The Southern Side of Paradise
Series: The Peachtree Bluff Series (Book 3)
Kristy Woodson Harvey
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books (May 7, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1982116625
ISBN-13: 978-1982116620
BOOK BLURB: With the man of her dreams back in her life and all three of her daughters happy, Ansley Murphy should be content. But she can’t help but feel like it’s all a little too good to be true.
Meanwhile, youngest daughter and actress Emerson, who is recently engaged and has just landed the role of a lifetime, seemingly has the world by the tail. Only, something she can’t quite put her finger on is worrying her—and it has nothing to do with her recent health scare.
When two new women arrive in Peachtree Bluff—one who has the potential to wreck Ansley’s happiness and one who could tear Emerson’s world apart—everything is put in perspective. And after secrets that were never meant to be told come to light, the powerful bond between the Murphy sisters and their mother comes crumbling down, testing their devotion to each other and forcing them to evaluate the meaning of family.
REVIEW: This is the third and final book in the Peachtree series, and it ties up the stories of the Murphy women quite nicely. When I received the advance review copy to read, I didn’t know this was the final book, and in a way I was disappointed. I’ve enjoyed reading about the lives of the Murphy women, and leaving them will be like leaving good friends.
In addition to the details that brought the setting of the town, the beach, the lake, and Starlite Island alive in all of the books, I appreciated the uniqueness of each of the characters. Through all three books the women had their own very distinct personality that stayed true through each story.
While reading this final book in the series, I really enjoyed seeing all the main players in previous stories take the stage, including Granny who makes an appearance in remembrances by Emerson and Ansley. I always liked Granny’s no-nonsense approach to life and her wonderful philosophy. In a flashback told from Emerson’s point of view, the reader gets a taste of Granny at her best. Emerson is having a serious discussion with Granny and Granny says, “Honey we better hope that God has loopholes. Otherwise we’re all screwed.”
Amen to that!
I enjoy the author’s writing, and I’ve been invested in these characters since the series first started. So even though this last story didn’t have some of the depth of plot issues that the two previous books did, I read on to the end and I am so glad I did. The ending was perfect. It made me smile. One of those smiles you get even though tears are misting your eyes, and I dare you to read the book and not feel the same way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kristy Woodson Harvey is a born-and-bred North Carolina girl who loves all four seasons—especially fall in Chapel Hill, where she attended college, and summer in Beaufort, where she and her family spend every free moment. The author of Dear Carolina and Lies and Other Acts of Love, Kristy is also the founder of the popular interior design blog Design Chic. You can follow Kristy on her website – Facebook – Twitter and Pinterest She can also be found on Instragram as @kristywharvey