Books like Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Twenty‑five year‑old Belly Conklin returns to the family summer home on the coast, where a cancer diagnosis forces her to confront love, loss, and growing up amid the familiar rhythm of beach life.

A quartet of intimate stories about family bonds and personal reconciliation, showing how ordinary choices shape destinies in the everyday lives of sisters, a school janitor, a stranger on the street, and a long‑absent daughter.

Monsieur Perdu, a literary apothecary aboard a Seine barge, prescribes novels to heal broken hearts. When his own love remains a mystery, he journeys south of France to find closure and prove stories can mend souls.

Nova Kumalisi agrees to be a surrogate for her best friend Mal Wacken and his wife, but years later he drifts away and a tragic illness forces them to confront their fractured bond.

Three women—Bethanne, her daughter Annie, and Ruth—embark on a cross-country road trip to Florida for a high‑school reunion, discovering new friendships, revisiting past loves, and confronting life‑changing decisions along the way.

*All six senses tell him she’s the one.* Down-to-earth teacher Grace Fox doesn’t believe in anything that can’t be proven by science. So she has no trouble dismissing her best friend’s prediction that she’ll have swear-out-loud sex with the next guy to walk through the door at the school’s parents’ evening. Enter 34 year old Ash Rutherford, a famous doctor-turned-medium and Viking lookalike. He’s there to discuss his 14 year old troubled daughter, Jodie, but one mistaken flash of Grace’s sexy underwear sparks an instant attraction they both struggle to contain. Grace, 29, is happy to help tutor Jodie, but she does her best to resist Ash’s charms, while he’s equally reluctant to fall for another skeptic. When she attends one of his shows, Ash provides more than enough proof of his talents to convince her he’s not faking it. But can she bring herself to trust him? Warning: contains a real, live Viking, sex on a 1970s sheepskin rug, and a touch of the Twilight Zone.

When the 100‑acre Bella Vista apple orchard becomes hers, a young woman inherits not only land but a half‑sister, Tess, who repairs stolen treasures, unveiling family secrets, friendship, and the simple joys of food and home.

A Knit to Quit series about women learning to embrace change and the bonds of friendship that help them through difficult times.

Jen Dixon, a seasoned kindergarten class mom, navigates the chaos of a Kansas City classroom amid family drama, PTA politics, and quirky parents, turning a simple volunteer role into a test of leadership and humor.

An ex‑daughter‑in‑law and her mother‑in‑law form an unlikely friendship after a divorce and infidelity, helping each other rebuild their lives, find new love and celebrate female camaraderie.

A mother-daughter team from Louisiana's past reappears six decades later, solving past misunderstandings and forging new alliances.

A contemporary romance set in Los Angeles, where an artist feels an uncanny, almost otherworldly connection with a charming baseball player, sparking a case of love, memory, and unexpected life changes.