This is a beautiful story about lifelong friendship, loving one another through challenging circumstances, and believing in the power of second chances. At the heart of the novel is a theme of forgiveness: both for those who've hurt us and ourselves. I loved everything about this poignant tale. It's funny and heartwarming, yet Kristy doesn't shy away from what it's like to love an addict. Or how an addict in recovery navigates his or her most precious relationships.
If you're looking for a wonderful book to tuck into your beach bag or take with you on your summer vacation, I highly recommend The Summer of Songbirds.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All thoughts shared here are my own.

Perfect Summer Read!😎☀️

Nothing says Summer better than camp! Kristy Woodson Harvey weaves a wonderful story of 3 friends who come together to save the camp where they met when they were young girls. The book is packed with family drama, friendship up & downs and lots of romance.

Thanks Gallery Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

The Summer of Songbirds is a feel good, beach read about female friendship from youth to adulthood. Three friends bond together at summer camp, and what forms is a lasting relationship where each experiences the others ups/downs. This story is told from alternating points of views and timelines. The readers learns "how" these Songbirds landed back at the summer camp to save the one place that holds their most precious memories and loves. This will be their hardest challenge they had to face as friends, and boundaries are tested.

The author doesn't shy away from the complex emotions each character faces to navigate conflict. There is significant importance portrayed throughout the story on friendships and family. Family does not have singular definition, it is what you make it. This is a sentimental story about three strong women.

Thank you Gallery Books and UpLitReads for the complimentary copy.

ALLLLLL the stars for KWH!!! One of her very best! Might be in my top 10 of the year??? like a hug from your best friend! Such a great feel good summer story.

A great summer read which is exactly what I would expect from this author.
I always enjoy the stories by this author. Thanks for the advanced copy from NetGalley and the publisher.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
Summer Camp ⛺️
Friendships
Single Mom Trope
The Glow Up
Unconditional Love

This is the perfect summer time read with nostalgia, summer vibes, unexpected and unconditional love, friendships and adulting!

I thought this book was so sweet (and posted my review on bookstagram—just forgot to review here!). Camp is such a precious time in life for so many people, and I think the author fully captures the magic and warmth that camps uniquely provide to children. Was it too long? Probably. Was one of the main characters absolutely insufferable? Yes. But I truly enjoyed every page, and the protagonist was so easy to root for, and consisent. This was a perfect May read with all the insanity of end of school and kids sports, and I think many will enjoy it.

The Summer of Songbirds
By: Kristy Woodson Harvey

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There is always something about your first love….Summer camp, swimming, secrets, s’mores and so much more make camp fun.

Years later four women go back to try to save the summer camp that meant so much to them. June Moore owned the camp but is in danger of loosing it. Her niece Daphne met two of her best friends years ago at camp and remained friends. Can the ladies help save the camp and reconnect?

So many secrets. One is engaged to be married. But runs into her first love. What will she do?

I spent years at Girl Scout camp and this brings back a few memories. The perfect summertime novel that needs to be added to your beach bag! Thanks Kristy for always delivering books we enjoy. I wouldn’t mind a sequel!

Available July 11, 2023. Thank you Netgalley and Galley books for an advanced copy. #kristywoodapnharvey, #galleybooks, #netgalley, #booksconnectus, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
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Three friends who have been bound together since meeting at summer camp when they were 6, come together to save camp.
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What I liked:
-I loved, loved, loved these ladies’ friendships. That they were there to help each other with their “hard things” was the sweetest and made me wants friendships that close.
-I loved their coming together to save their summer camp.
-The slowly unwinding back story for Daphne really touched my heart. I enjoyed how things ended in this story, and the epilogue of years later made my heart super happy.
-This story did an excellent job at making me feel lots of different emotions.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was my first book by this author and I am excited to read more now.
Posted to instagram handle @staciathebookworm 7/16/23

The Summer of Songbirds is a great summer read especially if you want to delve into female friendship. The summer camp setting makes you long for yesterday when life was looking forward to being with your friends for a fun filled escape. This is a story of friendship throughout the years and being there for each other to help them through life. Romance and relationships are woven into the story as we read about the past, present and hope for the future in their lives. Good character development makes for an enjoyable story. Forgiveness and love shine throughout as we route for all the women. #TheSummerOfSongbirds #KristyWoodsonHarvey #NetGalley

TITLE: THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS
AUTHOR: Kristy Woodson Harvey
NARRATORS: Jennifer Jill Araya, Reena Dutt, and Jackie Sanders
LENGTH: 10h 58m
PUB DATE: 07.11.2023 Now Available

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I fell in love with Kristy Woodson Harvey when I first started reading her books in the Peachtree Bluff series. Harvey’s books always highlight the beautiful Southern setting, that is veiled in the warmth of friendship, family, and love.

