Under The Southern Sky

Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Published:  April 2021 – Gallery Books

Review book courtesy of the publisher

Description:

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.  (publisher)

My take:  

Under the Southern Sky was the perfect book to pull me through the waning days of winter and into spring. If feel good southern fiction is what you’re looking for, look no further. Kristy Woodson Harvey’s new novel is the story of Amelia Paxton and Parker Thaysden. They grew up next door to each other and their mothers had high hopes they’d fall in love. Sounds crazy but these southern mamas were bound and determined. Fast forward several years and life has played out differently than any of them imagined. I loved the coastal setting, the families, and Amelia and Parker. This is a story of grief, disappointments, and learning that it’s okay to set your sights on new goals. It might make for a life more amazing than anyone could imagine. Recommended.

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Blurbs:

“Harvey (Feels Like Falling) delivers a heart-wrenching tale of love and loss in this tearjerker…Harvey brings her characters to life, including Greer, whose heartbreaking journal entries imagine the family she and Parker would have. These passages are particularly wrenching, making the book’s happy ending all the more moving. Fans of women’s fiction will devour this.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) 
 
“Pack your beach bag, Harvey’s back with another delightful story of the magic of southern coastal towns… As with Mary Kay Andrews or Patti Callahan Henry, Harvey spins romance around well-drawn characters, complete with strengths and weaknesses, and always mindful of the beauty that comes from living in the modern South.”—Booklist 
 
“Sometimes the key to new love lies hidden in old friendships. In Under the Southern Sky, Kristy Woodson Harvey stirs up a warm-hearted mix of hometown charm and the sort of thoroughly modern problems that bring us back to the people who know us best and the places that remind us of who we really are.”—Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours and The Book of Lost Friends 
 
“Perfect for: fans of beach reads, P.S. I Love You, and anything by authors Jennifer Weiner and Elin Hilderbrand. A perfect pick for book clubs or a weekend read, Under the Southern Sky follows journalist Amelia as she makes a heart-wrenching discovery that changes everything.”—Country Living 
 
“I’ve always been a Kristy Woodson Harvey fan, but she has taken things to a whole new level with Under the Southern Sky, her best novel yet. I laughed, sobbed, and gasped at the story’s clever twists and turns; I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough to see how Amelia’s and Parker’s story turned out. You’ll need plenty of tissues—and maybe some of Cape Carolina’s beloved bourbon-spiked sweet tea—to make it to the end. Deliciously plotted, intricately constructed, gorgeously written, and brimming with hope, Under the Southern Sky will steal your heart and make you think about first loves, second chances, and the unforeseeable twists of fate that guide us all.”—Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names 
 
 ”Harvey delivers a fresh and unforgettable portrait of modern parenthood and the thoroughly traditional ways that love continues to conquer all.”—Booktrib 
 
“This is a character-driven (…) romance with a lot of introspection. Recommend to readers of Mary Kay Andrews and Susan Mallery.”—Library Journal 
 
“I adore Kristy Woodson Harvey’s writing style—and topics! I always know that I’m getting an immersive, well-written, visually transporting book when I open one of Kristy’s and this is one of her best. And that’s saying a lot!”—Zibby Owens, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books 

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Buy Links: 

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Signed Copies Available From: Oxford Exchange.