Definitely recommend this to anyone who is getting geared up for some great summer reading, especially fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Dorothea Benton Frank. Mary Alice Monroe moves us away from her usual low country beach setting -- a major hurricane is threatening, and all her characters need to evacuate. Initially strangers, they end up at the posh horse farm of mutual friends in North Carolina. This book is filled with information about the equestrian world, which I know nothing about and enjoyed the glimpse inside. There's plenty of romance, but as usual for this author, nothing too heavy. Really enjoyed this.

The Summer Guests by Mary Alice Monroe. A enjoyable storyline and dialogue. A visit from Cara from the Beach House series. Mary Alice Monroe never disappoints a reader. I look forward to reading more of her books.

For Mary Alice Monroe’s loyal readers, be aware that the setting of her latest novel relocates from the barrier island beaches of South Carolina to the safety of the North Carolina’s horse country near Tryon, NC, as a category 4+ hurricane threatens the coast. While the cast of characters includes several new ones who evacuated to the equestrian community in Tryon, a favorite heroine from the Beach House series, Cara Rutledge and her family join the others as they decide what to take with them and how to secure their homes full of cherished possessions. The Summer Guests is as fast-paced as the hurricane racing up the Atlantic Coast, and the reader experiences the characters’ tension as they make their decisions about what to pack and what to leave behind. Instead of protecting the sea turtles and porpoises as in the Beach House novels, these new characters must evacuate with their beloved dogs and prized horses as well as rescue dogs and horses that would perish if left behind to weather the hurricane. Taken from MAM’s own evacuation experience during Hurricane Irma, the Tryon International Equestrian Center opened their stalls to both Grand Prix and rescue horses. A cadre of women bonded together to delegate chores and responsibilities, prepare food and lodging for the evacuees, all the while dealing with strong personality clashes and bitter family feuds as the storm rages outdoors. The calm after the brutal storm reminds the evacuees and their hosts what is truly important to them: Family and friends and beloved pets and animals are irreplaceable. It’s no surprise that The Summer Guests is on the Southern Living list of 25 Perfect Reads for Summer. When thinking about what to pack for your beach vacation, be sure to bring along a copy of The Summer Guests.

This was a novel with a light plot overall and entertaining enough but the very large cast of characters made it an extreme effort at times to keep up with. As I have no knowledge of the equestrian world, I felt as though I was out of my comfort zone right from the get go but had high hopes that I would catch on fast enough and be able to slide into a good rhythm but, unfortunately, I found myself so disconnected that I didn't find myself bonding with the majority of the characters. I truly enjoyed every time the story can back to Cara and David and would have loved an entire novel centered around just them. If this book was instead separated into different stories within the book each focusing on the individual couples and only bringing them together at the end instead of intertwining them, I would have been able to keep track of the characters much easier and it would have been a more enjoyable novel overall.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I always look forward to reading a Mary Alice Monroe book and The Summer Guests did not disappoint. Evacuating from a hurricane is scary enough but add to that caring for your beloved horses and dogs would be overwhelming. But the characters in this book came together for a common cause. Loved the little side visit with Cara and cannot wait to see the twists and turns that take place with old and new relationships.

Let me start out by saying this is my first Mary Alice Monroe novel so I was not familiar with any of her work or characters before this, but I am now definitely a fan! I am involved in the equestrian world so that's what initially drew my eye to this book along with being Southern and understanding the danger of hurricanes. In this novel, we meet several set of characters that are fleeing from a potentially deadly hurricane and all end up staying with one central friend. I enjoyed the equestrian aspects as well as the various evolving relationships and expanding friendships. I loved seeing the characters of Elise and Moira change life paths during the course of the story and their relationships with their mother. There are a lot of story lines so make sure you pay close attention. Overall, I found thought the book was really well written with a complex story that I enjoyed. I can't wait to read more by Mary Alice Monroe!

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Mary Alice Monroe and her amazing ability to create a world of brilliant characters and life stories, does it again. The Summer Guests takes you on a journey of friendship, love, trust and courage. For anyone who has lived through the worry of a pending storm, you will immediately be drawn into the fears faced by a hurricane on the move across the east coast. You will meet Grace and Gerta, long time friends who are brought together again by the upcoming storm. The story centers around their love of horses and how this love heals their hearts and the hearts of those they love. It is beautifully written and when the story ends, you will find yourself wanted more. This is a perfect read for the summer- one you do not want to miss.

