Kristy Woodson Harvey's crowning novel! You are sure to be inspired to chase after your own happier life after finishing this stunning novel.

I fell in love with this book by page ten. As someone who chased after my own NYC dreams, I saw so much of myself in this book. So often we are told that happiness is found in a fancy job title or in a big flashy city. As our main character will quickly learn, happiness is different for us all. It is up to us to break free from the societal expectations of "happiness" and choose to chase our own joy.

Happiness isn't something that can be defined by someone else, it is something we each need to seek out on our own and have the courage to pursue.

"A Happier Life" is a tale of two generations who both chose happiness over expectations from others. I simply could not put this book down.

A sweet story of family, love, and friendship that spanned across decades. A great dual timeline read to kick off summer reading, as usual I enjoyed another one by Kristy Woodson Harvey.

One of my favorite authors is back with yet another absolutely perfect summer read! Add this to the very top of your summer reading list, it’s everything you want in a book this time of year. There is long buried family secrets, a gorgeous Southern setting, a sweet burgeoning romance, an adorable kid and some great reminders about the past and how that can help share our futures in ways that aren’t always easy to see.

I loved that this was multigenerational as you hear from Keaton and Beck in alternating chapters, Keaton in present day, and her grandmother Beck in the past. As Keaton spends times in her grandparents old house she learns so much about herself and the parallels between her life and Beck’s were so sweet and touching. The authors personal connection to the setting is apparent and was so appreciated, I really felt like I was there and her passion for this one showed in the beautiful story. Don’t miss her acknowledgments at the end either for even more insight as to what made this book so special for her. I listened to most of this and the audio is narrated by an ensemble that includes Cassandra Campbell, Devon Sorvari and Fred Sanders and they all gave great performances.

In the present day, Keaton has lost her job, her boyfriend, and her house on one very bad day. She returns home reluctantly and is shocked when her mother tells her someone needs to put her childhood home on the market in North Carolina. Keaton did not know the house was still in the family.

When Keaton arrives at the house, it is a time capsule from the day her grandparents died in a car accident. With so many questions about why her mother and uncle never went back to the house, Keaton finds herself as she starts to find answers as well. As she starts to find the answers she has been looking for, she also learns more about herself.

The cast of characters in this book are amazing. From the absolutely fantastic old bitties who lovingly interfere every chance they get to the adorable ten-year-old boy next door, I felt like I knew everyone in the town.

Why I love it: This is a story that is told in a dual timeline in both the present and from Becks's point of view. Harvey weaves a wonderful story of life, love, and family in this book. I could not put it down. #gifted

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Racheal Ray once said, “Good food and a warm kitchen are what make a house a home.” But what happens to the energy in a home when it is left vacant and there is no food in a warm kitchen? For nearly fifty years, Keaton’s mother’s childhood home has been a well-kept secret, sitting abandoned in North Carolina. When her life is just not on the track she had hoped for, she jumps at the opportunity to escape down south to sell the house, and perhaps learn more about her mysterious grandparents that died before she was born. Told in dual timelines, Kristy Woodson Harvey creates an almost magical parallel time warp between two women in this small town decades apart. Becks Saint James is the epitome of hosting in the 1970’s and her home is always bursting at the seams with life. Just as a house is more than its outer appearance, both women face challenges that test them. A Happier Life is a beautifully written, heartfelt tale about finding your worth and place in the world, and hopefully tot are lucky enough to find the perfect little slice you get to call home.

QOTD: What is one dish that would be a must include in your perfect summer supper?

Review is posted on Goodreads and the final review will be posted on instagram ahead of the publication date.

Becks Saint James is legendary. Well, at least her dinner parties are! The gatherings are the talk of the town from the guest list to the food to the conversation. Becks and her husband Townsend are the picture of a perfect marriage with two grown children starting life on their own. When they disappear in what everyone considers a simple car crash it baffles their friends and it becomes the stuff of legends in town. But eventually Becks’ dinner parties along with their disappearance are mostly forgotten. That is, until the family decides to finally sell their house forty years later and send Keaton, their granddaughter, to go through everything they left behind. Keaton is looking for a fresh start after a disastrous month professionally and personally. Will she get that fresh start, or more than she bargained for when secrets start to unravel?

