Alice at Heart

Alice Riley grew up feeling like an outsider in her small Georgia town due to her webbed fingers and unusual abilities in the water. At age thirty, she discovers there may be others like her when she learns of the Bonavendier sisters living on a secluded island off the Carolina coast. The story follows Alice's journey to find answers about her identity and true nature with the mysterious Bonavendier family. Her arrival at the sisters' island estate sets in motion a series of events that connect past to present, forcing long-buried secrets to surface. Romance develops between Alice and Griffin Randolph, a man tied to both her past and the Bonavendier family history. Their connection adds complexity to Alice's search for belonging and understanding of her unique traits. The novel explores themes of acceptance, identity, and the power of embracing one's true nature through elements of magical realism set against the backdrop of Southern coastal culture. Its blend of family saga and supernatural mystery creates a distinct perspective on what it means to be different.

Readers describe this as a southern romance with magical realism elements, noting its unique blend of folklore and contemporary love story. Positive feedback focuses on: - Rich descriptions of Georgia mountain settings - Complex family dynamics and relationships - Mystical water-women elements woven naturally into the plot - Strong character development, especially Alice's journey - Blend of romance with deeper themes of acceptance Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in first third of book - Side plots that don't fully resolve - Some find the supernatural elements hard to believe - Romance develops too quickly Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (90+ reviews) Barnes & Noble: 4.1/5 (40+ reviews) One reader noted: "Like Practical Magic meets The Secret Life of Bees." Another said: "The water-women premise requires suspension of disbelief, but the emotional core rings true."

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🌊 The novel is part of the "Water Sisters" series, featuring women with mysterious aquatic abilities who live in the Appalachian Mountains. 🏆 Author Deborah Smith is a New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of BelleBooks publishing company, which supports Southern women writers. 💫 The book blends magical realism with Southern fiction, a genre combination that gained popularity in the early 2000s following the success of authors like Sarah Addison Allen. 🗺️ The story is set in fictional Marylon, Georgia, near Lake Marylon, drawing on the rich tradition of Southern gothic literature and local folklore. 👥 The protagonist, Alice Riley, belongs to a lineage of women with special abilities connected to water, echoing ancient myths about water spirits and mermaids found in various cultures.