In Beach House Rules, Kristy Woodson Harvey delivers a warm and emotionally layered story about second chances, unexpected friendships and the power of chosen family. When Charlotte Sitterly's seemingly perfect life unravels after her husband's arrest for a white collar crime, she and her teenage daughter Iris are left homeless, penniless and publicly humiliated by a ruthless local Instagram account.

Forced to start over, they find refuge in a once charming beachfront bed and breakfast now home to a group of single mothers. What begins as a last resort quickly becomes a place of healing and unexpected joy. As Charlotte and Iris settle into their new life, secrets from the past emerge connecting the women in ways none of them saw coming.

With her signature blend of heart humor and Southern charm, Harvey crafts a compelling tale about resilience community and the bonds that form when life takes an unexpected turn. Beach House Rules is both a feel good escape and a thoughtful look at how women support each other through life’s toughest storms. A perfect beach listen with depth heart and just the right amount of drama.

Is it even summer if you don’t read a KWH book? I kick off summer every year with one and this year’s book was so good! I loved the characters and felt like summer could officially start once I read it. Amazing!

I loved this story about women lifting each other up in times of need. The momunne was such a good concept and I loved the reason for it. I loved that we got 3 different perspectives and that they ended up being intertwined.

Living in eastern NC where this book takes place, I can see the settings she's writing about so vividly in my mind's eye. It is delightful to read about our little corner of the world in her fiction, with a unique spin to it. I love these characters, and I appreciate that this story gives the young people in the story weight and depth as well, which adds a whole extra layer to this story.

Usually I'd say Kristy Woodson Harvey can do no wrong but unfortunately this one wasn't my favorite of her books. The premise was a bit silly to me, the relationships seemed like a stretch. I am still absolutely looking forward to her next book, though!

With Elin Hilderbrand retiring from her Nantucket/summer beach read releases, I know there are lots of us looking for authors to fill that gap! Kristy Woodson Harvey is an absolutely worthy storyteller who will win lots of fans in this genre with this novel. Charlotte and her daughter Iris find themselves suddenly without a place to live when the FBI arrests Charlotte's husband Bill for financial fraud, and seizes their family's assets for the investigation. Enter Alice, a mysterious "Black Widow" who has tragically lost 3 husbands in freak accidents, and now uses her huge home (dubbed the "Mommune") as a refuge for women and children who need time and support to get back on their feet. It's a lovely story of female friendship, small town dynamics, and looking outside ourselves for help in the most unexpected of places.

Kristy Woodson Harvey's Beach House Rules is a heartwarming and engaging tale set in the charming coastal town of Juniper Shores, North Carolina. The story follows Charlotte Sitterly and her daughter Iris as they navigate life after Charlotte's husband's arrest, finding solace in a unique beachfront community known as the "mommune." Harvey masterfully weaves themes of resilience, friendship, and the complexities of modern family dynamics, creating a narrative that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The characters are richly developed, each bringing depth and authenticity to the story, making readers feel as though they've found a new circle of friends. With its blend of Southern charm, humor, and heartfelt moments, Beach House Rules is a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction.

While I absolutely loved A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey, Beach House Rules unfortunately didn't receive that same love.

Simply: this was a hard book to get behind.

Yes, there were a lot of characters, but more importantly, none of them were fleshed out enough to become fully invested in them or their respective sub-plots. And to call a spade a spade, it was Iris that I had the majority of my issues with. Specifically, she was a fourteen-year-old with her own point of view in an adult book! Yes, this can be done effectively, but in this case it really threw a curve ball by adding in this much too-young perspective. And she was out there trying to solve the scandal surrounding her dad!? Like, what!? How was this realistic? And did I mention she was only fourteen!?

And, while the Mommune was a fun concept, it also seemed quite hokey and came across far too conveniently. You can't go back to your house due to your husband's scandal? Don't fear, Mommune to the rescue!

Overall, if I'm going to read a book without a feasible amount of substance - I should at least be expecting that! Because, yes, I had already come to expect a lot more from Harvey's writing than what was delivered here!

Thank you UpLit Reads, NetGalley, and Gallery Books for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Another five star from Kristy Woodson! Her ability to make me feel like I am completely immersed in that southern charm amazes me anytime.

When I first started this one I was thinking it was a very odd story and concept. By the end of the book, I was loving this group of women that support each other and thought it was such a sweet story! Even in life altering circumstances, there's always people that can bring joy!!

I'm the biggest KWH fan and this was no different! I loved this cast of characters, and the found family vibes so so much!!

This is THE beach read of 2025. It has everything you could want in a summer novel: friendship, romance, second chances, mystery, coming of age, and just the right dose of drama. Set in a unique “mommune” where mothers, children, siblings, and romantic partners all live under one roof, the story beautifully weaves together every type of relationship, family bonds, sibling ties, and love stories, while also exploring the complexities of figuring out what’s best for yourself and the people you care about. Heartwarming, a little mysterious, and full of emotional depth, this is the book you’ll want in your beach bag or carry-on this summer.

ugh I hate that this one was a DNF for me …I usually love the lightness of her books but I struggled with this one.

