Thank you for the advanced copy of this book.  My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

Mary Alice Monroe writes from the heart and a real love for beaches, especially the South Carolina Low-country. This is a continuation of the Rutledge family. It is always great to see what they are up to. Plus I love all the turtle talk. I would love to see them come to life and head for the ocean. I’ve become invested in these people and I’m sad to see there is only one book left in the series. This book will stay with me. It touched my heart. I highly recommend it.

I can never get enough of Mary Alice Monroe's books. I love that they always feature strong women who are enduring life's atrocities while keeping themselves, their families, and their households together. Cara has returned to South Carolina, looking forward to her second marriage. But there are issues within the family and before they can move on, they must all come together to deal with an illness and continue to support each other through the hardships. I just love her books!

Classic Mary Alice Monroe here. I love all of her previous books and this one does not disappoint. Set in low country per usual. Who can't use some southern charm, sun and sand in 2020? Get your flip flops on and read this one with an umbrella drink. You will love it.

Your going to need at least a few tissues to read Mary Alice’s latest book.  Once again, she will sweep you away to the Lowcountry where you will find familiar faces, places and animals.  This is so much more than a beach read though.  She focuses on the relationships between and among women.  Friendships that are so important to each of the central characters and help them all find their voices. Once again we are treated to the loggerhead turtles and given more of an insight to what happens on the turtle team, the turtle hospital at the downtown aquarium, the conservation groups locally, and the wonderful restaurants that serve local seafood.  She ties in protecting our oceans and ways the ladies (and really all of us) can volunteer at beach sweeps and do our part for the animals that live in there.  
And of course, there is a story.  One of hope, and courage, for reminding us all- that we have a voice and sometimes the easy choice in front of us isn’t necessarily the right one.  Enjoy this one, I tried to read it slowly as now I know I’m going to have a wait for her next book. And that thought makes me want to cry (again)!

Fun summer read. I enjoy books set in South Carolina.  I love this series and the characters in it. It feels like coming home when reading this series. Another winner.

A very entertaining beach book that keeps your attention about  various family members in South Carolina.
Once you start, you don't put it down   Very enjoyable

A lovely addition to this series by Mary Alice Monroe.  I believe I have missed one in the series, but I was able to track with the characters and didn't hinder reading this.novel.  This book mostly follows Linnea who is returning to the island after her life falls apart a bit on the west coast.  Aunt Cara is who she wants to see the most and Cara becomes her mentor in life and career.  Characters are wonderfully written and the setting of the island is beautiful portrayed and described.  A lovely summer read and great series.

Gallery Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of On Ocean Boulevard. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

On Ocean Boulevard is a continuation of the Beach House series, focusing on Cara Rutledge and her niece Linnea. Cara is having second thoughts about her elaborate second wedding, while Linnea is trying to find her place back in the low country after a breakup.

The turtles are a central theme once again, which is a little repetitive if readers are familiar with the series. There is the requisite family drama, including too many side plots to count. As real life can be chaotic and messy, the author does capture that aspect well. I am not sure how relatable Cara and Linnea are, as everything seems to fall into place so easy for the women. On Ocean Boulevard is definitely a beach read, not just for the setting. It is not too involving or in depth, easy to put down if something better comes along. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend On Ocean Boulevard to other readers.
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Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Ok, I’ve read some of MAM’s books- but I don’t think I’ve read any in the Beach House series- which I think I must have overlooked this book being a part of- since I was completely WOWZA about this cover. Fun fact: I’ve always wanted to live in a beach town for a few weeks each summer, getting around in a cute little car like that.

So, anyway- for me- there was some backstory that I was not aware of- but for the most part- you can read this as a standalone.

What I liked:

Well the cover. And how can you NOT like it? It just screams SUMMER.

Linnea. I really liked her character.

The family. These people love each other, drive each other crazy, and don’t always see eye to eye. But they are there for each other.

 

Bottom line: I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I had been reading some of the earlier books in the series, but it was still a good book.

 

*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

A return to Sullivan Island and fans have been waiting to see if Cara's wedding is all they anticipated. Cara's family has decided to build a new home on Ocean Boulevard. As they prepare for the wedding and new home, a health crisis strikes making the family pull together once again to weather the storm.

On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Monroe is an amazing story in a beautiful setting. Fans of high quality women’s fiction will not be disappointed. This book, like the others written by this author, has the familiar pattern that has made this author so popular. In her books, characters are flawed, life isn’t perfect, but hope and love abound. This is the perfect beach read or the perfect anytime read. I loved it! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Another great story by Mary Alice Monroe. A great summer read and a reminder that love can be found at any time in life. Enjoyed it. Thanks for the advanced copy from netgalley and the publisher.

Lowcountry summer living at its finest. 

Cara's life is coming together while raising her daughter and planning a wedding. When the unthinkable happens, her life spirals out of control, and she's picking up the pieces while deciding her future, questioning her upcoming marriage, the cottage, and more.

Linnea's back home and starting over. Thanks to Cara, her new job brings purpose as well as fulfilling her family's legacy with the sea turtles. An unexpected romance completes her summer as they share time together before he must leave for England. 

Both women are finding a new way of life while still finding time for family and life on Ocean Boulevard.

A wonderful story in this endearing series set in the coastal South Carolina Lowcountry. 

