Charlotte had it all, building a beach house in a small town in North Carolina, leaving New York. When her husband is arrested for embezzlement and fraud, Charlotte’s world is turned upside down as she tries to survive with her fourteen year old daughter, Iris. A neighbor, Alice, invites her to move in to her house, a former bed and breakfast, with two other women and their kids, dubbed a mommune by the local social media. As Charlotte tries to prove her husband’ innocence, friendships are developed. This is a great beach read, with friends, great characters, a touch of mystery and more. Recommended, especially for fans of women’s fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their home and publicly humiliated by a local social media gossip account. Desperate and broke, Charlotte accepts a stay at a former beachfront Bed & Breakfast turned sanctuary for single moms in their highly judgmental coastal town. Despite the scandal, and everyone knowing everyone else’s business, Charlotte and Iris unexpectedly find joy, friendship, and support among the quirky residents of the “mommune”; however, a shocking shared secret threatens to upend everything.

You get three perspectives in rotating chapters in Beach House Rules - Charlotte, her high school aged daughter Iris and mommune leader Alice. The story is like a slow, lazy beach day with an ideal setting, a found family creating happiness together, character resilience and learning to start over, all combined with a layer of mystery and problem solving. It is a no fuss beach read if you’re looking for something that is easy to pick up and put back down.

Thank you to UpLit Reads and Gallery Books for the hard and e-copies of this novel!

This is a really fun, light hearted, and easy reading novel that is an essential to add to your summer tbr. I adored all the characters in the mommune and loved that this story is the perfect chick lit with a dash of romance and mystery

Told in alternating POV of three female characters, we find Alice, the head of the mommune and also know locally as the “Black Widow”. She’s quick to bring in moms and their children during hardships. Which brings us Charlotte and her teen daughter Iris. Charlotte’s husband has been imprisoned and quickly her family becomes the talk of the town

As these three main characters try and solve their own problems, they find that at the end of a hard day, all you need is love. And sometimes it comes from the most unlikely of people.

This story makes you feel like you are on a costal beach town, with a glass of wine in hand and the sunset in the distance.

Reading Kristy Woodson Harvey’s latest release is a new summer ritual for me, and Beach House Rules was a great escape into a lifestyle I’ll never experience - beachside home, communal living with a group of women and their children, scandal, and secrets galore.

Alice, a 45-year-old widow, created a mommune in her large beach house, welcoming women and their children in times of crisis. Together they prepare meals, do laundry, parent the children, and follow a set of community rules. Charlotte and her daughter Ivy are invited to stay at Alice’s home when their husband/father is incarcerated for a serious financial crime, leaving them with no access to their home or possessions. Is Alice’s household as dysfunctional as local gossip claims or will Charlotte and Ivy find peace and comfort amidst the uncertainty?

I love that the mommune was inspired by the author’s deep friendships that began years ago with a group of moms taking daily beach walks with their small children. The novel includes elements of women’s fiction, romance, mystery, and coming-of-age. Each adult, and some of the children, have their own story with conflict, secrets, and surprises. I could never predict where the plot was headed, and that really held my interest. I was very surprised by one twist in particular, and enjoyed the ending. Was everything in this novel realistic? No - but it was very captivating.

Many thanks to Gallery Books for the review copy of this novel about supporting one another through good and bad times and finding family in the most unexpected places.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The setting was one of my favorites. The characters were well developed and the story line kept me turning the pages!

I really love Kristy Woodson Harvey books so much. I love how unique her stories are from each other and Beach House Rules is no exception.

When Charlotte's world gets turned upside down, she gets invited to a "mommune" a home with numerous adult women, some moms, one not, who all help run a new version of a blended family.

This is the story of the ultimate found family. It's a hopeful heartfelt story that felt like a giant hug.

It's a great summer read and I loved the mystery layered in on top of the many love stories.

Loved this quote
"I knew that holding grudges was like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."