In this departure from the Carolina Coast, Mary Alice Monroe takes us on a ride to the equestrian hills of North Carolina. As a hurricane is racing toward the southeast coastline this engaging and eclectic cast of characters will captivate. There is a fiery "Whirlwind" of activity and preparedness as Grace and Charleston of Freehold Farm, NC prepare to receive their guests, now refugees from the storm. They arrive with horses and dogs in tow leading to often complicated, chaotic scenarios. There is conflict, betrayal and self realization that creates a keen bond and love of friends brought together during a perilous time. The perfect summer front porch read, just in time to usher in hurricane season. Relax with sweet tea in hand and enjoy the ride.

The Summer Guest


Mary Alice Monroe effortlessly blends characters and nature, and captures the complexities of interpersonal relationships.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
A hurricane is threatening the coasts of Florida and South Carolina and evacuations are mandatory. An eclectic group of evacuees flee for the mountains of North Carolina and the home of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips. The Phillips’s daughter, Moira has brought eight rescue dogs with her from South Carolina. Hannah McLain a makeup artist living in Palm Beach, Florida brought her boyfriend, the famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, along with his prized horse. Also migrating from Florida to the Phillips’s ranch is horse breeder Gerda Klug, her Olympic bound daughter Elise, Elise’s spirited horse, as well as Karl, the horse’s trainer. Cara Rutledge is trying to get to the ranch as well but has to head to South Carolina first. They bring with them only the few treasured possessions they can carry. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they ride out the storm together.

During the course of a challenging week, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters wasn’t what they brought with them to the mountains: but what they’ll take with them once they leave.

REVIEW
There is quite the assortment of summer guests and animals evacuating to the Phillips’s ranch. The diversity in personalities adds substance and interest to this entertaining story. We are skillfully transported to the gorgeous mountains setting, as well as to the eye of a hurricane.

THE SUMMER GUEST is engaging and I loved learning a few things about horses, horse training, show jumping and dressage. My favorite part was how Hurricane Noelle brought this group of strangers together, and this gathering resulted in several characters making major life-altering decisions.

Author Mary Alice Monroe effortlessly blends characters and nature, and captures the complexities of interpersonal relationships. Monroe is a best selling author of 22 novels. Thanks to Netgalley, Mary Alice Monroe, Gallery and NetGalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher Gallery
Published June 11, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Mary Alice Monroe moves in this novel from the lowcountry of South Carolina to the mountains of North Carolina.
With a major hurricane threatening the southeast coast, the equestrian world rushes to evacuate their precious horses, and Freehold Farms offers sanctuary to a diverse group of friends.
Monroe tells each of their stories, navigating between relationships as the hurricane isolates them and forces them to evaluate the choices they’ve made in their lives.

This is another great Mary Alice Monroe read. A hurricane is coming. All up and down the coast People are evacuating and preparing. This book is heavy on the equestrian community but still had the magic of a MAM book!

Mary Alice Monroe is one of my very favorite authors and I adore her Beach House series. The Summer Guests is a spin-off of the Beach House series which I think definitely affected my reaction and perspective while reading this book.

Every year I look forward to another installment to this series and I love seeing what the Rutledge family is up to. Over the years new characters have joined in but the regulars were always there too.

The Summer Guests introduces us to a whole new crew of characters and also shifts from the usual focus of turtle rescue to the world of horses, dressage and rescue dogs. While interesting, I had a harder time connecting with these characters and the new themes. I do think that might have to do with my expectations for it being another Beach House book instead of a new stand-alone novel.

