A wonderful book to pack for your vacation -- heartfelt, romantic, and cozy. The author is continuing her mother's stories and characters, all set in the Carolina Lowcountry beaches. In this book, Violet, the youngest daughter, returns home to the lowcountry after some struggles in her young adult life. With the help of her wise grandmother, and her good friend, Aly, a social media influencer, she starts to build a new, more authentic life. Perfect for readers who enjoy books by Susan Mallery, Mary Alice Monroe, Kristan Higgins, and Mary Kay Andrews.

This book is a continuation of the series by Victoria Benton Frank in which all the girls in the family are named after flowers. The first half of this book was good and had my attention. Then it seemed like someone else wrote the second half. Lots of whiny women, childish relationships; I don't know, it just fell very flat and odd.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Violet Adams has always been the classic “type A” personality. She had everything planned out – the house, the career, the fiancé with a good job, the pregnancy. But it started to change when her fiancé moved overseas for that “good job” and the dominos began crashing down. It’s been nearly a year and now he’s coming home…but does she want him there? Will they figure out how to put things back together, or is it time to accept their new normal means a very different life than Violet had planned?

Victoria Benton Frank is bringing Violet, Magnolia, their grandmother, and the Sullivan’s Island community back to readers in The Violet Hour. The daughter of famed “beach read” author Dorothea Benton Frank, this author has made a name for herself in the literary world. Her sophomore release continues the story from her debut My Magnolia Summer, while introducing new characters and a more matured storyline. This novel doesn’t shy away the difficult or taboo – adultery, pregnancy/infant loss, and more. Above all, this is a book about the power of friendship and family when live turns upside down.

I give The Violet Hour 4 out of 5 stars. I loved getting to spend more time with these characters after reading the first Lowcountry Tale last year. This book included more risque scenes than the first in the series, but were done in a tasteful way. I appreciate the way the author built off the original cast of characters by focusing on a different sister for this book, but also adding a new friend to the group. The author also relies on her own experience living in the Charleston area to build beautiful imagery that comes to life for the reader. The author still felt it necessary to name drop other authors several times and it felt gratuitous, but this was an easy read with short chapters and familiar vocabulary.

If you loved My Magnolia Summer, you’ll love this continuation of the family’s tale. I would also recommend this series for fans of Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry, or Mary Kay Andrews. This is a perfect beach read or girlfriend getaway book to read with friends. I’d also recommend this as a women’s literature book club selection, too!

I was excited to see The Violet Hour available on Netgalley earlier this month. I met Victoria Benton Frank while she was on her initial book tour in 2023 and fell in love with her personality. She has such a following here in Atlanta that began with her mother’s friends and following, but has developed into her own. This was a fantastic book and I find myself hoping the author will release another book in this series soon!

The Violet Hour will release August 12th – you can pre-order your copy today on our Bookshop.org page!

What a darling book! This should appeal to fans of southern fiction. THE VIOLET HOUR is a relatively light read, but it does tackle some serious life events/themes. The women are facing some big turning points/decisions, but they are certainly having fun in the meantime. You can tell that Frank (of course) knows the Charleston setting extremely well, and it did make me want to make a return visit to the city. I love the treatment of friendship and family. Some characters from a prior book show up, but this stands alone and you don't need prior familiarity with Frank's work to thoroughly enjoy it.

I wish I had the words to express how much I enjoyed this book. The author captured the magic of the low country, all the while endearingly portraying difficult family dynamics and the terrifying search for love. The plot was well paced, the conflict and interpersonal crisis had me racing through this book to find out how it would end. I couldn't put it down! This book felt like a little bit of magic.

What a great new novel by Victoria Benton Frank. The story of Violet and Aly embarking on a new journey is sweet, fun and entertaining. The theme of this book is self-discovery and acceptance. I loved the low country setting and can’t wait to read her next book!

