The internationally bestselling Peachtree Bluff series concludes with this ”deliciously authentic Southern tale of family and the often messy, complex relationships between sisters, mothers, and daughters” (Susan Boyer, USA TODAY bestselling author). 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 … should be content. But she can’t help but feel like it’s all a little too good to be true.
Her youngest daughter, actress Emerson, is recently engaged and has just landed the role of a lifetime. She seemingly has the world by the tail and yet 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.
“Kristy Woodson Harvey has done it again….The Southern Side of Paradise is full of humor, charm, and family” (Lauren K. Denton, USA TODAY bestselling author) and is the ultimate satisfying beach read.
more
The final chapter to the Peachtree Bluff series and it is amazing. The Murphy family is wonderful. With each book we meet, learn, and fall in love with them. This book is all about Emerson who is an actress but has come home to marry her high school sweetheart. Emerson is looking for happiness and really loves James but something is still missing. She must take hard looks at her life, take steps back to see where she left her heart, and take a big jump forward to find her future. There are lessons to be learned not only by Emerson but by her family and friends also. They are hard lessons but with the support of her mother and sisters, she can accomplish anything.
The Southern Side of Paradise pulls together all three daughters and their mother in a way that families often are. There are secrets that weren’t meant to be shared, love that shines through everything, and proof that with family anything can be fixed. I love how these 4 can fight, argue, and get mad at each other all while standing up for each other, supporting, and loving each other. They share their feelings, fight for what they each think is right but still come together as a family unit.
Kristy Woodson Harvey is one of the best at Southern Fiction. She brings to life the beautiful southern settings, lets the readers taste the wonderful southern food but most of all show the southern way of being a family and community.
This series is EVERYTHING! I now consider Kristy Woodson Harvey one of my FAVORITE authors after reading her Peachtree Bluff series. So thankful that I found her books. This series drew me in from the very beginning and I absolutely did not want it to end. Such well developed characters and emotional story lines intertwined through all three books. Her writing sucked me in and made me feel like I was one of the Murphy girls! Do yourself a huge favor and read this amazing series. Kristy did an outstanding job and I cannot wait to read her other two stand alone books. FIVE STARS for the Southern Side of Paradise!
I have been anticipating this conclusion to this series. I could’t wait to get my hands on it and dive in. I have been reading this author since her beginning, and this series is such a great series.
After the previous book, I was curious where Harvey was going to take with this book. There were things I was looking forward to happening in this one; things that had to happen. I was scared how they would play out though.
I definitely didn’t expect so much in this book. The heartbreak. The healing. The turn of events… I was definitely caught off guard with a few things in this one. They were pleasantly surprising.
I have already formed such a connection with all of the characters in this series, reading their conclusion felt bittersweet. After all of the ups and downs in the series and in this book, I was left with a content smile on my face. I was left knowing that all is right in Peachtree Bluff.
I love, love, love the Peachtree Series! Each book has transported me to the Southern community of Peachtree Bluff and into the Murphy family’s lives.
There are three books in this series so far (wink, wink, Kristy) and I love how each book focuses on one of the three sisters. All of their lives are intertwined, of course, so we do get to catch up in all of their lives but I do enjoy getting to know a little bit more about the one.
As with all of Kristy’s stories, The Southern Side of Paradise is full of drama, humor, family conflict, and family love and support, when it matters. And it always matters, right? That’s what family is all about—love and support.
I’ve read all of Kristy’s books, starting back when her very first book came out, and I immediately fell in love with her and her wonderful stories. She is one of my ‘drop everything and read’ authors when she has a new book coming out. Her books are Southern fiction at its best!
Give this series a try and I guarantee you will fall in love with Peachtree Bluff and the Murphy’s just like I did.
Excited to have all three of her grown daughters—Caroline, Sloane, and Emerson—and their kids—Vivi, Adam Jr. (AJ), Taylor, and Preston—home again, mother Ansley might get more than she bargained for, especially since she’s harboring a decades old secret. Will her secret be revealed? If so, how will her daughters respond?
After reading the first two books in the Peachtree Bluff series, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one! Alternating between Ansley and her youngest daughter, Emerson, The Southern Side of Paradise drew me in yet again from the very first pages.
