Pretty as a Peach: Your Next Favorite Book Club Pick - For Fans of Charming, Small-Town Emotional Reads in 2026!

A rising star in Southern fiction, Grace Helena Walz returns with Pretty as a Peach, another story full of charm, sass, wit, and characters you'll want as friends.

A group of life-long friends. A secretive MLM cosmetics company. Some opportunities cost more than they're worth.

Delilah Thomas has a stellar track record of avoiding conflict. Her life mantra? Keep the peace. Born to a family she has never fit in, Delilah learned early that no matter what it costs her, it's best to keep quiet, nod, and agree. Now in her late thirties, she has mastered the art and employs it daily with the preschoolers she teaches.

Then Peach Pit sets up shop in her small hometown and infiltrates every female relationship, including Delilah's lifelong best-friend group. A direct sales business, Peach Pit claims its beauty products are organic and all-natural and recruits women to become "Darlings" who host parties to sell products to friends and family. Delilah's friend Betsy is ecstatic to join, drawn by promises of sisterhood and easy income. But something seems off to Delilah.

When customers, including her pregnant friend Eliza, start reporting rashes, Peach Pit refuses to take responsibility. Then Betsy lets an unsettling secret slip, and Delilah can't hold her tongue any longer. With the help of her retired neighbor, Mrs. Chopra, and travel journalist Jasper--Delilah's longtime pen pal and childhood crush, finally in town for a visit--Delilah investigates the company and uncovers the grim truth. She is faced with a choice: Stop pushing and keep the peace, or find her courage and expose Peach Pit's shady business practices, even if it costs her the unthinkable.

A story about enduring friendship, Pretty as a Peach paints a vivid portrait of choosing bravery in the midst of uncertainty and reminds us that the sweetest things in life are worth fighting for. Perfect for fans of Kristy Woodson Harvey, Lauren K. Denton, and Joy Callaway.

Discussion questions are included, so it's perfect for book clubs!

Grace Helena Walz received a master's in social work at the University of Houston and worked with children in foster care, as a medical social worker, and in a mental health capacity. She currently resides outside of Atlanta, GA, with her husband and two young children. She writes women's fiction in the moments between sticking Band-Aids on scraped knees and coordinating pint-sized social engagements. Connect with her online at gracehelenawalz.com; Facebook: @gracewalzauthor; Instagram: @gracehelenabooks; X: @gracehelenawalz; Pinterest: @gracewalzauthor