Title: The Summer of Lost and Found
Author: Mary Alice Monroe
Genre: Women’s fiction
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The coming of Spring usually means renewal, but for Linnea Rutledge, Spring 2020 threatens stagnation. Linnea faces another layoff, this time from the aquarium she adores. For her—and her family—finances, emotions, and health teeter at the brink. To complicate matters, her new love interest, Gordon, struggles to return to the Isle of Palms from England. Meanwhile, her old flame, John, turns up from California and is quarantining next door. She tries to ignore him, but when he sends her plaintive notes in the form of paper airplanes, old sparks ignite. When Gordon at last reaches the island, Linnea wonders—is it possible to love two men at the same time?

Love in the time of coronavirus proves challenging, at times humorous, and ever changing. Relationships are redefined, friendships made and broken, and marriages tested. As the weeks turn to months, and another sea turtle season comes to a close, Linnea and the Rutledge family continue to face their challenges with the strength, faith, and commitment that has inspired readers for decades.

I’m thinking this wasn’t a good fit for me. I enjoyed the previous book in this series and the discussion of the environmental issues, but this one, the characters just came across as self-absorbed and superficial. Linnea has a lot of angst, but not much action. The blurb emphasizes finances “teetering on the brink” but that wasn’t a thing: despite Linnea (and her roommate) not having a job or savings, they never seemed to be concerned about money. This book just wasn’t believable to me.

Mary Alice Monroe is a bestselling author. The Summer of Lost and Found is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(blog link live 5/27.)

I am a huge Mary Alice Monroe fan and loved this book. The main character Linnea Rutledge, due to Covid-19, faces another layoff, this time from the aquarium she adores. For her and her family as with many others, Covid -19 creates problems with finances, emotions, and health. To complicate matters, her boyfriend, Gordon, struggles to return to the Isle of Palms from England, while, her old flame, John, turns up from California and is quarantining next door. She tries to ignore him, but old feelings come back. When Gordon finally makes it to the island, Linnea faces some hard decisions about her feelings for both men. The Rutledge family continues to be strong in the face of adversity and their love for each other is a bond that is not broken. I loved this book!

The Summer of Lost and Found is written by the fiction goddess Mary Alice Monroe. The beginning of last year I met Mary Alice at a book event and I remember thinking she was the definition of a Beautiful Southern belle. Such grace and sophistication I was smitten right away. All of Mary's books have a female main character and are beachy reads that will make you want to runaway to a small town on the shore. This is the first book I have read that was set during the pandemic and that was pretty cool. I will say that I kept thinking I wish I was quarantined in a beach house on the Isle of Palms! Mary Alice has a way with words and that's why she is the bestselling author of 27 books! Grab a tropical drink and your beach towel and get ready for a summer beach read!
Linnea has the job of her dreams and a boyfriend she adores but without warning everything will change. A deadly virus is spreading rapidly and Linnea's job is shut down. With no job and no savings she is thankful she has family who can let her quarantine in the beach house. She's been looking forward to her boyfriend Gordon's visit but with travel suspended who knows when he will be able to come. Linnea is just starting to settle into a routine when an old flame comes home to help a sick relative. John is the last person Linnea wants to see, in fact seeing him reminds her of how much she loved him and how he didn't love her back. The summer isn't going at all how she planned but maybe that's a good thing. Through this virus Linnea will become closer to her family, learn to forgive, decide what is best for her future, and come out a better stronger person than she was in the beginning. This is the summer of lost and found.

Mary Alice Monroe pens an excellent rendition of the 2020 exceptional year we have all lived by highlighting the importance of family and friends of all ages with romance included. The book makes you search your soul to see what has been lost and found in our lives as well

The Summer of Lost and Found by Mary Alice Monroe was the first piece of fiction that I've read that wasn't afraid to take on the ramifications of Covid-19...the quarantine, the masks, the fear and the unknown that we have all lived through in the past year and a half. I loved that she took this into account and didn't gloss over it to create another happy beach novel.

I enjoyed this novel, the characters and their connections with each other, although some of them were just a bit uncomfortable...with each other and their relationships, with moving forward in their lives and with life in an unknown time. I loved reading how each character dealt with the challenges of lockdown, losing jobs, sharing homes and the isolation that came with the quarantine. Although many may not be ready to read about Covid yet, I was glad to see it brought to the forefront in this novel

Thank you to the author, Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Southern comfort for summer at its best! I always look forward to Mary Alice Monroe’s summer release, & this year’s didn’t disappoint. This was my first read that involved COVID, & I think Monroe handled it beautifully while integrating it into the book’s landscape. I found it to be a sweet story of love and second chances. I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy a book set around the pandemic, but this book, like all of Monroe’s treasures, left me with a good feeling of comfort. Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy!!