THE SUMMER OF SONGBIRDS was a highly anticipated read for me. I enjoyed this book with the audiobook and the narration was incredible with a full cast in multiple POV’s. The story was nostalgic, reminded me of summer, childhood, bug bites, but most of all the friendships formed that stays for life.

The friendship between Daphne, Lanier and Mary Stuart started when they were six and now thirty years later as adults, was beautifully told. I loved seeing them work together to save Camp Holly Springs, and all the while supporting each other through all the tough and difficult times.

I loved reading this book, and how it brought back great memories of my glorious childhood summers.

Kristy Woodson Harvey is an automatic read author for me, ever since I "discovered" her through Friends and Fiction. Even though I have tremendously enjoyed all of her books, this is my new favorite. I love that it is so relationship based and centered around a summer camp for girls that needs to be saved, Camp Holly Springs.

Three friends, Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart came together at camp as little girls, and Harvey takes us through their relationship and lives over a span of over thirty years. Serious topics are addressed, so the book is not just about fun at camp. I appreciate how Harvey writes of real, difficult issues that women can face, in their own lives and in relationships with family, friends and men. Daphne's Aunt June owns the camp, and all of the women come together to save it when its future in in jeopardy. I so enjoyed the setting and memories made at camp both old and new. This is a book that I already want to re-read!

Thank you so much to author Kristy Woodson Harvey and Uplit Reads for an advance reader copy accessed on Net Galley. My review is my own.

This was positively delightful and the perfect summer read. It needs to be in everyone’s hands. Friendship, life and love. Kristy does a fantastic job on her books and always delivers an amazing book to get lost in. Perfect.

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey

First Line✏️”The first day of Camp Holly Springs is like shaking a bottle of soda and taking off the cap: an overflowing, effervescent explosion of sweet, delicious chaos.”

First off, thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

Four Women: June, Daphne, Lanier & Mary Stuart. Songbirds.

Thirty years ago June purchased Camp Holly Springs, a summer camp for girls. Now June is about to lose it all due to finances. June’s niece Daphne met her two best friends Lanier and Mary Stuart at Camp Holly Springs and shares fond memories with them. From young anxious campers, to camp counselors to adulthood. Now grown, they take turns helping with each others “hard things”. Broken hearts, pregnancy and addiction. When they learn the fate of Camp Holly Springs the trio springs into action to help save the camp and are confronted with more than one relationship from the past.

Guys. PUT THIS IN YOUR BEACH BAG ASAP. Im not kidding. I loved this book so so much and it will definitely be a comfort read for me in the future. Love, friendship, laughs…it has it all. It’s 5 starts from me. Go grab this one now!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Goodreads Average Rating: 4.48/5
PUB Date: July 11, 2023

* 368 pages
* Womens Fiction/Romance
* Alternating POV
* Hopeful/Lighthearted
* Infidelity

**Some of these triggers may contain spoilers**

*****
*****

⚠️ Triggers/Warnings ⚠️

* Addiction
* Car Accident
* Alcohol Abuse
* Drug Abuse
* Death of Parent
* Toxic Childhood

June bought the summer camp that generations of women in her family had gone to and loved, and successfully ran it for over 20 years. But after COVID, it was hard to bounce back and she’s not sure she can keep it open much longer. Her niece Daphne and Daphne’s two best friends Lanier and Mary Stuart met on their first day of camp and remained lifelong best friends. Camp Holly Springs changed each of their lives, built their confidence, was their safe space, and so much more during the many summers they spent there. Together, they are determined to help save this place that means so much to each of them.

Kristy Woodson Harvey creates beautiful stories that really draw you in. The almost 30 year friendship between Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart was so beautiful and special. I loved their bond and especially loved their hard things emails. It was beautiful to see how they created a family of their own within each other. Separately, each of the main characters had a beautiful journey as they were each at a turning point in their lives, and I loved seeing how that played out.

In the author’s note and on the book's blurb, it is mentioned that this book is “a love letter to the places and people who make us who we are” and that is so true. This story really captures that feeling of the special place that changes your life and the people who are part of that life changing moment that you will never forget, and the confidence it builds in you. In that sense, it took me back to my special, life-changing place, which wasn’t summer camp but my study abroad experience in England. It was amazing how beautifully this book brought out those feelings of nostalgia and gratitude in me. I simply adored this book and how it made me feel.

Thank you @BookClubFavorites #BookClubFavorites for the gifted copy.

Thank you to @uplitreads, @kristywharvey, and @gallerybooks for my #gifted copy! 💕 This one is out on July 11th, so still plenty of time to get your preorder in!

I first fell in love with KWH’s writing with the Peachtree Bluff series. I still recommend this one all the time! Since then I’ve been able to read and review her other new releases. There is something so refreshing and effortless about her writing that I love. The Summer of Songbirds was no different!

This was the perfect summer read! Here’s what I loved -

💕 Multiple POVs

💕 Found family and the BEST friendships

💕 The sweetest romance - hellllllo Huff 😍

💕 Summer camp setting

💕 As with alllll of KWH’s books - the character growth was so good from start to finish

4 ⭐️

I have looked forward to this release since the moment Kristy announced it was available for pre-order, which, yes, I did pre-order it immediately.

The Summer of Songbirds is hands down, my favorite summer read for 2023. I can't possibly recommend this one enough! Please add this to your beach bag, pool bag, or your TBR immediately!!

One minute, I was laughing. The next minute, I was sobbing. This book shattered my heart and put it back together again multiple times.

It's a beautiful story of lifetime friendships between three little girls formed while at camp Holly Springs. Now, they're women in the real world with real problems, heartbreaks, and joyous occasions! They find out in the midst of all that life is throwing at them that the camp is in trouble and may have to be sold!

This story is a journey. It's reminiscent of childhood years and all the years in between. All the bad decisions we make as young kids and the ramifications of those decisions. It's also about doing what is right and good, owning mistakes & moving forward.

I just can't possibly put all my thoughts into words, but this one is truly special. Well done, Kristy Woodson Harvey. I loved every word of this story.

Thank you, Netgalley & Gallery Books, for this e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've read a few books by this author, but this one now sits at the top of my list. It's the perfect summer read!

There's nothing quite like a book about long standing friendships and found family and this one gives you both.

The main gals are Daphne, Lanier and Mary Stuart who meet at age 6 at Camp Holly Springs. They become fast friends and their friendship runs deep. They continue going to camp, and even work as counselors in their teens.

Decades later, they remain best friends. There have been speed bumps, and fights and issues. But the friendship is still there. My favorite thing is how they help each other with "hard things".

Daphne is a lawyer and a single mom with a young son, Lanier is about to get married in the not too distant future, and Mary Stuart's wedding is about to happen.

They decide to have a bachelorette party just the three of them at camp, which is owned by Daphne's Aunt June. They face a lot of memories, and one faces their first love. During this trip they find out that the camp is in trouble financially and may have to close. And they rally together to try to stop that from happening.

This book will make you feel all the feels.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Yet another winner from KWH! This one is my favorite book of the year so for, and it's my all-time second favorite from this author. Kristy is, hands down, the queen of women's fiction for me.

This book took me on a whirlwind of a ride. It's a story of friendship, family (both by blood and chosen), love lost, loss in general, parenting, and finding your way through it all in adulthood. I knew by the second or third chapter that this book was going to take me on a journey I wasn't sure I was going to survive.

The writing in this book is on point. As I am writing this review, I can still picture scenes from the book in my head. Kristy does a phenomenal job with imagery without overdoing it. She puts you right into the story without being overly wordy and descriptive.

I fell in love with each character as they were introduced. I felt all their pain and joys from start to finish. I got to a point where I didn't want to finish the book because I didn't want it to end.

Overall, I think I might say that I highly recommend this book.

I am here with THE book of the summer. Sleepaway camp, forever friends and a wedding scream summer to me and I got all the summer vibes from this one.

Three girls at age 6 meet at sleepaway camp. Over twenty years later, Daphne, Lanier and Mary Stuart are still the best of friends,navigating all of life's ups and down. They had this amazing pact to do each other's "hard things" which I thought was pure genius. What is hard for us may be no big deal for someone else. I'm currently looking for people to do some hard things for me🕵🏻‍♂️

I only found Kristy Woodson Harvey about 2 years ago after joining bookstagram. She is a pure delight and writes the sweetest stories but her last 2 books (this one and The Wedding Veil) have really elevated her writing. She creates such complex stories with characters who have so much depth.

Camp✅
Friendship✅
Family✅
Romance✅

Perfection ❤️❤️❤️