Narrators: Cassandra Campbell, Devon Sorvari, Fred Sanders
Simon & Schuster Audio
ISBN: 9781668012192
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 06/25/2024
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars++ (ARC)
TOP BOOKS OF 2024
With “her signature warmth and Southern charm” (E! Online), the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds and the Peachtree Bluff series presents a tender and touching novel about a young woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina.
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 in a car accident 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:
After meeting her adoring husband Townsend, Rebecca “Becks” Saint James abandoned the life she knew and never looked back. Forty years later, she’s 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. For fans of Summer of ‘69 and The Notebook, A Happier Life explores the power of family, the bonds of friendship, and the boundless nature of love.
My Review
Master Southern storyteller Kristy Woodson Harvey, a long-standing favorite author, returns with her eleventh and most compelling novel yet, A HAPPIER LIFE! The past and present intertwine in this captivating multi-generational mystery of family secrets and love story — a tapestry rich in history, place, and character, true to the author's heart, with a special nod to her charming town of Beaufort, NC.
Prepare for a literary feast with the ultimate Southern entertaining tips and more!
A HAPPIER LIFE is masterful and lauded as one of the Top Books of 2024 and the ultimate perfect summer beach read—a testament to the author's signature winning style, engaging narrative, natural-born gifted storytelling, genuine Southern personality, and universal appeal, which fans adore and keep returning for more.
A HAPPIER LIFE, with its blend of Southern charm, a multi-generational mystery, and a perfect beach read for those who enjoy Southern fiction, literary, multi-generational family mysteries, with a touch of romance (both past/present). These characters will remain with you long after the book ends.
WARNING: Please include the highest SPF sunscreen in your beach bag to accompany your copy of A HAPPIER LIFE, as you will not move from your coveted beach spot once you start this treasure. All KWH books need their own SPF logo label!
A HAPPIER LIFE is destined to fly off the shelves and is prime for the big or small screen! I want a front-row seat.
About...
Present Day:
Keaton Smith is ready for a new start. Her job, relationship, social life, and home blew up in New York (due to Jonathan/Allison), and thankfully, her mom offers her a much-needed respite for the summer. The family needs someone to go to Beaufort, NC, to prepare the house on Sunset Lane to put on the market for sale. It has been sitting for years and is owned by her deceased grandparents and handed down.
She leaves New York for the beautiful North Carolina coastal town of Beaufort, NC, wondering what to expect. Her grandparents died mysteriously before she was born. The folks in her family are big pilots. However, Keaton and her mom are the only people in the family without their pilot's license (both afraid of flying).
The minute she steps into the house, it is as if they never left—like time traveling back in time. Everything is just like they left it as they were to run out for an errand and never returned. There are many personal things and memories. She also finds her grandfather's journals and her grandmother's popular entertaining notebooks, among other clues into their lives.
Keaton is befriended by the cute little ten-year-old boy, Anderson next door, his dad, Bowen, a Marine Biologist (they do not hit it off immediately), a group of older, lively eccentric ladies called the Dockhouse Dames (loved) who take her under their wing for morning coffee and gossip at The Dockhouse, and an entire own who loves this charming coastal seaside town with loads of history, home tours, events, history, and everything you would want. Plus her Goldendoodle, Salt (Kristy's own Salt makes a debut)!
At the same time, she is concerned about her career, future, and what she is supposed to do with her life. Where does she belong?
Past 1976:
Townsend and Becks moved to Beaufort as soon as they married forty years ago. The house they left to Townsend, the first grandson, is a lovely clapboard home rich in history located in the beautiful coastal town of Beaufort, NC. The town, with its boardwalk and surrounding water, is a character in itself, adding depth and charm to the story. The Becks loved the town, and their love for it is palpable in the narrative.
Everyone knew Rebecca "Becks" Saint James's (her grandmother) dinner parties and summer suppers were legendary. They were the hottest ticket in the small seaside town of Beaufort, NC. Her secret was the magic formula, the guest list. Her grandparents were madly in love; he (Townsend) was the local doctor, and she was the elegant Southern host, wife, mother, and community leader.
After their last dinner party in 1976, Becks and Townsend's convertible was found sunk in Taylor Creek, but they were not inside, which has always been a mystery. There have been many conspiracy theories.
As the summer moves ahead, Keaton falls in love with Beaufort, the people, and especially the little boy and his dad, next door. As she prepares the house, she learns more about her grandparents through her notebooks by Becks that preserved all her entertaining details, her recipes, and her secrets, which make Keaton feel confident her grandmother was truly happy in life.
