Two women coming home for two different reasons to the place they loved and the place with many memories.

Linnea had finished college, and Cara was coming home to be with family.

Linnea came home from college and had no choice but to return, and really didn’t want to be in her childhood home with all the drama and the rules.

Cara came home because her husband had passed away a few years earlier, she adopted a friend’s baby, and she wanted to have her daughter grow up where she grew up with family and summer beach memories.

Both women needed something, and with Linnea being Cara’s niece, the problem was solved because Linnea was going to be Cara’s nanny. That would save Linnea from staying with her parents all summer and would be a warm remembrance of her childhood times at the beach house, Primrose Cottage. Cara would get to spend time with her niece to catch up and have someone to finally help her so she wasn’t alone.

BEACH HOUSE REUNION was a very pleasant, heartwarming read that made you want to for the most part be in the Rutledge family and in Primrose Cottage as well as Sullivan's Island.

Everything about the book was comfy and inviting.

The characters and the beachy setting were quite pleasant.

Learning about loggerheads, surfing, seeing the love between family members and others, and joining in the family fun are some of the reasons you will want to read this book.

I actually want to learn more about the sea turtles (loggerheads). It sounded fascinating, and the excitement the characters had about them had me wanting to learn more.

BEACH HOUSE REUNION is an easy, sweet read that will be a perfect addition to your summer reading list. 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Great book by one of my favorite authors. Plus each chapter started with a tad of information about the loggerhead turtles. Read the book about this family before and continued on with this one. Read it in 2 sitting. Enjoyable for sure. Thank you for the chance to read it ahead.

I have read almost all of Mary Alice Monroe's book. They never disappoint. I have loved getting to know Cars, Palmer, Lovie, and all the wonderful characters that have been a part of the Beach House Series. I also feel like I have gained knowledge about turtles and what pollution is doing to our oceans. I have made a conscious effort to do my part to pick up trash and recycle what I can.

This book was a nice conclusion for Cara. It was nice to see her healing and finding her path back to happiness.

This book seemed to have a bit more about Palmer and his family. Linnea is a wonderful young woman and it was nice to see but of Lovie living on in her. I would like to catch up with her in a future novel(Hint, Hint)

I loved and cried while reading this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books.

I was looking for some light reading as an antidote to stress that was out of my control. This book kept me company at 4 am when I was having trouble sleeping. Unfortunately, it didn't do a whole lot else for me. Predictable characters and plot line. Characters in the book were very interested in turtle endangered species issues and worked actively to preserve turtle nests and eggs. This turned out to be my favorite part of the story. Not her best effort but die hard fans may enjoy it.

The beach series continues with Cara Rutledge returning to the Beach House with a baby girl she has adopted. All the characters are present and romance is blooming for the young and old. Old Rutledge family problems play a role in this story with them finally being resolved. among much drama.

This book is a sweet, multigenerational southern saga. Need I say more?! There is a wealthy family, tempers, addictions, drama, romance and a beach house. It is definitely a light read and I highly recommend it for those who enjoy this genre. I also enjoyed learning about sea turtles. The facts at the beginning of each chapter actually foreshadowed some of the story. The only reason I gave it only 3 stars is because I think even a really good beach reads, rarely warrant more than three stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an early release of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Beach House Reunion is a lovely quick story that makes a great beach read. The story centers on Cara Rutledge, who returns to her home at the beach so she can start her life over again. She arrives home struggling with her new life as a new mother and quickly reunites with her family and friends. Although she comes home to seek the support and help of her family, she comes to realize that her family may need her more than she needs them. As Cara is trying to figure out her future, she finds strength she didn't know she had and love she didn't know she needed.
Beach House Reunion explores the feelings of grief, anger, and dependency while also showing the struggle between family expectations and self-worth. There are a lot of emotions expressed in this wonderfully written beach read, which will make you laugh and cry.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this advanced copy. The opinions of the story are my own.

I didn't realize this was the fifth book in a series. It's the first that I have read by this author.

The story flowed nicely, I enjoyed the characters. The beach house sounds amazing and was described very well. I loved all of the references to the turtles. They are pretty cool creatures.

My only concern is that there were SO MANY CHARACTERS in this book. I had to keep going back to figure out who/how they were related. It was a bit difficult since I was reading the ebook. It would have been much easier to do that with a regular book. Had I read the previous books, I might not have been as confused?

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Mary Alice Monroe for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to read this book as I loved the one before it - and this one did not disappoint! It is a story about Cara Rutledge and her niece Linnea (along with their family and friends) and a summer of growth, finding strength, and finding love. I enjoyed reading about women finding their own strengths and building on them. It was especially fun to read more about turtle season and learn more about the nesting habits of loggerheads - so fascinating! Was a fun and fast read - perfect beach reading!

Delightful, warm-hearted, a feel-good read. Mary Alice Monroe has crafted a charming read in Beach House Reunion. Cara has returned home to live in her family’s quiet beach house after spending much time in bigger cities with a much more bustling lifestyle. At fifty-three, Cara has been afloat in the last handful of years after the death of her husband, the absolute love of her life, and after an unconventional adoption of a baby girl just four months prior. The beach house provides tranquility and a healing element to all those that visit and spend time there. New relationships form, old unfinished emotions resolve, realities arise, even unfortunate ones, and support networks emerge. The developed characters, their successes and struggles, are believable and tangible.

Great characters, a spectacular setting and a well-paced plot make this book a great choice for Mary Alice Monroe fans, as well as those who enjoy Mary Kate Andrews and Elin Hilderbrand. The characters represent a few generations, which broadens the appeal. The theme is uplifting -- it's never too late to follow your dream.

