I loved this book. This is the second book that I have read by Kristy Woodson Harvey and it did not disappoint. In fact, it was just what I needed to get out of my reading "slump."

It is a perfect beach read, but with more depth.

The main characters were likable, realistically flawed, and endearing. The message that family extends beyond your chosen family is an important one. As is the message that we can overcome hard things, no matter the depths.

Thank you to Uplit Reads, Gallery Books, Net Galley and Kristy Woodson Harvey for the e-ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Ohhhh, when Kristy Woodson Harvey gives you the opportunity to read one of her books early, you take it and run with it! I loved reading this book, and with the recent warm weather in NC, I am ready for summer!!!

This book details the life-long friendship of three women - Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart - who met at summer camp twenty-four years earlier along with details about Daphne's Aunt June who runs the camp. I found myself completely immersed in the story, smiling when the characters were smiling and crying all the tears when they were crying. I really enjoyed all of the characters; I especially liked that they experienced growth and change.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this book to all fans of summer, women's fiction, and stories set in the South.

Three young girls meet at summer camp and stay friends through the years, despite many challenges. Nice story, but I didn't enjoy the "will they or won't they get together" storylines for two of the characters, and I thought the third friend's storyline was underdeveloped.

4.5 stars. The Summer of Songbirds shares the story of relationships formed and developed at summer camp and how they grow and change over the years. The book shares the perspectives of three women—June, Daphne, and Lanier—as they tackle the challenges of saving the camp from financial setbacks, learning to forgive themselves and others, and falling in love. With a wonderful cast of supporting characters, this book displayed the power of family—both by birth and by choice—and the beauty of formative places like camp.

I absolutely adore summer camp, so the sweet, sentimental descriptions of Camp Holly Springs made me nostalgic for my summers spent at camp and reminded me how much of an impact they had on my personal growth. I also loved how it was set in North Carolina, my former home and one of my favorite places!

The characters were realistically flawed yet pleasantly endearing. I will admit that I found Lanier to be maddeningly immature at times, but she experienced a great deal of growth throughout the book. The relationships were tested but (mostly) came out stronger because of it.

There was a bit of language (a couple s-words, quite a few d-words, one b-word, from my memory) and one short, open-door sex scene as well as other mentions of sex (including losing virginity).

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

OH my heart. This was the book that I needed to read and at the exact time I needed to read it.

Daphne, Lanier and Mary Stuart- lifelong best friends who met through summer camp. Sisters by choice. They have been through so much together and help eachother out each week to complete the others "hard things". Their beloved summer camp hasn't faired well post pandemic and they work together to help Daphne's aunt June- camp director and lifer try to save their summer camp.

This book had so many amazing facets that I love to read about all rolled into one fantastic novel. There was love, heartbreak, sisterhood, friendship bonds, second chances, and childhood nostalgia. This book took me on such a rollercoaster that Kristy made go on and the depth of the characters was done so well. This is perfect for fans of Firefly Lane, Summer Sisters, and the Divine Secret of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. I cried happy and sad tears during this 24 hour binge and the epilogue was just so beautiful and full of hope that I am still tearing up just thinking about it. I'll certainly be swimming across the lakes this summer in search of Huff. IYKYK.

As winter can sometimes feel melancholier, I really needed this book and am so glad I decided to read it pre summertime.

My only gripe was that the story had to end. But I would LOVE if this continued on into a series!!!

Thank you uplit reads for my e-arc.

Thanks to Gallery Books for an advanced copy of The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey.

Kristy Woodson Harvey is my favorite author. I received a copy of this book and read it in the same day because I love her and her books that much. Plus, this is a book about summer camp and I owe so much of the person I am today to my experiences at summer camp. So if you're a summer camp person, you'll get the magic of the wonderful book.

This book is about friendships, sisterhood and a love letter to the places and people who make us who we are and I loved this book so much. Friends for almost 30 years, since they were six years old and met at Camp Holly Springs in the Songbird cabin -- Daphne, Lanier and Mary Stuart have been there for each other and are inseparable. When June, Daphne's aunt who owns Camp Holly Springs reveals that the camp is struggling they team up to save the camp they love as they work through some love and life issues.

Kristy Woodson Harvey writes friendship in the best way and I felt for each of the women. I loved the cast of main characters and all of the supporting ones. The hard things emails had me cracking up and this book was just wonderful. It will be in my top books of 2023.

I will be sending this to my best friend who I met at summer camp more than 20 years ago!

This book brought back so many memories for me. That first time I dropped my daughter off at sleep away camp was completely captured within these pages. All the heart and feels from the parents and kids' perspective. This story is heartwarming and uplifting as it captures the dynamics of family and friendships. The perfect feel-good book that you didn’t know you needed. While reading the epilogue, it actually made me cry. Happy but emotional tears, and it takes a lot from a book to make me cry. I highly recommend adding this book to your summer reading list.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey. I am a fan of her previous books so I was very excited to get the opportunity to read her latest before release. I am anxious to share this new novel with my fellow readers and bookclub members. I will also share a review on Facebook and Instagram. This may be one of her best! I LOVED it! Add this to your TBR list and preorder a copy now or request it from the library because I promise you will not want to miss this one. A perfect summer read!!

Kristy Woodson Harvey has written a moving story of four women who come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and how their experiences shape them into successful adults. The story tells of thirty years of friendship and the difficult times each character has experienced. Kristy Woodson Harvey tackles hard subjects such as addiction, parental loss, pregnancy and betrayal in a very compassionate and believable manner. Second chance love makes this a great love story also!. The story tells of female friendship and sisterhood that lasts through the years. Friends become family.

