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A Happier Life
Present Day: Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on the market—the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now—she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, she’s confronted with secrets about grandparents who died before she was born. And as she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, she soon finds she has more questions than answers.
1976: Rebecca “Becks” Saint James has made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.
As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations.
1976: Rebecca “Becks” Saint James has made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.
As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 25, 2024
About the author
Kristy Woodson Harvey
13 books5,439 followersKristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of eleven novels including A Happier Life, The Summer of Songbirds, and The Peachtree Bluff Series. Many of her books have been optioned or are in development for television and film and have received numerous accolades, including Good Morning America’s Buzz Pick, Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Reads, Katie Couric’s Featured Books, and Joanna Garcia Swisher’s The Happy Place Read. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize.
A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Southern Living, Parade, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, and many more. She also holds a master’s in English, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature.
Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction with fellow New York Times Bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry. She is also the co-founder of the interiors site Design Chic, with her mom, Beth Woodson.
She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband, son, and dog, Salt, where she is (always!) working on her next novel.
A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Southern Living, Parade, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, and many more. She also holds a master’s in English, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature.
Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction with fellow New York Times Bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry. She is also the co-founder of the interiors site Design Chic, with her mom, Beth Woodson.
She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband, son, and dog, Salt, where she is (always!) working on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 712 reviews
January 9, 2024
So, yes, I’m reviewing my own book because… I wanted to tell you just a few things! A HAPPIER LIFE is my favorite book I’ve ever written, and I absolutely cannot wait for you to read it! I just wanted to get that out of the way right up top.
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.
Set in Beaufort, NC, A HAPPIER LIFE encompasses the love I feel for our quirky, historic, seaside town and the people in it and the idea that houses and towns like this, that have been here for hundreds of years, can never truly be owned by us. Instead, we are just the caretakers for the next generation. I often wonder about the stories my own house holds within its walls, something I explored just a bit in this novel.
That is one of the many ways that A HAPPIER LIFE is a nod to that sacred space that is held between the future and the past, the push-pull of preserving tradition while keeping today’s pace, of trying to reconcile the beauty of what those who came before created with the reality of how we live today. It is a space I occupy often while longing to inhabit the handwash-only fine china and crystal world of my beloved grandmothers while juggling the realities of book deadlines and basketball pickups, podcasts and tour dates.
Rebecca Saint James, one of my protagonists and Beaufort’s preeminent (fictional) hostess, is, perhaps, the ultimate nod to that dreamy past. She embodies the kind of poise, charm, grit, and fortitude that I love in a character, that I have heard my great-aunt, her namesake, also embodied. In finding out more about the great aunt and uncle I never knew I have to wonder if maybe this book was my way of writing a different ending for them. Or, perhaps, a happier life.
But maybe most of all, A HAPPIER LIFE is a testament to the ways in which discovering where we came from is so often the next step on the path to finding where we were always meant to be. I hope that it makes you think just a little about where you are meant to be as well.
Thank you SO MUCH for reading my book. I am so, so grateful!
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.
Set in Beaufort, NC, A HAPPIER LIFE encompasses the love I feel for our quirky, historic, seaside town and the people in it and the idea that houses and towns like this, that have been here for hundreds of years, can never truly be owned by us. Instead, we are just the caretakers for the next generation. I often wonder about the stories my own house holds within its walls, something I explored just a bit in this novel.
That is one of the many ways that A HAPPIER LIFE is a nod to that sacred space that is held between the future and the past, the push-pull of preserving tradition while keeping today’s pace, of trying to reconcile the beauty of what those who came before created with the reality of how we live today. It is a space I occupy often while longing to inhabit the handwash-only fine china and crystal world of my beloved grandmothers while juggling the realities of book deadlines and basketball pickups, podcasts and tour dates.
Rebecca Saint James, one of my protagonists and Beaufort’s preeminent (fictional) hostess, is, perhaps, the ultimate nod to that dreamy past. She embodies the kind of poise, charm, grit, and fortitude that I love in a character, that I have heard my great-aunt, her namesake, also embodied. In finding out more about the great aunt and uncle I never knew I have to wonder if maybe this book was my way of writing a different ending for them. Or, perhaps, a happier life.
But maybe most of all, A HAPPIER LIFE is a testament to the ways in which discovering where we came from is so often the next step on the path to finding where we were always meant to be. I hope that it makes you think just a little about where you are meant to be as well.
Thank you SO MUCH for reading my book. I am so, so grateful!
May 11, 2024
Beaufort 🤍 I had the best time reading a book set in my favorite place on earth. One of my favorite KWH books, even though I love them all!
(Also @kristy, I thought I took an extra copy from my mom and she said I wasn’t supposed to take it 🙃 sorry about that)
(Also @kristy, I thought I took an extra copy from my mom and she said I wasn’t supposed to take it 🙃 sorry about that)
July 2, 2024
I’m a Kristy Woodson Harvey super fan. I adore everything she writes, and every one of my summers since 2015 has been kicked off with her books, beginning with her debut, Dear Carolina. Every story is as good as her last, but my favorites are the ones set in locations I know best, full of nostalgia for the summers of my childhood spent at the beach. The location for her newest, Beaufort, NC, just happens to be a place I know well, and A Happier Life is a loving tribute to the town.
Also, let’s talk about the messaging- it’s never too late to start over?! If that hasn’t been my last year, I don’t know what has. Secondly, the story involves Keaton, the main character, “returning home” and moving into a house that belonged to her late grandparents who passed away before she was born; she comes to know them through this house and their journals. I returned “home” in a different way, and to a house with special ties to my late loved ones (my dad and brother).
Kristy also explores serious illness and end-of-life, often taboo, in a thoughtful and meaningful way. Also examined is the guilt and blame often felt by family members after loss. This was especially powerful for me as I reflected on some instances of the blame I’ve assigned myself.
I have to mention Keaton, Bowen, and Anderson are absolutely fabulous characters you can’t help but love. Shoutout to Salt and the Dockside Dames, too. Also, all the pirate references meant the world to my inner child who is still obsessed with Blackbeard decades later (if you are from NC, especially coastal NC, you know 😉).
For these reasons and more, A Happier Life is my newest favorite from KWH, most reminiscent of her earliest books. I told her the other day, it’s how she inserts her own memories and nostalgia into stories that I connect to most. There’s simply nothing better.
I received a free copy of the book but also preordered a copy from my local indie.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Also, let’s talk about the messaging- it’s never too late to start over?! If that hasn’t been my last year, I don’t know what has. Secondly, the story involves Keaton, the main character, “returning home” and moving into a house that belonged to her late grandparents who passed away before she was born; she comes to know them through this house and their journals. I returned “home” in a different way, and to a house with special ties to my late loved ones (my dad and brother).
Kristy also explores serious illness and end-of-life, often taboo, in a thoughtful and meaningful way. Also examined is the guilt and blame often felt by family members after loss. This was especially powerful for me as I reflected on some instances of the blame I’ve assigned myself.
I have to mention Keaton, Bowen, and Anderson are absolutely fabulous characters you can’t help but love. Shoutout to Salt and the Dockside Dames, too. Also, all the pirate references meant the world to my inner child who is still obsessed with Blackbeard decades later (if you are from NC, especially coastal NC, you know 😉).
For these reasons and more, A Happier Life is my newest favorite from KWH, most reminiscent of her earliest books. I told her the other day, it’s how she inserts her own memories and nostalgia into stories that I connect to most. There’s simply nothing better.
I received a free copy of the book but also preordered a copy from my local indie.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
March 9, 2024
I liked A Happier Life!
Highs and lows:
The mystery element of the death/disappearance of Keaton’s grandparents was a nice touch. I also loved the tribute Kristy did to her hometown Beaufort, NC and the history and charm of the town. I think the main criticism I have is the pacing felt pretty slow and there was a lack of character development. Honestly, no one outside of Beck was very interesting. Keaton was a struggle for me. There are recipes included in the book so I’m excited to try those!
Highs and lows:
The mystery element of the death/disappearance of Keaton’s grandparents was a nice touch. I also loved the tribute Kristy did to her hometown Beaufort, NC and the history and charm of the town. I think the main criticism I have is the pacing felt pretty slow and there was a lack of character development. Honestly, no one outside of Beck was very interesting. Keaton was a struggle for me. There are recipes included in the book so I’m excited to try those!
January 3, 2024
I always count down until I can read the next KWH book and ran to read A Happier Life the second I got my hands on it.
Synopsis: After a work disaster, Keaton is in need of a fresh start. She leaves NYC behind and ends up in Beaufort, North Carolina to help put her late grandparent’s house on the market. In the past, we learn about Keaton’s grandmother Becks from her POV and the years leading up to her and her husband’s deaths.
What I loved:
- I always love multigenerational stories and the way KWH weaved together Keaton and Beck’s stories was perfect
-KWH did a great job describing the small NC town, making me feel like I was part of the historic community
-The blend of women’s fiction and romance with a tiny bit of history
-The single dad trope with Keaton’s love interest and his amazing kid!!
-All the townspeople and how they went out of their way to help Keaton while she was putting the house on the market
-The theme of finding where you belong
-How this story was full of so much depth
Synopsis: After a work disaster, Keaton is in need of a fresh start. She leaves NYC behind and ends up in Beaufort, North Carolina to help put her late grandparent’s house on the market. In the past, we learn about Keaton’s grandmother Becks from her POV and the years leading up to her and her husband’s deaths.
