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    Slightly South of Simple
    Slightly South of Simple
    Slightly South of Simple
    Audiobook9 hours

    Slightly South of Simple

    Written by Kristy Woodson Harvey

    Narrated by Shannon McManus and Janet Metzger

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    From the next “major voice in Southern fiction” (New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand) comes the first in an all-new series chronicling the journeys of three sisters and their mother—and a secret from their past that has the potential to tear them apart and reshape their very definition of what it means to be a family.

    Caroline Murphy swore she’d never set foot back in the small Southern town of Peachtree Bluff; she was a New York girl born and bred and the worst day of her life was when, in the wake of her father’s death, her mother selfishly forced her to move—during her senior year of high school, no less—back to that hick-infested rat trap where she'd spent her childhood summers. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has fallen apart in a very public, very embarrassing fashion, a pregnant Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley.

    Ansley has always put her three daughters first, especially when she found out that her late husband, despite what he had always promised, left her with next to nothing. Now the proud owner of a charming waterfront design business and finally standing on her own two feet, Ansley welcomes Caroline and her brood back with open arms. But when her second daughter Sloane, whose military husband is overseas, and youngest daughter and successful actress Emerson join the fray, Ansley begins to feel like the piece of herself she had finally found might be slipping from her grasp. Even more discomfiting, when someone from her past reappears in Ansley's life, the secret she’s harbored from her daughters their entire lives might finally be forced into the open.

    Exploring the powerful bonds between sisters and mothers and daughters, this engaging novel is filled with Southern charm, emotional drama, and plenty of heart.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 31, 2017
    ISBN9781543601428
    Slightly South of Simple
    Author

    Kristy Woodson Harvey

    Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including The Wedding Veil, Under the Southern Sky, and The Peachtree Bluff series, which is in development for television with NBC. 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 online and print publications, including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her books have received numerous accolades, including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom, Beth Woodson, on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is (always!) working on her next novel.

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    Reviews for Slightly South of Simple

    4.5/5

    376 ratings19 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Great book but Scribd’s copy is horrible!! It skips all of over the place. Super frustrating!! My two starts is for Scribd not the actual book just don’t want anyone else to waste their time listening to it on scribd.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      An ending that resolved the on going issues, what happened to the characters, it was a story without an ending.
    • 5/5
      If I could give this 6 stars I would. Such a good story. Loved the characters. One element was a little far fetched but I’ll let you decide without spoiling it. Couldn’t stop reading it, didn’t even want to go to the bathroom!
    • 5/5
      Loved this audio so much.

