4.0
One Southern Summer
ByPublisher Description
"An absolute must read by a standout voice. Fans of Susan Mallery and Debbie Macomber will devour this captivating novel.” —Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times Bestselling author of Under the Southern Sky
It’s her second chance summer…if she’s ready for it—in this warm and utterly irresistible Southern small-town novel.
When Avery Lansing Crawford left her hometown of Camellia, Alabama, she was the darling of the town. A beauty queen. Now she’s come back a disgraced and divorced mom who’s lost almost everything—her home, her husband, even her design TV show—all while the public watched. And if the humiliation wasn’t bad enough, Avery and her two small children are moving in with her mama…just in time to give everyone in Camellia something to talk about.
And oh, they’re talkin’. Especially when Avery reignites her old friendship with Cole Whitaker, who’s offered Avery the opportunity to do something real: a redesign project that would help survivors of human trafficking. It could kick-start both her career and her confidence—not to mention give her a chance to spend more time with Cole.
With three generations of strong Southern women around the family dinner table, coming home to Camellia could be the perfect fresh start. Even if Avery is the topic of salacious gossip over sweet tea and her grandmother won’t stop interfering in her love life. But the bonds of family and the promise of second chances just might lead to a future that looks nothing like she expected.
It’s her second chance summer…if she’s ready for it—in this warm and utterly irresistible Southern small-town novel.
When Avery Lansing Crawford left her hometown of Camellia, Alabama, she was the darling of the town. A beauty queen. Now she’s come back a disgraced and divorced mom who’s lost almost everything—her home, her husband, even her design TV show—all while the public watched. And if the humiliation wasn’t bad enough, Avery and her two small children are moving in with her mama…just in time to give everyone in Camellia something to talk about.
And oh, they’re talkin’. Especially when Avery reignites her old friendship with Cole Whitaker, who’s offered Avery the opportunity to do something real: a redesign project that would help survivors of human trafficking. It could kick-start both her career and her confidence—not to mention give her a chance to spend more time with Cole.
With three generations of strong Southern women around the family dinner table, coming home to Camellia could be the perfect fresh start. Even if Avery is the topic of salacious gossip over sweet tea and her grandmother won’t stop interfering in her love life. But the bonds of family and the promise of second chances just might lead to a future that looks nothing like she expected.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesOne Southern Summer Reviews
4.0
“I loved this book. I was obsessed with this book. This story was so sweet without being completely unrealistic. This book is one of my new favorites. I hadn't read a book that did as good of a job as showing a romance that is realistic but also super sweet. I liked that this book was not spicy. I liked the clean, cute, and sweet romance of it. I also liked how they talked about being a Christian. It was a common theme throughout the story, but the characters weren't totally perfect. As all of us christians are broken and fallen people, I loved how it showed the church as not only being a place for perfect people.”
“Avery Lansing Crawford has been cheated on by her husband (with a man who worked on their show) while she’s pregnant - they were on a reality home improvement show. She ends up moving with her 4 year old daughter and baby son back home to Camellia, Alabama, which is not something she wanted to do. Her mom and step-Dad welcome her home, as does her very southern proper 90 year old grandmother- Maribelle. Her grandmother is one of those southern ladies who meddles in other people’s business. Avery’s father had left her mother, she and sisters back when she was younger which is one reason she wanted to get out of Camellia to begin with. Even though she was Miss Camellia, she wanted a better life and to leave old wounds behind.
Cole Whitaker is an old friend of Avery’s but they haven’t spoken in years. They grew up together and were the top of their graduating class. They both had some family dramas going on and wanted to get out of Camillia. Cole’s sister was a human trafficking victim and he has dedicated his life recently to helping other victims. He is in charge of building housing for human trafficking victims and Avery’s grandmother “bribes” him to hire Avery to help with the interior design planning.
This book was good and read very much like a Hallmark movie. Sometimes it dragged on a bit/was redundant with each character’s inner dialogue going on and on about what they should do with their situations. I also wish every time it cut to a new person’s point of view it would be a new chapter not just a new paragraph. I did enjoy the strong female characters and bonds in the book. I also enjoyed the slow burn relationship in it. I liked the town it was set it too- reminded me of a Sweet Magnolias vibe.”
“I love a southern fiction book however this book fell flat for me in many areas. I felt like Avery was “stuck” after her divorce, which I completely understand but then she felt “stuck” for most of the rest of the book too. I felt like the book dealt with so many weighty issues…affair, divorce, kidnapping and murder of Coles sister (not told in detail), human trafficking, fame/celebrity/social media… It really just felt like a lot. There was a meddling grandma that I had to keep reminding myself was the mother of Avery’s deadbeat dad. Just so much to keep track of. I spent most of the book trying to keep track of all the complex relationships and situations.
Thank you Net galley and Harlequin for the review copy. All opinions are my own.”
About Heidi McCahan
Heidi McCahan began dreaming up stories as a little girl. Now she writes uplifting, inspirational romance novels set in small towns. Heidi's a huge fan of coffee, dark chocolate, and reading books with happy endings. She's originally from Alaska but currently lives in North Carolina with her handsome husband, three amazing boys, and the world's greatest goldendoodle. Heidi loves connecting with readers, so please visit her website, www.heidimccahan.com.
Other books by Heidi McCahan
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