Lovely story of family ties, community ties, friendship and love. It was touching and really entertaining. Cara Rutledge is the center of all of it. I've been reading these stories of the turtle ladies for as long as the author has been writing them and they continue to be fantastic.

The setting is beautifully written and the characters are relatable. About halfway in I felt the pacing was slow. The descriptions of the area are wonderful I love the focus on environment and sea turtles. I liked the main character Linnea and her family. I did feel lost a couple times and I finally figured that this book is a sequel. Knowing that helped make a lot of sense to me. I enjoyed the story and I am sure anyone who has read the prior books will enjoy it even more!

Continuation of this wonderful south family saga. Having been to the Low Country many times(as recent as last month), I look forward to reading these types of books. Now with the passing of Dorothea Frank and Anne Rivers Siddons,, it has been harder to find this type of authors. Keep up the good work!

I always look forward to the next book in Mary Alice Monroe’s Beach House series. This a fun series that follows the Rutledge family through aging, death, remarriages, financial instability and alcoholism. You can’t help but like all the characters, and they have come to be like family to me. Reading these books feels like I’m visiting them in South Carolina. Each chapter starts with information about the loggerhead turtles’ nesting habits. This is not the main focus of the book; it ties into the work some of the characters are engaged in, and I’ve learned a lot about these turtles. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I would suggest you read the series from the beginning to get to know all the characters. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Gallery Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is like coming back to visit old friends in the Low Country. A season with the Rutledge family is always enjoyable and this book is no exception.

This is a wonderful book! As usual, Mary Alice Monroe weaves a wonderful story of family relations, personal revelations, friendships, real-life issues, some romance, some drama, and information about important concerns in today’s world. Her Beach Cottage series centers around protecting loggerhead sea turtles and I have learned so much, all while being captivated by the ongoing story of the characters. Her characters are realistic; there are strong women and those learning to be strong, and the men they love, all dealing with real issues in love and life. I always come away from her stories wanting more. I highly recommend it!

I so loved going back to check on the Rutledge family. This is like visiting with an old friend you haven’t seen in years but immediately feel like you are back home. This novel is a continuation of the characters that we first met in The Beach House. This is a standalone novel but once you are introduced to the family you will want to see where it all started. If you love the low country of South Carolina or any coastal area, this is the book for you. I love how Mary Alice Monroe always has strong female characters and educates the reader to some of the environmental issues facing the world now. We still see the turtles on the Isle of Palms but we also learn about the impact that plastic is having on the ocean creatures.

This book centers around Cara Rutledge and her upcoming second marriage at a later time in life and her niece Linnea who is returning home after a broken relationship and a lost job. It is always welcome to see the generations of Rutledge women come together and build each other up. This novel is what I have grown to expect from Mary Alice Monroe – a great read with strong relationships, beautiful scenery and important environmental education.

I read an advance readers’ copy of On Ocean Boulevard, by Mary Alice Monroe, at the invitation of her publisher, Simon and Schuster, in exchange for an honest review. Monroe is one of my favorite authors, and the books of her Beach House Series are always superbly written, poignant, romantic stories with environmental education included. This one, book #6 in the series, addresses many topics from plastics in the ocean to yet another measles epidemic caused primarily by uneducated parents’ refusal to vaccinate their children; from the importance of a woman realizing that a man can’t save her — she must save herself — to caring for an elderly cherished friend with Alzheimer’s Disease.

The story weaves together so many of today’s topics of concern, but does it through the voices of the characters. It’s not done in a preachy way, but through soft-spoken concerned women to whom we all can relate. When you finish reading this book, you will want to go out to pick up trash off the beach nearest you. You will want to beg your representatives and senators to listen to the scientists who know what they are talking about, and to pass climate change resolutions.

Another topic of concern among these very realistic characters is our continued insistence to build on barrier islands, and destroy maritime forests and shrubs which protect mainland property from erosion and extreme weather. She calls for government support of science and innovative ideas from professionals in the field. After Cara’s adopted daughter, Hope, catches measles because her medical records were falsified, you will want to beg your local government officials to make vaccinations a requirement to attend any public or private school.

One very important mistake is the reference to the Confederate battle flag, as “the Confederate flag”. Except for their colors, they look nothing alike. I feel compelled to mention this because the one that causes so much heartache and anger is the battle flag. Main character, Cara Rutledge, makes the valid and important observation that, while we cannot change history, we certainly can change and improve what we do today.

On Ocean Boulevard may very well be Ms. Monroe’s most important book to date. Her prose is almost lyrical. Her characters are delightful. Her knowledge of coastal environmental crises and needs, and her ability to convey both in a romance novel is amazing.

What makes The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?
• The word “piazza” is repeatedly used in text that implies a veranda or a porch. A piazza is an open square in a town or city.
• Verb tense errors: “…I wish you would have in place of I wish you had….”
• Using “further” in place of “farther”: they are not the same.
• Mistaking the Confederate battle flag with the Confederate flag.