The Summer of Lost and Found was the first book I'd read that took place during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, so my memories of the fear and uncertainty that gripped the whole world were fresh on my mind. I could relate to the various characters and how they coped with the new reality.
I'd read one of the author's previous novels in the Beach House series, so I was somewhat familiar with some of the characters in the extended Rutledge family and their backstory. Frequent references to relevant parts of the backstory were woven into this current novel so a new reader could catch up.
The main character is Linnea Rutledge, niece of Cara, the Rutledge woman who has been the main focus of other books. When the story begins, Linnea has been laid off from the job she loves because of the pandemic and she retreats to the family beach house on Isle of Palms. John, her old flame and the boy next door, is also home. Although he broke her heart and she has moved on with Gordon, an English wildlife researcher who later shows up on the scene, Linnea discovers she and John still have feelings for each other.
Linnea invites a fellow laid-off colleague, Anna, to move in so they can share expenses. Then her younger brother Cooper, sent home from Oxford because of the pandemic, shows up. He and Anna share an immediate attraction and end up becoming "the Covid couple."
Forced isolation because of the pandemic brings "the pod" closer together. In addition to the beach house residents and their next-door neighbors, the pod includes Cara, her husband David and adopted six-year-old daughter Hope, as well as Linnea's parents,
The story moves quite slowly through the spring and early summer of 2020. Then things wrap up quite quickly and neatly in the last few chapters when the pod faces the steep decline of Flo, their elderly neighbor who suffers from dementia. Also, the love triangle comes to a head.
As always, the beauty of the low-country setting is portrayed, and the residents continue their work with sea turtles. Setting is a character in Monroe's books, and this time, so is the coronavirus.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this engaging novel.

The Summer of Lost and Found, by Mary Alice Monroe, is women’s southern fiction and the 7th book in the Beach House series. Though it can be read as a standalone, I’d recommend reading the previous books because there are a lot of characters and a lot of backstory and it’s easy to get them confused of you do not have a history with them.

This story is centrally focused around the Coronavirus pandemic and specifically the ramifications on the Rutledge family. Linnea is laid off from her job at the Aquarium due to Covid-shutdowns. Concerned that she will not be able to pay rent to her aunt Cara, she agrees to take in Cara’s young daughter to keep her free from exposure to the virus by her father who has come down the illness. Meanwhile, Linnea’s boyfriend is trying to make his way to the US before the borders close and her ex-boyfriend surprisingly moves in next door while he is quarantining. He confesses to Linnea that he made a mistake in sending her home years ago. A love triangle of sorts ensues and becomes the focal point of the story.

The author definitely paints a picturesque setting, bringing the Isle of Palms, South Carolina to life, and if you like southern fiction, this may be a winner for you. It’s certainly a beloved series by many. I didn’t, however, care for the Covid-heavy content, the way in which instructions and information were included into the plot, and I wasn’t truly a fan of the characters and how they treated one another. Perhaps because I don’t have a history with these characters and ties to their predecessors from previous books, this story felt a bit shallow, predictable and somewhat uninteresting. I’m sure it will be a great addition to those following this series, but for me it was a bit lackluster.

Mary Alice Monroe's book is my first by her and actually the first book that deals with the Corona virus. The title of the book, The Summer of Lost and Found, definitely lives up to its name. Linnea is sort of the main character and she is the one dealing with the uncertainty of her life and career. After being laid off from her job and her old flame moving in next door along with her boyfriend coming to stay, Linnea has a lot of hard decisions to make. But it also tells about the trails and tribulations of the whole Rutledge family and their friends. They all discover that they need each other and find comfort in having people they can depend on. They form their own "pod" to keep each other safe during such a frightening time. Many lessons are learned and I believe they come out better than when the summer started. Family is important to the group on the island and that show it in every way. This is a great beach read or just a lazy Saturday read. Even though it talks about the Coronavirus it's still a fun and light read.

This was a great book continuing the series of the beloved turtles. Linnea has two men who are interested in her. John, whom she was living with in California and Gordon who is living in London. I love the paper airplanes at the beginning of each chapter. Also appreciate that we have all the characters once again to learn how they have been doing during the past year. As families do, they all have certain struggles to get through. The story takes place during the pandemic so I like that she incorporated that piece into the story.

I was a little skeptical when I first started this book with it being centered around current times and covid; however, just a little ways in and I was hooked! I have loved these characters over time - Lovie, Flo, Cara, and the others. Whenever I hear anything about turtles and nests, I always think of these books. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends as a great summer read!

