Thank you to UpLit Reads and Netgalley for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

This book has really good reviews so I was hopeful that this would be a great summer read for me. I was totally surprised by the vague open door scene at 18% that had zero build up and barely any tension beforehand whatsoever. I felt like this book wasn't sure who's story this was supposed to be. Is it Daphne's? June's? Lanier's? This made it so challenging to connect with any of the characters. Ultimately, this wasn't the book for me.

What a fun read! Three grown women, Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart, have been friends since attending Camp Holly Springs as little girls. They are there for each other through the hard things and good times. When things get really challenging, they find a way to support each other and the people they love to accomplish what needs to be done. I loved the feeling of friendship and family throughout the book. The characters were developed so that you were pulling for them to make good decisions, sad when things went wrong, and cheered when there were triumphs. The story focuses on camp experiences, but even if you never attended a summer camp, you feel the connection between the friends and families. If you are looking for a perfect summer/beach read, I recommend this book.

Thank you Gallery Books and Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 🌟 rounded

Can Kristy Woodson Harvey do any wrong?

This book is such a perfect summer read. Three girlfriends who met at summer camp working together years later to save the camp that brought them together? Yes please.

Of course there are love interests in this book but that wasn't what drew me in. It was the beautiful friendships.

This book had me ready to pack my bags and head off to {adult} summer camp!

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Who doesn’t love a book about summer, friendship, and love! This story about 3 friends who meet at summer camp and embark on lifelong friendships is a feel good summer read! The author does such a wonderful job of giving the characters depth and making them relatable in a lot of ways. I imagine many readers have been in circumstances very close to those of these characters. A definite recommendation for a good summertime, beach read! #TheSummerofSongbirds #KristyWoodsonHarvey #NetGalley

What a lovely summer themed nostalgic read. The first half of this one was a little hard to trudge through but once it picked up it was enjoyable. I really despised Lanier’s character and that is where this story fell short of 5 stars for me. Her character didn’t seem worthy of the friendship she withheld and the happy ending she got. I truly loved Daphne and Huff and Daphne’s strong and committed character.

One of my top reads of the summer! The stories and characters she crafts are always perfection and The Summer of Songbirds was no different. I wholeheartedly loved this book so much and could not put it down. The friendships, the found family, the romance, the emotions. All perfectly executed. The setting and memories of summer camp and secrets shared around the campfire make this the perfect summer escape and with a full cast of characters and told from multiple POV's. I even enjoyed the email exchanges between the ladies and the fact that they shared in each others "hard stuff". We would all be so lucky to find a friendship like that.

In the mood for a book to take you back to one of your favorite places as a child? This is the perfect summer read that is full of nostalgia, great friends, family, and love.
There were a couple scenes that were a little eye roll worthy but for the most part this was an enjoyable light read.

The Summer of Songbirds is a good summer read. Friendships and family are key in this book. The main characters are developed well. The overnight camp setting was intriguing and central to the story. This is a good and quick beach book.

I love when Elin Hilderbrand mentions a book on IG because it is usually great and this one was no exception. I did find the multiple female characters a bit confusing at first but after the first few chapters things became a bit clearer. Anyone with summer camp memories (or missed opportunity like me) will find this enjoyable.

An engaging novel about friendships that last forever with a location of summer camp creates a perfect addition to your summer reading list.

When their favorite summer camp, Camp Holly Springs, is threatening to go out of business, best friends Daphne, Lanier and Mary Stuart come together to try to save it. Now in their thirties, the three friends met in their first year at Camp Holly Springs. Dubbed the Songbirds, the women’s bonds that began at age six are tested over time as they endure lifes ups and downs together.

The Summer of Songbirds touches on real life issues like unplanned pregnancy, substance abuse and the loyalty of friends. Combined with lyrical prose about heartache, drama and romance, Kristy Woodson Harvey has created a moving story about enduring friendships and the lengths we go to help each other.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to review this title before its release.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is the first book I have read by Kristy Woodson Harvey and it won't be my last. What a wonderful story of friendship! It reminded me of my summers growing up, going to camp, and those summer friends that I would just see at camp. Interwoven in this story of friendship is the them of forgiveness, overcoming addiction, and love that lasts. I highly recommend this book to read this summer, to escape to Camp Holly Springs and feel like a Songbird yourself.

Thank you for the NetGalley and for the audiobook! I loved having multiple narrators in the audiobook, and it made for an enjoyable read. I did not appreciate the open door romance, and I was surprised to see that in Harvey's writings. (Perhaps it was in her prior books, but somehow, listening to it, made it more graphic). I am a known mood reader, so perhaps I wasn't in the mood for this particular read. I gave it 3 stars, as it wasn't my favorite of hers. But it is a fun summer read about camp!