This was the perfect conclusion to this wonderful series. I loved the characters (and their intricately real relationships with each other), the writing style, the suspense, the romance, the humor, and the story itself. This last one made me tear up several times, and I am so, so sad this series is over! Sob. In the hopes of cheering myself up, I added two previous works by this author, Dear Carolina and Lies and Other Acts of Love, to my collection heehee.
Location: Peachtree Bluff, Georgia
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I have loved every single book in The Peachtree Bluff series, and The Southern Side of Paradise is no exception. Every book is focused on a different member of the family, and this one focuses on Emerson, the youngest daughter. While all of the books are special, this one is my favorite. Emerson is amazing. Her strength and personal goals make her really unique. The cast of additional characters is always fun, and I especially love her relationship with her sisters.
I am sad to see this series come to an end, but I can’t wait to see what Kristy Woodson Harvey comes up with next.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Southern Side of Paradise” by Kristy Woodson Harvey, Simon and Schuster, May 7, 2019
WOW! I loved everything in “The Southern Side of Paradise ” by Kristy Woodson Harvey. I especially love the colorful cast of characters and vivid description of the landscape, written by Kristy Woodson Harvey. This is a novel that is entertaining, intense, captivating, romantic, enthralling, heartwarming and emotional. The Genres for this Novel are Domestic Fiction, Southern Fiction, Women’s Fiction and Fiction with a dash of Romance and Suspense. The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, and confused, each having their own set of problems. This is the third and last book of the Peachtree Bluff Series, and is enhanced by reading the first two books, but can be a stand alone.
This is a continuing story of family, friends, secrets, and surprises. Not all surprises tend to be good surprises. This is a story of sisterhood, mothers and daughters, and love, emotional support, and hope. The landscape of the sand and water adds flavor to the story.
Ansley Murphy and her three daughters, and family have conquered many problems together. Yet Ansley has a feeling that something major is going to happen. Her daughter Emerson has major decisions to make that will impact on her livelihood or her romance. Deep family secrets unravel, and things might never be the same.
I love the way the author discusses forgiveness, second chances, and honesty. I loved the Murphy family, and I do admit having to use some Kleenex. I hope that Kristy Woodson Harvey will bring the characters back for more adventures. Pretty, please!!!!!!
I would highly recommend this delightful, thought-provoking novel! Happy Reading!!
I quickly fell in love with Peachtree Bluff and you fans of Gilmore Girls will appreciate it when I say that Peachtree Bluff reminded me a bit of Stars Hollow, especially the town meeting. The fact that there was a vote to allow residents to order goats to mow their lawns made me smile!
I became immersed in the Murphy girls lives and problems. Emerson, a famous movie actress is getting married while Kyle , the owner of a coffee shop that delivers and is very profitable, seems very interested in Emerson’s life…
Ansley is keeping a secret that may affect all of her daughters and Jack seems to be hiding something as well.
This story was really a beautiful tale of love, forgiveness and new beginnings. The three sisters could not be more different but their scenes together in this book made me laugh out loud!
This is the first book that I have read in this series and I am going to enjoy reading the rest of the books.Kristy Woodson Harvey
I received this book thru a Goodreads giveaway. I really enjoyed this book. The characters in the book were going so many different emotions. Secrets from the past come to light, and they affect them all. I would definitely recommend this book to others. This is my fair and honest review
Another trip to Peachtree Bluff reunites the reader with all our favorite characters of the previous two books.. As we explore the powerful relationship between sisters and mothers we discover that even the closest family can harbor secrets.. Plenty of Southern charm and drama as we say goodbye to everyone. A definite beach/pool/easy chair read. for all to enjoy.
Ok my heart, its not quite right after reading the final installment of the Peachtree Bluff Series. The Murphy ladies (as I like to call them, because they are my friends) are SO charming. The relationships between the sisters and their mother is like none I have ever read about.
These characters have such depth and soul I do feel like they are my friends. The story is rich with multiple layers of complexity. I love the coastal setting.
This author has a fantastic way of pulling you into the story and not letting you go.
