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!

This review is one of the hardest to write. I have been a big Kristy Woodson Harvey fan, so I was so excited to get an ARC of this book. This one was not it. I could only get through 1-2 chapters at a time, because it just dragged out. I didn't really like any of the characters enough to root for them. I did not find the dialogue or situations believable at all, and some felt downright cringy. I'm going to give it a 1.5, but round it up to 2. I will not hold this against KWH, and will still eagerly anticipate future books.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

KWH can do no wrong in my book. Give me a beach setting everyday all day. I have no complaints about this book, and will continue to rave about this author to anyone that will listen.

I really do not want to give a poor review because the last two books by this author were 5 star reads for me. Because if that, I was so excited for this book. This one was a miss for me. I kept hoping it would get better but it went in the opposite direction.

Charlotte and her daughter Iris are in crisis as their husband and father, respectively, is jailed for a white collar crime. Feeling ostracized in their judgmental, affluent seaside community, they are taken under the wing of Alice, whom the town has their own judgements about. They, along with two other families, are part of a “mommune” and the relationships there are the highlight of the book. Together, they try to sway public opinion about the crime and find the real guilty party.

Other than the mommune members, the people in this community seem terrible. Their level of wealth, lack of diversity, and hangings on to a newly started gossip blog are all so superficial that it’s not only not relatable, it’s cringey. At around 80% through, as the stories are starting to all reach their apex and closure, things take such a wild turn that I’m still shaking my head. Just no way, even in a book.

Overall, I won’t be recommending this book but I will continue to praise her last two and will try another in the future.

I adored this book. Kristy Woodson Harvey has a gift for writing stories that feel like a hug—layered, heartfelt, and full of strong, flawed, beautiful women. I was instantly pulled into Charlotte and Iris’s world, and I didn’t want to leave Juniper Shores.

The mother-daughter dynamic was so rich and real, and the community of single moms? Pure magic. Full of wit, warmth, and second chances, this book is a love letter to found family, resilience, and the power of women showing up for each other—even when everything falls apart.

I’m officially hooked and want to read everything she’s written. If you love Southern fiction with heart, a little drama, and a lot of hope, this one’s a must-read.

BEACH HOUSE RULES BY KWH
The story starts with a woman who unexpectedly and shockingly finds herself with her husband in prison and her home, money and all belongings under FBI control . This woman, Charlotte, is alone to care for herself and her teenage daughter Iris.
Whether the reader has actually experienced the situations described in BHR or not, Kristy’s talent in creating characters, conversations and events allows the reader to know what it feels like to be in any of these situations.

How does Charlotte proceed, get help and go forward from this point? Who can any of us count on for advice and help when a situation is complicated and possibly dangerous? Who can we trust?

As readers learn what Charlotte will face and choose, we start to understand one of the questions the characters in this story and many of readers face in life: What is the difference between a friend and an acquaintance? The story of Beach House Rules shows us what true and beautiful friendship looks like. ❤️

Kristy Woodson Harvey writes such good heartwarming novels. This new one, Beach House Rules, was a good read about found family, the power of friendship, and the importance of community. Women supporting other women was a great theme running throughout the novel.

Told in multiple POVs, and interspersed with funny posts from an anonymous Instagram gossip account, the story also included mystery and romance elements. I did find the story a bit slow at points.

Overall, a good read that would make a warm-hearted summer read!

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you @gallerybooks for a digital ARC through NetGalley.

I always look forward to summer because it means a new book by Kristy Woodson Harvey! This just might be my favorite of hers that I’ve read. I was already excited to read it, but after listening to Cindy’s interview with the author on the @thoughtsfromapage podcast, I made it my next audiobook.

I had never heard of a “mommune” before, and I admit I was skeptical about this group of moms living under the same roof to raise their kids and following certain rules. However, I quickly loved the twist on found family and how they all came together to help each other where they needed it most. I still questioned motives for a lot of the story but was truly satisfied with how the entire novel unfolded.

The audio was narrated by three different women who really helped keep the multiple POVs distinct in my mind.

Rating:
I loved it

What you’ll find:
It takes a village
White collar crime
Healthy mom relationships
Beach setting
Instagram gossip posts
Multiple POVs

I am a big fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey. I always look forward to reading her new releases over the summer and getting lost in the stories she creates.