**received an ARC on Netgalley**

Review will be posted on 8/28/2020

Linnea returns home to Sullivan's Island with her tail between her legs. Not only is her relationship over, but her job that she relocated for is no longer.  Now she is returning home to live with her parents and start fresh. Things are going somewhat well for the Rutledge family. Cara, Linnea's aunt, is balancing the job of being a mother to a young child, working a full-time job at the aquarium, and planning a wedding.  Cue all the stress.  Then there's Linnea's parents who have relocated from their gorgeous Charleston house to their beach cottage full time, but their lives have been downsized tremendously both socially and square-footage wise.  Linnea tries to get her footing back at home and finds herself getting involved with the turtle ladies, just like her grandmother did, and meeting new people including a possible love interest.  However, the Rutledge family has many obstacles to conquer and serious issues on the horizon.  Fans of the Beach House series, as well as new readers, will love to jump right in to the family drama and naturalists will especially appreciate all the beautiful details in On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Monroe.

Fans of the Beach House series will be familiar with the Rutledge family; however, you don't have to be an avid reader of the series to fully appreciate the family dynamics in On Ocean Boulevard.  Readers will appreciate this close-knit family and can relate to their ups and downs.  Cara is struggling with all that life is throwing her right now despite the fact that it's mostly good things. She's overextended due to the wedding planning, her daughter's needs, and her work requirements; plus, some of the issues with her friends who are like family to her are troubling.   What should be an amazing time in her life is causing more stress than not due to the fact that what she wants the wedding to look like is a lot different than what her fiancé wants.  Plus, where will they live one they are married? 

Linnea's journey is easily relatable in On Ocean Boulevard as she finds herself back at square one looking for a job, a social life, and finding out what she truly wants out of life.  She turns to the ocean and the turtles for some clarity and peace of mind.  While taking care of the turtles, she meets a new friend and through this friend, a possible love interest.  But things aren't always easy for Linnea. She is struggling to find a job in her highly saturated field; plus, she is worried about her mother who has given up all her hobbies and friends since moving to the beach.  Then there's her dad who holds her to a very high standard, but she worries about his drinking and his money issues.  

What I love the most about Mary Alice Monroe's novels is her descriptions of nature. They are really quite good and she brings the coastal setting of the Low Country to life like no other.  Readers can tell that she truly knows her wildlife, especially turtles. She brings important environmental causes like saving turtles, as well as the use of plastics and its impact on the ocean to the forefront in her novels and I love that.  

If you are looking for a beach read that includes family drama, but also breathtaking details about the natural world look no further. I think Mary Alice Monroe is the best at what she does.

When twenty-something Linnea returns home to the beachy shore of South Carolina, she’s upset. Her life is not going as planned and she doesn’t know what to do about it. She solicits her Aunt Cara – a business woman – for advice.

While Linnea and Cara work together for a worthy cause, so much happens in their lives. Cara is engaged, but, is it the right choice for her? Widowed, and single mom to an adopted child, she wonders if she’d be happier remaining an independent business woman. She does wonder if she should be spending more time with her adopted daughter instead of working so many hours. Her relationship with her fiancé and daughter is somewhat complex. The complexity of her relationships with them stem in part from Cara’s troubled upbringing and her workaholic attitude.

Linnea is finding it hard to fit in with her old friends, so, she makes a couple of new friends. The new people who are introduced into her life bring about drastic changes in her career and her love life.

I think environmentalists would find this book profoundly interesting. Both Linnea and Cara are passionate about the well-being of the sea turtles. There’s an emotional scene where we actually see the sea turtles hatching in the middle of the night. It sounded so amazing that I wanted to be there to see it myself.

There is a vignette at the beginning of each chapter. These vignettes highlight the beauty and plight of the sea turtles, the oceans and the environment. Reading this book will make you think about recycling, and doing things to help preserve the earth’s wildlife.

This was such a cozy, wonderful read. The characters and the situations they face may make you laugh and cry. For me, this was an emotional book. 00 I highly recommend it.

Mary Alice Monroe remains one of my favorite authors.  ‘On Ocean Boulevard’, will not disappoint avid MA Monroe  fans, and new fans alike.  Set on the islands of Charleston, SC ( Low Country) this book is a perfect summer read, mixing romance, family,  beach conservation and turtles.  On Ocean Boulevard shows us we are never too old to find love, and make new starts.  I highly recommend adding this Mary Alice Monroe book to your reading list.

Mary Alice Monroe's books transport me to the Low Country of South Carolina and her love of the area shines through in her writing.  The latest in the Beach House series brings us back to Primrose Cottage in Isle of Palms and the sea turtles laying their eggs on the beach.  Cara Rutledge, the main character in this series, is engaged to be married and her brother Palmer is rebuilding his life and is Cara's business partner in building a beach house.  Palmer's daughter Linnea has also returned to the Low Country to re-start her life.  I loved seeing where the characters in this book would end up by the end and also enjoy all of the information on the sea turtles and the conservation efforts to protect them.  This book can be read as a stand alone, but all of the books in this series are wonderful.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

On ocean boulevard is a low country delight. Linnea is home , a spent relationship, started through a need to find her own path. Linnea moved away to stand on her own, and returns to lick her wounds in familiar territory. Family and friends help her see that change comes slowly like the turtles she has loved and protected like all the women in her family. Her aunt Cara is rewriting her story,set to marry again , realizing how lucky a second chance at love is, is afraid to lose her hard fought independence. Twists and turns complicated and then resolve. You learn a lot about turtles and second chances in this story. Happy reading

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It's summer whenever a Mary Alice Monroe book comes out. While this one was not one of my favorites in the Beach House series, it was an easy, breezy summer read. Taking you away to the beach was perfect for quarantine reading.I just wish the story kept my interest a little more than it did.