My Thoughts and More on A Girl's Guide to Having it All by Leslie Kirby DeVooght

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for A Girl's Guide to Having it All by Leslie Kirby DeVooght, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Girl's Guide to Having it All 
Series: Magnolia Bluff #3 
Author: Leslie Kirby DeVooght 
Publisher: Lanier Price Publishing 
Release Date: April 30, 2026 
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction with Romance

She mastered her career. Finding a husband? Not so much. 

High-powered political lobbyist Carleigh Chastain turns thirty-five with an impressive résumé, a packed calendar, and no love life to speak of. When her longtime friend—and former marriage-pact partner—Lawson announces he’s marrying a woman he barely knows, Carleigh does what any sensible best friend would do: she drops everything in DC and jets to Magnolia Bluff, Georgia, determined to save him from a costly mistake. 

Instead, her plans unravel, forcing Carleigh to confront the choices she’s made—and the ones she’s avoided. 

Meanwhile, Spencer MacDowell, her steady, loyal best friend since law school, is done waiting in the friend zone. 

As faith, friendship, and romance collide, Carleigh wonders if she’s been too busy chasing success to notice where God—and her heart—have been pointing all along. Funny, heartfelt, and romantic, this story asks what “having it all” really means.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

More in This Series

 

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About the Author

Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling author Leslie Kirby DeVooght writes women’s fiction with faith, love, laughter, and a lot of Southern charm. Her stories are inspired by romcoms, coastal Georgia, and fried okra! When Leslie isn’t writing, she’s cheering on her three children, and enjoying date nights with her husband, who loves that she researches kissing.

In addition to writing her own stories, Leslie co-owns Spark Flash Fiction, an online magazine that publishes short, short romance collections four times a year. 

 

Connect with Leslie by visiting lesliedevooght.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.

My Thoughts:

Carleigh Chastain is a smart, career-driven woman, who as the saying goes, can't see the forest for the trees. She has just reached her thirty-fifth birthday, her marriage pact best friend and birthday buddy, Lawson, is getting married to someone who is not her. He was always her Plan B. Also, her brother is getting married too. A co-worker and friend, Jordan, yep, you guessed also just got married. Carleigh is feeling a little bit lost and kind of desperate.

Spencer her best friend guy who lives in the same apartment and does everything with her, is trying to calm her down. However, she will not have any of that which leads to some big fights between the two of them, not to mention the crazy mixed-up emotions she is feeling whenever she is around him. Could Spencer possibly like her more than a friend? Sometimes I really felt like Carleigh was really sabotaging herself and she had no clue she was even doing it.

Carleigh still has a lot of growing up to do even though she is very successful. Her clock is ticking and she really does not want to be just a cat lady, even though she loves her kitty. This was a heartfelt, sometimes crying, other times laughing journey that Carleigh needed to take if she really was going to have it all. Hang on as Carleigh's rollercoaster life zips you up and down on the road to true love.

This was such a fun story from start to finish by a new to me author and I look forward to more of her stories.

I was provided a copy of this novel by the author. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a bookish tote bag with all three books from the Magnolia Bluff series (A Girl's Guide to Having it All, How to Sparkle, and Stealing Magnolias)!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 6, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 13, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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