Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced electronic copy of UNDER THE SOUTHERN SKY. This was my first book by Kristy Woodson Harvey and it will definitely not be my last. I generally read thrillers, domestic suspense and for a break between heavy reads I read Christian fiction. I'm not sure what category this would fit. I wasn't sure what type of books she wrote, but I was thinking this would be a light read. and it was a lighter read but with some heavy duty topics. I loved the characters and could relate to them to a degree. It was somewhat predictable (though most books are) but there were surprises too.
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Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey

I finished this book weeks ago and I think I’m still experiencing a book hangover. I was hesitant to start because I was worried about the hype. But I was being foolish because this was so so good. Sweet Southern fiction about second chances, small hometowns, life after loss and falling in love.

Somehow, this book made me have tears in my eyes within the first 10%. All the feels. I loved the shifting perspectives. I love the level of respect KWH treated such delicate and sensitive topics. This was my favorite read from KWH yet (I haven’t read the Peach Tree Bluff series yet, but I have all the books waiting on my shelf.)!

Proceed with caution! Several trigger warnings for anyone who has lost a spouse and experienced infertility issues. This book made my heart absolutely ache.

I absolutely loved my time with book and I’ve had a very hard time moving on.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Under the Southern Sky is available on April 20th! Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Kristy Woodson Harvey has such a fabulous writing style. I devoured this one from start to finish. Under the Southern Sky is beautifully written, with a unique cast of characters and the most delightful setting. I love, love, love a book about childhood friends who long to be something more, but the circumstances and timing never break their way. Both the hero and heroine are reeling from heartbreaking events when their paths cross once again. Their history, including their intertwined families and careers in publishing, bring them into one another's orbit and what follows is a delicious will-they-or-won't-they novel. Harvey weaves a compelling backstory into this tender saga and I just couldn't get enough. Fans of women's fiction with a Southern twist will really enjoy this one. Might I add that it's the perfect book to read by the pool or on the beach.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

I devoured this book! I loved the characters and the pull of family and the ties to home. While there is romance, there are also many serious issues Amelia and Parker are facing. You can just feel the love.

This was a really sweet read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Amelia and Parker are childhood friends that reconnect when she discovers the embryos belonging to Parker and his late wife, Greer, have been deemed abandoned. Parker is still mourning the loss of his wife, but this revelation about the embryos has reignited hope that he could still have a piece of Greer with him.

Amelia is dealing with her own loss after discovering her husband having an affair with a man, and I think Amelia and Parker use their renewed friendship as a means to cope with the pain they were each dealing with.

This book had a lot of unexpected surprises, some painful and some heartwarming, but overall I loved the story and the characters and was pleased with the way everything turned out.

Highly recommending this one!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3932530749

Are you planning your summer TBR already like I am?! I adore beach reads and KWH’s latest is a total MUST! It’s heartfelt, charming and poignant with a cast of authentic and relatable characters, plus it has a gorgeous setting. Seriously, I can’t say enough great things about this one, there’s a reason she’s one of my very favorite authors and the fact that her books just keep getting better and better is such a treat!

Kristy is such a favorite author of mine. She writes such heartwarming books and this is no exception.

Parker and Amelia have one heck of a love story. They have both been married to others (Parker has been widowed for years and Amelia has just been left for another) but they just don't know the extent as to which they are connected through Greer, Parker's late wife.

I like that when Amelia heard of Greer's embryos and that Parker wants someone to have them that she steps up to the plate. She doesn't want wanting in return but to give this gift to Parker.

As they grow closer and we see them navigate through the pain of losing someone but being able to find solace in one another, it's beautiful. It's not just a light summer read but also a bit heavy, but she writes it all so well!

Amelia was told at a young age she could never have children. As a journalist she is researching a stoory on unclaimed embryos. She discovers that a childhood friend, Parker has some embryos in storage. He has been widowed for two years. Together they explore this story as they begin to rebuild their friendship. Sad but a good story of moving forward after tragedy. I received a copy of this ARC for a fair and honest review.