What I loved:
- I always love multigenerational stories and the way KWH weaved together Keaton and Beck’s stories was perfect
-KWH did a great job describing the small NC town, making me feel like I was part of the historic community
-The blend of women’s fiction and romance with a tiny bit of history
-The single dad trope with Keaton’s love interest and his amazing kid!!
-All the townspeople and how they went out of their way to help Keaton while she was putting the house on the market
-The theme of finding where you belong
-How this story was full of so much depth
June 28, 2024
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.
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.
July 9, 2024
In A Happier Life, Kristy Woodson Harvey invites readers to the enchanting seaside town of Beaufort, North Carolina. The historic houses on Sunset Lane hold secrets that have endured for centuries. Among them is the mystery of what happened to Rebecca and Townsend Saint James on the fateful night of their disappearance in 1976.
The power of family, boundless love, and the idea that understanding our roots can lead us to a more fulfilling existence. With her signature warmth and Southern charm, Kristy Woodson Harvey delivers a tender and touching story that lingers long after the last page.
🎧Narrated by Cassandra Campbell, Devon Sorvari, and Fred Sanders.
• Cassandra Campbell has a warm and expressive voice, she captures the essence of the characters and her narration draws listeners into the heart of Beaufort, North Carolina, where family secrets and second chances intertwine.
• Devon Sorvari's narration adds depth and authenticity. She skillfully conveys the complexities of Keaton Smith, the protagonist, as she unravels her family’s history and discovers unexpected connections.
• Fred Sanders contributes to the audiobook’s appeal with his engaging tone. His portrayal of supporting characters and the vivid setting enhances the overall experience.
The power of family, boundless love, and the idea that understanding our roots can lead us to a more fulfilling existence. With her signature warmth and Southern charm, Kristy Woodson Harvey delivers a tender and touching story that lingers long after the last page.
🎧Narrated by Cassandra Campbell, Devon Sorvari, and Fred Sanders.
• Cassandra Campbell has a warm and expressive voice, she captures the essence of the characters and her narration draws listeners into the heart of Beaufort, North Carolina, where family secrets and second chances intertwine.
• Devon Sorvari's narration adds depth and authenticity. She skillfully conveys the complexities of Keaton Smith, the protagonist, as she unravels her family’s history and discovers unexpected connections.
• Fred Sanders contributes to the audiobook’s appeal with his engaging tone. His portrayal of supporting characters and the vivid setting enhances the overall experience.
July 6, 2024
Wowza. Be still, my heart! 🥰 This feel-good southern gem is all the stars 🥳 .. Kristy has hit a grand slam with A HAPPIER LIFE. Hands down, her BEST novel yet!! Set in Beaufort, NC, it’s a generational family saga written with a mix of romance, mystery, friendship, found family .. and has the depth and charm that everyone will enjoy. It is such a treat that Kristy has written from her own personal experience and family lore. Inspired by her own great aunt and uncle’s (questionable) deaths in the 70’s, and an abandoned house closed up for fifty years that Kristy was the first to enter - - left as if the owners just got up one day and walked away. (I can’t imagine why they would leave everything behind, can you) This is everything I want in my reading experiences. It was immersive, beautifully written, and full of insights into what it means to be human, love, grow and change in a complex family. Highly recommend this captivating story. 🩵🕵🏻♀️🏠🌊🦮🚲🥖 5 stars — Pub. 6/25/24
July 18, 2024
OMG that ending! 😭😭😭😭😭😭
June 26, 2024
Give me a moment to dry my tears before I write a review…
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
The emotional depth, layered plot lines, real characters, family support, friends always being there…and the list goes on. Ugh! I just could not get enough of all of it. I wish I could tell you what I loved the most in the story, but it would create the biggest spoiler ever and y’all would hate me. BUUUTTTT, I will say it revolves around solving a family mystery surrounding the death of the lead MC’s grandparents (which you learn in the synopsis).
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
Dual Timelines
Multiple POV
Small Town
Single Dad
Cute Neighbor Kid
Mystery
Family Secrets
Found Family
Quirky and oh so fun older ladies group
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
Here’s a hint: Towards the end of the story, I had to pull over as I was driving because I was so emotionally involved and crying my eyes out.
With three narrators, the story and characters fully came to life, and had me falling in love with the story even more.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
I buddy read this with Kaley and from the very first chapter we were hooked and flying through the pages. It’s been awhile since we’ve had a book where we just message each other nonstop while reading, and this story had us discussing so many things during each of the chapters.
