I truly wanted to like it more but I found it to be too long for the amount of actual content in the book. The writing too also wasn't as good as others in the genre. However, an extra star for a good description of what a panic attack feels like (avoiding the cliche so many fall into while writing about them) and for a beautiful grief scene after a death (no spoilers) that actually made me tear up. Unfortunately though, besides those two things, I found it to be a lackluster read. However, I think this is an instance when it was a mistake to read a book out of order since the references to the earlier books probably added weight to the story that I missed out on.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank them, the publisher Gallery Books, and the author Mary Alice Monroe for the opportunity to do so.

The author has another hit. Her fans will not be disappointed. A lovely story that pulls you along with a great finish

Mary Alice Monroe has always written thought provoking books that deal with issues some authors shy away from. This book is no different. When two unlikely roommates share a beach house, a friendship forms that will have to endure life as we all know it. As in every book she writes, the character leap from the page and strike a chord in the reader's heart. Tears flow, laughter rolls, and hearts sigh as every triumph is celebrated and every failure mourned. Read, read, read....

This was a great summer read. Of course it was, it was about a beach house!

I hadn't read any of the other Beach House books prior to reading this one, but this totally works as a standalone. The characters are likeable, and relatable. The story is emotional and perceptive.

Plus I absolutely love the cover art.

Chic lit, beachy summer read but with more substance and depth due to the environmental issues brought to light. Really enjoyed this and would like to read some of her earlier books now that I've become acquainted with this author's writing!

This book will be a great beach read. It is uplifting and makes you happy to be a female.

I love books about women who become advocates for each other and this was one! Loved it

Thank you to NetGalley for proving an ARC copy of this book.

I love a good beach read and Mary Alice Monroe did not disappoint with this book. Beach House for Rent is the 4th and final book of this series by the author. I am saddened to see this series coming to an end as I have fallen in love with each and every book. I love a trip to the low country. Grab a cold glass of sweet tea, a comfy spot to sit and enjoy your time at Primrose Cottage and let the waves roll in.

Another great book by Mary Alice Monroe. The story picks up about ten years after The Beach House. The story takes a tragic turn at the beginning. It brings the two seeming polar opposite ladies together, Cara Rutledge and Heather Wyatt. They are both guided by the loss of their mothers and return to Primrose for comfort, healing, and strength. The story makes you cry and laugh out loud. A great summer read.

This was a very sweet, touching story of loss, hope, and courage. Beautiful scenic descriptions and great characters make for a heartwarming summer story! I look forward to reading more books by this author.

First I would like to thank Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am a new reader of Mary Alice Monroe and I have just added her to my list of favorites. While I was not aware of The Beach House series when I started reading this book, I was pleased that it can be treated as a stand alone.

During the first chapter, I thought this book was going to drag, but was immediately sucked in by the 2nd chapter. It takes place along the beach in South Carolina and MAM is descriptive enough to make you feel like you're in the story with the breeze in your hair and smelling the salty air. She brilliantly captures the beauty and natural habitat of the coast.

The two main characters are Cara and Heather and both ladies find that they need each other in order to heal and start over. They both end up at the Beach House-which was left to Cara-and are trying to overcome their own emotional hardships. Cara has battled losses and Heather has a gripping anxiety disorder and both have learned to rely on each other to make it through. Their friendship will grow, along with others, and they both will become stronger individuals along the way. Cara will learn to heal and start again, and Heather will find her soul-mate.

This is a light read, funny, emotional, eye-opening about disorders that some face today and a good lesson learned regarding friendships, love, sea turtles and birds. I will definitely start reading book 1 of the series. The characters are very well developed and I need to know more about all of them and what happened prior to this particular book. There's more to the story and I'm excited to find out what I've been missing out on!

When I first began reading "Beach House for Rent," I didn't expect much. But I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is it an engaging work of fiction with an enjoyable (albeit somewhat predictable) plot, but it involved characters who were real and eminently likable. The author described the low country of South Carolina so well that I could see the ocean tides at sunrise, hear the scurry of the shore birds and smell the salty air. This book made me want to visit the low country! I wouldn't represent to anyone that this is a piece of deep fiction that will make you think. But it's an excellent read, particularly for the summer when you might want to read something light and pleasant. A delightful book!