I did enjoy the involvement of Cara Rutledge but it was fairly minimal and the stories in the book didn't connect as well as they normally do with Monroe's storytelling. All in all this book was okay, just not my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer Guests was a great book that delved into friendships, romance, and the characters’ love of animals, horses and dogs. The back drop of a hurricane made an excellent reason for these characters to come together. I was a little distracted by the side story that occurred on the island, however. Overall a really good book that I will probably read again to see if the parallel plot makes more sense the second time through.o

This book is definitely perfect for the horse lover in your life. I don’t know much about horses except with their ability to be in tune with someone’s emotions. There was so much about horses in this story. I could imagine being on a farm with horse stalls everywhere. I loved imagining what the horses may have looked like and how they behaved. It was wonderful reading about all the different friendships and relationships in this book. I tend to love books that have multiple characters in them so you are never bored. There were friend, mother - daughter, husband and wife relationships. It was perfect. I disliked where Hannah ended up in the story. I feel like this story could have been told without what happened to Hannah. I felt like at the end they tried to wrap it up and give her a happy ending. Although scary, it was great that a storm brought all these people together who may otherwise never crossed paths. This book is perfect for someone looking for a good women’s fiction read!

I found this book to be a little slow and hard to get into. The back and forth between characters is somewhat confusing. I had trouble keeping all the characters straight and who went with who. Anyone into show horses will find this interesting however as I am not familiar with the different classes of show horses or the competitions I wasn't always clear what they were referring to.
The book does depict the work it takes to evacuate when a severe storm/hurricane is approaching, not only people but horses, dogs, etc.

I’m a big fan of Mary Alice Monroe’s books, so I was excited to read her latest, The Summer Guests. I thought I would miss her coastal setting and the sea creatures, but this turned out to be a special, pleasant surprise! I loved the mountain setting, as well as the equestrian twist! The story and characters drew me in and never let go. I laughed and cried and never wanted to see it end. I hope this story continues with these characters and horses. To be honest, although I love Cara and David in the Beach House series, I don’t think they “fit” in this story. They seemed extraneous, and I found myself wanting to hurry through their chapters to get back to the mountain crowd. Just my two cents. I can’t wait to recommend this book to all of my family, friends, and coworkers—especially the horse lovers—when the novel hits shelves. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me the opportunity to read this incredible book.

Mary Alice Monroe has brought us another outstanding story in her new book, The Summer Guests. We are taken from the coasts of Florida and South Carolina to a farm in the mountains of North Carolina in the midst of hurricane Noelle. We are brought right into an evacuation effort of horses and rescue dogs as well. This is a different twist for Mary Alice Monroe as many of her previous books are set on the coast of South Carolina. Personally, I was introduced to a whole new world in the equestrian world. I found it very interesting to learn about the personality of horses and how they interact with people. There is much to be learned from this story and understanding of what people go through during natural disasters that we may not even be aware of. It helps us see that good things can come out of bad and the situations can help us realize what’s important in life. I enjoyed this book immensely and didn’t want it to end. Because of Mary Alice Monroe’s exquisite talent for describing her characters and settings, I felt like I knew the characters and that I was right there with them. A favorite quote that I have from the book is this: “The horse has made a powerful impact on the evolution of the human world. If history taught her anything...if the horse taught her anything, it was that holding tight to the reins, , using spurs and forcing one’s will on the horse would only get you one place—nowhere.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to receive an advance e-copy of this book.

The Summer Guests brings a disparate group together (including old friend, Cara Rutledge from the author’s Beach House series) to ride out a potentially cat 5 hurricane. Cara and her friend, David were at his North Carolina house when news comes that the coming storm would most likely encompass her beloved beach house. The couple decide to go back to the Isle of Palms to board up Cara’s house and then beat a fast track back north to safety...except Murphy’s Law about things going wrong kicks in and...well, you just will have to read for yourselves to see how Cara and David survive. Meanwhile, the group of evacuees gathering at mutual friend Grace’s equestrian center don’t necessarily know each other personally, but as they are all participants or former participants in the world of horse competitions they have some knowledge about each other. The author’s extensive research will draw the reader into this world and into the minds not only of the human competitors, but those of the horses as well. As the storm intensifies so do the conflicts between and within the stranded individuals. The resulting tension makes for an unforgettable read. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book. Most highly recommend.

Great read!! Tracks several friends who while fleeing a major hurricane end up at the same house farm in the North Carolina Mountains. Keeps you on your toes as you follow each of their stories and the fate of their homes in the storm.

Friends, summer and the hurricane coming. Love this authors books, always takes me back to the beach!