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
Just add it to your summer reading now! NOW! Chop chop! I seriously don’t think you’re moving fast enough to get this book!
Thank you Gallery Books and UpLit for this gifted copy.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
The emotional depth, layered plot lines, real characters, family support, friends always being there…and the list goes on. Ugh! I just could not get enough of all of it. I wish I could tell you what I loved the most in the story, but it would create the biggest spoiler ever and y’all would hate me. BUUUTTTT, I will say it revolves around solving a family mystery surrounding the death of the lead MC’s grandparents (which you learn in the synopsis).
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
Dual Timelines
Multiple POV
Small Town
Single Dad
Cute Neighbor Kid
Mystery
Family Secrets
Found Family
Quirky and oh so fun older ladies group
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
Here’s a hint: Towards the end of the story, I had to pull over as I was driving because I was so emotionally involved and crying my eyes out.
With three narrators, the story and characters fully came to life, and had me falling in love with the story even more.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
I buddy read this with Kaley and from the very first chapter we were hooked and flying through the pages. It’s been awhile since we’ve had a book where we just message each other nonstop while reading, and this story had us discussing so many things during each of the chapters.
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
Just add it to your summer reading now! NOW! Chop chop! I seriously don’t think you’re moving fast enough to get this book!
Thank you Gallery Books and UpLit for this gifted copy.
June 25, 2024
A Happier Life is the VERY BEST of Kristy Woodson Harvey. She has blown me away with this story. Set in dual timelines, now and the mid 1970s, this book is full of southern charm, family secrets and found family. It is an emotional story, a little heart breaking but mostly heart warming. It's a feel good story at its core, and I just feel better having read it, and dare I say viewing my own life as "a happier life" than I did before. That is a gift no author has given me before.
I just couldn't have loved this book more.
I just couldn't have loved this book more.
May 30, 2024
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.
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.
February 26, 2024
Sometimes, the key to a happier life is staring you right in the eye where you least expect it; and no one learns that more quickly than the protagonist Keaton in Kristy Woodson Harvey’s sure fire next bestseller.
In Harvey’s homage to The Notebook; the novel is written in two timelines with journal entries from Keaton’s grandmother Becks; aka Rebecca Saint James, a world class home entertainer, who mysteriously died with her husband Townsend in a presumed car wreck in 1976. In present day, Keaton is down on her luck after both her personal and professional life take a tumble with unexpected news; Keaton’s mom tasks her with returning to Sunset Lane in Beaufort, NC where the home of Becks and Townsend Saint James remains just as the day they left it down to the chargers on the dinner table; to clean the home and restore it to sell. But when Keaton arrives in Beaufort to spend a summer on Sunset Lane, she quickly learns there is so much more to discover about the story of the Saint James family; and there’s a dashing young boy living across the street with his adorable single father Bowen… which provides a beautiful storyline of love and healing. What readers won’t be expecting is some truly gripping emotion that will quite frankly rip your heart in two in the novels final act; Harvey manages to throw a couple twists that even her most loyal readers won’t have seen coming.
A HAPPIER LIFE will tug at your heart strings, and I know it’s one of my go-to sayings, but you will have to break out the big Costco sized box of Kleenex; but it also will put a smile on your face many times throughout the novel, and I believe you will laugh often; because there really is nothing Kristy Woodson Harvey does better than writing conversationally just like you were an old friend at the dinner table: her gift of storytelling is one for the ages, and I hope to see everyone with A HAPPIER LIFE in there beach bags June 25th!
In Harvey’s homage to The Notebook; the novel is written in two timelines with journal entries from Keaton’s grandmother Becks; aka Rebecca Saint James, a world class home entertainer, who mysteriously died with her husband Townsend in a presumed car wreck in 1976. In present day, Keaton is down on her luck after both her personal and professional life take a tumble with unexpected news; Keaton’s mom tasks her with returning to Sunset Lane in Beaufort, NC where the home of Becks and Townsend Saint James remains just as the day they left it down to the chargers on the dinner table; to clean the home and restore it to sell. But when Keaton arrives in Beaufort to spend a summer on Sunset Lane, she quickly learns there is so much more to discover about the story of the Saint James family; and there’s a dashing young boy living across the street with his adorable single father Bowen… which provides a beautiful storyline of love and healing. What readers won’t be expecting is some truly gripping emotion that will quite frankly rip your heart in two in the novels final act; Harvey manages to throw a couple twists that even her most loyal readers won’t have seen coming.
A HAPPIER LIFE will tug at your heart strings, and I know it’s one of my go-to sayings, but you will have to break out the big Costco sized box of Kleenex; but it also will put a smile on your face many times throughout the novel, and I believe you will laugh often; because there really is nothing Kristy Woodson Harvey does better than writing conversationally just like you were an old friend at the dinner table: her gift of storytelling is one for the ages, and I hope to see everyone with A HAPPIER LIFE in there beach bags June 25th!