A Happier Life is Kristy Woodson Harvey’s latest release, due out in June 2024. The bestselling author of The Peachtree Bluff series pulls from her personal life for this romcom novel both in the location on the Carolina coast, and her dog Salt! Known for her ability to convey both strength and vulnerability in her female lead characters, the author has delivered another beautiful story about putting the past behind us and accepting that our best future may not look how we intended. This is a book about discovering where you came from and surrounding yourself with the family you choose.

I give A Happier Life 4 out of 5 stars. This book is very relatable for many in my generation who left home to make it big in the city, only for it all to come crashing down around them. I appreciate the family dynamics between both Becks and her husband and children, as well as Keaton and her brother and mother. I did find myself frustrated with a few decisions Keaton makes later in the book – it felt like she came so far in her development to go back to the toxic environment she came from. I also felt like some of the conversations with the neighbor’s son felt too mature for that character’s age – my son is the same age and would never speak that way. I hope we get more with these characters in the future though – especially the troupe of ladies who support Keaton on this journey!

If you are a fan of the family dynamics and strong female characters in Heather Webber novels like South of the Buttonwood Tree you will love this book. If you like the light romcom novels with a bit of a mystery twist like Mary Kay Andrews’ works, this one is for you, too! With some discussions of cancer and death, this may be best directed to more mature audiences over 13.

I have loved Kristy Woodson Harvey’s works since I read The Wedding Veil last year. When I saw her latest book was available for early review, I jumped at the chance to grab a copy! I can’t wait to share this book with my daughter and her friends – this is a great book for a quick summer read!

A Happier Life will release June 25, 2024, but you can preorder your copy on our Bookshop.org page now!

I love all of Kristy Woodson Harvey's books but this one might be my favorite! I feel like the title and cover really get you hooked but then you start reading and the characters really suck you in. Sometimes when reading duel timelines I find myself parcial to one story but in this book I loved the characters so much that I was equally invested in the past and future storyline. Kristy has a way with tying in cute hometowns we all want to visit with characters we want to be friends with. I really loved the love story not only between the people but also an old home. Definitely a book club future pick!
Keaton Smith just had her life implode and is in desperate need of a do-over. She just lost the man she thought she loved and the job she knew she loved, so now what? With no job to tie her down and no place to live her mother asks her to take on the task of preparing her childhood home to be sold. Her mother and Uncle left the home in Beaufort North Carolina when their parents died tragically and never went back, but it's time to let the past go and sell the home.
Keaton agrees to go because a little vacation will do her well, but she had no way to know that once she stepped foot in her grandparents hometown she'd never want to leave. The quant town and it's people, the water, her new neighbor...everything feels right.
The one thing that doesn't feel right is the story behind her grandparents death. She knows what she's been told but as the days go buy and she gets familiar with the home and reads her grandfathers journals, Keaton starts to suspect that there's more to the story. Her mother never spoke about her parents so Keaton is learning about them through their home. This proje

A house at the beach that her mother grew up in?

Keaton never knew about the house and never knew her grandparents.

When she saw the house, she immediately fell in love with it and with the neighbor next door.

What a great way to spend the summer cleaning and fixing up a house that has been left vacant since 1970.

We move back and forth learning of what happened to Keaton’s grandparents in the 70s and follow Keaton present day as she is getting the house ready to sell and getting close to her neighbors who knew her grandparents and her mother.

A HAPPIER LIFE was a lovely, heartwarming read with great characters, wonderful descriptive writing, a mystery to solve, and Kristy’s signature pull-you-in storytelling.

A sweet, marvelous read to start your summer. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

****Publishing June 25, 2024****

Keaton’s life is not going as planned and needing a change was an understatement. This included losing her boyfriend and job. This forced Keaton to re-evaluate her life.

Keaton goes to her parent’s apartment to find them talking about her grandparent’s house in Beaufort, NC, which has been empty for five decades. Keaton has never met her grandparents, since they died before she was born. With the decision to sell the house, Keaton is asked to go down to prepare the house. To help convince Keaton, her mother offers her commission from the sale. So she agrees, since she needs a change and a place to live. What will Keaton discover? What family secrets will be revealed? Will this be the change she needs to move on?