I always comment on how easy a novel by Kristy Woodson Harvey is to read. As a reader I am immediately hooked and invested in each character. I feel like I know these women and can easily relate. I know this novel will be a huge hit and readers will embrace it and fall in love with the characters.

On a personal note, I especially enjoyed the setting of the story taking place at a camp in North Carolina. I met my husband of 37 years at a camp in the NC mountains. Just like the characters in this novel! I also enjoy interacting with Kristy Woodson Harvey through Facebook and her Friend and Fiction group.

This book makes me want to send my daughter to summer camp :). I loved the stories of the songbirds and the strength of their friendships through the highs and lows of life. I enjoyed how the friends had each other do their hard things too. My favorite characters were Finn, Paola, June, Huff and Steven.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own

Oh my goodness...I absolutely LOVED this book! I've never read a Kristy Woodson Harvey book I didn't love, but this one knocked it out of the park! It's sweet, cute, funny and so endearing. Highly highly recommend!

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

The author’s best yet! An uplifting story of friendship & chosen families.
Nearly read it in one sitting, was so caught up in this captivating story!
A must-read!

With great thanks to NetGalley & Gallery Books for this e-ARC!

Well, I LOVE KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY! I loved the Peachtree Bluff series. I loved the Wedding Veil. And….I LOVED THIS BOOK! I rooted for June. I rooted for Mary Stuart. I rooted for Lanier. And I rooted for Daphne. I never went to summer camp. But I wish I had! It was a fun read with great story lines and quick chapters. Pre-order this NOW!

This book had so many layers. So many characters to root for. But most of all it had hope that when you mess up your life, you can pick yourself up and start over again. Thank you to .NetGalley and the publisher for the early read.

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Publishing Date - 07/11/23
Rating (4/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Netgalley for this advance copy. I loved it! It’s the perfect “summer” read even though it’s February. Grown friends who developed a sisterhood from attending camp many years ago. Highly recommend adding this one to your summer reads this year.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this advanced copy read. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! Indian Summer meets The Parent Trap in a nostalgic, funny, happy book that revolves around friendship and summer camp. LOVED IT!

Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart met as young girls at Camp Holly Springs. They grew up, set out on their own paths, but never forgot how magical their summers were. Now they are headed back to camp for a bachelorette party, where they learn that Daphne’s Aunt June may have to close the camp for good. The Summer of Songbirds is a tale of three dynamic women coming together to save their beloved summer camp.

The Summer of Songbirds brings to mind friendships, sisterhood, lost loves, second chances, and the sweetness of summer. Whether you were a summer camp kid or not, we can all relate to the simplicity of life way when we were younger.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Summer of Songbirds.

I like this author. I really like this author. I loved THE WEDDING VEIL. My daughter gifted me that book. This new book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. I liked this book. I really liked this book. When I repeat, it means…yes…a fantastic book. The characters come alive on the pages of this novel that reads like nonfiction. At first, it was somewhat confusing with the correspondence, but I persevered, and the story ensued. I could not put this book down. The stories of the women, friends forever, were captivating. Love and romance…family and friends…what would happen next? I laughed, and I admit I shed tears. I will read it again and savor each story. It would be great if this talented and gifted author wrote a series. One book for each of he friends. In the meantime, curl up in a comfy chair, grab a cozy throw…a cup of steaming herbal tea…become lost in the lives of these women. Enjoy…enjoy…enjoy.

Ugh I loved this book! I wish I would’ve saved it for summer because it’s a great beachy read. I loved the plot and will definitely be recommending this to a friend! Thanks Net Galley for the ARC!

A pleasant summer read with the requisite happy ending for all involved.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I can honestly say Summer of Songbirds is KWH at her FINEST, and I have read all of her books! Add this to your TBR, preorder a copy, request it from the library because I promise, this will be one not to miss this summer!

What I loved:
-SUMMER CAMP setting! Being a huge sleep away camp girl myself, I was immediately transported right to my childhood summers at my favorite place ever. KWH made me feel all the nostalgia from the bunks to the blob to camp songs and so much more.

-The full cast of characters! This story alternates between the POV of two best friends, Daphne and Lainer, and then Daphne’s aunt, and owner of Camp Holly Springs, June. All three characters were equally lovable and had great arcs. Daphne and Lainer also had a third best friend, Mary Stuart, and while there were no chapters narrated by her, we got to see POV through email exchanges with her friends and amazing friendship dialogue, which I loved!

-All the romance! While this is a women’s fiction story at heart, readers will get to witness two epic second chance romances. I loved both Huff and Rich, especially how forgiving and sincere they each were.

-Found family theme! Once you start reading, you will quickly learn that these characters have formed one epic, interconnected family throughout the years, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye!

-Single mom trope! Daphne is a successful, hardworking mom who has the most adorable four year old, Henry. What’s even better is how her son’s father, Steven, was integrated into the story. While never married and not together, the co-parenting was drama free and full of platonic love. It was so great to see how much Daphne and Steven cared about each other, which is something I don’t see in books a lot.

-The last few chapters were excellent. All the loose knots were tied up perfectly, and it brought a lot of closure to the themes unraveling in the story.

I hope this has persuaded you to read this one!!

Thank you so much Gallery Books for the ARC! Pub date 7/11