February 14, 2024
A HAPPIER LIFE
Kristy Woodson Harvey
6/25/24 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This book is one that is so hard to put down!! I loved it and highly recommend that you preorder so you can start reading on 6/25!!!!!
This is a multigenerational family story with lots of secrets, a mystery, love, healing and is set in the beautiful city of Beaufort, NC where Kristy lives!!
Keaton has lost her job in NY and needs to be doing something so her mother sends her to Beaufort to clean out Keatons grandparents home that has been sitting empty for many decades since the unfortunate deaths of Becks and Townsend. Keaton does not know much about her grandparents and finds their journals and begins to learn about their deep love for each other. Keaton will start to meet people in town and begin to feel right at home!! When it’s time for the annual tour of homes, will Keaton be able to get the house ready for this fundraiser that her grandmother started?? Will her mother finally be able to return to Beaufort???
Kristy writes characters with so much depth and emotion that you are captured quickly into the story!!! This is my favorite KWH book and I can’t wait for readers to enjoy it!! Happy Reading!!!!!
Kristy Woodson Harvey
6/25/24 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This book is one that is so hard to put down!! I loved it and highly recommend that you preorder so you can start reading on 6/25!!!!!
This is a multigenerational family story with lots of secrets, a mystery, love, healing and is set in the beautiful city of Beaufort, NC where Kristy lives!!
Keaton has lost her job in NY and needs to be doing something so her mother sends her to Beaufort to clean out Keatons grandparents home that has been sitting empty for many decades since the unfortunate deaths of Becks and Townsend. Keaton does not know much about her grandparents and finds their journals and begins to learn about their deep love for each other. Keaton will start to meet people in town and begin to feel right at home!! When it’s time for the annual tour of homes, will Keaton be able to get the house ready for this fundraiser that her grandmother started?? Will her mother finally be able to return to Beaufort???
Kristy writes characters with so much depth and emotion that you are captured quickly into the story!!! This is my favorite KWH book and I can’t wait for readers to enjoy it!! Happy Reading!!!!!
May 20, 2024
Great to read on the beach.
June 26, 2024
I absolutely devoured this book on vacation! Kristy Woodson Harvey is one of my favorite authors and, with the added element of mystery/suspense with the disappearance of Keaton’s grandparents, this is my favorite one yet! As a pancreatic cancer survivor, this hit right in the gut, but I love how the author handled it!
June 25, 2024
A Happier Life
By: Kristy Woodson Harvey
5💛💛💛💛💛
Harvey always delivers a heartfelt novel that gives me all the emotions filled with southern charm. I hated for this one to end.
The quote that made a huge impact in this novel is “What true love can do.”
Becks and Townsend had a happy marriage. Finding each other and going against all odds they know they were meant to be together.
Generations later their granddaughter Keaton is going back to her grandparents home to get it ready to sell. The house in the quaint town of Beaufort, NC and has been empty for decades and it’s a far cry from where she lives.
Keaton needs this fresh start! She did not know much about her grandparents so going back to their home virtually untouched she will find clues to her past.
I love how the chapters are broken up by a journal Becks has kept that add to the charm of this novel. Fall in love with this family while they heal from the past and bond over what they have lost.
The author notes are a MUST read for all of us including our fellow Friends and Fiction friends. I loved that she used her dog Salt in the novel.
Make sure you have hours to read this one because you start you won’t want to finish!
Thank you Gallery Books for this advanced copy available June 25, 2024.
#ahappierlife, #kristywoodsonharvey, #friendsansfiction, #gallerybooks, #netgalley, #bookreview, #booksconnectus, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50
By: Kristy Woodson Harvey
5💛💛💛💛💛
Harvey always delivers a heartfelt novel that gives me all the emotions filled with southern charm. I hated for this one to end.
The quote that made a huge impact in this novel is “What true love can do.”
Becks and Townsend had a happy marriage. Finding each other and going against all odds they know they were meant to be together.
Generations later their granddaughter Keaton is going back to her grandparents home to get it ready to sell. The house in the quaint town of Beaufort, NC and has been empty for decades and it’s a far cry from where she lives.
Keaton needs this fresh start! She did not know much about her grandparents so going back to their home virtually untouched she will find clues to her past.
I love how the chapters are broken up by a journal Becks has kept that add to the charm of this novel. Fall in love with this family while they heal from the past and bond over what they have lost.
The author notes are a MUST read for all of us including our fellow Friends and Fiction friends. I loved that she used her dog Salt in the novel.
Make sure you have hours to read this one because you start you won’t want to finish!
