This week’s Jen’s Jewels spotlight is shining on FALLING FOR PEACHTREE BLUFF by New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey.
The newest installment of the beloved Murphy family series brings fans back to Peachtree Bluff, where small-town charm, family secrets, and plenty of pumpkin spice await.
If you’re ready for a cozy fall read filled with heart, humor, and Southern charm, this one belongs on your TBR.
LIGHTNING ROUND
What’s your favorite way to spend a crisp September afternoon?
I’m a big football girl! A Tar Heel game and a pumpkin spice latte make me so happy! Any high school sporting event too. I also love fall boating days. It’s a little cooler, and the water is so calm.
What’s your go-to fall drink, snack, or sweet treat while writing?
I love to make—and eat!—pumpkin muffins! Pumpkin everything for me!
THE FALL INSPIRATION
What was the very first spark that inspired this story?
It was so strange. I wrote CHRISTMAS IN PEACHTREE BLUFF in 2020 as the extra chapter of the series. I was finished. Or so I thought. The minute I finished I knew what happened next, and I kept writing, just for fun, maybe even for myself. I never even told anyone. When my editor asked if I’d like to do more Peachtree Bluff I had almost an entire manuscript for her already!
Did any character unexpectedly take the story in a direction you hadn’t planned?
Absolutely! I had this idea about what was going to happen to Caroline’s character, but then immediately found her in an unexpected love triangle that changed her story completely. I love it when that happens!
Your setting feels like a character in its own right. What inspired you to choose it, and how does it shape the story?
Thank you! Peachtree Bluff is my favorite town I’ve ever written, maybe simply because I know it so well now. But I remember pitching this series and telling my editor I didn’t care if people remembered the story; I only cared if they remembered Peachtree Bluff! I wanted it to feel like a place everyone could belong, like coming home. As the early reviews were coming in, so many people referenced that it felt like coming home. Nothing could make me happier!
As the seasons change, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the past. Did any personal memories, traditions, or meaningful places influence this book?
I absolutely love fall, and I found myself reminiscing on all the reasons why. I loved including high school football, the fall festival, big family Thanksgiving celebrations, and the Thanksgiving parade. My dad was mayor of my hometown most of my life and my baby son riding in the parade with him for the first time is one of my favorite memories! I always think of that when I write a parade!
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
Can you share a behind-the-scenes fact about writing this book that readers may find surprising?
Yes! This is so weird. As I mentioned, I started writing this book after I finished CHRISTMAS IN PEACHTREE BLUFF in 2020, never really expecting it to get published. The big town scandal actually happened years later in Beaufort. It was so bizarre! And to top it off, the major thing that happens to the three sisters also happened to three of my favorite sisters who I grew up with. So strange! Sorry to be cryptic, but you’ll get it when you’re reading…
Fall is the perfect season to curl up with a great book. What’s currently at the top of your TBR pile?
I’m reading Belle Haven Finishing School by Adele Myers. It’s so great so far!
Every novel has its challenges. Was there a moment while writing this one that reminded you why you love storytelling?
Writing Peachtree Bluff is so incredibly fun for me. It’s crazy to say, but I think I loved every minute of writing this one!
If readers could step into one scene from your book for a day, which would you choose and why?
I want them to go to the Fall Festival. Every character is there, and it’s the perfect cozy Peachtree Bluff day!
LOOKING AHEAD
Can you give readers a sneak peek at what you’re working on next—without giving away any spoilers?
Without going into too much detail, my 2027 book is about a fictional North Carolina mom-and-pop ski resort. I’m so excited about it!
Where can readers connect with you and stay up to date on your latest books? Please share your website, newsletter, and social media links.
My website is and my newsletter, which usually has the info first is www.kristyharvey.substack.com. I’m very active on Instagram, and Facebook, Kristy Woodson Harvey. Come say hi!
FALLING FOR PEACHTREE BLUFF by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Narrator: Rebekkah Ross, Janet Metzger, Shannon Mcmanus, Candace Thaxton, Erin Ruth Walker
Peachtree Bluff #5
Welcome to Peachtree Bluff: a sweet, cozy small town where family is everything. The “go-to for elevated beach reads,” (People), Kristy Woodson Harvey, returns just in time for pumpkin spice season.
The air is crisper, the water is calmer, but, when it comes to the Murphy family, nothing is ever quite as simple as it seems.
Youngest sister Emerson is busy planning her dream wedding to Kyle. But her difficulty expanding her family is overshadowing her joy. Pregnant middle sister Sloane and her husband Adam’s dream house has turned into a nightmare. Everything is over time, over budget, and Sloane is over it. Eldest sister Caroline, as always, is there to swoop in and get her sisters’ lives under control. Until her focus is more than a little shifted by Emerson’s hunky costar who manages to sweep her right off her feet—just as her not-quite-ex-husband decides it’s high time he begged Caroline for a second chance.
Matriarch Ansley and her new husband Jack have finally hit their stride. But when a scandal that would affect every single Peachtree Bluff citizen comes to light—and it seems like Jack just might be at the center of it—Ansley questions whether he is actually the man she thought he was.
Through it all, these women must rely on their powerful family bonds, and the quirky characters and small-town charm of the place that, no matter what, always calls them home.
Women’s Fiction Southern [ Gallery Books, On Sale: September 15, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9781668219300 / eISBN: 9781668219324 ]
Buy FALLING FOR PEACHTREE BLUFF: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Libro.fm | Audible | Walmart.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Kristy Woodson Harvey
Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of fourteen novels, including Beach House Rules and the Peachtree Bluff series. A Happier Life is in development for film with MGM/Amazon, The Summer of Songbirds is in development for television with Hulu, and many of her other projects are in various stages of option or development for film and television. Her work has received numerous accolades, including Good Morning America’s Buzz Pick, Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Reads, Katie Couric’s Featured Books, and JoAnna Garcia Swisher’s The Happy Place Reads. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Southern Living, Parade, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, and many more. Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the hit weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction with fellow New York Times bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry. She is also the co-founder of the award-winning interiors site Design Chic, with her mom, Beth Woodson. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband, son, and dog, Salt, where she is (always!) working on her next novel.
Peachtree Bluff
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About Jennifer Vido
Jennifer Vido is the award-winning author of the Gull Island series, a collection of sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Her debut novel, Serendipity by the Sea, won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. Jennifer has been named Baltimore Magazine’s Best Local Author for three consecutive years (2024–2026) and was named The Baltimore Sun’s Best Author in its 2026 Best of Readers’ Choice Awards. When she’s not writing romance, Jennifer shares her love of books through her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, where she spotlights exciting new releases and talented authors.
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