Will she be able to solve the mystery of her grandparents? Will she take a page from her grandparent's life and apply it to her life? Could Keaton stay here in Beaufort and make a new, happier life?
My thoughts...
Oh, my, I loved, loved A HAPPIER LIFE! DAZZLING. My favorite and a must-read. I adored the Dockhouse Dames, hilarious and wise! A book you will want to read more than once. I wanted to savor each page and did not want it to end. KWH is at the top of her game, and her passion is reflective on each page as it comes alive. Inspired by her family history and her lovely town, she honors throughout this book with her magical, enchanting storytelling and passion.
Kristy has an appealing signature style and charisma that draws people to her writing, setting, personality, and characters—a delight! She is in a class of her own. She flawlessly captures the past and how it connects with the present, how we learn from other generations, and how their wisdom is applied to our present everyday lives while blending humor and a thought-provoking takeaway message. Her writing style is engaging, immersive, and filled with heart, making each page a joy to read.
The author loves and is passionate about the real Beaufort, NC, her family, the residents, and Salt, her dog. (fun). She embraces all the town's and residents' activities, and we see her passion shine throughout each page of her books (especially this one) and all her social media posts.
It makes you want to head to Beaufort, NC now, to experience a bit of the love, the quaint charm, the history, the scenic backdrop, and all that the past and present bring.
I have been a huge KWH fan since her debut and have read every book, and each one is 5 STARS. A HAPPIER LIFE is a 5 Stars ++ and one of my top books of 2024! I cannot recommend this highly enough.
From clever title chapters starting with Tips from Rebecca's Southern entertainment notebook, the recipes, and the journal entries, with a blending of family drama, small coastal towns, historical, contemporary, secrets of the past, Southern fiction, mystery, romance—making for an ideal beach read and book club pick. These unique features, such as entertaining tips and recipes, add a layer of authenticity and depth to the story, making it a truly immersive reading experience.
Recs...
For fans of the author, as well as Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook and those who enjoy authors, Emily Giffin, Dorothea Benton Frank, Elin Hilderbrand, and Mary Kay Andrews.
I am truly honored to be included in the Acknowledgments and forever grateful. I enjoyed reading Kristy's story, which is based on the Beaufort of her real life, which she loves dearly and her notes.
Thank you...
A very special thanks to the author and Gallery Books for a digital reading copy via NetGalley and the stunning #CoverCrush hardcover copy with the autographed Salt art card! One I will truly treasure.
Audiobook...
I also pre-ordered the audiobook and look forward to listening to my favorite talented narrators: Cassandra Campbell, Devon Sorvari, and Red Sanders, perfectly matched with KWH.
If you could pick one beach read for the summer, A HAPPIER LIFE should be the one.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 25, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars ++
Top Books of 2024
Praise
A HAPPIER LIFE is a most anticipated summer read for Cosmopolitan, Parade, Brit & Co, Reader’s Digest & more!
“This is women’s fiction at its best.” ― Publisher's Weekly
If you love small towns, Southern charm, romance, family sagas, or murder mysteries, this novel needs to be in your beach bag. I loved it.
―Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author
With A Happier Life, Kristy Woodson Harvey takes us to a mysterious long-abandoned house on Sunset Lane, where family secrets whisper forth from the woodwork, summoning readers to partake of a dazzling buffet of old heartaches, friendship, family lore and yes, a second chance at love. A Happier Life is that wistful, sparkling summer song whose notes will long linger in reader's memories.
―Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of Summers at the Saint and The Homewreckers
Kristy Woodson Harvey has the voice of a best friend; a storyteller of the finest sort.
―Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author
A beautiful, big-hearted book that had me furiously flipping pages to solve the mystery! Full of Southern charm and characters that will stay with you. A magnificent read!
―Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author
Everything about this novel reminded me of drinking sweet tea on a warm summer’s night while relaxing on a wide Southern porch, a ceiling fan slowly turning the air overhead. I smiled as I read the first page and breathed a contented sigh as I read the last—because A HAPPIER LIFE made me happier, too. Don’t miss it!
―Brenda Novak, New York Times bestselling author of Tourist Season
Kristy Woodson Harvey takes a family of broken people and puts them back together with her signature humor and wisdom. Beautifully written and deeply emotional, A HAPPIER LIFE is a family mystery wrapped in a love story and is also a gracious nod to tradition and the people who came before us. This is the novel to read this year.
―Annabel Monaghan, bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer
About the Author
Kristy 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. WEBSITE