Thank you Gallery Books for this advanced copy available June 25, 2024.
#ahappierlife, #kristywoodsonharvey, #friendsansfiction, #gallerybooks, #netgalley, #bookreview, #booksconnectus, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50
June 25, 2024
Happy Pub Day to one of my favorite authors, @kristywharvey! I know I say it every time she has a new book out, but Kristy Woodson Harvey has really outdone herself with A Happier Life. It was everything I hoped it would be and so much more!
A Happier Life is one of those great reads that has a little something for everyone. It’s part women’s fiction, part romance, but then I would also consider it to be historical fiction with an element of mystery as well.
The story follows Keaton, a young woman who is looking for a new beginning after her life in New York basically implodes. Keaton travels to Beaufort, NC to help her mom sell her childhood home. Keaton never met her grandparents because they died in a tragic accident 50 years earlier. Their bodies were never found and Keaton’s mom abandoned the home, so when Keaton enters the home, it is exactly as it was the day her grandparents died. Keaton slowly begins the process of preparing the house for sale, getting to know her grandparents along the way as she reads journals and her grandmother’s guide to entertaining guests. What soon becomes clear to Keaton though is that all things are not as they seem and preparing the house for sale gives way to unraveling the many secrets that it holds about her grandparents.
I absolutely loved how KWH has crafted this story as a dual POV/dual timeline where we get to know Keaton’s grandmother Becks in the past & watch the beautiful romance unfold between Becks and her beloved husband Townsend as well as the many challenges they faced together, while in the present we follow Keaton as she slowly falls in love with Beaufort & its fabulous residents, including her sexy neighbor and his son. I was rooting hard for Keaton to dump her NYC life & move to Beaufort because she & her adorable dog Salt just seemed so happy there.
If you love charming coastal towns, single dad romances, found family vibes, & compelling mysteries, this is the book for you!
Thanks to Gallery Books and Uplit Reads for the gifted review copy.
A Happier Life is one of those great reads that has a little something for everyone. It’s part women’s fiction, part romance, but then I would also consider it to be historical fiction with an element of mystery as well.
The story follows Keaton, a young woman who is looking for a new beginning after her life in New York basically implodes. Keaton travels to Beaufort, NC to help her mom sell her childhood home. Keaton never met her grandparents because they died in a tragic accident 50 years earlier. Their bodies were never found and Keaton’s mom abandoned the home, so when Keaton enters the home, it is exactly as it was the day her grandparents died. Keaton slowly begins the process of preparing the house for sale, getting to know her grandparents along the way as she reads journals and her grandmother’s guide to entertaining guests. What soon becomes clear to Keaton though is that all things are not as they seem and preparing the house for sale gives way to unraveling the many secrets that it holds about her grandparents.
I absolutely loved how KWH has crafted this story as a dual POV/dual timeline where we get to know Keaton’s grandmother Becks in the past & watch the beautiful romance unfold between Becks and her beloved husband Townsend as well as the many challenges they faced together, while in the present we follow Keaton as she slowly falls in love with Beaufort & its fabulous residents, including her sexy neighbor and his son. I was rooting hard for Keaton to dump her NYC life & move to Beaufort because she & her adorable dog Salt just seemed so happy there.
If you love charming coastal towns, single dad romances, found family vibes, & compelling mysteries, this is the book for you!
Thanks to Gallery Books and Uplit Reads for the gifted review copy.
July 9, 2024
Maybe 2.5 stars...
My biggest issue with this one was that it was far too long and drawn out with not a lot of action. I felt like everything substantial was happening "off camera" and the scenes and conversations we got to read were just the fillers from one to the next. For example, the party before the old homes tour that they made such a big deal out of that he was going and omg he must already be in love with her and all this (which felt like it came out of no where to begin with) and we dont even get to experience the party! Its quickly brushed off a chapter later with only 2 sentences referencing it in the past.
Additionally, how did their relationship even build? All we seemed to get were quick convos with Andersen and 1 date to get wings and all of a sudden they are in love? I just felt like we were missing so much with the character relationships and they focused on the minute details of the house. The flashbacks of Becks and Townsend were definitely interesting but by the end I'm like omg just wrap it up and tell us what happened. There were a lot of background characters so I found it hard to make the connections between the people in the past and present. They made such a big deal out of the bat scar but I couldnt even remember where that came up before because there were so many minute details throughout it was difficult to determine what to hone in on.
My biggest issue with this one was that it was far too long and drawn out with not a lot of action. I felt like everything substantial was happening "off camera" and the scenes and conversations we got to read were just the fillers from one to the next. For example, the party before the old homes tour that they made such a big deal out of that he was going and omg he must already be in love with her and all this (which felt like it came out of no where to begin with) and we dont even get to experience the party! Its quickly brushed off a chapter later with only 2 sentences referencing it in the past.
