Setting is absolutely gorgeous. Not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope and how simple conversation could solve all issues but it never happens. The characters make some questionable decisions which took me out of the narrative a little however I still enjoyed it.

A beautifully written book about life and how things happen sometimes. Nona reunites with the man who broke her heart many years ago. Will there be a chance for romance between them. Enjoyable.

The amount of miscommunication between pretty much every character in Where Wild Peaches Grow left me wishing the story had gone in a different direction. I went into this story expecting more of a mystery around the history of the family. While there was a lot of drama, there wasn't a lot else to keep the story going. If you are a fan of character driven novels over plot driven, this might be one I would recommend.

I did find the historical aspects included in the story interesting and found myself often googling about the history of Mississippi.

There were some characters I thought we could do without, which might have also moved the story along a bit more. I am not sure why Sangenette was included, except to perhaps provide an avenue for historical lessons. But I also wanted to someone to tell her how it is.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed Where Wild Peaches Grow in that I read it quickly and held my attention.

A really enjoyable story around the Davenport family. It's quite unbelievable and sad to know that many might recognize themselves in Peaches, Julia, Cat, Jasper, Opal, Marcus, Eli, Ruby, Sanganette, or anyone in this family. So many family members or family friends hold secrets that some have stopped talking ro one another and hold grudge for the wrong reasons. You think you know why your mom left, why your sister stopped talking to you, why your ex boyfriend is this and that, but you are actually wrong. Whatever grudge you hold on to, prevents you from being around the people who matter most and who really love you, and that prevents you from growing as a person; blossoming.
A great tour-de-force by this author I just discovered and look forward to reading more of. Great story!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this free e-ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Oh this was such a great book! I loved the historical aspect of this. It is filled with some great characters. I also loved the family dynamics that take place in this book. I also have to say the cover of this is so pretty. I can't wait to read more by this author.

(this review was posted on Goodreads October 17, sent to Bookbub and accept on Amazon the same day)

"All families have secrets and and most times they were best if they stayed buried"

This is a story of an estranged and very flawed family coming together for the patriarch's funeral.

Julia and Nona Davenport are sisters separated for 15 years aafter Nona left home. However, Julia has no idea as to why Nona felt the need to leave her family behind and cut off ties. Nona blames Julia for destroying her chance at happiness. Nona moves to Chicago and is now a professor of African American Studies. It is the death of her father that brings her back.

What we see is a look at the layers of family: parents, sisters , old friends, neighbors in Natchez Mississippi mostly through Nona's eyes. Who's telling the truth and how nuanced is it?

I love Cade Bentley no matter what pen name she uses. Her ability to spin a nuanced tale is astounding. I'm looking forward to the next book she writes. Highly Recommended 5/5

[Disclaimer: I recieved this book from Netgalley. How I recieved it was not influenced in this review which is my own opinions]

This was absolutely beautiful. I loved the writing and the setting, and while I didn't always like the characters, they were incredibly realistic and relatable. Will definitely be reading everything this author writes.

Peaches return home seeking to help her Grandma who is not doing very well with her own health, but Peaches was not really ready to reconnect with her family, she feels like she has been betrayed enough to even consider having a relationship with her sister but sooner or later her plans will change and things will start to really come forward until finally peaches and her sister will find the truth and forgive and forget everything that ever hurt them.

Where the wild peaches grow is a story that will make your heart sing with these beautiful characters that are trying to survive their own problems and demons that society or even their own secrets are not helping them to move forward.

Julia hasn't moved on she is still angry with peaches after all these years for leaving the way she did, both sisters had an idea that is not the truth and they will find eventually a common grown that will show them how wrong and mistakenly they were to think and assume things about each other without even asking questions or setting the record straight.

Where the Wild Peaches grow is a story about a family, of two sisters seeking for redemption, forgiveness, and unity. it is a story that for me in some ways the message was very clear dont make assumptions and ask questions before making any conclusion I believe if peaches and Julia had a conversation before many of the situations that went through would have been fixed soon.

I really enjoy this story and all the things that Peaches went through as it really made me feel like I was walking and living every experience with her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy of Where Wild Peaches Grow in exchange for an honest review.

I had fun reading this book. I have a thing for books with family histories and people navigating their own past, present and future, both contemporary and speckled with history. Where Wild Peaches Grow certainly has this.

There were some downsides that did not make it as enjoyable a read as I had hoped it would be though. To me the plot fell short, because it was so hung up on people not talking to and with each other. Like, if some of them had had a good conversation in the past or even at the start of the book it would have resolved most of the problems they faced. Another one thing I found hard to take on face value was Julia having Sanganette as a best friend. Someone who downplays your family and people's history like that in your face (or even if it's not in your face) is not a friend. It might be my own privilege, but I cannot imagine staying around and trusting someone like that.

⭐⭐⭐ -- Pretty cover!

This one was just okay for me. There was something about the writing that rubbed me the wrong way. I am also really not a fan of the whole "misunderstanding" trope, especially when a simple conversation would clear the air and there was SO much of that in this book that it got ridiculous. On the positive side, the author did a good job with the setting and descriptions of the different places.

