Just too predictable with a slap dash finish. ( )

Twice in one week, I've been blessed by the discovery of a brand new author to read, and onto the best summer reading I can remember in awhile!
This book had everything you can want in a Southern Write, the talk of Low Country like you know it( I've only been there briefly once) but these woman( you know who I refer to) that write of it know how to bring you there, and raise you there, thru their writing and living skills. I have ordered all Beth Webb Harts books now and can't wait to sit and pore over them with my friends that I pass them on to. Keep writing Beth! ( )

Despite the fact that I sometimes get irritated when authors take liberties with my beloved lowcountry, I like reading books set in and around Charleston. When this AR copy of Moon Over Edisto fell into my hands, I was prepared to be disgruntled by inaccuracies, and by the problems that often plague AR books: typos, weird printing sequences, etc. However, I was pleasantly surprised on both counts.

The story, told from 5 varying points of view, centers on old family hurts and betrayals which surface as trouble and tragedy again haunts a family. Julia, an artist in New York City, comes home for a brief visit to Charleston, and to the old family home on Edisto, when her widowed stepmother falls ill. Julia's half siblings, young children from this second marriage, need caring for while their mother recuperates from surgery to combat lung cancer. The kicker is that the stepmother is Julia's age, and was her best friend in college. Julia and her own sister, both hurt and bitter after the break-up of their parents, have had nothing to do with her father's new family, seeing them only once at their father's funeral.

The story grows from there, with the careful examination of feelings and circumstance by Julia, her sister, her young half-sister, Julia's mother, and an old friend still in the area. The star of the tale remains the beautiful South Carolina lowcountry, with its beautiful wetlands, and the bounty of the sea and land. It was a nice book to read as summer moves to fall, here on the Carolina coast. This is the first novel I have read by Beth Webb HArt, and I will look for more. ( )

First, let me say I LOVE reading books about the South, especially South Carolina. I have family that live right outside of Charleston, and I have been visiting there almost yearly for most of my life. When I read a book set in Charleston, I get an extra thrill, because I know those streets, store, restaurants, etc. I also know the outlying islands, including Edisto. The author does a great job bringing the area to life. The story, of betrayal and forgiveness, works very well in the southern setting.

Julia’s best friend Marney broke up her parents’ marriage in their senior year of college. Almost twenty years later, Julia is enjoying s successful career in art and teaching, and has just gotten engaged. Marney shows up at her door. Now a widow and the mother to Julia’s three half siblings, she has lung cancer. She needs surgery, and there is no one to care for the children during her recovery. She asks Julia to return to Edisto to help her.

The story is told from the points of view of different characters- Julia, her mom MaryEllen, her sister Meg, Jed-doctor and neighbor, and Etta, her nine year old half sister.The characters develop quickly and I became immersed in each of their stories, especially MaryEllen. She is still hurt by the collapse of her marriage and confused as to why both her daughters keep her at a distance.

I thought this was well written and moved quickly.

I received a copy of this book as part of a random give away through Goodreads. ( )

Moon Over Edisto is about the Bennett family and the aftermath of a divorce.
Julia's best friend from college, Marney betrays her by falling in love with her dad. Her family divorces. Julia moves to New York to pursue her passion of art, her mom, Maryellen moves away to find peace with why her marriage fell apart and younger sister Meg struggles to create the picture perfect family of her own.
The book opens when another tragedy forces Julia to return to her childhood home on Edisto Island in South Carolina. This time Julia is asked to care for her three half-siblings. She stays a week, but in that short time, she begins to questions why she was unable to forgive Marney and her dad. She also discovers that her home is pulling her back and away from her new life in Manhattan. Julia's dad is no longer alive, but the rest of the family comes together (usually over a delicious southern meal) and slowly begins to heal.
I really liked this story, much more than I thought I would. I love books where each chapter is told from the point of view of major characters in the book. Julia is great with her half-siblings. They in turn are kind and appreciate her help, as well. I kept wondering if Julia and Meg would be able to reconcile with Marney before the book ended.
I was happy at the ending of the book, as well. A great conclusion to a heartwarming book.
*Disclosure* Booksneeze has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are mine alone. ( )