Additionally, how did their relationship even build? All we seemed to get were quick convos with Andersen and 1 date to get wings and all of a sudden they are in love? I just felt like we were missing so much with the character relationships and they focused on the minute details of the house. The flashbacks of Becks and Townsend were definitely interesting but by the end I'm like omg just wrap it up and tell us what happened. There were a lot of background characters so I found it hard to make the connections between the people in the past and present. They made such a big deal out of the bat scar but I couldnt even remember where that came up before because there were so many minute details throughout it was difficult to determine what to hone in on.
January 5, 2024
I really enjoyed this book that was mainly about true love in all forms. The bits about southern life were so entertaining. Of course I now want to visit Beaufort. The author brings the town to life with every word.
May 21, 2024
⭐️ 4.5/5
I don’t go into books totally blind, but for this one, I did. I had no cle know what to expect and I loved every minute! This was a moving family drama with an added mystery and a little dash of small town, single dad romance! The audio was honestly fantastic, with the dual timeline and various narrators. I loved being able to see into the past via Rebecca’s journals and honestly kept guessing with the mystery’s twists and turns. A very moving read.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster (@simonandschuster) for the #gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t go into books totally blind, but for this one, I did. I had no cle know what to expect and I loved every minute! This was a moving family drama with an added mystery and a little dash of small town, single dad romance! The audio was honestly fantastic, with the dual timeline and various narrators. I loved being able to see into the past via Rebecca’s journals and honestly kept guessing with the mystery’s twists and turns. A very moving read.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster (@simonandschuster) for the #gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2024
4.5 stars.
I love Kristy Woodson Harvey’s feel good summer reads. A Happier Life continues the trend! From the first couple of chapters, I knew I would be pulled into the cozy story about family, love, secrets, mother-daughter relationships, and a mystery surrounding the disappearance of one of the main character’s grandparents.
Told in dual timelines and from the perspectives of Keaton, a young marketing professional recently betrayed by her boyfriend, and Becks, Keaton’s grandmother, a dynamic, self-assured woman, the story centers around a family home in Beaufort, North Carolina. The setting is well described so much so that I felt I was there with the characters. The characters are likeable, the plot unfolds at a good pace and there is a satisfying, heartwarming ending. My only quibble is that one of the plot points required some suspension of belief but this is a small point in a novel that made me very happy as I was reading it.
Highly recommend this engaging, warm-hearted read that is the perfect summer read!
Can’t wait for this author’s next novel!
Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
I love Kristy Woodson Harvey’s feel good summer reads. A Happier Life continues the trend! From the first couple of chapters, I knew I would be pulled into the cozy story about family, love, secrets, mother-daughter relationships, and a mystery surrounding the disappearance of one of the main character’s grandparents.
Told in dual timelines and from the perspectives of Keaton, a young marketing professional recently betrayed by her boyfriend, and Becks, Keaton’s grandmother, a dynamic, self-assured woman, the story centers around a family home in Beaufort, North Carolina. The setting is well described so much so that I felt I was there with the characters. The characters are likeable, the plot unfolds at a good pace and there is a satisfying, heartwarming ending. My only quibble is that one of the plot points required some suspension of belief but this is a small point in a novel that made me very happy as I was reading it.
Highly recommend this engaging, warm-hearted read that is the perfect summer read!
Can’t wait for this author’s next novel!
Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
June 20, 2024
I’m still recovering from this one. In the best way possible. Romance, historical elements, family trauma, and best of all…small town charm.
I adore all of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s books so much. This one is the best!
I adore all of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s books so much. This one is the best!
June 17, 2024
Advanced Book Review! Thank you @kristywharvey, @uplitreads, @gallerybooks & @netgalley for sending me this book for review. Opinions are my own.
“A young woman discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina.”
When Keaton goes back to her mother’s childhood home in the town of Beaufort, North Carolina to prepare the house to sell she doesn’t expect to find a house frozen in the 1970’s. After Keaton’s grandparents’ tragic deaths in 1976, Keaton’s mother and uncle never returned to their family house. The book alternates between Keaton’s life in the present and her grandmother, Becks’, almost fifty years earlier. What Keaton finds there will change her life forever.
I loved this book. I love the concept of finding this house, stuck in the past, like a time warp. Kristy Woodson Harvey says this part is based on a true story. I love the descriptions of the house that Keaton calls “a museum of the seventies.”
Through Becks’ perspective, Keaton and the reader both learn about her wonderful life with Townsend, and some of the secrets that died with them. The reader is taken on a journey with Keaton, her brother, and the friends she makes in Beaufort, to try to find out what really happened to Becks and Townsend.