**ARC Vias NetGalley**

Final rating: 3.5/5. The writing was beautiful but the plot was not interesting enough for a full novel. Would have worked better as a short story. Good character development though.

This is a story of people who leave and the people who are left behind. The synopsis grabbed me and had me excited, but the opening didn't engage me. It's very well-written but personally, I found the book was too descriptive and hard to follow. While most people will likely love the strong imagery and the pacing, this was not the style of writing that I gel with and I could not finish it.

One stays and the other decides to go then down the road resentment kicks in. A lot of secrets are revealed which brings about a lot of pain and healing at the same time. Reading about this family was very enjoyable and it was just a good book to relax with while enjoying some wine. Thanks to the publisher and NetGally for the opportunity to read this book and provide my unbiased opinion.

Nona "Peaches" Davenport left Natchez, Mississippi when her life turned upside down. Her family fooled her and the man who had her heart discarded her. She left fifteen years before and never thought she would return but news that her father has passed has her taking this unwanted trip. Upon her return she learns that the man who left her has been taking up with her sister since she's been gone. The sisters must learn to listen to each other to figure out where everything went wrong. Can they find the love they once had for each other as a family or will old.hurts break them further apart. This was an emotional read about family who has broken apart trying to bring the fractured parts back together and heal.

Such a beautiful book and evocative writing. The author is obviously a rising star. I loved the story of two estranged sisters and how eloquently it was narrated.

Truly happy I read this book. This books is full of drama about family, misconceptions and mending wrongs! Thoroughly enjoyed to to the end!

Favorite Quotes:

And she wondered why she’d never thought about this day would come. Or stopped to realize how much it would hurt when it did.

Sanganette Gautier-Preston. White. Prim. She incorrectly, by most accounts, considered her size twelve, five-foot-four-inch frame to be petite and her thinking progressive. An aficionado of designer heels and designer purses, she was always overdressed in the classroom full of sixth graders at Harris-Harper Elementary School where she taught. Her hair was blonde and curly, her eyes blue and heavily mascaraed, and her nose, straight, delicate, and usually in the air.

“I don’t think that man knows what he’s saying to you,” Sanganette quipped. “Telling you he’d give you anything you need.” Sanganette let loose a sinister little laugh. “You been single a long time. He might not be able to live through what you can put on him.”

… she was surprised that the service was in a church. Nona hadn’t known her father to be a religious man. She’d only heard him call on the Lord when he wanted the dice to roll his way or when the level in his whiskey bottle was low.

In her time away, Nona had accomplished so much and done nothing. Coming home, she found that things rarely work out like they were supposed to, but it didn’t mean things didn’t turn out right.

My Review:

I struggled with this one while reading, although I consistently appreciated the excellence of the author's craft. This family and town were comprised of characters who were realistically, deeply, and uncomfortably flawed and often were rather awful, yet truthfully, nearly every family I know of has issues and history just as heinous. Each one was completely knowable, and I was intrigued and annoyed by them in equal measure.

The storylines were perceptively written with provocative and heart-squeezing insights and profound observations that go far beneath the skin, this author must either have Superman’s x-ray vision or magical goggles. While their culture, latitude, and longitude are far different from mine, the characters were exposed and laid bare. Ms. Bentley sucked me in and hit a nerve, I was right there with them.

After I finished reading, I tried and failed to write a review, I couldn’t determine my overall rating or derive an opinion. I ruminated, stalled, and mulled for several days, which is highly unusual. In looking over my highlighted notes, I have concluded that Cade Bentley/Abby L. Vandiver/Abby Colette is an exceptionally talented, brilliantly observant, and perceptive human being.

Well written book.
I was just not able to get into it. I did try for the first 42% but finally had to give up. It's just not what I was in the mood for I guess. It had a lot of great things. Two sisters who wasted years that they could have been together. A lie sure cost a lot for them.

I'm very sorry this book just did not hold my interest. I picked it up and put it down so many times I finally just gave up.
Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC.
5 stars because I just can't say it was bad. Read it. It may be just what you are looking for.

Sisters Nona and Julia have drifted away from each other through the years due to misunderstanding and lies. When their father died, they were forced together after twenty years. What they discovered was that they wasted years together because of things beyond their control. This was a great book that anyone who has brothers and sisters should read, they could learn a lot.

It is incredible to see how easily one misunderstanding and one lie can change the course of so many lives. Where Wild Peaches Grow showcases the delicate and complex balance necessary to navigate family dynamics.

I loved this book. I could see everything I was reading so vividly as if watching on tv. The entire story and many characters are relatable, and I could see my family in them. The interaction between each shedding light on who they were within. I could feel their raw emotion as everyone started to show their hand and was surprised once all truths were revealed.

Although a fiction novel, it touched on genuine issues. This is especially true of race as it pertains to history. The story of Devil’s Punch Bowl instantly reminded me of Black Wall Street, so I wasn’t surprised once the characters made the comparison. The story behind both highlights the importance of truth in history. It is said that the victors write history, so to know one’s history is to have the tools necessary to fight its repetition.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher, and the author, Cade Bentley.