Sarah Addison Allen - The Peach Keeper

It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots.
But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood—of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it.
For the bones—those of charismatic traveling salesman Tucker Devlin, who worked his dark charms on Walls of Water seventy-five years ago—are not all that lay hidden out of sight and mind. Long-kept secrets surrounding the troubling remains have also come to light, seemingly heralded by a spate of sudden strange occurrences throughout the town.
Now, thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover truths of the long-dead that have transcended time and defied the grave to touch the hearts and souls of the living.
Resonant with insight into the deep and lasting power of friendship, love, and tradition, The Peach Keeper is a portrait of the unshakable bonds that—in good times and bad, from one generation to the next—endure forever. 

Comment: This book has been in my TBR list for two years, more or less. I got it because I've read the previous 3 books by the author and they're all lovely. Very simple and beautiful. I really hope mrs Allen can write more, and more fast at that would be great...

This story, like usual, has two romances developing and it's all based on a magical element, a certain special something happening where the action takes place.

There's Paxton and Willa, very different but starting a friendship their grandmothers also had in their youth and there's the two men in their lives. Colin is Paxton's brother and he has an eye on Willa. Paxton is in love with Sebastien but thinks he can't return those feelings because he's gay. No one is really sure about what might happen, though.

I think the blurb is very detailed and pretty self explanatory. The action revolves around the big mansion that once belonged to Willa's family but it's now property of Paxton's family and the peach tree that was recently removed and changed everything. While the two girls start to develop their friendship, secrets come out and they are more bound than what they think...the author creates a magical feel in her novels, a bit of paranormal without being too obvious and the focus isn't there, at all. But exists and offers the possibility of starting up the novel and getting it in the right direction. I think the books are always such a sweet surprise...

I read these more for the element of sweet simple surprise. I know things will end up well, I know the romance will happen, I know everything will be special and it allows the reader to dream a bit about how wonderful things are in a different reality. I really like it.

The characters aren't very different from all the others before, I have the feeling the tone doesn't change, but I can't help feeling happy to have read it either. Plus, we see Claire, from book #1 making an appearance, how fun.

This author writes in a very simplistic way. She doesn't dance around things, she usually goes to the point in a simple but beautiful way and it's so easy to fall in love with her settings and her words. Sure, her stories are a bit predictable but after 3 books those who don't realize that and critic that weren't paying attention. I knew what to expect and that didn't disappointed me. What I think could be a bit better is the development itself..I think she could write a bit longer, space out the growing of the relationships so they could feel stronger. The stories are meant to be seen as easy and direct but I think a bit more development would really make them not only stronger but more complete in terms of things accomplished.

Anyway, i liked it, it's great for what it's worth. I'll read the next one when (if) it comes out.