Perfect Summer Read. Kristy Woodson Harvey has hit it out of the park once again with Beach House Rules. I absolutely adore this entertaining story. It’s a 21st century Bridgerton novel with the Juniper Shores Socialite stepping in for Lady Whistledown. Highly recommend this tale of how the “mommune” comes behind the Sitterly family in their time of need. TNT ‘ Til Next Terriffic Tone from KWH

Thanks NetGalley and Gallery Books for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

Beach House Rules follows the story of Julie, a woman navigating major life changes as she returns to her beloved beach town of Beaufort, North Carolina. After a personal and professional shake-up, Julie seeks refuge in the family’s coastal cottage—a place filled with memories, both healing and haunting. As she settles in, Julie reconnects with her spirited mother, a colorful group of longtime friends, and a new community that welcomes her with open arms. Along the way, she finds herself rethinking what it means to start over, and how the people we choose to surround ourselves with can become just as important as those we’re born to.
Beach House Rules was a great beach read—light enough to breeze through in a couple of sittings, but with just enough emotional depth to hold my interest. Kristy Woodson Harvey has a talent for creating relatable characters and heartfelt stories, and this one was no exception. I especially appreciated the layered mother-daughter relationship, which felt honest and endearing without being overly sentimental. The strong female friendships added warmth and energy to the narrative, and the theme of found family really resonated with me. It was the kind of novel that reminded me of the importance of community, resilience, and starting anew—even when it's hard. A perfect pick for a sunny day by the water or when you're craving a dose of Southern charm and hope.

I’m convinced nobody can write female friendships better than Kristy Woodson Harvey and Beach House Rules cements that opinion. From the idyllic setting to the outrageously relatable characters, I was left feeling nostalgic for the mommune as though I had lived there myself. Motherhood can be such an isolating experience and this serves as a reminder of the beautiful necessity of friendship and community. Another solid five star read for Kristy!

My first Kristy Woodson Harvey read — and now I get the hype! 😍

This one is full-on ✨summer vibes✨
Think: swoony romance, strong female friendships, and a dash of mystery to keep things interesting.

📖 Quick Synopsis: When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for financial fraud, she and her daughter Iris seek refuge at a coastal “mommune” in Juniper Shores.

What I loved:
✨ Found family & female friendships: the women in the mommune have each other’s backs, no drama, no judgment.
🌊 Small-town coastal charm: with a gossipy twist thanks to the Juniper Shores Socialite blog.
💘 Second-chance romance: multiple love stories that hit just right.

🎧Narration Note: Absolutely stellar. Each narrator truly embodied their character, bringing heart and authenticity to every chapter. A fantastic audiobook experience!

Final verdict: 👍 Toss this one in your beach bag or press play on your summer stroll—it’s the perfect warm-weather read. Bonus fun: try to guess who’s behind the @junipershoressocialite blog… I was way off. 😉

Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books, Uplit Reads and the author for the arc!

Here’s a sweet read packed fuller than your beach tote with all the feel-good vibes you need for a light, summer-y read! The setting is a smallish southern seaside town & the ingredients are found family, the bonds of friendship, a little bit of romance & a splash of mystery!

The characters are endearing & span the age timeline, each with their own life drama, yet all woven together into one charming, heartwarming story. You can’t help root for them as a group & individually to find their HEA!

This one would pair nicely with your favorite cool drink, sitting poolside for a few hours of lighthearted escape!

I really enjoyed this!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced gifted copy of Beach House Rules.

What I Loved :

❤️ The Author- Kristy Woodson Harvey. I have read all of her books and will continue to buy and read anything she writes.

❤️ The Characters- I loved all the POVs in Beach House Rules. Of course it takes a minute in the beginning when being introduced to all of them but it wasn't difficult.

❤️ The Setting- Juniper Shores sounds like a place I'd visit. I would absolutely enjoy another book set in this town. Especially the Mom-mune. I listened to this book on audio so I'm not exactly sure how it's spelled in the book.

❤️ The Audio- The audiobook was narrated by three people. Cassandra Campbell, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw & Suehyla El-Attar Young. They all did an amazing job.

❤️ The Drama- between Charlottes husbands arrest and the mystery behind who Juniper Shores Socialite was: I was completely engaged and eager to get answers.

Overall- Absolutely Recommend. Another hit from one of my favorite authors.

The Queen of summer reads does it again.
This is such a fun story with such a strong group of women put together for a reason. I flew through this book and would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a good beach read.