A feel-good summer beach read/women's fiction story about female friendship, second chances and helping to save the summer camp that was a defining part of your youth.

Told in alternating POVs and timelines, we get to know three women who became friends at summer camp and faced challenges as they grew older. They reunite when their beloved summer camp is facing closure and try to save it.

Great on audio narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya, Reena Dutt and Jackie Sanders. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster audio for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!

This might be KWH's best yet!

Synopsis: June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs nearly thirty years ago, following a personal tragedy. Now, she is in danger of having to close the camp for good. Her niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, at Camp Holly Springs, and they've since helped each other tackle various hard things that life has thrown their ways, ranging from heartbreak to substance abuse to unplanned pregnancy. They work together to try and save the camp that has meant so much to them, all while faces personal struggles of their own.

Thoughts: As someone who both went to summer camp as a camper and then also worked as a camp counselor, I love stories about the magic of camp. Camp people are some of the most special people, and the bond you share is unlike any other. This story is full of rich backstories, and each character was very relatable. As I read, I couldn't help but feel like this was a love letter to female friendship--often imperfect, yet so important. This is an absolute must-read for this summer!

The Summer of Songbirds
Kristy Woodson Harvey
Pub Date: July 11, 2023

Wow! This book had me hooked from the start and I had a hard time putting it down! This was my first book by Kristy Woodson Harvey and will not be my last!

Daphne, Lanier and Mary Stuart all met when they were six years old at Camp Holly Springs, owned by Daphne’s aunt, June. The camp became a place they visited every summer and eventually worked at as counselors. Most of all, Camp Holly Springs was a safe haven, especially for Daphne, as her childhood and family life was rocky. Now, with the camp in financial trouble following the pandemic, the women come together to save a place that means so much to them. Past relationships and secrets threaten the women and their personal lives and friendships as they work to save the place that became their second home.

I just adored the main characters in this book! I felt like the characters were so well developed and I just felt such a connection to each one. I just loved the concept of The Hard Things List and loved how the friends were such a support for one another! And the ENDING! Just so perfect! READ THIS BOOK.

Here are some of the things I loved about this book:
Female Friendships
Second Chance Romance
The Hard Things List
Found Family
Multiple POVs (Daphne, Lanier, June)
Best Friends Brother Trope
Summer/Summer Camp Memories

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Favorite Quotes:

“Maybe there are no perfect words in a situation like this. But there are people who are perfect for each other.”

“It’s true that we can’t control the wind. But this group is better than any that I know of at adjusting our sails.”

Thank you to Kristy Woodson Harvey, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for a #gifted copy of The Summer of Songbirds!

Posted on Instagram on June 9, 2023 (Currently Reading): http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
Posted on Goodreads on June 12, 2023: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram (full review) on July 11, 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Instagram (mini review) early July 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 11, 2023
**-will post on designated date

This book just feels nostalgic for me with the summer sleep away camp setting. The friendships made, and how they’ve faired over the years. I really loved how if one of the friends had a hard task to do, one of the other friends would take care of it for them. I loved the character growth. This was a delightful book to read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kristy Woodson Harvey does it again! She has quickly become an auto-buy author for me. This is the perfect summer read, taking you back to your days of carefree living at summer camp. I loved the girls, especially Daphne. I thought Lanier was a bit of a tough character to love, but her development throughout the book was so great to see. I thought the story was well paced, the world Kristy created was one you could easily get lost in.

3.75 rounded down to 3. I know 3.75 should round up to 4 but this feels more like a 3 star read than a 4 star read to me. I honestly think this book got better the more I read. It went from 3 to 3.75 from about 60% on.

I enjoyed this one! It's not super deep which is why I'm rating it lower but it is a good, mindless beach read. Kristy Woodson Harvey writes great beach reads that are so summery and fun. I loved the camp plotline of this one because it really felt so summery.

I think this one is worth a read! No, it's not the best book I've ever read but I did enjoy it.

TW: Drugs, Car Accident, Cheating

KWH takes the reader on a nostalgic summer at camp, as she tells the story of three friends who bonded over camp fires, cabins, and sailing adventures. They have maintained their relationships as they grow into adults, supporting one another through their "hard things" and celebrating their happy times. This book is a warm hug when the world seems chaotic. A feel good romance, a family drama, and an ode to friendship, you will definitely enjoy this novel!

A great beach read. A combination of nostalgia, love, friendship, and what it means to forgive. A delightful book to read in the summertime to remind you of days of the past and appreciate the present.