Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey, another sweet Southern read from Ms. Harvey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I wish Juniper Shores was a real place because it sounds absolutely idyllic, and certainly a B&B on the shore would make for a peaceful vacation. Granted I would only want to vacation since the local gossipy Instagram, which added some great commentary to the events in Beach House Rules, was a little too noisy for me. Suffice to say this book took place in a gorgeous setting, was well structured and written, and its plot was so entertaining I am going to be checking to see if there is any way Kristy Woodson Harvey may make it into a series focusing on other residents in the small island.

The plot focuses on Charlotte, who just saw her husband go to jail for suspected fraud (one of his victims being the local country club, which doesn’t help her position in town). Kicked out of her home with a 14 year old daughter, Iris, to support, and not able to find a job in Finance due to not having worked in 14 years and her husband’s accusation, things look rough for Charlotte. Luckily the mommune is here to rescue her, a collective of Alice (a widow with a beautiful beach house who the Juniper Shores gossip site claims killed her three previous husbands), Julie (Alice’s niece who is a journalist and single mom - and who hasn’t been positive about Charlotte’s situation in the papers in the past), and Grace (a divorced mom and domestic goddess who people are obsessed with on social media). It may be an unconventional setup but the story alternates between Iris’s perspective as she navigates high school, Charlotte’s as she tries to find a way to trust her husband and survive, and Alice’s as she does every good deed possible to clear her reputation. The mommune and some of the kids band together to clear Charlotte’s husband's name, and while the journey is maybe a bit hard to believe, the dynamics of this group make it a highly entertaining one.

This book is more than just fun, we see each lady come into her own and Iris start to work through all those feelings that come up with being a teenager. The support and love all offer each other is truly touching, and you know, maybe I’d stay in Juniper Shores for longer than a vacation after all.

The biggest thank you to Gallery for an advanced copy of Beach House Rules and being the first to review this wonderful book!

I'm a huge Kristy Woodson Harvey fan and this was my most anticipated book of 2025 and it was absolutely fantastic!

KWH writes the best Southern fiction and I know that her books are going to have wonderful characters, the best small Southern towns, and be full of friendships and family.

This was an unlikely story of friendship and community when everything is falling apart for Charlotte and her daughter Iris. I loved the different points of view from Charlotte, Iris and Alice as this story unfolded.

The Juniper Shores Socialite posts were hilarious and I loved trying to read between the lines on the gossip! The beauty of these 4 women's friendship and the mommune! I loved that they kept on doing what was working for them and trying to ignore the gossip.

I can't wait for everyone to read Beach House Rules. It doesn't come out until May 27th but I know this is going to be a top book of Summer 2025! KWH fans are going to love this book and if you haven't read any of her amazing books yet you have time to read some of my absolute favorite books.

To sum it up. Beautiful book about friendship and finding community. 😍