A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey

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.

Softcover, 384 pages

Published June 25, 2024

 by Gallery Books

4.5/5 stars

Kristy Woodhouse Harvey has once again pinned a story with Southern charmed and family, makes for a perfect beach read, even though it is with some hard facts of life and a touch of mystery.

Keaton Smith needs something to do after suddenly facing unemployment. When the opportunity comes to put her mother’s childhood house in order she jumps at the chance. What she gets is what she needs most, new friends, a change and a 10-year-old boy that steals her heart.

This book alternates between present day and 1976 with Keaton‘s grandmother.  Some nice family history and what really happened that fateful summer.

A Happier Life was an entertaining read. A tight knit community, good food and maybe a bit of romance. There are some great characters with a great setting and a mystery to solve.. It’s a story of secrets and hope. 

Kristy Woodson Harvey has solidified herself into an auto read author for me. Her books are well written, refreshing with some good banter and I always walk away with a clear message.

Thanks to gallery books for print copy in exchange for honest review.