There were aspects of the book that I truly liked, but a lot of it fell flat for me. I loved the idea of women living together, supporting one another and helping their friends out. But the story lines seemed so far fetched. And 3 point of views can be a LOT. picking Charlotte or Iris' probably would have been the best decision. It was an alright read but not the best KWH book. I wont give up though. I love her books and am sure the next will be just as amazing as always.

Beach House Rules was a heartwarming, character driven story about a group of women who were each dealing with a tough life crisis and have hit rock bottom. Needing a little help, the women and their children are brought together at the “mommune,” a beach house where they can find refuge while getting back on their feet.
I had high expectations for this book after reading A Happier Life which was a five star read for me. I enjoyed the characters and how they were there for each other in the good times and bad. I loved the premises of women helping women and the strong relationships created. I also thought the addition of the anonymous Instagram account that kept everyone informed of the latest town gossip, was an intriguing way to help drive the story. However, I found the story to be a little slow at times.

Beach House Rules is the perfect summer beach read about a mother and daughter who learn to lean on the women in their community, but also each other after their world takes a turn. This was a heartwarming read that I could not stop turning the pages. Every character in this one was great and I liked Iris the most. The author wrote this so well and I look forward to reading other books from this author. I loved the setting in this book a lot, which was a North Carolina beach town. This was one that I highly enjoyed and would recommend to any reader who likes romance or fiction reads. Thank you to UpLitReads and the author for this read in exchange of my honest review of Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey.

This was a great read! I was really invested within the first couple chapters and I love when that happens. I've enjoyed some of Kristy's previous books, so I was already excited for this one. Thanks to the author and publisher for my kindle copy.

I love the way Kristy creates her characters. She gives them interesting stories and makes you want to root for them. I feel like every character, big or small, played a role in the story and I love the way it all came together.

Like some of her previous books, this story focused on many different relationships. It featured relationships between friends, relationships between family members, brand new friendships, romantic relationships and also the idea that family doesn't have to be blood - it can be the people in your life that you surround yourself with. It was about going with your gut, trusting in people, and accepting help when needed. I really liked this a lot!

Thank you @uplitreads @gallerybooks for the gifted copy!

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Beach House Rules
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Kristy Woodson Harvey
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: May 27, 2024
4⭐️

☀️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 ☀️
This story follows mother and daughter Charlotte and Iris in the aftermath of their husband/dad getting arrested for a financial crime, and they are left locked out of their own house. A local Alice offers them a place to live at her house that locals call “the mommune” because a couple of other moms and kids reside there. Charlotte is newer to town and hasn’t yet learned to lean on friends or find good ones and she accepts Alice’s kind offer.

The POVs jump between Charlotte, Iris and Alice as they navigate their situations. We learn some background on Alice, as she’s dubbed as the Black Widow around town. There’s also a funny social media gossip know as @JuniperShoresSocialite that is anonymous and reports both teen and adult gossip around this small beachy community.

I loved the gossip bits from the social media site. I think it’s a fun way to introduce information into the storyline outside of the main characters.

I also love the beach setting that Harvey portrays. She makes you want to pick up and go buy a house there!

The friendships formed between the adult moms were some of my favorite parts of the story. Each of the moms learn to learn on each other in new ways, where as moms they aren’t used to asking for help or relying on support.

I was also surprised to find out who ran the Juniper Shores gossip account. It was a funny twist to learn!

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
☀️ Found Family
☀️ Beach Setting
☀️ Coming of Age
☀️ Social Media Gossip

This was a very different story from Kristy Woodson Harvey and I loved it!

Set in sunny Juniper Shores, North Carolina, Beach House Rules spotlights the life disruption of Charlotte Sitterly, whose world implodes when her husband, Bill, is arrested for white‑collar crime—freezing their assets and barring her and her fourteen‑year‑old daughter Iris from their home

Desperate and in need of stability, Charlotte and Iris are invited by Alice Bailey—a triple widow with a mysterious reputation dubbed the town’s “Black Widow”—to move into her former beachfront B&B. There, they join a tight‑knit cohort of single mothers known as the “mommune”, living under a set of quirky yet heartfelt house rules: “keep secrets, visit the beach daily, and bring snacks to share”

.The novel is told through three distinct POVs—Charlotte, Iris, and Alice—allowing us to invest in each of their journeys. Charlotte evolves from a desperate spouse to a resourceful mother—and Iris shines as a teenage sleuth who helps uncover truths about her father’s case
.
At the heart of the story lies a central mystery—the identity of the Instagram“#JuniperShoresSocialite” account—and relationships are tested by secrets linking members of the mommune

Beach House Rules was my most anticipated book for 2025! I've read and loved all of Kristy Woodson Harvey's books so I couldn't wait to start this.
It has all of her signature marks that l've come to adore:
🩷Small town vibes
🩷A southern/coastal beach town setting
🩷A cast of FMC's experiencing both the joys and challenges of motherhood/marriage/friendship

Combine all of that with a mommune, an online gossip column, plus a mystery to solve and now you have your next beach read! The mommune concept was my favorite...truly genius!!!

Think found family on steroids. I can totally see how something like this could work really well. There was opportunity upon opportunity for cattiness and jealousy but instead we get to see strong female characters overcoming together, lifting each other up, rooting for one another, and forging lasting friendships.

The saying “it takes a village" was front and center with this one and I loved that.