Christmas in Peachtree Bluff

Interesting Blend Of Gilmore Girls, Home Alone, Hurricane Survival, and Hallmark Christmas. I'm pretty sure this has one of the more interesting premises of any Hallmark Christmas type tale I've ever seen, one that blends elements of Home Alone with a tale of a post-Thanksgiving major hurricane along the Georgia coast before transitioning into a more "traditional" / "typical" Hallmark Christmas type tale. For those that don't mind coming into an existing world, you'll be able to follow everything perfectly fine here. For those others that can absolutely never have any prior book's events revealed before reading that book... well... this is actively marketed as Book Number 4. :D A solid if standard-ish tale of its type (re: Hallmark show more Christmas), this one is told from five female perspectives - a grandmother, her three daughters, and one of those daughters' own teenage daughter - and even the various guys involved here are given solid characterizations and never belittled, which can at times be a problem with other authors. (This is my first book from Harvey.) Indeed, it is actually with the involvement of one of the guys in particular where the Gilmore Girls elements *really* come to play, with some recurring hilarity. Overall a truly solid book within its type, and a good break for those looking to break away from their own situations during the holidays. Very much recommended. show less

I really do "need a little Christmas, right this very minute," and thankfully, Kristy Woodson Harvey answered the call. Her Christmas in Peachtree Bluff is the perfect book to segue into the holiday season.

Christmas in Peachtree Bluff had a little bit of everything: family relationships, new loves, old loves, a hurricane, lost treasure, and Christmas traditions. Kristy expertly wove several points of view, all excellently paced, to deliver a story that will make you laugh while tugging at your heart strings.

The story centered on the Murphy women, mother Ansley, and her adult daughters, Caroline, Sloane, and Emerson, and their husbands, and children, most notably the oldest granddaughter, Vivi. Together, the family weathers life's show more biggest obstacles, from a "storm of the century" hurricane that nearly devastated Peachtree Bluff, to divorces that evoke anger and sadness. But, they enjoy life's high moments, too: teenage romances, rekindled flames, and quiet moments watching the sunset.

If you're looking for a holiday story that will put you in the mood for Christmas, especially if you enjoy fiction that focuses on family relationships, put Christmas in Peachtree Bluff high on your to-read list. Highly recommended to lovers of Southern fiction, women's fiction, and good storytelling! show less

This story has it all - divorce, romance, family secrets, a lost treasure, a found kitten, a runaway teen, and a hurricane - all neatly rolled into a Christmas tale. Not having read the previous books in the series, I was at a disadvantage in understanding the backstories of the characters, but once I got further into the novel, things began to make more sense. Ansley and her second husband have welcomed the daughters and their families home for Christmas. It’s a big deal with traditions galore on Peachtree Bluff, but one they didn’t count on was a winter hurricane. Between the excitement of impending doom, there are the squabbles between some couples and the devotion between others. It’s a well written story, and the author has show more managed a good balance between the different elements of the novel as well as between all the strong female characters. It’s quite a feat of accomplishment, and much more than just an entertaining Christmas story. show less

This was a fun, heartfelt holiday novel. Not too Christmasy or cheesy but a good heartfelt reminder of what really matters during the holidays and that family will always be family and there for you no matter what.

The Murphy women and their families all transcend to Peachtree Bluff for Thanksgiving and the festivities to follow, as tradition has been since their mother moved there decades ago. This is where the holidays are, and this is home. Although they may seem picture perfect, there is lots going on in their lives and plans don’t always go according to how we’d like. The announcement of Hurricane Pearl has just made plans for them whether they like it or not.

Matriarch Ansley thinks this is all hype- it’s too late in the show more season for a hurricane and like hundreds before it- she thinks it will peter out before nearing them. But as mother nature has proven many times over, Pearl is bound to make landfall and so evacuations go into order. But Ansley isn’t worried they have other plans and as with all others before- damage and buildings can always be fixed and repaired.

When a family secret slips out, evacuation plans turn into a missing teenager search, and time is running out to get out of Peachtree Bluff. Those left on the island are franticly searching for the missing teenager with Ansley and Jack realizing that they will also be weathering the storm at this point, they no longer will have time to get out.