A summer read set at a beach house near Charleston, SC. This story ties the story with the care of loggerhead turtle preservation and it's quite interesting. The grit and determination of the main women characters is exceptional. It's a good read.

The author adds another chapter to her Beach House Series. It was "heartwarming" but also so predictable. Glad, however, that Ms Monroe is continuing her education mission re loggerhead turtles.

Beach House Reunion - Mary Alice Monroe.  As always a pleasant reading experience about familiar characters and the beautiful Low Country. I enjoy the descriptions about the islands around Charleston and the community the residents enjoy. Add the aquarium and the beloved turtles and you have a bestseller.  Thank you Net Galley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books for the chance to read one of my favorite authors.

Beach House Reunion is a feel good novel with complex, well-developed characters and intriguing family dynamics. It is a story of family and friendship, of embracing life and living it to the fullest, of accepting change and moving forward, and of having enough conviction to stand up for yourself and others. I particularly loved the way each chapter started with information about turtles. I went to the internet to read about the various kinds of turtles mentioned and look at pictures of them. Since Beach House Reunion is part of a series it was like catching up with old friends, but it could also be enjoyed just as well as a stand alone read. I pictured it as a Hallmark kind of movie as I read.

I love these stories and this one captures all of the past along with the future in a beautiful way while not neglecting the wonderful turtles. Seeing new generations meld with the past and as always watching romance develop was a great way to spend my day.

I have no doubt that anyone who loves the south, beach and sea turtles will quickly be absorbed in this wonderful novel of hope, despair, family, friends and love.
Mary Alice Monroe does an amazing job of bringing all the feelings of summer and the ocean smells to you throughout each walk on the beach.
Every chapter had a snippet of info on sea turtles and I truly learned from these.
A beautiful summer read!

I was thrilled to jump back into Mary Alice Monroe’s Beach House series!

In Beach House Reunion we follow Cara Rutledge as she moves back to her beloved Isle of Palm. After losing her husband three years ago and then unexpectedly adopting a baby girl less then a year ago, Cara is trying to find her new normal and there is no other place she’s rather be than the beach house from her childhood. Luckily for Cara, her niece, Linnea, has just graduated college and since she hasn’t found a job yet she offers to be her daughter’s nanny. The women have always had so much in common and their encouragement for each other is exactly what they both need now!

Nobody combines South Carolina Lowcountry and family better than Mary Alice Monroe! I really enjoyed seeing both Cara and Linnea’s transformations throughout this novel!! The storyline was filled with so much depth and heart— which is the reason I devoured this book in one day! Beach House Reunion is a 5 star read that I needs to go on everybody’s summer reading list! I am already looking forward to the next installment in this fantastic series!

Beach House Reunion
Mary Alice Monroe


MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️
PUBLISHER Gallery Books
PUBLISHED May 22, 2018
Beach House Reunion is light and breezy and a joy to read.

SUMMARY
Beach House Reunion is the fifth novel in the Beach House series by Mary Alice Monroe. The series weaves together the triumphs and struggles of the Rutledge family of Charleston South Carolina. Beachhouse Reunion is a tale of new beginnings, as Cara Rutledge, 53, returns from Tennessee to live once again in her beloved beach house on the Isle of Palms, with her newly adopted baby, Hope. In need of childcare, Cara hires her niece, Linnea, to help her for the summer. Linnea has recently graduated from college and is struggling to figure out her next steps and relishes the idea of living with her aunt at the beach until she knows what she wants to do. Both women join the “turtle team,” make new friends, explore new directions for their lives and find the strength to attempt to break destructive family patterns.

REVIEW
A perfect book for a day at the beach. It’s light and breezy and a joy to read. A delightful tale that can either be devoured in a day or savored over several. Mary Alice Monroe is known as an active conservationist, particularly regarding sea turtles, and sea turtles alway plays a meaningful role in the Beach House series. While you don’t need to read each book in the series in order, if you are anything like me, after reading one, you are going to want to go back and read the others. Now, I consider Cara Rutledge a good friend and totally enjoy reading her ongoing story Thanks to Netgalley, Mary Alice Monroe and Gallery Book for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

The beach house is alive again! Cara Rutledge has come home to the Isle of Palms and Primrose Cottage to restart her life. At 53, she has adopted Hope, who is only a year old. She needs to build her career and find a way to lessen her grief from the loss of her husband, Brett. Since three years have gone by, she knows she needs to move on with life. Cara is flooded with memories as she settles in, especially of her mother, Lovie. A hint of jasmine is in the air. To help her with Hope, Cara hires Linnea, her brother Palmer’s daughter, to live with her for the summer. As the story unfolds, she finds that her brother Palmer’s family is in need. The tensions between Palmer, his wife Julia, and their young adult children, Linnea (22) and Cooper (18) are like a tropical storm building towards a hurricane. Linnea feels fortunate for being able to get away from all the turmoil. This multigenerational story deals with new beginnings, family struggles, love, and the beauty of the sea and its surroundings. Mary Alice Monroe’s vivid descriptions awakened my senses throughout this book. I saw the light from the moon reflecting on the water. I visualized the colors of the sunrises and sunsets. And the dolphins and loggerheads filled me with the awe that they deserve. Previous characters are brought back, and I especially squealed with delight when Toy, who is working with her beloved loggerheads at the aquarium, is a part of the story. The development of new loves from friendship is wonderful. I was drawn into the story from the first page to the last. I laughed like the dolphins, cried for the female loggerheads, and relished every moment. [I received a complimentary copy.]