Beach House for Rent (The Beach House) Book 4
By Mary Alice Monroe 4.5 Stars

Reading this novel was like I was squirreled away in a comfy chair and entered Cara’s and Heather's life and left mine. I truly enjoyed every minute of the read. The story line has plenty of emotional ups and downs as Cara deals with her loss and Heather with her fears. It brings these two women of different generations together to work through their pain and healing. While this is book four in the series, it can be read as a stand alone and worth every minute of your time.

Let me preface by saying I'm a fan of Mary Alice Monroe. That said, this is her best book to date! Engrossing story line, characters both old and new that are developed nicely and the subjects themselves had me holding a tissue to catch my tears and rooting for joy at the progress of the story.
Very well written and a must read book of the year.

A good summer beach read. This makes me feel like summers on Cape Cod. Cara always finds her way home to the beach house her mother left her. While her brother pushes her to sell this prime piece of real estate, Cara feels like her mother is always close by when she is there. So she decides to rent it out to an artist who is capturing local birds for a stamp.

Heather is shy and suffering anxiety after the loss of her own mother. She is trying to learn to be independent and gain back her life. In the process she meets Bo who is doing work on the beach house. They have a cute connection, and Bo really calms her when she feels anxious.

After a tragedy strikes Cara finds herself off course and wanting to return to the beach house. The two ladies have to find a way to work it out. Cute, easy breazy book, perfect for a beach day!

This book is a light read. It was enjoyable. Although the characters are all dealing with major life issues, there is always a sense that things will work out.
This is my first time reading the series. I was drawn to it because I enjoy summer beach house books.
The main character, Cara, was easy to like. She was a former advertising executive who found love in her 40’s, failed to have kids with her husband, owned a beach home that she had inherited from her mom, and was nearing her 50th birthday. She experience a major tragedy during the book.
The other main character was Heather, who endured tragedy in her teens, which made her already shy nature become home bound. She was also an accomplished visual artist. Heather grew on me as the story proceeded. She initially rented the beach house from Cara but after the tragedy, they became roommates.
The book moved slowly initially. There was a lot of repetition and slow dialogue. There was also a lot of scenic detail which was very nice at times. But once the story picked up I was eager for Cara and Heather to win.
The beach house was already known to be therapeutic. I was happy to see both ladies emerge successfully. The story lines for both characters could continue to grow.
A minor complaint about the book was that every character that was described in detail had blue eyes and blond hair. A brunette here and there would have been nice.

Beautiful novel about inner strength, friendships, love. All of Monroe's books make me want to take up residence at the beach and recreate the friendships that she depicts!

This was the first time that I read a book by Mary Alice Monroe. Having recently vacationed in Charleston and explored the surrounding islands, I loved the lowcountry setting. I also enjoyed learning more about social anxiety. This book was more than just a summer beach read !

This is my first Mary Alice Monroe book, and since reading this have found out there are 3 prior, on the same theme. This didn't have any impact on the characters or storyline at all. Such a lovely, heartwarming book with many endearing characters. A story of love, loss, and the struggles many women face. The relationships in the book are beautiful, from the delicate Heather who meets her Bo, to the heartbroken Cara, who has suffered in her life, yet is so relatable. The two women wouldn't seem to be bonded at first, but their relationship grows and they find they need each other and are good for each other. So much happens, however, there is a real calm to the book. There is an undertone of caring for the planet, being a responsible person, and just generally a really beautiful story, beautifully told, where you can picture every aspect in your mind. Highly recommended and I would definitely read more by Mary Alice Monroe.

If you can't buy happiness, perhaps you can rent it? Artist Heather Wyatt is hoping she can at least find some peace at Primrose, a quaint cottage on South Carolina's Isle of Palms, while she carries out a commission to paint shorebirds for a series of postage stamps. Perhaps the solitude will cure her crippling social anxiety. But when cottage owner Cara Rutledge suffers a terrible loss, she wants to return to Primrose, and shy Heather winds up sharing space with an unwanted roommate.  And then there's the handsome guy building a new deck on the cottage. In Beach House for Rent (Gallery Books, digital galley), Mary Alice Monroe returns to a favorite setting and familiar theme: Primrose as a safe haven where the wonders of nature help heal troubled souls. Although it's one in an occasional series, the book is a pleasing stand-alone that begs to be read beach-side, where you can hear the gulls and watch the pelicans and sandpipers.
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever