I absolutely loved everything about this book until the very end. The dual timeline, the setting in beautiful Beaufort, SC (where I've vacationed in the past), and the characters kept me engaged and wanting to see where the story went. I thought it got confusing at some point (and I don't want to give away when), but I would still recommend this book to my friends. It's a light summer read that is perfect for a vacation!

Pros: The biggest pro is that this is a new Kristy Woodson Harvey book! I’ve read all 11 of her books and enjoy her writing so much—she writes southern women so well. I especially enjoyed learning that the setting of this book is a real place and is where the author calls home—I can imagine that the real Beaufort and its residents are just as charming as the Beaufort in the book. I enjoyed the author’s use of multiple timelines and narrators, the mystery at the center of the book, and, especially, the mother-daughter relationships throughout. The recipes were also a fun surprise!

Cons: None really. Things that might bother me (e.g. predictability of plot, The Notebook vibes) in a book written by another author didn’t bother me in this book because I enjoy the author’s writing style and storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book.

A Happier Life is such a beautiful story! I laughed, cried, and smiled so big while reading this novel. KWH wrote Beaufort so beautifully that I was able to vividly picture the town the entire time I read the Saint James family story. It's not often one finds a book where they feel like they were dropped into the story, where you can imagine sitting right there beside the characters as the story plays out. This was certainly one of those times. I think this story would be amazing if turned into a movie.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!!

I will read anything by Kristy Woodson Harvey! She is the quintessential Southern writer. I love her characters and descriptions of places. A Happier Life begs the question...are you content in the life you live?

✨ ARC BOOK REVIEW ✨ A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey

📝 Thank you @gallerybooks #partner for a free copy of this book! 💘🎉

~ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ~

I intentionally held onto this one and waited to start it until after I’d moved to NC 😏And my god, I absolutely love this book. My 2024 prediction? This story will be in my top 5 books this year because it just warmed my heart so much.

A Happier Life is a beautiful story about familial history, self-discovery, slowing down, & falling in love with the life right in front of you. The story is told through a few eyes and I shockingly found myself craving BOTH perspectives (I feel like sometimes I latch onto one character and dread the chapters told through the other character’s eyes but that was NOT the case here). My favorite thing about this story though is the characters. Every character is so full of life, captivating and charming. I can’t sing enough praises for how much I enjoyed falling into step alongside these Beaufort gems 💎

* Anderson - The kid that stole my heart 💗
* Rebecca Saint James - The epitome of ethereal, old charm
* SALT🧂🐾 - A shoutout to my fave character in this book, and to learn that he’s inspired by the author’s own doodle? I was sold. I absolutely adored this pup’s personality and seeing it come to life in a subtle but impactful way. I imagine him being just a fluffy, energetic ball of joy 🐕

📍 Beaufort is officially on my list of places to visit asap! And I can’t wait to try those recipes at the end of the book, especially that ~ brownie espresso martini 🍸 ~

🗓️ MARK YOUR CALENDARS - this heartwarming story comes out June 25th 🎉

Another winner from Kristy Woodson Harvey! Keaton Smith is tasked with cleaning her grandparent's house to prepare it for sale. The catch? Nobody has lived in it since her grandparents mysteriously disappeared roughly 50 years ago. Keaton is greeted with an absolutely perfect specimen of 1970s decor. As she's settling in and learning more about her grandparents, her curiosity about what really happened to them is aroused. While she's working that out, her good-looking neighbor and his precious 10-year-old son are becoming fixtures in her life, as are a feisty set of ladies from her mom's generation. They seem to have adopted Keaton and her house project. She's only meant to stay until the house sells. She's not sure, though, if she can turn her back on everything she's found.

Set in the author's home of Beaufort, NC, the descriptions of scenery are wonderful. Harvey is a go-to for Southern fiction. Her characters are well-developed, and their flaws are not turned off like a light switch when they are in a romance. She gets into the messiness of people, and I think that's important. I love stories with family histories, so this one was right for me. A great summer read!