      Scribd app kept going silent and then playing again. That was annoying and very irritating after a couple of hours dealing with it. But I picked up the book and read what I missed
    • 5/5
      I loved every minute! Especially loved the reader for Ansley. So glad there are two more books to come. This is a special story . . . My new favorite series- by far!!!
    • 1/5
      Boring! Kept waiting for something to happen, but my mind kept wandering. Just not interested in these characters. Did not get beyond chapter 17.
    • 5/5
      The story is beautiful and boasts of stubborn southern family and pride. It combined drama and joy skillfully. The narration reminded me of the voices that fill my home during holidays - all of my family together. Loved it!
    • 4/5
      Slightly South of Simple is the first book in a series about three sisters and their widowed mother. The matriarch is Ansley and she moved her brood to the house she had inherited from her grandmother in Peachtree Bluff. It’s a place full of memories – both happy and sad. Ansley retreated to the house after her husband was killed on 9/11. Most of the family was happy to settle into Southern life but her eldest daughter Caroline couldn’t wait to get back to the city. Each daughter has left her comfortable nest and Ansley has been living a happy albeit lonely life in her small town.Then she gets a call from Caroline who needs to get out of the city for a bit as her husband has taken up with a reality TV star and has left Caroline who just happens to be 7 months pregnant. Coincidentally her youngest daughter, an actress, is filming a movie locally and also wants to come for a visit. And her third daughter decided to bring her two children so that the whole family can be together to help Caroline through this difficult time.This is a book all about relationships and family. It’s full of love and laughter and drama. I don’t have a sister so I can’t write to that bond – I have brothers. In this tale the bond is unbreakable and the girls are always there for one another no matter what – even if there are a couple of bumps in the road.Each character in the book is well drawn – even the quirky inhabitants on Peachtree Bluff. As this is one part of the overall story I am still left with quite a few questions which I have to presume are going to be answered in the forthcoming books. For example – Ansley’s relationship with her mother is not as well defined as her relationships with her daughters and her presence in the story while not a major driver of the plot of this story, does lead the reader to wonder why she acted how she did at a pivotal point in the story. I will have to be patient and await the next book.All in all a perfect beach read that will introduce you to a great cast of characters and a town I’d like to visit
    • 4/5
      My favorite time of year: summer reading. Bring on the beachy books!!! My first beach read of the summer was Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey. It is the first book in the Peachtree Bluff Series. Book three was just released.Three sisters find themselves back on Peachtree Bluff staying with their mother at the seaside home in Georgia that she inherited from her grandmother. “When you were in Peachtree, it simply felt like everything would be all right.” “There are some things in life that only a sister can understand.”Ansley is the mother. She has a successful career as an interior designer. Her life is interrupted when her three children and her grandchildren all come to stay with her for a few months. Her daughters have always been her life. “When I was too scared to go on, I carried on for the three best parts of me, for the girls who almost ruined my life, yet ended up saving it.” “Sometimes you don’t know how empty your heart can be. You don’t realize it, that is, until at long last, you find if full again.” As if dealing with the drama from her daughter’s lives isn’t enough, Ansley’s old flame returns to Peachtree and she must face some things from her past. “Opening your heart after it’s been closed for so many years is hard.”Caroline is the main reason everyone has come to stay at Peachtree. Her husband just left her, after 13 years of marriage, for a twenty year old supermodel. Caroline is six months pregnant and already has an eleven year old daughter named Vivi. Caroline is a NY socialite who snagged one of the most eligible bachelors in town and she always dreamed of being a mother. Caroline probably likes Peachtree the least of everyone, but after she has been away from NY a while, she begins to realize how ridiculous her life in NY had become. “There are no people in the world to make you realize what a spoiled, selfish bitch you’ve become and put you right back in place quite like your sisters.”Emerson is an actress and her most recent role brings her back to Georgia where the made for T.V. movie is being filmed. The whole family worries about how skinny she has become. They also worry about the fact that she never has found love due to her career, but is she sneaking around with a man on the island?Sloane is the third sister. Her husband, Adam is deployed in Iraq and she is left to mother their two sons alone. She is the only sibling who ended up living in Georgia. Toward the end of the book, she has a tragedy of her own. The book ends with a lot of unresolved issues and unknowns. I immediately picked up book two in the series. I must know what happens to these lovely ladies and I look forward to spending more time with them. “Walking down the street with my two sisters, I felt like life was going to go on-yet again. It might have been slightly south of simple. But like we always did, we’d figure it out together.”
    • 4/5
      Slightly South of Simple(Peachtree Bluff #1)Kristy Woodson HarveyMY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️PUBLISHERGallery BooksPUBLISHEDApril 25, 2017A fun and entertaining book that introduces you to a whole new set of friends and a town that you will definitely want to visit. SUMMARYCaroline Murphy is married to a New York Manhattanite and living the high life in the greatest city in the world. The problem is her thirteen year marriage has just fallen apart in a very public and embarrassing way. All her friends knew even before she did. Her husband is leaving her for a supermodel. Caroline is six months pregnant, and needs to escape the gossip. She and her nine-year-old daughter, Vivi, head down south to her mother’s house in Peachtree Bluff, Georgia, a place she detests, but it’s just until she can figure out what to do about the implosion of her marriage. Isn’t it?Ansley has always put her three daughters first, but now she has started her own business as a interior designer and she