My very first book about life during the Corona virus! A perfect beach read for those that have weathered this surreal time in our lives. Reading about these familiar characters facing the challenges faced by so many during the past 14 months definitely made this Beach House series book stand above the rest. As the family ages, Cara’s children now take center stage, especially Linnea. Her dilemma with two men is all too familiar. The natural bonding or creating of your “pod” or “bubble” was so realistic. They were certainly lucky to be living out Covid on the beautiful Carolina Coast. John’s personality was so engaging...an easy choice for Linnea. A very easy beach read about this very special family. Look forward to reading more about Hope. Loved the mingling of the sea turtles into the story line, although it did seem to take a back seat in this particular book. Many thanks to Mary Alice Monroe, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this book, published on May 11th.

Relaxing as the Carolina coast, this book is one to be enjoyed and savored. Even though the book is set during the pandemic year of 2020, it will be timeless in its message of family and friendship. With Mary Alice Monroe's signature style, the story weaves threads together of family, friendship, and nature. The protagonist, Linnea of the Rutledge family, worked at the aquarium, until the pandemic forced its closure to the public. Linnea and her friends and family members learn to pivot in this year, and learn what is important and what really matters. Do we "settle" for the safe route, or do we listen and follow our heart? All of us can agree, the year of 2020 truly was a year that we lost some things and gained others - and hopefully we are better because of it. I haven't read the rest in the Beach House series, so this can definitely be read as a stand alone. Thanks to Negalley and Gallery books for the advanced readers copy. .

The Summer of Lost and Found by Mary Alice Monroe
This story starts out when the pandemic hits and many travel to the island to ride out the storm.
Linnea takes in a woman who also lost her job at the aquarium. Before you know it she's taking care of Hope because her father is quarantining.
Love how she allows her to pick out what to eat and what to plant in the garden. Others arrive and she takes them in as well.
Things get a bit awkward because the house is so small...Like the different ages of people and how they are each surviving the pandemic in their own way.
Like hearing about all the relationships. Fun things in this story. Love hearing about all the animals and how they live through it all.
Received this review copy from Gallery Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

While Mary Alice Monroe is an accomplished author, I feel that she missed the mark with this book. Perhaps I was just not ready to read about the pandemic while we were still emerging from our own lost year. Her characters are lovable, understandable, and just like the folks next-door. But still something of magic was missing from this book. It will not go on my top ten list.

Welp, I did it. I read my first fictional book that took place during the pandemic. So bizarre and surreal to actually read a story where reality like that is taking place.

Part of me enjoyed relating to the strangeness that was the beginning of the pandemic, but part of me was frustrated because everything just seemed to go so perfectly for all of the characters. I guess when you have a beach house that's available to you, free-of-charge, and you don't have any other bills that need to be paid, quarantining in a smaller beach town near all your family can be a breeze. At least, that's how this played out.

I realize that there was drama, conflict, and some really emotional moments, but I didn't find any of it to be meaningful or of importance aside from Flo's really awful disappearance and eventual death. There were only a few characters that I liked and they were Hope, Cara, and Gordon. I just couldn't connect with anyone and was mostly frustrated with everyone's actions.

If you're looking for a literal beach read with very little substance but lots of lighthearted vibes and a bit of drama, this is perfect.

I have read previous books in this series and looked forward to this book. I was looking for a beach read and continuation of the Rutledge family. What I got was a story of the year I wish to forget. So many of the entertainment formats choose to keep this on us. I hope the next book is a family drama novel of the kind I look forward to from Mary Alice Monroe.

Mary Alice Monroe's books are as much a part of summer as cookouts and beach time. They never disappoint.
"Love in the time of COVID-19 proves challenging, at times humorous, and ever changing. Relationships are redefined, friendships made and broken, and marriages tested. As the weeks turn to months, and another sea turtle season comes to a close, Linnea learns there are more meaningful lessons during this summer than opportunities lost: that summer is a time of wonder, and that the exotic lives in our own backyards. In The Summer of Lost and Found, Linnea and the Rutledge family continue to face their challenges with the strength, faith, and commitment that has inspired fans for decades."
Loved the characters, the setting and the conflicts. Great book.

Have you ever gone into a book not wanting to like it? That’s how I was with The Summer of Lost and Found. I did not want to like it! This is the first book I’ve read so far that had the corona virus in it and I just knew that I wasn’t going like it and I didn’t want to like it because I don’t want books to have that in it right now. But boy was I wrong! She hooked me right from the start and I devoured this book in one day. Thank you to the publishers for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. It gets 5 glowing stars from me. I now am going back to purchase all her previous books. Thank you for filling my summer reading list!

We have another book review. #maryalicemonroe #thesummeroflostandfound #netgalley this book takes place at the start of Covid-19. The year is 2020. We have the quarantine pod that has gathered. Where friendships and relationships bloom. Or. Go south. It’s a cute quick read. #netgalleyreads #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #booklover #reading #gallerybooks