Pretty As a Peach Review | Southern Charm Meets MLM Horror

“I take a sip of my drink and then begin slowly recounting Peach Pit’s arrival in Pearl, the way its tenticles have spread, ensnared far too many women, and how it’s beginning to affect The Five.” – Pretty As A Peach by Grace Helena Walz

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Heavens above! I picked up Pretty As a Peach by Grace Helena Walz expecting Southern charm and heartfelt friendships. Instead, I found myself reliving every “Hey girlie!” MLM message that’s ever found it’s way into my DM’s…

This turned out to be one of the most realistic horror stories I’ve read all year.

No, this isn’t actually a horror novel, but if you’ve ever opened your DMs to an overly enthusiastic “Hey girlie!” from someone you haven’t spoken to in years… you know exactly the kind of horror I’m talking about.

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Pretty As A Peach by Grace Helena Walz Synopsis

What happens when five lifelong friends in a Southern community get swept up in the promise of easy money and endless success all built on home parties?

In Pretty As a Peach, Grace Helena Walz explores the impact of an MLM through the perspectives of The Five.

With charming Southern drama and truly heartfelt characters, this novel takes a look at what happens when ambition begins to outweigh loyalty to those you love the most. Friendships, families, relationships, and futures are forever changed.

My Review: Pretty As A Peach by Grace Helena Walz

I went into this book completely blind, so when I realized the story was going to focus on an MLM, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. But Grace Helena Walz takes what sounds like an absolutely absurd premise and transforms it into something surprisingly entertaining and emotional.

I certainly had a lot of emotions while reading this…

The multiple POV’s worked incredibly well here. Seeing the story unfold through The Five women allowed you to be more empathetic and understanding why some of them could each be drawn into the Peach Pit.

While I enjoyed getting each woman’s perspective, there were definitely a few points where I found myself eager to return to Delilah’s chapters. From start to end, my favorite character was Delilah.

She was hardworking and endlessly compassionate. One of my favorite things about her was that, despite everything negative she endured, nothing ever stole her kindness. She only grew stronger and learned to truly love herself just the way she is. She was such an easy character to love.

There’s also this satirical sense of humor woven throughout the novel, and as someone who’s received more than a few “Hey girlie!” DM’s over the years, I found myself laughing yet cringing at moments that felt way too hauntingly familiar.

Audiobook Review: Pretty As A Peach by Grace Helena Walz

Listen, the audiobook elevated this story in every possible way. Seriously, listen to it.

With many different POV’s, it could have been easy for the voices to blur together, but each narrator gave her character such a distinct Southern personality that it was truly effortless to follow.

Delilah’s narrator was my personal favorite. She perfectly captured her warmth and kindness. However, every narrator brought “The Five” alive in their own distinct ways.

The Southern charm added this wonderful and authentic layer to the listening experience. If you’re deciding between reading and listening to Pretty As a Peach, I recommend the audiobook.

Is Pretty As A Peach by Grace Helena Walz Worth Reading?

Pretty As a Peach is entertaining and charming. It has truly memorable characters (I think this was especially due to the audiobook) and relatable satire that will have anyone who’s ever received a “Hey girlie!” message laugh-cringing the entire read.

It was a fun and light read that I’m happy to recommend as an audiobook!

I was planning to kick off horror reading season tomorrow, August 1st, but it looks like I got a one day head start with this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC and ALC!