Smells Like Peaches

I have been saving The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen for the perfect rural summer day.  I have found the books by Ms. Addison tend to be very atmospheric and I always forget to bring a summer book with me to the farm so this one seemed to be a perfect match.  I have mixed feelings about this book, but first, as always SPOILERS AHEAD!

In Walls of Water North Carolina, socialite Paxton Osgood has finally finished refurbishing the old Blue Ridge Madam.  A manor house built and then lost by the Jackson family.  Paxton plans on using the manor to host the 75th anniversary gala commemorating the formation of the Women's Society Club by Paxton's grandmother, Agatha and her friend Georgie, who is the grandmother of Willa Jackson, another Wall of Water resident.  Strange little things start happening throughout the town, culminating in the discovery of a skeleton buried beneath a peach tree in the manor yard.  Willa and Paxton, who were never friends in high school, form a friendship to discover the truth behind the skeleton.  Meanwhile, Paxton's brother Colin comes home for an extended visit to help Paxton with the renovations and falls in love with Willa.  Sebastian, a guy with a mysterious air has returned as the town dentist and befriended Paxton.  This is a bit of a problem when Paxton ends up falling in love with him, even though she assumes he is gay from a past encounter.  Things and stuff happen and the partial truth of the skeleton is revealed.  Back before the Jackson's lost the manor, a travelling salesmen by the name of Tucker Devlin came and charmed the whole town, ripping friendships apart and promising everybody the world.  He eventually moved into the Blue Ridge Madame on the premise that he would help Mr. Jackson plant a peach orchard (even though they do not grow at that altitude) and reverse his fortunes.  While living there he raped Willa's grandmother, Georgie several times, resulting in her pregnancy and Georgie smashing him upside the head with a frying pan.  When Georgie turned to Paxton's grandmother Agatha for help, they buried Tucker under the lone peach tree he had planted and formed the Women's Society Club to help each other and other women in town that may need a shoulder to lean on.  Back in the present Paxton resigns as president of the club, stating that she feels it has gotten to far away from its roots.  Willa and Colin come to an understanding about their living situation and reconcile their past with their present and future.  Sebastian turns out to be not gay and him and Paxton hook up.  Agatha and Georgie continue to keep their secrets and the peach smelling ghost of Tucker Devlin is finally laid to rest.

I have to admit, I like this authors other books more then I did this one.  The other books seemed to have a more defined magic touch to them, where this one only had the nebulous ghost, and I missed the magic.  The author did set the feel of the town beautifully, the atmosphere being everything it should be.  The best part of the book, I thought was the history of the town itself.  It's origins as a logging town, it's economic decline when the government turned the forest into a protected national park, the evolution of the town into a tourist spot, all culminated in a believable history.  I also liked how the story focused on friendships as being so important, especially between women.  When Paxton and Willa become friends through a shared experience, like their grandmothers before them, I cheered.  Both friendships were great examples of why women can take over the world if we quit being so petty and fought together.  I also liked the idea that people can change as they grow.  Sometimes a person who can't wait to leave a place, find that they are happy when they finally return, sometimes not staying is good, sometimes staying is the best thing, and sometimes a person has to do both during their life. The author aslo kept in her trademark magic food, this time in a much smaller form of Rachel, the barista who is trying to figure people out according to their coffee order.  The book tried to show how one's perception of oneself is usually different then other peoples, and that can be both good and bad, I'm not sure it got it across as clearly as the author intended, but the point was still there.  I thought the story of Tucker Devlin was ok, nothing to special or inventive, but it served its purpose. One thing I did not like was the whole is Sebastian gay or not thing.  I understand the author wanted to show how people categorize people, with no real information.  Sebastian was very pretty, and a bit odd, so apparently in this town that makes you gay.  Since he did not fit in anywhere else Sebastian hung out with the gay kids, because they would accept him.  As he became an adult, he just didn't address his sexuality until Paxton conveniently came along, and then he strung her along, causing her much anguish.  Again I understand what the author was trying to do, but it seemed a bit too pat, and a bit too drawn out, and a bit too disingenuous for my personal comfort.  I wanted more of a mystery, or more magic in the book, as that is what I loved about the authors last couple of books, but that is a personal thing.   So that is what I thought of the book.  I give it 6 out of 10 peach smelling ghosts and recommend it if you have read the authors other books, or you are looking for a book about a small town, a mystery and new friendships.
Are you ever disappointed in an authors later book?  How do you feel about straight characters falling in love with gay characters? Do I read way to much into every book I read?