Did I just read my favorite book of the summer? Quite possibly! This book brought all the emotions, from hope to joy to sadness to peace.

When Keaton finds herself without a job or a place to live, she grasps the chance to go to the family home she never knew about and get it ready to sell. Her mother and uncle left the home years ago when their parents went missing, presumed dead, and never returned to the small town of Beaufort, North Carolina. Keaton heads down the coast and finds herself enchanted by the memories her grandparents left behind, ensnared by the mystery of their disappearance, and wistful for the family she never got a chance to meet,

This heartwarming story is told in dual timelines, and we are privy to the final months of Becks and Townsend Saint James, Keaton’s grandparents. The love they shared shines clearly off the pages of their chapters, even as they face plenty of hardships over their years together. Becks was the consummate entertainer, throwing dinner parties for her friends around town throughout the summer. Keaton meets a circle of women in town who did have the privilege of knowing Becks and Townsend and attending one of their parties, and through their memories and her grandmother’s journals she slowly comes to learn who her grandmother was.

The story has a little bit of everything - true love, new love, heartbreak, family secrets, and friendship. It is beautifully told, and set against a small town backdrop that made me want to book my next vacation in North Carolina. I was sad to reach the end of the book and say goodbye to these characters, and I’ll be eagerly looking forward to the next book from Kristy Woodson Harvey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is my first read by KWH. I was pretty sure I knew what to expect from her and was not disappointed. This is the story of a family mystery. Keaton loses her home and her job and her boyfriend all on the same day and when she wants to wallow, her mother sends her to clean out her family home after 50 years. What Keaton doesn't expect to find is the house completely untouched and her whole family history (and a mystery) that she gets to discover and sort through in the process. Strong family bonds, a great community and an unexpected love story all unfold in two time lines in this easy beach read.

I listened to A Happier Life and read with my eyes. I recommend both.

This story left me with a mix of emotions. The characters were so well-crafted that I found myself both loving and wanting to scream at them. Their decisions led to the loss of so many years, which was frustrating. However, this frustration was balanced by the profound and moving narrative that unfolded in their later years.

Despite the missed opportunities and the years lost, the story ultimately delivered a powerful and emotional experience. The characters' eventual happiness and reconciliation were deeply satisfying. The author masterfully captured the complexities of human relationships, making every moment feel authentic and significant.

This book is a compelling read that will make you reflect on life, love, and the importance of timing. If you’re seeking a story that evokes strong emotions and offers a heartfelt journey, this one is definitely worth reading.

Love love love this book! Another great book from this author. The characters are believable, conversational, and easy to like. The setting is described in such a way that you feel you are in whatever space is discussed. The back and forth between the timelines is easy to follow and completely understandable. The cover gives an excellent synopsis--I don't do book reports so read the cover for details. I will simply state this is an awesome beach or anytime read and was quite enjoyable and I would highly recommend reading it. I was provided an advanced reader copy at my request and was under no obligation to provide a review. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. The opinions expressed are my own. I really didn't want the book to end as you just wanted to live right along with these characters. Maybe there will be a continuation of these characters in future books-or a series in this setting with these characters. . I sincerely hope you will enjoy this book as much as I did,

Thank you to @gallerybooks and @netgalley for this e-arc, all thoughts are my own.


Keaton is desperate for a fresh start. So, when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home on the market in North Carolina. The moment she arrives, shes transported back and confronted with secrets. While she’s there, she meets her charming next-door neighbor and his son. There’s also a flock of towns busybodies. It’s not long before she has more questions than answers, and its starting to feel like home.


This book is the perfect beach read. It has everything I’m looking for in a beach read, a little romance, a little mystery, and a nice light plot. This book hit all those marks. I loved Keaton so much and was rooting for her to have the best possible outcome the entire time. I loved how this book was not only told from her point of view, but we got flash back chapters from her grandparent’s points of view as well. Her grandpa’s journal entries were some of my favorite chapters. The setting of the coastal town this book was set in seemed magical. I’ve only been to the airport in North Carolina, and that was not a magical experience, but whenever I read about their beaches, it makes me want to head back. Keaton’s romance was also wonderful. I felt that it flowed naturally with the story and was really sweet. I love a good single dad trope and it worked well here.