I have been a fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey from her first novel Dear Carolina and in my opinion Under the Southern Sky is her best book yet!!!!!!!!! This book will make you cry one minute and have you laughing the next. These characters are so lovable you won't be able to help falling for them. You Will undoubtedly fall in love with crazy Aunt Tilly, be shouting at Amelia and Parker, and cry along with Greer. This is a great read for everyone and I highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster/Gallery Books for my honest review

~~~ I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~

This is the first book by this author that I have read and I really enjoyed it. It has a cast of wonderful characters (Amelia, Parker, and families) and is written very well. This is a story of grief, family, secrets, and love. I have already bought another southern book by Kristy Woodson Harvey since I liked it so much and I can't wait to read it. With the awesome southern setting, this is a great summer or vacation read. I highly recommend it!

Where to start with this incredible story! Kristy Woodsen Harvey has really knocked it out park with her newest book, 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗦𝗸𝘆. Kristy sent me a copy of the book as well as these super cute sunglasses! 😎⁣
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Amelia is just getting to a good part of her career when she catches her husband cheating on her... with her hairdresser. She’s in the middle of investigating a story about unused fertilized embryos when she finds a source is her close childhood friend, Parker. He lost his wife a few years ago to ovarian cancer and they still have 4 embryos frozen. During this time, Parker and Amelia begin to revisit childhood crushes and their feelings for each other. ⁣
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This is a hard book to go into detail without giving to much away. Kristy is an incredible story teller who has a way with words to make you feel like you are a part of the story and want to visit the beautiful locations, such as coastal North Carolina and Palm Beach, FL. I also loved her use of different generations of family and fun characters such as Aunt Tilley. ⁣
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Thank you to @kristywharvey and @gallerybooks for my signed advanced reader copy. This is one not to be missed. It would be a great book to read with a book club or share with your family or friends. Under a Southern Sky is out next Tuesday, 4/20!⁣
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5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A beautiful, touching story of two friends and how their lives will evolve from lifelong friendship to something more. When Parker married Greer, he found the love of his life, but Amelia would always be his best friend. The loss of Greer has kept Parker from moving on until he gets a call from Amelia about the frozen embryos that he and Greer had stored. The embryos were for after Greer won her battle against cancer, but that wasn’t to be. When he decides to hire a surrogate and give Greer’s children a chance at life, Amelia offers to be the surrogate. Amelia is dealing with the shocking end of her own marriage and feels that this is something she needs to do, for Parker, for Greer and for herself. Their combined families involve themselves in the situation with the hope that Parker and Amelia will bridge the gap between friendship to love. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Amelia Buxton has quite the life events happen one on top of the other and they bring her back to her hometown to put the pieces back together and decide what she wants to do next, some interesting encounters with someone from the past may really alter her path.

There is so much that happens in this book from journal entries from Parker's deceased wife to professional upsets to the most obvious of personal entanglements, this book had it all. I don't know if you would define it as a women's fiction or romance, but either way, the reader knows that this could more than likely end up in a happy ever after, but the journey is so worth it with this one! The ups and the downs were perfectly timed and I appreciated that life had some speed bumps before things could come together.

I have been a Kristy Woodson Harvey fan for a long time and always anticipate her books as she writes women who are full and whole with honest hurdles and stories. I don't need to read a synopsis, I will read what she writes!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity read this ARC. While this is not my usual genre, I was attracted to this book after recently joining the Friends & Fiction group on Facebook. The authors' personalities and interviews with other authors each week has certainly brightened my Pandemic Wednesdays! Kristy Woodson Harvey has such a warm and lovely personality in these sessions, that I just had to read one of her books! This is my first book of hers, and now I am sure to go back and read all of them. Amelia, Greer, and Parker absolutely came alive of the pages of Under the Southern Sky, and I could find myself relating to each and every character (even as a Northern Gal!) and ugly crying at many points throughout the book. Heavy subject matter and strong women that is reminiscent of Steel Magnolias and Stepmom. Thank you Kristy Woodson Harvey for touching my heart!