Violet Adams is busy with her photography business in lovely Charleston. Balancing family dynamics and drama, building her business and deciding how to handle the return of not only her ex-boyfriend but also of her father are only part of the plot.. Violet's best friend Aly Knox has her own drama - grief and healing from her mother's death, reaction to a nasty influence on her widowed father, determination to become the new face of her mother's design company and involvement with a new romantic interest. There are many situations addressed - plus the backstories of the past stillbirth of Violet's child and Maggie's restaurant/romance. The uncomfortable moments were of the 'control' kind - involving those of Chris and of Joyce. I wanted to tone down Joyce's issues and/or make Ally's father more aware of her immature and controlling agenda. I'm still wondering what she did with all the family's special mugs. The included events and places in Charleston were enjoyed. Who can forget their first Little Jack's burger?

Thanks to Gallery Books, Victoria Benton Frank and NetGalley for this ARC.

After a breakup and a secret revealed, family drama ensued. I like 'strong southern women" novels, and it's not fair to compare this with her late mother's novels, but I just couldn't relate to these women at all. Too many plot lines with too many characters made the story too confusing. Also I couldn't connect with Aly and her dysfunctional family at all.

I had a really hard time getting into this book even though I really love this author. I couldn’t emotionally connect to any of the characters and there was way way too much narration of the characters’’ back stories.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advance reading copy of this book and exchange for my honest review.

Violet is a born and raised child of the lowcountry of South Carolina. She grew up on Sullivan's Island and has spent her life in the Charleston area. At one time she pretty well had her life figured out. She and her fiancé bought a house together and then Chris took a job in Japan. He's been gone for a year and she doesn't know if he is still her boyfriend or if she even has feelings for him. Violet is a wedding photographer and is in high demand for society weddings in the area. When Henry, a visiting Brit, starts to show interest in Violet, she has to decide what her relationship with Chris really amounts to. And now that Chris is coming home and claims to still love her, she has to make some decisions about her future.

Violet's best friend is Aly who is also at a turning point in her life. Aly's mom had recently died. She had been a successful tik-tok influencer. Aly has to decide if she should try to take over her mother's accounts and wonders if she has the ability to even take on such a popular account and make it successful. She lives with her dad and their relationship starts to change when he starts dating and brings home a young woman who wants Aly out of the house.

Can the friendship between Violet and Aly help them deal with their real-life problems? Can they each find happiness in their lives despite job issues, boyfriend issues and family issues?

This is a perfect summer book -- light and fun. Despite both women being at a crisis point in their lives, they still manage to have fun when they spend time together. The setting in Charleston is perfect and is a fantastic backdrop for the story. This is a book about love, friendship and family full of ups and downs in the lives of these two women.

This is the second lowcountry book by this author and her winning streak continues. Some of the characters from her first book show up in The Violet Hour but this book can be read as a standalone with no confusion. Throw this one in your beach bag when you pack for a vacation - it's a perfect beach book. It may make you wish that you were headed to beautiful Charleston SC for vacation but it's a fun book to read anywhere.

A slice if Southern heaven. Beautifully plotted, we'll written characters that are easy to fall in love with and the soulful story of the Lowcountry.
Not to be missed!.

Loved the cover. Liked it for the most part but felt there were too many characters, and the book tried to cover too many different plot points. I couldn’t handle Joyce, the father’s lack of awareness of her behavior, and the southern veneer of fake politeness.

With books like The Violet Hour, Victoria Benton Frank is quickly becoming one of my favorites (just like her grandmother was). The setting, the characters, and the writing style are like comfort food for my brain.
I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery for me he opportunity to read The Violet Hour by Victoria Benton Frank. I loved being back on Sullivan's Island! Ms. Frank had given us another fun Southern tale with all that the perfectly touches!

If you love a good “finding yourself after everything goes wrong” story set against a dreamy Southern backdrop, The Violet Hour is for you! Victoria Benton Frank writes a heartwarming novel about figuring out who you actually are when life throws you a curveball. This book is pure Southern charm with a side of sass. It’s emotional but uplifting, with characters you’ll love!