The Violet Hour by Victoria Benton Frank ~ A Review

by Susan Roberts

A heartwarming and empowering novel about thriving after tragedy

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

August 2025; Gallery Books; 978-1668067796
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); southern fiction

Violet is a born and raised child of the Lowcountry of South Carolina.  She grew up on Sullivan's Island and has spent her life in the Charleston area.  At one time, she pretty well had her life figured out.  She and her fiancé bought a house together, and then Chris took a job in Japan.  He's been gone for a year, and she doesn't know if he is still her boyfriend or if she even has feelings for him.  Violet is a wedding photographer and is in high demand for society weddings in the area.  When Henry, a visiting Brit,  starts to show interest in Violet, she has to decide what her relationship with Chris really amounts to.  And now that Chris is coming home and claims to still love her, she has to make some decisions about her future.

Violet's best friend   Aly is also at a turning point in her life.  Aly's mom had recently died.  She had been a successful TikTok influencer.    Aly has to decide if she should try to take over her mother's accounts, and wonders if she has the ability to even take on such a popular account and make it successful.  She lives with her dad, and their relationship starts to change when he starts dating and brings home a young woman who wants Aly out of the house.

Can the friendship between Violet and Aly help them deal with their real-life problems?  Can they each find happiness in their lives despite job issues, boyfriend issues, and family issues?

This is a perfect summer book -- light and fun.  Despite both women being at a crisis point in their lives, they still manage to have fun when they spend time together.  The setting in Charleston is perfect and is a fantastic backdrop for the story.  This is a book about love, friendship, and family.  It's full of ups and downs in the lives of these two women.

This is the second Lowcountry book by this author, and her winning streak continues.  Some of the characters from her first book show up in The Violet Hour, but this book can be read as a standalone with no confusion.  Throw this one in your beach bag when you pack for a vacation - it's a perfect beach book.  It may make you wish that you were headed to beautiful Charleston, SC, for vacation, but it's a fun book to read anywhere.

Buy The Violet Hour at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Or Follow Girl Who Reads with Bloglovin. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.