Hurricane Pearl has stuck to her guns and did make landfall. With all her fury and wrath she has also brought lessons and treasure. Can the Murphy’s, with all their drama, pull together and still make the best of the situation to pull everything together for the town and themselves for the holidays?

Thank you to the author for the free autographed copy that will forever remain on my shelves! I now need to order the other Peachtree novels, I’d like to read more about the Murphy’s and their stories. show less

A big storm is headed to Peachtree Bluff just as Ansley and Jack are about to head out for the trip of a lifetime. Their 15 year old granddaughter, Vivi, decides to prove a point and ends up lost in the storm. This takes the whole family, far and wide, to help bring her home and to fix the town up as good as new!

This story had a rough start for me. Luckily, I trust this author and knew it was going to turn out to be a good read! I highly recommend you read the other books in this series so you can keep up with all the characters which are in the first part of the book. Kristy Harvey brings everyone in for the holidays and it can be overwhelming to keep up with who is who and what is what. But, like any good author, she turns this into show more an amazing story. I love how all the characters are moved around like chess pieces! Very well done!

I enjoyed the tension brought on by the storm. It created such a wonderful twist to a Christmas story. It helped bring the family together and show what Christmas is all about!

Need a good Christmas story with intensity and wonderful family…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. show less

This book contains everything you need in a Christmas story. Family, friends, love, traditions, of course, enough drama to make it interesting! Book 4 in the Peachtree Bluff saga, but can read as a stand-alone.

Put on your comfy clothes, build a fire, grab a hot drink of choice and settle into a cozy chair because you might find yourself sitting and reading for a while. The Murphy women are a force to be reckoned with on their own, but when banded together watch out and don’t stand in their way! Add to the mix a sullen teenager, a divorce, and a trip of the lifetime and The Storm of the Century looming, this family will find that together they can face anything. Enjoyable Christmas story that will put you in the right frame of mind show more for what will hopefully be a return to our regular Holiday time. I found myself tearing up, laughing, shaking my head and feeling anxious while reading. Such a perfect ending. Great characters, I could so relate to most situations.

Thanks to Ms. Woodson Harvey, Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone! show less

It's wonderful to spend time with old friends during the Christmas season. This book gives us a chance to spend time with the Murphy family in Peachtree Bluff. It put me in the Christmas mood even though it's a 90 degree July day. I'll need to read it again closer to Christmas.

Ansley loves Christmas - decorating at the store and at home and she always looks forward to the activities in her town - the tree lighting, the candlelight tours and Christmas markets. They are all important traditions for her and she enjoys spending time at these events with her children and grandchildren. The entire family is home for Thanksgiving and Ainsley and Jack are excited because they are leaving right after Thanksgiving to take their dream vacation on show more a cruise in Australia.

Emerson and her family are there from California, Sloane and her son and daughter Vivi are there from New York City and Caroline and Adam live in town. When the sisters get together it's always fun for everyone but this year there are two problems - Vivi and Pearl. Vivi is typical teenager who is hateful to her mother and blames her for the divorce between her parents. Pearl is a hurricane that is scheduled to come on shore at or near Peachtree Bluff. Ainsley isn't paying any attention to the hurricane warnings because she thinks that it's too late in the year for a dangerous storm.. The sisters and their families go to NYC after Thanksgiving with plans to return for Christmas. Vivi is giving her mother so much trouble that Ainsley and Jack decide to take her on their cruise. As the storm gets closer, Vivi runs off in anger and they weren't able to evacuate and now have to ride out the storm and it's a vicious storm that will cause damage and flooding. The section of the book about the hurricane was very tense I wanted Peachtree Bluff to be undamaged and was really worried about Ainsley and Jack because their home was on the water. The three daughters are afraid for Jack and Ainsley and Vivi and know that they have to rescue them. Do Ainsley, Jack and Vivi stay safe? Are the daughters able to rescue them after the 'storm of the century'?

As always, Kristy Woodson Harvey has given us a story about family and the problems and love that every family has. Her characters are spot on and remind me of people that I know. She says that this is the last book in the series but maybe - hopefully - she'll change her mind. I hate to say goodbye to the Murphy family. Kristy's legion of fans are going to love this book. If you haven't read her books - read this series and I guarantee that she will become one of your favorite authors!

Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review. show less