I loved learning about Becks’ life in Beaufort in the 1970’s and the things she loved – her traditions, her committees, her parties. I really enjoyed reading about Keaton getting to know her grandmother through her journals and friends, and keeping Becks’ memory alive in harmonization with her own goals and aspirations, as she contends with her own next steps.
Through it all, of course, is the romance plotline with her next-door neighbor and his adorable son.
This might be my favourite book from Kristy Woodson Harvey yet.
4.5 stars rounded up to five for this review.
“A young woman discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina.”
When Keaton goes back to her mother’s childhood home in the town of Beaufort, North Carolina to prepare the house to sell she doesn’t expect to find a house frozen in the 1970’s. After Keaton’s grandparents’ tragic deaths in 1976, Keaton’s mother and uncle never returned to their family house. The book alternates between Keaton’s life in the present and her grandmother, Becks’, almost fifty years earlier. What Keaton finds there will change her life forever.
I loved this book. I love the concept of finding this house, stuck in the past, like a time warp. Kristy Woodson Harvey says this part is based on a true story. I love the descriptions of the house that Keaton calls “a museum of the seventies.”
Through Becks’ perspective, Keaton and the reader both learn about her wonderful life with Townsend, and some of the secrets that died with them. The reader is taken on a journey with Keaton, her brother, and the friends she makes in Beaufort, to try to find out what really happened to Becks and Townsend.
I loved learning about Becks’ life in Beaufort in the 1970’s and the things she loved – her traditions, her committees, her parties. I really enjoyed reading about Keaton getting to know her grandmother through her journals and friends, and keeping Becks’ memory alive in harmonization with her own goals and aspirations, as she contends with her own next steps.
Through it all, of course, is the romance plotline with her next-door neighbor and his adorable son.
This might be my favourite book from Kristy Woodson Harvey yet.
4.5 stars rounded up to five for this review.
June 4, 2024
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!
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!
May 31, 2024
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted (free) ARC
This was such a heartwarming read! I would recommend it to fans of found family/wholesome romance/uncovered mystery.
Keaton is tasked with preparing her grandparents home to sell, which her own mom and uncle haven’t been able to return to since their parents tragic death years prior. Keaton discovers notebooks kept by her grandmother, giving her insight into their lives which she herself never got to know about. We also jump back in time to life with Rebecca Saint James, as she finds the love of her life, Townsend.
I really enjoyed reading this! I did take the story in a bit slower than I usually do, since it was a very calm sort of read for me. Make sure you’re in the right mood to fully enjoy every bit of this story!
This was such a heartwarming read! I would recommend it to fans of found family/wholesome romance/uncovered mystery.
Keaton is tasked with preparing her grandparents home to sell, which her own mom and uncle haven’t been able to return to since their parents tragic death years prior. Keaton discovers notebooks kept by her grandmother, giving her insight into their lives which she herself never got to know about. We also jump back in time to life with Rebecca Saint James, as she finds the love of her life, Townsend.
I really enjoyed reading this! I did take the story in a bit slower than I usually do, since it was a very calm sort of read for me. Make sure you’re in the right mood to fully enjoy every bit of this story!
April 7, 2024
Every time I read one of Kristy's new books, I think this one is my favorite! And then she releases her next one that is like, nope, this one is it! I loved reading about Rebecca's parties, related to Keaton's love of NYC and Beaufort, NC, and love that Salt got his spot in the story! Definitely a fun read and one that will be perfect for your pool or beach bag this summer.
July 21, 2024
A wonderful story. I didn’t want to put it down.
March 18, 2024
Kristy Woodson Harvey has become an author that I always anticipate reading.. I have to begin by saying, this book does not disappoint. In fact, it is now my favorite KWH book that I’ve read.
I was instantly hooked from the prologue told from the point of view from the house. Such a fresh start that left me intrigued to find out more about this family. I also loved the multigenerational stories told from alternating timelines that were perfectly woven together. The characters immediately feel like they are old friends.
“A Happier Life” is a wonderful Southern love story with a hint of mystery and a nod to the beauty of small town life. A special thanks to NetGalley, Kristy Woodson Harvey and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book hits the shelves in June and I encourage you to preorder now. You won’t be disappointed.
I was instantly hooked from the prologue told from the point of view from the house. Such a fresh start that left me intrigued to find out more about this family. I also loved the multigenerational stories told from alternating timelines that were perfectly woven together. The characters immediately feel like they are old friends.
“A Happier Life” is a wonderful Southern love story with a hint of mystery and a nod to the beauty of small town life. A special thanks to NetGalley, Kristy Woodson Harvey and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book hits the shelves in June and I encourage you to preorder now. You won’t be disappointed.
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