking forward to reading it and would have abandoned it had I not received an arc for it. I thought it seemed super long, way longer than 304 pages, and the story meanders. Unfortunately I don't think I'd recommend this one.

3.5/5 I mean this was good but didn't blow my mind! I did enjoy it and thought that the characters were interesting and unique! I did like the mystery feel of this, and thought it was fun being taken on a hunt for this criminal and everything going on. I also thought this book was funny as all heck! I actually would burst out laughing at times because it was just fun and funny! The humor was great! Really made reading this book so much better. If you're looking for a fun novel check this one out!

I loved this book! Molly Harper is a wonderful, snarky writer! Her characters are hilarious, complex, and with just the right amount of snark! They seem so real and you want to be a part of their circle! This is about Frankie the local mortician/medical examiner in a small Georgia town of Lake Sackett and an ex Atlanta Cop named Eric. There is a clash of wills since Frankie has been doing things her way and Eric is all about procedure, procedure Frankie doesn't want to follow. This is a great read and I can't wait for more from the sleepy town of Lake Sackett!

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4 1/2
Let the games begin!!
Frankie McCready is determined to win this battle of wits against her nemesis Lake Sackett’s resident teenage creep Jared! Yes, I said it Frankie is going to war against a teenager. With the help of the smexy, surly sheriff Frankie will get her man and prove that Jared is guilty all at the same time!!!!

Eric Linden had hoped coming to a small town would be the perfect place for him to lay low and enjoy the quiet life. Neither of those thing will happen if the super adorable coroner keeps asking him for help.

But what is a guy suppose to do when the girl he is crushing on asks for his help?


I loved this book. It was a lot of fun to watch Frankie run around like a crazy person trying to catch Jared in his tricks while trying to not fall for Sheriff Linden. As always Molly insuses her story with wit, snark and a little creative laugh! I love reading/listening to Molly’s books they always make me laugh out loud (I should remember that next time I am in the airport).

Again the amazing Amanda Ronconi lends her talented voice to bring Molly’s characters and world to life. You just can’t go wrong with this pairing!!!

Can’t wait to see what is next for the McCready family!!! I am hoping that Duffy will finally get a HEA and dump his crazy ex for good!!!


Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

This book has you back at the McCready Family Funeral home and Bait shop. The story mostly centers on Frankie who is the embalmer, make-up artist, and county corner. It is the last title that she does not use very much and one she is glad she did not. That is until a new sheriff arrived in town and now she has been called out more than she ever has. Working with the new man is frustrating because of his requesting her assistance on every death and then when he shows up in her place of work he criticizes her talking to the dead, her style, at times her attitude, and well you get the point. When Sheriff Eric Linden for another update and the verbal banter begins suddenly the room becomes quite becomes has passed out. When he is back with the living Frankie has proven to him that the case like she had stated before his nape was an accident. Now begins the life of Frankie and her quest to bring down the person who she thinks has been tormenting her and her place of work for the past years, and always refers to her as a freak. The problem is finding evidence of the person doing anything in the act, and getting people to believe that are not related to her. While that is going on her and the Eric are trying to maybe start dating but each one has issues from their past. His is the reason why he left Atlanta and came to a small town, and her is her illness from childhood and still wanting to get out from her parents contest hovering. The story has many layers and will keep you going with the same cast of characters from the last book and with a few and with some surprises. This all leads for a wonderful book once again.

As the second novel and fourth book in the Southern Eclectic series, there is not much that is a surprise with Ain’t She a Peach. It is as charming as the other novels and novellas in the series with the same quirky family members and town politics that fans have come to love. This time around, we finally get Frankie’s story with its darker history, unusual professional career choice, and eccentricities, alongside her potential love interest with his own mysterious past.