If you have not read the first two books in the series, I highly recommend them. They will not disappoint.
With every installment in the Peachtree Bluff Series, I fall in love all over again with the charming Murphy women and the charismatic men in their lives. The love these three sisters and their devoted mother have for one another binds this family together through thick and thin. And there is plenty of thick in this action-pack drama to hold you spellbound until the last word. One can only hope we’ll see more from this unique cast of characters and their magical Southern coastal town in the future.
Kristy Woodson Harvey, this was the perfect ending to the Peachtree Bluff Series! I’m going to miss the Murphy girls…and Jack (who is my book boyfriend). This book is all about love—first loves, everlasting loves, parental love, sibling love—the all-encompassing love of family that celebrates the good times, and helps us through the bad times. Did I mention there are secrets? The kinds of secrets that threaten even the closest relationships…
Grab some sweet tea, relax in a chaise lounge, and forget everything else so that you can spend time with Ansley, Caroline, Sloane, Emerson, and of course, Jack. If you haven’t read the other books in this series, you can easily catch up with the background the author provides. But I recommend you read them first, because you don’t want to miss a moment with this family.
I received an ARC of The Southern Side of Paradise from Gallery Books. All opinions are my own.
I loved Kristy Woodson Harvey’s first two novels in the Peachtree Bluff series and I was super excited to finally see how the story will end for the Murphy Sisters and their mom Ansley.
This book has all the feels you want in a Southern novel. TSSP focuses mainly on the youngest sister Emerson as she is planning her wedding (well her sister Caroline is really planning it), finally coming to terms with her medical issues, and the anticipation of her move back to LA. Of course, KWH throws some great curves into the story which are well written and appreciated. Have some Kleenex ready as readers find out what happens in the lives of Caroline, Sloan, and Emerson. Throw in Ansley’s story with her true love Jack and readers are left with The Southern Side of Paradise being the perfect ending to the Peachtree Trilogy!
I only wish their stories weren’t over as I have really enjoyed these novels. I’d love to see them made into a movie!! I want more!!!
The Southern Side of Paradise by author Kristy Woodson Harvey is like having a delightful visit with family and friends! I was very happy to read this book in the Peachtree Bluff series about the Murphy women. Even though this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone book without confusion. Ansley is a devoted mother with three independant daughters. Caroline, Sloane, and Emerson each have had some life changing decisions to make and all the girls ended up coming home to Georgia in the previous books. Ansley always puts her daughters first in her life which causes a few problems now that she has reconnected with one of the loves in her life, Jack. The story unfolds with so much emotion between the sisters and Ansley gets caught in the middle when old secrets are exposed.
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and re3view this book.
When I received this book, I must have been living under a rock and did not know this was a series! I just adored the cover! This is the third and final installment in the Peachtree Bluff series. Reading a book in a series out of order, is like meeting a new friend. You find out all about their present, and get glimpses into their past. Once you become better friends, this is when you find the hidden pieces.
This was a quick read during a cold month. What better time to read about warm weather and family! Being the youngest of 3 girls, I am a sucker for stories like this. The author does a wonderful job of filling in all the pieces of the previous books without it being redundant. I did not feel lost at all. But, I now need to get the other books and read them to find all the pieces. Reading this story is like sitting down with a friend over a great cup of coffee! The characters are all likeable, realistic and flawed. The writing flows easily from one family member to another.
Thanks to Ms. Harvey and #TallPoppyWriters for this ARC. All opinions are my own!
I love this series! I love the bond and relationship of the Murphy Women. I’m sad that this was the last book in this series. The author did a great job with the creation and building up of the characters and helping the reader visualize Peachtree. It sounded like a heavenly place to live and grow up. I recommend this series.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book and this review is in my own words.
A perfect ending to a lovely series, that has me wanting to pack up and move to Peachtree Bluff!
I admit, I’m going to miss the “Murphy girls”. The first two books featured a big family full of big personalities-each book focusing on mom Ansley and one of the three sisters. So no surprise that youngest sister & actress Emerson is a force to be reckoned with! Tears, laughs and plenty of drama fill these pages, but when push comes to shove-family is always there for you!!