I enjoyed this book so much. It was such a great read. The characters are realistic & the story is exceptional! Looking forward to more greatness from Kristy Woodson Harvey!

Recently separated Amelia Buxton, a dedicated journalist, 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.

What a beautiful, wonderful book - ALL THE FEELS!! This is more than a simple summer beach read. It's a complex storyline with richly developed characters, each of whom I felt a deep connection to. I was torn between wanting to see what happened, and not wanting the book to end. I highly recommend!

"But life is like that. Sometimes the nothing moments are everything." Amelia
I loved this book! Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey is interwoven with layers of love, loss, and new possibilities for life.
Amelia Buxton is an investigative journalist in Palm Beach who has uncovered a story she feels will spring her career forward, but she soon finds it has even more personal meaning. Amelia breaks a major rule of journalism, she was childhood friends with one of the individuals who is listed within her story and she calls to tell him she must speak with him. One day she goes home early to an unexpected shock. Her husband is playing house with the guy who styles her hair! She walks out and never looks back even though she feels betrayed. She has no idea this momentous event in her life will lead to a hugely different life. She goes home to tell her folks and spend a few days recovering at the family's large farm home along the shores of Buxton Beach.
While she is home Parker Thaysden, the friend she had requested a meeting with, arrives in Buxton Beach to find out the news Amelia must reveal. The embryos he and his late wife, Greer, had stored in a clinic have been considered abandoned, in the years since her death and are subject to being destroyed.
When she returns to Palm Beach and the publication she is shocked again, McCann Publications has purchased the magazine and she is given three months severance pay. So, back to Buxton Beach, she returns to decide her next move.
Greer's story is told through her journals. She loved Parker and wanted to have his babies. When she developed ovarian cancer, she knew in her heart that her fate would be the same as her mother who died as a young woman with the same type of cancer.
I won't post spoilers, but his book is so much more than a romance. There are secrets that have been woven into and between these families for years. I loved Aunt Tilly, although I could not help but wonder if her memory 'problems' were her inability to deal with her life, so she just played a part to avoid the personal pain of loss.
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book. It’s only the second book I’ve read from Kristy Woodson Harvey. While it is a beach read the subject matter was a little surprising. It was a little heavier than most beach reads. I really enjoyed seeing how much love the main character had for his wife. I will recommend this book to my customers and friends.

I needed this book. Thank you Kristy Woodson Harvey! I just finished Kristin Hannah’s “The Four Winds” a fabulous book, but I needed a good beach read after that book. “Under the Southern Sky” was that book! I throughly enjoyed this book. It has all of the emotions of good Southern Charm - heartache, loss, love and family. If you are looking for a feel good book, this one is for you. Thank you #NetGalley, #Simon&Schuster and #KristyWoodsonHarvey for the advance readers copy of this book for my honest opinion

Omg! Kristy Woodson Harvey has written an amazing new book. Didn't think she could top her prior series but this standalone is all that and more. Be prepared all the feels you will lough.you will cry, be happy, be mad. It is a truly beautiful heartfelt story of friends family and so much more. All done with Kristy's amazing southern flare.

Kristy. Woodson Harvey’s book is a wonderful read. I couldn’t put it down. It has a bit of everything from loss to a hope for new beginnings. Each chapter is told in the characters own words mostly Parker, Greer and Amelia. Parker is the grieving husband. Greer is his deceased wife. Amelia is the childhood friend of Parker and intertwined with Greer. Sometimes the chapters are in current times and sometimes they go back in their past. It still flows because it has to do with the story they are telling. I will recommend this book to my friends. Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books/Simon Shuster for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

4 stars

This is a beautiful story. An emotional story of love, loss, grief and moving on, friendship and family, and finding where you truly belong. It’s sweet, romantic and beautifully written, and I loved it.

Amelia is a journalist who is left reeling when she learns that her seemingly perfect life is anything but. Her marriage is over, but she loses herself in her latest story investigating what happens to ‘abandoned’ embryos following fertility treatments. It’s an interesting dilemma, for sure, but it becomes deeply personal for Amelia when she realises that some of those embryos belong to her childhood friend and neighbour, Parker, and his late wife.

Parker hasn’t moved on in the three years since his wife died. She was his world and her slow death from cancer was traumatic and devastating. So after Amelia turns up on his doorstep to give him the news that he still has a tangible connection to his beloved wife, he is determined to find a surrogate to give him the children that they could never have together.