One of the reasons I love Ms. Harper’s novels so much is how she portrays relationships. They are so much fun. These are friends with no secrets and no shame between them. In Frankie’s case, they are her family members, which I find even more exceptional. The banter between them is highly entertaining, but moreover I love how each and every one of Frankie’s family will defend her or the rest of the family with its life. Perhaps I enjoy this because it is so different from my own experiences with either friends or family, but I find their interactions not just amusing but also hopeful. Too many people I know have strained relationships with at least one family member, and I know too many introverts like myself struggling for adult friendships that are meaningful. If Ms. Harper’s characters can find either one, there is hope for us all.”

Another element of Ms. Harper’s novels I enjoy is the fact that no matter how silly or simple the stories are, there is always some element of character development to her stories. Sometimes it is becoming more self-aware, sometimes it is letting go of old ideas, and sometimes it is taking a stand. At no time is the development forced. It occurs naturally through the action and dialogue within the novel. In addition, not only does this make the characters much more likeable, it makes them more realistic as well. These are not glamorous characters with no major faults. These are characters who are just like you and me, with money problems and jobs that force them to make tough decisions and keep them busy.

Ms. Harper’s stories are meant to lighten your heart, entertain your mind, and provide food for thought. Ain’t She a Peach does just that with the McCready clan and Frankie’s growing maturity. Even better, Frankie’s position as embalmer and coroner allows Ms. Harper to explore the trappings of death in a manner that is not macabre or disrespectful. The overall effect is a novel that exudes southern charm without any pandering or gross stereotypes. If you have not yet read anything by Ms. Harper, I strongly encourage you to do so. They are a balm to my soul in these trying times, something I know we all could use.

I read Sweet Tea and Sympathy so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book! I was not disappointed, plus I got to visit the characters from the first book. It was like visiting with old friends. This book does work very well as a standalone novel but You will want to read both books as they are fun, and light. I was actually kicked out of bed because I kept waking my husband because I was laughing. I think I have found gifts for my favorite girlfriends. I know they will love these books as much as I do!

This is the third book in the series "Southern Eclectic" by Molly Harper. After hearing the stories of the older two cousins in the McCready family we finally get to read about little cousin Frankie who is the strangest of the lot. I found her to be funny, and not just in the odd version of the word as a side character in the first two books. In this book we get a deeper sense of why Frankie does and says the things that she does and why being the town embalmer is her calling.

This was fun! I thought the reason for the Hero's job leaving/fear of death was admittedly kind of silly/funny, but I enjoyed this one & do love Molly Harper. I wish there had been a bit more suspense to keep the plot going though, considering their roles in the community (or more high-jinx re: the Hero being convinced that something had to be going on in their small town).

Ain’t She a Peach
Southern Eclectic #4
Molly Harper
Gallery Books, June 2018
ISBN 978-1-5011-5133-0
Trade Paperback

Once again, the McCready family of Lake Sackett, Georgia, is back in fine fettle with their McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop and, also once again, they’ve captured my heart. This time the focus is on Frankie, the youngish coroner/embalmer who considers herself well past the age of independence but her parents don’t know how to even begin to think of letting their precious only child spread her wings, so to speak. Sure, she sneaks off to Atlanta occasionally for a night of satisfying rowdiness but she can’t make herself move out (although she has disabled the location service they use to track her). There are very good reasons for this helicopter parenting but, really, she needs to grow a pair!

There’s a new Sheriff in town, Erik Linden, and while Frankie has a few, or a lot, of philosophical differences with Erik, including his queasiness around her dead customers, she’s finding it very hard to resist the man. Meanwhile, the rest of the McCready bunch are around and about and the town’s Halloween Trunk-R-Treat festival is coming up while a teenaged desperado has it in for Frankie for some reason.

The whole rambunctious McCready clan is a family I’d love to be part of and this fourth book in Molly Harper‘s series is just as much fun as all the others. Oh, I do hope there will be more!

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, July 2018.

Lake Sackett, Georgia… where the peaches are ripe, the tea is sweet, and the families are crazy… and by crazy I mean Ah-Mazing! If you haven’t fallen in love with this series yet, then you are missing out! Ain’t She A Peach is the second installment in the Southern Eclectic series by Molly Harper. It centers around Frankie McCready, the town coroner, and the hot new sheriff in town, Eric Linden. Their story is funny, quirky, and really quite charming. It’s hard not to fall in love with both of them and yet want to smack them upside the head at the same time. LOL!

