Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Secrets of Southern Girls by Haley Harrigan

Title: Secrets of Southern Girls
Author: Haley Harrigan
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Pages: 320
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary

            

Ten years ago, Julie Portland accidentally killed her best friend, Reba. What's worse is she got away with it. Consumed by guilt, she left the small town of Lawrence Mill, Mississippi, and swore nothing would ever drag her back. Now, raising her daughter and struggling to make ends meet in Manhattan, Julie still can't forget the ghost of a girl with golden hair and a dangerous secret. When August, Reba's first love, begs Julie to come home to find the diary that Reba kept all those years ago, Julie's past comes creeping back to haunt her. That diary could expose the shameful memories Julie has been running from, but it could also unearth the hidden truths that Reba left buried…and reveal that Julie isn't the only one who feels responsible for Reba's death. In fact, she may not be responsible at all.

This story is about confronting the past and marrying it with the monsters that haunt you in the present. Julie and Reba were best friends when they were teenagers, loyal to a fault. But tragedy strikes when Reba dies and feeling responsible for her death, Julie leaves the town of Lawrence Mill. At least ten years have passed and Julie now has her own family.

When August, Reba's old love returns looking for Reba's diary, Julie confirms that she doesn't have it. So a quest begins that will put Julie and August back in their old stomping ground with the hope of finding the diary and maybe then, uncovering the events surrounding her death.

I love stories told from multiple points of view and this one was no exception. I especially enjoyed entries from Reba's diary. And as Reba's secrets unfold, Julie and August realize that they didn't know her as well as they thought they did. The jumping back and forth from the various timelines (past and present) muddled things for me at times but I read an advanced copy in e-format so that may have just been a formatting issue for me. But it still didn't detract from the story and Harrigan's writing talent shines throughout the book.

I'm always interested in the complexities of the human race. As August and Julie begin to see all these layers uncovered, we learn that Reba wasn't quite the innocent person they originally believed and their conceptions of her begin to shatter. One of the POV characters I really did enjoy was Toby, Julie's cousin. I found him fascinating and appreciated that he was nuanced and sympathetic despite his flaws. And as most of the other characters, they were believable and fully-formed.

Although I did think the story suffered from a slow start, once it picked up, I wanted to know all the secrets. A wonderful debut book, I look forward to reading other works written by Haley Harrigan. And now you also have the chance by entering the giveaway. This is a great book to add to your summer reading list so good luck, and happy reading!

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks for providing an advanced copy of this book!

Haley Harrigan graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in creative writing and public relations. She lives in Athens, Georgia, with her husband. Secrets of Southern Girls is her debut. Visit her website atwww.haleyharrigan.com or on Twitter @HCHarrigan.

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