On Ocean Boulevard is a riveting continuation of a fictional Charleston, South Carolina family saga. The coastal setting is the perfect backdrop using the journey of sea turtles as a metaphor for the generations in families and communities. The daughter of the third generation of Ravenels has returned to take up her beloved grandmother’s legacy of saving the nests of sea turtles—that is the perception her aunt teaches her to project rather than wallow in self-pity due to circumstances that left her jobless and single. Truths are unveiled and recognized as matters to be faced and dealt with, while societal expectations and perceived behaviors are acknowledged. The new house built on Ocean Boulevard is a metaphor for the struggles of starting over with determination to create and enjoy beauty in its natural habitat. The arduous trek of the sea turtles to return ashore year after year to build protective nests for their eggs mirrors the strength of this family of women to survive and thrive through the turmoils of life. The environmental protection efforts of the coastal community is wondrously detailed, and the miraculous hatching of the sea turtles and their treks to the ocean where they instinctively know how to follow their swimming destinations illuminates the celebration of each phase of life beautifully depicted by three generations of women, their families, and their friends. There are no shortcuts. Life is to be lived, problems addressed and solutions found, and love is valued. Indeed, family and /or best friend love that remains true, one that no circumstance can destroy, is the best gift so eloquently and strongly threaded throughout this touching, generational saga.

On Ocean Boulevard was like visiting old friends. I love the entire Beach House series. Generations of the Rutledge family returning to the lowcountry of South Carolina to carry on what Lovie started as a young woman raising her children and careing about the fate of the sea turtles.

I just love visiting South Carolina with the turtles, Rutledge family and summer time!
Of course I went with the thought of attending a wedding that almost did not happen!
There is a bit of everything in this novel of love, fear,friendship, and family.
A wonderfully descriptive story that had me wishing for suntan lotion, sweet tea and a beach chair!
Perfect!

Nothing like a book written about Charleston, the beaches surrounding Charleston, and turtle nesting to get me out of this blaah winter mood I’ve been in (it’s so cold outside today) ... Mary Alice Monroe knows how to pull you into a story!! Another great book! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this Mary Alice Monroe book that returns readers to primrose cottage for an update on the Rutledge family. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. One of the things I enjoyed in this book was the author’s ability to educate while entertaining. The story of the need to protect our oceans is woven into the family drama and romance in a way that is not at all preachy, simply passionate characters living out their ideals. It is a feel good story that takes place on a southern island beach, what’s not to like?

10 wonderful stars! MAM takes us back to the beloved Primrose Cottage with all the characters we grew to love over the years. So much love and emotion and coming off age and new beginnings. And the turtles!!! So many lessons to learn in this book about plastic and dangers to the turtles. I could really feel Lovie in this book; smiling down on her beloved family. There is even an appearance of a friend from Sea Breeze from other novels. This is MAM at her best. I give it a standing ovation. I sat my Kindle down after the last page with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face. Thanks to Gallery Books for offering me the Netgalley ARC.

ON OCEAN BOULEVARD is another winner from Mary Alice Monroe. Reaching across generations, the story reunites us with the Rutledge family and all their ups and downs. I especially enjoyed seeing Cara's strength and Palmer's rehabilitation. The family's ordeals feel realistic and help the reader care about them. I enjoyed how the various story threads resolved. The turtle story line and information tidbits add a dose of charm. You don't need to have read Monroe's other books to enjoy this one, but because of the characters who reappear, reading the rest of the books might deepen your enjoyment of ON OCEAN BOULEVARD.

On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Monroe.  Mary Alice Monroe never disappoints. On Ocean Boulevard is like visiting home after being away too long. All the familiar characters and a few new ones to draw you in as the next generation starts coming into their own.  You will enjoy this visit to the islands around Charleston just for the turtle history and great beach descriptions.

This book allows us to visit with the Rutledge family again. I felt like I was sitting down with a glass of wine and catching up with old friends! Cara is a force to be reckoned with just like her Grandmother, Lovie was and Palmer has beat his demons and is a remarkable man. It was also nice to see how well Toy is doing and to get to know Linnea. I did not want the book to end and I read it in one sitting!

Another great book for the beach! The Rutledge family saga continues with all the characters I love. Cara is engaged and her niece comes home from California. A great romance with lots of stuff happening!

On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Munro is a very good novel that takes place in South Carolina near the ocean. It follows three generations of women from one family. The trials and tribulations of this family are dealt with in this novel. There was also the topic of helping turtles by a group of citizens called The Turtle Team. At the beginning of each chapter there is a paragraph explaining something about turtles. I learned quite a bit! You will love the characters in this novel. The author deals with real life problems such as Alzheimer’s, romantic breakups, substance abuse and even the topic of the importance of vaccinations. This novel was a satisfying and easy read. I received this novel from the publisher and netgalley for free in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’m hoping this author writes a sequel. I want to read more about these characters.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Net Galley for the advance of this title in exchange for my honest review. Mary Alice Monroe has written about this Charleston family several times, and each time another member is the featured character. We've followed through a few generations, but each book easily stands on its own. I realized, a few chapters in, that I'd missed this family, and I loved catching up with them. The chapter notes at the beginning of each chapter, giving us a bit of information about sea turtles, or the environment, are also something to look forward to. This book reaches across generations and the characters are not only well developed, but they grow as the year's pass. I highly recommend any of this series, and this is another welcome addition.