For the first time, I read one of her books on audio. I thought the audiobook was well-done, so I don't think my reading format factored into my thoughts on the book. However, this ended up being my least favorite KWH book. Not because I disliked it, but because it didn't grip me like her other books. On paper, it would've been something I would eat up, but I just wasn't overly invested in the characters or the mommune plot.

I seem to be in the minority, so please don't let my review deter you!

Thank you @netgalley, @gallerybooks, @uplitreads & @kristywharvey for sending me this book for review. Opinions are my own.
“A mother-daughter duo learning to lean on their community of women – and each other – after their world is turned upside down.”
This one was mixed for me. I’ve read and enjoyed several of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s books, so I was really looking forward to Beach House Rules, although kind of skeptical of the “momune” premise. It did have her signature charm, Southern setting, and the themes of family, friendship and community. But, potentially controversial opinion here, it didn’t quite hit the mark the way some of her others have for me.
The story follows Charlotte, whose picture-perfect life crumbles after her husband is arrested for a white-collar crime. Locked out of their home and thrust into the gossip mill thanks to a local anonymous Instagram account, Charlotte and her teenage daughter Iris take refuge in a beachfront “momune” – a former B&B turned save haven for single mothers. What began as a desperate escape becomes an unexpectedly joyful and healing chapter…until a long-buried secret threatens the new family they’ve built.
While I appreciated the supportive community of women, I found myself feeling like I was waiting for a long time for the story to really unfold, and I wish some things had been explored in more depth. The pacing felt slow in places and the central twist didn’t have quite the impact I was hoping for. That said, Harvey’s writing still has a comforting, familiar quality and I think many readers will enjoy the story and the sense of resilience woven throughout.
It’s not my personal favourite of hers, but I’ll still be picking up whatever she writes next.
3.5 Stars

I am a big fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey! This is a fun read focusing on women empowering women and the value of friendship. This is also a character driven story with multiple POVs that really make the story come alive. It has a small town feel mixed with a Gossip Girl scandal vibe. This is a great beach read, so grab your towel and sunscreen and dive into this one! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Charlotte and her daughter Iris are in a bind when Charlotte’s husband is arrested for financial crimes. They’re locked out of their beautiful home in Juniper Shores and the whole town thinks Brad Sitterley is guilty, but he’s not… right?

Alice has had three husbands and they all died in freak accidents. The town’s ’Black Widow’ also owns an old bed and breakfast that is now called the “mommune”. Alice has taken in two single moms and their kids and they all live as one big family. Everyone in town thinks it’s a cult.

With nowhere else to go and her bank accounts frozen, Charlotte reluctantly accepts Alice’s invitation to move into the mommune.

This is a perfect summer read, some mystery, a lot of humor, interesting twists and sweet romance.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒 Multiple POV
🏝️ Small beach town
👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼 Secone chance romance and young love
🤨 Mystery lite
🚪closed door

KWH is a new author for me and I really enjoyed her style.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love starting my summer out with a KWH book every year. Beach House Rules was highly engaging. This book is the perfect beach read and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Please give it a try if you love southern settings, strong women, found family, and multiple POV's.

Synopsis:
When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced digital copy of the book.

Beach House Rules is an engaging story about forging bonds that go beyond friendship.
When Charlotte Sitterly's husband is arrested for embezzling money from the funds he oversees, she realizes how much she has come to rely on him to provide for their family. With all of their belonging and bank accounts frozen during the investigation, Charlotte and her 14 year old daughter Iris have nowhere to turn. Enter Alice Bailey, a woman some call the black widow (having outlived 3 husbands) and everyone thinks is a bit weird because she has turned her gorgeous beachfront house into a "mommune" --a commune of sorts for women in need of support and their children. Alice invites Charlotte and Iris to move in and, with nowhere else to turn, the pair find themselves the newest members of the mommune. They are a little taken aback by some of the rules (like no cell phones all night), but what Charlotte doesn't expect is to find fast friends, women who have each other's backs and support each other emotionally as well as physically. As Charlotte works to get back on her feet, the mommune works to sway public opinion to considering the possibility that Charlotte's husband is innocent, and Iris does some investigating of her own to try to get her dad out of jail. Richly portrayed characters are central to this story, supported by a strong plot and great pacing. I predict this will be one of the hottest beach reads of the summer!