It’s an intriguing situation, and I read with eager anticipation, guessing what was coming next and loving every moment of it. But then the story twisted in a direction that I wasn’t expecting, and I loved that too, because I had no idea how it was all going to work out, and I loved watching these characters stumble through and figure it all out in a way that is less than perfect, but so very real.

"I had been holding on to the past so hard that I couldn’t even imagine the future."

Amelia and Parker are both in a position where their futures are up in the air, and they have a lot of soul searching to do. Some of that they do together, and some of it apart, and it’s a beautiful journey as two childhood friends reconnect and find their way forward. Amelia brings life back into Parker’s world, and there are some wonderful moments of laughter and fun, as well as deep and meaningful conversation. They share a lot – both from their past, and in trying to figure their lives out, and there’s something really special about these two together.

"Amelia was a part of my heart. She always had been."

There’s a great cast of friends and family rallying around and supporting Amelia and Parker through their journeys – including interfering mothers who are desperate to see their kids together and happy. There’s a lot of depth to the story which is slowly revealed throughout the book, and the whole thing is really cleverly put together. By the time you get to the end, you realise just how intricate and right it all is.

The story ends in a great place, though I would have loved just a little bit more, but it was satisfying, and left me smiling.

Beautifully written with lots of feels, this is a gorgeous read.

4 stars.

I really enjoyed this book, and loved the characters of Amelia and Parker. Obviously, this author has a great love for southern traditions; and it shined through on every page.
If you enjoy romance ( very light ) humor, with a southern flair, this is the book for you.

I didn't know going into this book how emotional it was going to be. This is a touching, sad, beautiful book about a woman and man who both have a second chance at love. This was my first novel by @kristywharvey
but after finishing, I want to go back and read everything she has written. I am a sucker for emotional romances and this fit the bill.

Honestly the way that these two maim characters start to overcome their losses and learn to love again is such a beautiful thing, and Parker may just be my new book husband 🥰 He was so bogged down with grief over losing his late wife and didn't think anyone or anything could make him happy again. Until Amelia came back into his life again that is...

I would highly suggest this novel to all women's fiction and romance genre lovers. If you're a fan of Elin Hilderbrand, I think you would like Kristy's books too.

Thank you to @netgalley
and @gallerybooks
for the advanced reading copy.

TW: loss of loved one, infertility

The Peachtree Bluff series was my introduction to Kristy Woodson Harvey. She has outdone herself with Under the Southern Sky! A captivating novel about love, loss, and finding love again. It is filled with multdimensional characters,....one of which is the setting of Port Carolina, NC. I usually scan the location descriptions, but KWH paints a vivid picture of the locales. I literally fell in love with the "hero", Parker......WOW! The book is told from several points of view and each character has his or her strengths and flaws! This is much more that women's fiction; it delves into relationships, surrogacy, infertility and especially, the process of making life altering decisions! I absolutely loved this book. Thank you NetGalley and Kristy Woodson Harvey for this ARC!

Kristy Woodson Harvey has done it again, folks! Her books just keep getting better and better. I first was drawn to her after hearing KWH called the Elin Hilderbrand of the South and boy, that comparison is spot on. She went from being an unknown author to me less than a year ago, to a must-buy and I was so delighted to have the chance to read Under the Southern Sky early. It has been one of my most anticipated books of 2021 and is holding strong to being one of my favorite reads of the year.

I have to say, that I expected another book taking place in the Carolinas (which I love, don’t get me wrong), but when I found out this book would take place a few hours from my home, in Palm Beach, Florida, I was thrilled. The way KWH paints the city, makes me feel like I am there. As someone who has been to many of these places, I am filled with such joy reading about them, especially as it has been over a year since I’ve been able to go due to COVID.

On a very personal note, I suffer from endometriosis and know the author does as well. I love that she normalizes story lines and conversations about women’s reproductive health. As someone who has undergone a hysterectomy at a young age, and been unable to have children, sometimes these storylines can be difficult, so I would caution readers who have sensitivity to fertility issues (especially embryos). However, I’ll say that the way KWH handles these topics is with grace and care. Reading something from an author who has lived these same struggles is incredibly comforting. It’s not simply an author using pain as a plot line. She is sensitive to it, while still crafting an incredible story.

Thank you Net Galley and Gallery Books for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

In true Kristy Woodson Harvey fashion, "Under the Southern Sky" is a story filled with southern charm, family secrets and second chance romance.