is very successful at it. She welcomes Caroline and Vivi back to Peachtree Bluff with open arms. But soon her second daughter Sloane, whose husband is serving in the military overseas, and her youngest daughter, Emerson, a successful actress also want to come home again. Ansley’s life is soon overwhelmed with the needs and demands of her three daughters, her three and soon to be four grandkids, a grumpy neighbor, and her eighty-three year old mother who has broken her foot. Ansley has no time for herself and has just been asked to take to take on new design project for boat in need of restoration. She is completely gobsmacked when she discovers the boat is owned by Jack, her first love when she was sixteen years old. Jack knows all of Ansley’s family secrets, secrets which Ansley would just as well keep secret. “But this was the thing about sisters. No matter how much you laughed, no matter how many hours you talked, no matter how much time you got to spend together, it never seem like quite enough.”REVIEWSlightly South of Simple explores the unique bonds between sisters, and between mothers and their daughters. It’s about the people that are there for you when times get tough, and the sacrifices we make for family. The setting in Peachtree Bluff is enchanting and delightful. It’s a small harbor town, complete with a boardwalk, marina, and a island mecca perfect for parties. It’s a place where you know everyone, and your specially made coffee concoction is hand delivered to you every morning. Who wouldn’t want that! Kristy Harvey is a great storyteller. Her writing is smooth and easy and the characters soon become your friends. If you are looking for a great beach read, or a fun book by the fire the first two books in the Peachtree Bluff series are it: Slightly South of Simple and The Secret of Southern Charm.
    • 5/5
      My Review of “Slighty South of Simple” by Kristy Woodson Harvey“Slightly South of Simple” by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a captivating, heartwarming, enjoyable and intriguing novel. The genres for this novel are Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The story takes place mostly in the southern town of Peachtree Bluff. This is the first book in the series. The story takes place mostly in the present and goes back to the past only when it pertains to the characters or story.Kristy Woodson Harvey is writing about several generations of a family. This is an endearing and charming story that features the relationships of mothers, daughters and sisters. The characters are easy to relate. to. The Author describes some of her characters as complex, complicated and confused perhaps due to the circumstances. There are some betrayals, and deep secrets that could change many course of events.I appreciate that the author has the adult children and their children coming back home to their Mom’s house. It is indeed a full house filled with drama, love and hope. It is also a full house of three generations trying to make it work together. I highly recommend this delightful and pleasurable novel to readers that enjoy Women’s Fiction.
    • 5/5
      slightly south of simpleByKristy Woodson HarveyWhat it's all about...This was a lovely book. It’s about a family who has incurred some tragedies. What is now left of this family is a mother...Ansley...and her three grown daughters. It seems as though each daughter has a crisis...Caroline has a cheating husband, Sloane has a husband who is away in the military and Emerson...hmmm...she’s just too thin and too invested in being a star at all costs. Why I wanted to read it...The book is written by a southern author and takes place in a lovely quaint seaside town. The townspeople that we are introduced to are charming. What made me truly enjoy this book...I loved all of the characters and their unique situations...Ansley has secrets...really big ones...Emerson has secrets, Sloane is sweet but she has her share of secrets. Caroline may not have secrets but she can be totally annoying yet charming at the same time. Why you should read it, too...All of these character issues make this book a really enjoyable page turner. Readers who love Elin Hildebrand books should love this one. I zipped right into the next book in this series and I am loving it too! I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it.
    • 5/5
      What a wonderful first book in a series, I can't wait for the next! This is the first I've read of this author and her style of writing and building of characters is so fresh and clear. These characters are so likable, even right down to the kids and babies! The story wasn't drowning in all fun and sweetness, tragic times for this family and the next two books will be highly anticipated for me. A new author is always the best thing to find, good luck Kristy. Also can't wait to try the recipe for her 5-star pie!
    • 4/5
      A family of four ladies, the mother, Ainsley and daughters Caroline, Emerson and Sloane. They are trying to heal in some form and family is the best way they know how. Everyone ends up back in Peachtree Bluff to repair and soothe their wayward lives. This story is basically about Caroline as her family is falling apart. She heads back Peachtree Bluff, a place she never expected to be her saving grace. As her marriage publicly implodes her family becomes her restorative. Caroline is a strong, yet quirky woman. She has some OCD issues and can be a little more “truthful” than you want her to be. This was an endearing trait which I loved. There are so many great aspects to this read. Wonderful setting, awesome characters and there are some fabulous lines in this book. I laughed out loud in several places and wanted to cry in others! I did feel there were too many characters. I had to think about a character and how they were related. All in all a really good, heartwarming read! There must be a sequel in the works….a story line is not finished and I so want to know more! I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.
    • 5/5