I've read all her novels and UNDER THE SOUTHERN SKY is perhaps Kristy Woodson Harvey's best work. I really enjoyed this women's fiction story. There's a romance angle for sure, but the story digs deep into the characters' emotional lives and how their pasts have shaped their present. I got a really good sense for Amelia and Parker. I liked them both and I felt invested in their futures.

I have a couple minor issues that kept me from rating this as a five-star read. First, I thought the POV of Elizabeth, Amelia's mother, was unnecessary. It felt a bit cutesy to have the meddling mother's POV and it didn't really add much to the narrative.

In addition, the ending seemed a bit much. There were a few times I thought "how convenient," which pulled me out of the story world a little. Everything is tied up so nicely that it doesn't quite seem realistic. However, I did appreciate the intricate plotting and there certainly weren't any loose threads left dangling.

I liked the journal entries from Greer and how they were sprinkled throughout the novel. They always showed up at just the right time and never felt like an interruption of the present day storyline.

The setting of Cape Carolina is fun and it's sweet how Amelia and Parker grew up next door to each other and that their mothers are best friends.

In summary, I felt really invested and couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I highly recommend this novel, which seems perfect for fans of Karma Brown.

I have enjoyed every book I’ve read so far from this author who I was introduced to a year ago from the onset of the Friends & Fiction FB group that was one of the silver linings from our stay at home time during the pandemic.
The story revolves around two childhood friends and neighbors and their families from a small Southern town. Their separate adult lives both unravel in different ways and they are both brought together by unusual circumstances. It’s messy, a little complicated and genuine. I became attached to both characters and their families and thoroughly enjoyed this contemporary read by Kristy Woodson Harvey.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced review copy of this book.

I can always count on Kristy Woodson Harvey to give me the perfect southern summer read. I think I would have enjoyed this more sitting on a sand beach, but I still enjoyed it. I did get a little bored in the middle, but I enjoyed seeing this happy ending. ⭐⭐⭐💫 I recommend for anyone that likes small southern towns and friends to lovers tropes.

Under the Southern Sky is about two childhood friends and how their lives intertwine throughout the years. Amelia runs home to Cape Carolina after catching her husband cheating. Parker is still stuck in the past, grieving the wife he lost three years ago. Beautiful setting with lots of southern flair. Two neighboring families and the secrets they keep. A wonderful story with less than perfect characters that make the story feel real.

Thanks to Gallery Books and netgalley for the arc

Kristy Woodson Harvey does it again with her latest book, Under the Southern Sky.   The characters are loveable and you'll be quickly pulled in by an ended marriage and the topic of what to do with abandoned embryos.  I began chapter 1 anticipating an easy "beach read", but found the story to be so much more. It is a story of love and loss, hard decisions and consequences, best friends past and present, and complicated family dynamics that all come together to form an enjoyable read. Under the Southern Sky is a great foundation for future novels. I'm hoping to hear more in the future about this family...
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up reading Under the Southern Sky during my spring break, and it was the perfect story to immerse myself in. Amelia Buxton is recently separated from her husband. During her work as a journalist, she uncovers a story that becomes deeply personal. Amelia discovers “abandoned” embryos belonging to her childhood friend Parker and his late wife Greer, whom Parker is still grieving the loss of. Parker’s decision of what to do with the embryos leads to him and Amelia finding comfort in each other as they are on a journey of self-discovery.

Kristy Woodson Harvey beautifully packed so much into this story — family, friendship, parenthood, love and loss — to name a few. I loved reading Greer’s journal entries. It allowed me to feel connected to her as I was reading. I also really loved both Amelia and Parker. Their characters were developed really well, in a way that allowed you to feel their struggles and want the best for them.

The setting of Cape Carolina was perfect. There’s just something about a story that takes place in the south. I will definitely be reading more by Kristy Woodson Harvey when I’m itching for another southern tale!