From the get go, the sparks fly between Frankie and Eric. It was easy for me to get on board with their budding relationship. A sheriff who gets a bit woozy around dead bodies and a coroner who still talks to said bodies sweetly and with care is bound to be good read. Without giving anything away, know that Ain’t She a Peach is worth checking out. You’ll be rooting for Frankie and Eric, you’ll be laughing with the McCready clan, and you’ll be swooning by the end. A quick, entertaining read that is perfect to throw in your beach bag this summer!

Molly Harper's Southern Eclectic series has the perfect small town southern setting filled with the most colorful and quirkiest bunch of people you'll ever meet! You can't help but love the McCready family, who I first fell in love with when I finished reading book one in the series, Sweet Tea and Sympathy a day before starting Ain't She a Peach!

Going straight into the next book was super fun since I was already hankering to find out what was going to happen next! Admittedly, I didn't read the synopsis, and I wasn't sure what the book would be about...a continuation of Margot's story from book one? Or something else? I was happily surprised that the book was about Margot's cousin, Frankie who was a great side character in the first book. Not that Margot isn't in book two (with some wild happenings of her own), but Frankie, the town coroner and embalmer at the family business, the McCready Family Funeral Home & Bait Shop, is super eccentric, snarky, witty, charming, and just plain fun, so I was glad to see her have her own book! Her relationship with Eric, the new sheriff is more than interesting since sparks seem to fly between the two...sassy, southern romance at it's best! This is a hilarious follow up to Sweet Tea and Sympathy, and it makes for a great, light read! Ain't She a Peach can certainly be read as a standalone, but I think you should read book one to learn all about the fun but crazy residents of Lake Sackett!! I highly recommend Ain't She a Peach and can't wait for the next book in the series! 

**Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for my review copy to read in exchange for my fair and honest review. **

Ain't She a Peach is an absolutely adorable story! The heroine is strong, lovable, and quirky. The hero is hunky and cute, too! I was so thrilled with this quick-paced romance and I loved the small-town charm. It was full of love and southern charm. I will be reading much more by Molly Harper!

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure: I love Molly Harper's quirky--dare I say eclectic?--style of writing. Her Jane Jameson, Half-Moon Hollow, and Naked Werewolf books rank up there among my favorite go-tos for feel-good reads. Even though there's not a supernatural in sight here (people dressing up don't count), I still had such a good time reading this book. The romance is extremely slow moving--Frankie's got a plethora of issues to work through, several of them having to do with her relationship with her parents; Eric's still got that new-guy-to-a-small-town thing working against him and has an election to (hopefully) win--but everything else that's going on in the meantime is just so darn amusing you barely even notice that they're not moving much beyond a slow burn.

(Until Eric goes swimming late at night in his birthday suit, of course. That was verrrrry noticeable, thankyouverymuch.)

Ms. Harper definitely has the small-town, close-knit family thing down, you guys. So many things in this story seemed kinda crazy and over the top, but at the same time I was thinking, yeah, that could totally happen. (Especially all those meetings with the moms over the trunk-or-treat thing...that was spot on. Obviously Ms. Harper has been at her share of parent meetings.) The ending is absolutely adorable, and given how much Margot and Kyle showed up here, I can't wait to see Frankie and Eric make their own guest appearances in future books.

Please tell me Duffy's getting a book :)

I haven't yet read the first book ( Sweet Tea and Sympathy ) or the related novellas (the description of Peachy Flippin' Keen seems awfully similar to this one...a prequel, I guess?), though they're absolutely on my list. It worked okay as a standalone, but I have a feeling you'll be a but more comfortable with the slightly crazy family dynamic here if you've at least read the other novel first. I did have a few who is that character again? moments from time to time (50% of the time the answer was "Frankie's cousin") but it didn't really take away from my enjoyment at all. I always figured out who they were...eventually ;)

Book one, here I come!

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.