Amelia Buxton's life is in shambles. She can't seem to catch a break but when she uncovers a life altering piece of information, she feels called to reach out to childhood friend Parker to help him find a silver lining of his own after years of heartache. For the first time, Amelia feels like she is making a difference. When heartache strikes again, Amelia and Parker are sent on their own journeys to find happiness. But can they find their way back to what truly makes them happy? With a bit of family meddling and southern grace, a second chance at a new beginning is within reach for the duo.

I received a free e-ARC through Netgalley.
This book cover looks like a beach read, but it's way deeper than that with issues of loss, love and changing your dreams as often as it takes. What would you do if your spouse died, but you had embryos left behind? Can your dream of having a family still come true? I was glad to see characters that were able to be forthright with their desires and their dreams. It's scary to relieve our true selves to someone else, but it's also what life demands of us to build the closest relationships.

This is a sweet book with some pretty entertaining characters. I have to admit that I knew how it would end early on, but there were a couple of side stories that kept me interested. I actually would love to read a book about Aunt Tilly or George - they were the ones that left me wanting more! Overall a great beach read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

A Family Drama and Romance with a Modern Twist

SUMMARY
Amelia Buxton is reeling from her discovery of her husband’s unfaithfulness with another man, and not just any man, but her hairdresser. Despite this revelation, Amelia is a dedicated journalist in Palm Beach and is digging into the biggest story of her career—abandon embryos at a local clinic. Amelia discovers that some of the abandon embryos belong to her childhood friend Parker Thaysden and his late wife Greer, she debates whether to say something to Parker.

The seemingly perfect Greer passed away three years ago and Parker has been unable to move forward ever since. He had all but forgotten about the frozen embryos, but once Amelia reveals her discovery, he knows he wants them. He wants to have something of Greer’s, he wants to be a father to Greer’s children, but he is going to need a surrogate.

Amelia and Parker’s families are lifelong next door neighbors and best friends. The Buxton and Thaysden families can’t help but hope their dreams of uniting their families by marriage might finally be in the cards. But is it?

REVIEW
Under the Southern Sky is a sweet modern family drama and romance and is a perfect beach read. It’s quick, charming and entertaining.

Author Kristy Woodsen Harvey’s writing is crisp, clear and delightfully fun. She jets the reader between North Carolina, Palm Beach and New York City with her fast moving writing.

The characters are well-drawn, and you can’t help but feel the emotional struggles both Amelia and Parker are encountering. Harvey creatively even brings Greer back to life through her journal entries, adding yet another dimension to this multi-faceted story.

Harvey is the bestselling author of numerous book including the Peachtree Bluff series. She is the winner of several Southern writing awards and accolades including the Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Gallery Books
Published April 20, 2021
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Under the Southern Sky has it all - humor, sadness, losses and gains. Amelia, in the true spirit of fictional Southern women, has grit. She has to make decisions not only for herself, but for others she cares about. Or, in one case, barely knows. She also has to learn to forgive, which may be the toughest of all. Thought-provoking as well as entertaining, I couldn’t put Under the Souther Sky down!

I absolutely loved this book. Such a wonderful journey of love, loss, forgiveness, and second chances.
Amelia thought her and Thad had the perfect marriage, so perfect in fact that she wrote and published a beautiful feature article about it. Only to discover it was all a lie. Depressed and torn apart, Amelia heads home to her family's house to share her sad news with her family.
Parker and his family have lived next door their whole lives. Parker recently lost his wife, Greer, to a battle with cancer, and cannot seem to move past her death and start living again. All that changes when he finds out that the embryos they had frozen, where still in storage.
The journey Amelia and Parker embark on is not an easy one, or necessary one that either of them intended to happen. But at the end, maybe they can find the happiness they both crave and deserve.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you publishers and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. This was actually my first book from Kristy Woodson Harvey but I can tell you it will not be my last! I was not prepared to be so emotional but I genuinely loved and connected with these characters. I gave it 5 stars and can't wait to read everything by this amazing author now. If you are looking for strong characters, a beautiful journey of self-discovery, and relationship building, all while taking place in a beautiful setting then look no further!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Excellent writing, quick pace, fantastic topic that resonates in today’s world. The book is about relationships—husband/wife, paren/children, siblings, friends. There’s sadness and joy. The very delicate topic of second marriages is handled deftly and completely. It would make an excellent book club selection because as soon as I completed it, I really wanted to discuss aspects of it with my contemporaries.