Kristy Woodson Harvey did a great job connecting the younger generation to the older generation as they embarked on a new chapter in their lives! I love how the chapters alternate between Keaton, Becks, her grandmother, and Townsend, her grandfather! Also, I loved Becks’s tips for entertaining! This made for a heartfelt and entertaining read! Definitely a book that is engaging and fun, so perfect for your pool or beach bag!

Thanks to Gallery Books , I was provided an ARC of A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summer hasn't begun until I've read a new KWH book! At the risk of sounding repetitive from last year's review...I always fear the next KWH release. Why? Because the previous one was 5 stars, perfect, as was the one before that, etc. etc. etc. Surely there will be one that lets me down?

Well, this was absolutely, utterly, completely perfect. I loved it. KWH delivered AGAIN!

This dealt with a relatively taboo topic, but with her southern charm, made it romantic and sweet? I loved this so much. I LOVED the connection Keaton found with the grandparents who passed before she was born. Bown was dreamy and felt incredibly real, not romance book perfect. The grief, loss, joy and happiness sprinkled throughout this book were absolutely, flawlessly, executed.

"Hope is the most courageous act there is."
"Some people cast a bright light while others stand in the shadows. If I had to stand in the shadows so that you could shine, well, so be it. Keep shining, my girl. Keep Shining."

Oh these quotes. They tug at every heart string. Make me feel major things. I loved this.

Kristy, you're so incredibly talented. Thank you for yet another beautiful story for us all to escape into.

You need to read this book! Wonderful read. Good job Kristy Woodson Harvey! Characters are true to life. Storyline is compelling. This book has it all. Heartbreaking, heartwarming, romance, suspense, wrongs righted, healing of families, answers to mysteries. Could not lay it down and did not want it to end. I was given an advanced reader copy of this very well written book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

The beach town of Beaufort, I need to go there ASAP. I can always rely on Kristin Harvey Woods on delivering a great summer read. This one had a little bit of romance, a bit of mystery and some family drama. The story alternates between Keaton, who is helping her mom get the house in Beaufort for sell and Becks, who is Keaton's grandmother. Both POV and great and I love how Beck's story told of her love story and unraveling what happened to her and Townsend. Keaton's story is great as she decides what to do with life as well her falling in love with Beaufort. Bowen and Anderson added a sweet romance to the story and the older ladies was so fun.

Thank you @gallerybooks @netgalley for a copy of the book.

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a perfect summer read. Keaton has just lost her job when an opportunity comes her way to go to Beaufort, N.C. to get her grandparents’ house ready to sell. The book is told from her point of view as well as Beck, her grandmother. There’s a bit of mystery as to what really happened to her grandparents who are presumed dead, but no bodies were ever found. Beaufort is a wonderful setting. So this book has everything you could want in a book: a perfect setting, great characters, love, mystery. I’ve loved all the books I’ve read by Kristy Woodson Harvey. This one is no exception.

Kristy Woodson Harvey is one of my FAVORITE authors that is guaranteed to take me through the emotional ringer. Thank you @gallerybooks and @libro.fm for my early listening copy.

Imagine walking into the boardroom of the company you’ve help bring to an immensely successful level, only to find out your ex-boyfriend, who works for the same company, had made some VERY poor choices. Keaton needs a new start after this cringy and angering scene (I seriously wanted to champion for Keaton!!). Keaton heads to Beaufort, NC (a beautiful nautical seaside town that I love!) to help unearth some mysteries for her family, read the family home for sale, and find her passion again.

I loved the neighborly friends Keaton meets here, I love that she journeys through self-discovery. I couldn’t stop reading about her family as she learns more and more about her grandmother and grandfather she never met- Townsend and Becks St. James.

I loved that the novel follows dual POV for Keaton and Becks, and I loved them equally (which I usually find I like one better than the other, but not with this one!).

Be warned, there are some tender moments in the novel that will truly pull at your heartstrings, so if you are looking for that perfect beach novel that has a little romance, familial drama, growth and self-discovery, along with a wrapped up ending, then you need to add this to your list! It publishes June 25th, so get your beach bag ready.