      "Peachtree's motto is "A place to call home."" This book makes you feel like you are home. You know the town and all the people in it. Peachtree Bluff, Georgia is a small , quaint coastal town where Ansley lives. Her three daughters decide to spend a few months there as they are each dealing with something in their lives. Caroline's husband has left her, Sloane's husband is deployed and Emerson is filming a movie there. This book is exquisitely written and it brought me home again. It brought me to my childhood memories and my siblings. How that love never changes. I have so many wonderful memories of my childhood, as I am sure most of us do. You can go back home, always, it is where our memories are. This is a book about change. It is a book about loss, forgiveness and hope. Mostly it is a book about love. The love of family and of friends. The love of childhood memories. This book made me laugh out loud , but it also, at times, made me cry. It filled me up inside. It spoke to my soul. This book will grab you from the first page and not let you go. You will want to keep reading until you finish. It is that good. But please, savor every page, every single word. The characters are so developed, that they became real to me. I knew each and every person. I felt what they felt. I laughed when they laughed and cried when they cried. This is a wonderful read and I have many quotes that I loved. I would like to share a few, as they pertain to all of us on this journey called life. All of our lives are slightly south of simple, aren't they?"In my life right now, perfectly imperfect seemed exactly right."" I realized there were so many if onlys that sometimes it left out any space for the what could bes." "Life was too short not to live by your own terms, not to make up your own rules."I loved this book and I know that you will love it as well.
    • 4/5
      Slightly South of Simple is the first book in a series about three sisters and their widowed mother. The matriarch is Ansley and she moved her brood to the house she had inherited from her grandmother in Peachtree Bluff. It’s a place full of memories – both happy and sad. Ansley retreated to the house after her husband was killed on 9/11. Most of the family was happy to settle into Southern life but her eldest daughter Caroline couldn’t wait to get back to the city. Each daughter has left her comfortable nest and Ansley has been living a happy albeit lonely life in her small town.Then she gets a call from Caroline who needs to get out of the city for a bit as her husband has taken up with a reality TV star and has left Caroline who just happens to be 7 months pregnant. Coincidentally her youngest daughter, an actress, is filming a movie locally and also wants to come for a visit. And her third daughter decided to bring her two children so that the whole family can be together to help Caroline through this difficult time.This is a book all about relationships and family. It’s full of love and laughter and drama. I don’t have a sister so I can’t write to that bond – I have brothers. In this tale the bond is unbreakable and the girls are always there for one another no matter what – even if there are a couple of bumps in the road.Each character in the book is well drawn – even the quirky inhabitants on Peachtree Bluff. As this is one part of the overall story I am still left with quite a few questions which I have to presume are going to be answered in the forthcoming books. For example – Ansley’s relationship with her mother is not as well defined as her relationships with her daughters and her presence in the story while not a major driver of the plot of this story, does lead the reader to wonder why she acted how she did at a pivotal point in the story. I will have to be patient and await the next book.All in all a perfect beach read that will introduce you to a great cast of characters and a town I’d like to visit
    • 4/5
      I was completely entertained by Slightly South of Simple. The three sisters, Caroline, Sloane, and Emerson, are perfectly written – each has her own distinct personality, but they fit together beautifully. Caroline was my favorite sister with her hilarious New York socialite personality and blunt mannerisms. Woodson’s dialogue is spot on, and the plot is appealing and held my attention. I read the entire book in a day because I really wanted to know what was going to happen with the characters. Slightly South of Simple is the first book in a new trilogy, and I am eager to read the second one to learn what happens next. Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely loved this book. I was so wrapped up in the lives of Ansley and her three daughters. All of them coming back home to live with her. Caroline, pregnant, with a nine year old daughter and a husband who is dating a supermodel on a reality TV show, no less. Sloane who has 2 young boys and whose husband is deployed overseas. And, last is Emerson who is the actress and the youngest who is filming a movie in Georgia near her mother's house. Emerson is also unmarried. So all the girls are back home again.I read this book over a week ago and am still finding myself smiling and remembering these women and this book. I was not ready to let these characters go when I was finished with the story. The author did such a great job creating them. They truly felt like real people.This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last. Thanks to Gallery, Threshold Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      Kristy Woodson Harvey has done it again!! She has written a book that has fantastic characters, wonderful setting and an engaging plot. This is book one of a new trilogy and I can't wait to read the rest of the story.Three very different type of sisters end up living with their mom at her home in Peachtree Bluff, Georgia for various reasons: Caroline lives in NYC and her husband is having a very public affair, Emerson, an actress, has a new role that is shooting in Georgia and Sloane's husband has been deployed to the Middle East. Ansley, their mom, has spent a lot of years living on her own and having all of her daughters plus three grandchildren (with one on the way) at her home, wrecks havoc with her quiet life. I really don't want to tell you much about the story, I just want to say that this book is Caroline's story and focuses most on her life. What I do want to write about are the best parts of this book:SETTING - as with Kristy's other books, this one is at the ocean. You can smell the salt air and feel the ocean breezes as you read the book. The setting is practically one of the characters.PLOT - there is a lot going on in this book but it is well told and so much fun to read. Yes, I will admit that there were several laugh out loud moments as well as a few tears.CHARACTERS - to me this is the strongest part of this novel. I loved these characters. I feel like they are people that I know and that I could sit down at the table and have a cup of coffee with them. The sisters are so different from each other but the bond between them is unbreakable.SUMMARY - READ THIS BOOK! It's a wonderful story about growing up and overcoming adversity. It's a story about love and family - the sisters are wonderful and that bond between them and their mother, though tenuous at times, continues to grow. It's a wonderful book about love and family and isn't that what life is all about?Thanks to the author for a copy of this book.