I do recommend people check out this book who are looking for a light read, maybe one to take to the beach!

This book is like a giant warm hug. I loved the characters, the dual storylines and just everything about this book! I couldn't read it fast enough as I just needed to know what was going to happen. In the present we follow Keaton who desperately needs a new beginning and is tasked to get her grandparents house ready for sale in North Carolina. The problem with that? No one has been in the house since her grandparents disappeared in 1976! In the past we get to know Becks and Townsend and their wonderful life. I loved how both stories flowed together. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

A Happier Life is a great family story with a surprising mystery hidden within it. Got to read it thru NetGalley and really enjoyed it. The family dynamics were interesting thru all the generations of this family. The description of the people and the town of Beaufort make me want to visit someday.

“If we can find love between us, we can work the rest out.”

OH MY HEART. Kristy Woodson Harvey definitely grabbed ahold of my heart with this one and held on extra tight until the last page. There’s so much that I absolutely loved about this book. I enjoyed following Keaton through her journey of finding herself and restarting her life, even though that’s not what she was set out to do in the beginning. It was beautiful to see the connection Keaton made with her grandparents, who passed well before she was born. The dual POV & timelines are always done so flawlessly by Kristy. Reading Rebecca Saint James’ life gave me such old southern Hollywood type vibes and I loved it. The relationship that Keaton’s grandparents had, along with the relationship between Keaton & Bowen, gave me so much hope. And the “mystery” aspect surrounding the death of Keaton’s grandparents added the perfect amount of flair to the story.

This truly was the perfect book to start off summer with! A HUGE thank you to Netgalley, Kristy Woodson Harvey & Gallery Books for this gifted ARC. Check out A Happier Life on its pub date 6/25!

KWH has been a favorite author of mine especially for summer reads. The Beaufort setting and old southern charm in her books really take me away and make me feel like I'm on the water. Keaton was definitely a likable character and I did enjoy how she found out so much about her grandmother Beck. Unfortunately this one missed the mark a bit for me in comparison to her others. I liked it but I wasn't totally blown away. I will say, I really enjoyed Anderson's character and thought he was the cutest little kid!

4 stars!

First, the cover is absolutely stunning! Thank you Kristy & the publisher for my early #gifted copy! I was able to pack this in my bag for a weekend trip to Miami, which lent the perfect backdrop for the incredible colors on the cover.

Feels Like FallingFeels Like Falling was one of my favorite books, so I knew it would be hard to top with all the feels I had for that one. However, I enjoyed the atmospheric, idyllic seaside setting of Beaufort, NC (which now I feel like I must visit). This book had a little bit of everything: historic charm, unexpected romance, family drama, and a bit of a mystery element.

This is a must add to your summer TBR / Beachread TBR! OUT 6/25!

This was my second Kristy Woodson Harvey novel- unlike others, I have not read all of her works and I didn't even love the last one I read but decided to go in with high hopes and it didn't disappoint. I'll admit, I chose this book based on the cover- and it's much more serious than the cover might suggest, but was such a lovely family story. I loved watching the main characters in both timelines grow and evolve and I was invested in the "mystery" part of the storyline (even though we kind of knew all along, we didn't REALLY know and it kept me guessing). Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded to 4 for GR. I loved Keaton. I loved watching her grow into herself and learn how to be comfortable with who she is. I was very happy with about 85% of this one but I didn’t love the ending of Becks’s storyline and didn’t love how Keaton compromised at the end. I wanted Allison completely cut off! 😂

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my review!

Kristy Woodson Harvey has absolutely done it again. Another sweet summer tale that I picked up and couldn't put down from start to finish. With alternating timelines and some historical intrigue/family secrets, this was another winner by one of my favorite authors.

I love this author's previous works, and I enjoyed this one as well, though I connected more with the characters in the present day storyline than the past.