Read this if you like:
•multigenerational stories
•small town
•single dad
•learning about family secrets

Keaton needs a fresh start and is tasked with getting her grandparents house to sell (which hasn’t been touched in 50 years). She finds love along the way and family secrets.

Thank you Gallery for eARC!

I loved this book from cover to cover. It is a dual storyline, completely easy to follow, about two generations of a family.
Keaton finds herself in a crossroad of her life. Her mom and uncle task her with going to NC to clean out and sell their parents' home, which has been vacant for 50 years. While there, Keaton discovers the beautiful story of her grandparents love, and solves the mystery of how and why they died.
The story was beautifully written, with characters I grew to love and root for. This book will make you look at life and appreciate what you have.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to Gallery Books for the ARC!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. While the title is "A HAPPIER LIFE" I suggest an alternate title could be "A SADDER LIFE" because I feel a little broken by how everything played out.

So much of what I enjoyed about this one was the element of surprise, so my review will need to be vague to allow for other reads to experience that as well. Suffice it to say, I felt the widest range of emotions during this book which is usually a testament to a great story.

The story alternated between present day (where Keaton moves into her grandparent's home full of hidden secrets) and past tense (1976 where we congruently see her grandparent's past lives played out). I loved the past timelines chapters the most and found her grandmother "Becks" to be a hugely unique and interesting character. All of the side characters in the past were also intriguing to me and I couldn't wait to uncover the answers to the mystery aspect!

The ending really surprised me and while I'm still not sure how I personally feel about it, I definitely didn't see it coming at all!

I loved this genre blend of women's fiction/mystery and think this will be a huge hit this summer!

KWH is the queen of the atmospheric summer read that has the perfect balance of substance and lightheartedness.

Reasons to read this book
-It is a multi-generational tale with elements of suspense and intrigue
-The dual timeline: I adored both plots and perspectives equally!
-The North Carolina setting: she knows NC inside and out and it shows
-Single dad trope (a favorite!)
-Themes of family, strength among women, and making hard decisions
-The importance of understanding one's past in order to live in the present
-The rich characters (KWH's specialty is creating a well-developed world full of lovable characters)
-Salt, the best dog ever!

A Happier Life was full of southern charm and hospitality. Beginning with the prologue, which is written from the house’s point of view, the strong sense of place, and the importance of friends and family, you’ll soon realize this is a book is truly love story. I enjoyed the dual timeline telling the story of Keaton and the grandparents she never knew. I liked seeing Keaton unravel the mystery of her grandparent’s lives through their journals, letters, recipes and their 1970’s time capsule of a house.

Content warning: This book does tackle some tough topics: Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, death of parents, and suicide.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Publishing for this eARC in return for an honest review.

Name of Book: A Happier Life
Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
Genre: Chick Lit/ Historical Fiction
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pub Date: June 25, 2024
My Rating: 4.4
Pages: 467


Story is told in dual timelines- Present Day and Then: 1970- multiple POVs. In fact, the prologue is told from the POV of the House on Sunset Lane. The house is proud of its heritage – built in 1769 by the Saint James family who the house refers to as “My family”. There were many wonderful memories and the house wished they were return. But has been empty since 1976 when Rebecca and Townsend unexpectedly died in a tragic car accident.

Keaton Smith headed to NYC after graduating from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. She did a summer internship and knew she would accept a job there after graduation. She and her boss Allison got along great. Keaton was in a great relationship. However now after twelve years working for Allison she has lost her job as well as her boyfriend. I
When her mother needs someone to put her childhood home on the market—the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now! She jumps at the chance of a new start and is heading back to North Carolina with ‘Salt’ her Goldendoodle.

Story kept me interested. I don’t want to say much about it only that you too will enjoy it!

Kristy Harvey tells us that this story is personal it was Inspired by the unusual deaths of my great aunt and uncle in the 1970s (deaths that, in my mind, were never quite “solved”) and an abandoned house that I was one of the first people to enter after it had been closed up for fifty years, this novel is the culmination of two events that have occupied my imagination for decades. Story is set in the beautiful city of Beaufort, NC where Kristy lives!!

Additionally I love her ‘Acknowledgement= a story in is self!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 25, 2024.