If you’ve read anything by KWH, you know she has a knack for writing well-developed characters and bringing the scene to life, and BEACH HOUSE RULES is no different. It’s got a grownup gossip girls vibe to it, paired with beach town drama and a scandal featuring the FMC’s husband. Lots of good stuff to discuss with a book club for sure.

The first half takes some time to get caught up in, especially as she’s building the characters, but the drama of the second half speed things up. There’s definitely some character and world building around the “mommune,” which I came to love over the course of the book. And I really loved the mother-daughter relationship and found family aspect of the story.

Like I mentioned, KWH’s books are so fun all year and especially during the summer, so add this one and others to your list. She can do no wrong!

This is just what I needed to read while on. Beach weekend. It had friendship, romances, second chances, I enjoyed getting the 3 points of view.

This was such a cute and fast summer read. It will be the perfect read for the beach, because you can easily pick it up and put it down as you are doing all the beach things. I love the mystery of the scandal. I loved the updates from the local social scene. And the characters at the momune were all different and insteresting. Some parts seemed a bit far fetched, but you shouldn’t expect full reality this type of book. It is for entertainment and enjoyment and that is exactly what it is!

Thank you Kristy Woodson Harvey ( @kristwharvey ), Gallery Books ( @gallerybooks ), and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read Beach House Rules (out now).

Set in coastal NC, it follows a commune (aka “mommune”) of mothers and their kids. The last mom and child to move in are Charlotte and Iris Sitterly. Husband/father Bill, is jailed for a financial scheme—and he insists his innocence.

This is such a great book about friendship and building that proverbial village. Here are four women, living together, helping with each other’s kids and responsibilities, all while being each other’s support and encouragement. And the ending was such a shock and surprise to me!

I also really enjoyed the teenage characters—especially the friendship built between Merit (poplar junior quarterback) and Iris (freshman).

#BeachHouseRules #NetGalley #KristyWoodsonHarvey #GalleryBooks

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey is one of this week’s fabulous new releases and one I recommend you add to your summer reading list now.
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I am a strong proponent of women helping women and this book celebrates that! I am also old enough to remember a hit tv sitcom, Kate and Allie, in which two single moms move in together to help each other out. So the idea of these four single-ish women living together in order to split the heavy load of single parenthood wasn’t far fetched at all. I loved this “mommune” and can’t believe the townspeople could be so ignorant about these fantastic women.
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When Charlotte’s husband is arrested and their assets frozen, she has no idea what to do or where she and her daughter will live. They are taken in by the town’s “Black Widow” and get a chance to figure things out and to find what they really need in life, friendship.
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This was a fantastic book that made me smile and entertained me all the way! It has references to Gilmore Girls, how could I not love it?

Whether you find yourself day-tripping to a sunny beach or the backyard sandbox, Kristy Woodson Harvey wrote THE book for you: Beach House Rules!

Beach House Rules will transport you to Juniper Shores, where they have more scandal, gossip, and ghosts than you could ever fit in your beach bag! Thankfully, Kristy worked her magic and put it all on the pages of her 2025 release!

Mother & daughter, Charlotte and Iris, are forced to find accommodations when their home is locked up & off-limits. As husband & and father, Bill, has lodging provided for him (thanks to being thrown in jail, accused of financial crimes,) his girls have nowhere else to go & wind up taking refuge in a Mommune.

As the drama unfolds, readers experience the warm glow of found family and genuine friendship, the refreshing breeze of whit and humor, and surprising splashes of Twisty Kristy's brilliance. (KWH, continues earning the nickname!)

Sometimes we're strong enough to ride the waves of life on our own, but sometimes we need a little help from friends.

Like the sand that stays in your car after a trip to the coast, you'll be thinking about this one long after you finish the last page (ask me how l know!)

Beach House Rules will be one that everyone needs to read this summer. It is a heartwarming story, about starting over, finding your people and learning to get over the past. I loved the dynamic and friendship between the women in the Mommune, and Iris and her friends, how their friendships became the anchor in the midst of chaos. The coastal setting, juicy tabloid secrets, friendship and little bit of romance came together to make this book un-put-downable!