I love reading a great Kristy Woodson Harvey book in the summertime. Especially based in NC, which is where I live. Charlotte and her daughter are involved in a FBI investigation where they take up residence in a mommune - I had to look this word up - never heard of it! It’s a big house where single moms and kids live together. Unfortunately, I just found this book ok. Nothing jumped out at me. I know others give this book 5 stars all day long so maybe it just wasn’t for me? Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Charlotte's world is turned completely upside down when her husband is arrested and jailed for embezzlement, leaving Charlotte and her daughter Iris locked out of their house with no access to their hefty bank accounts. After witnessing Charlotte's near meltdown in the local bank, Alice offers her an offer that sounds too good to be true: move into the "mommune" with Alice and a few other single moms for the summer.

KWH has a talent for writing richly drawn characters. Beach House Rules is the perfect beach read, but it's one with some meat on its bones. These ladies are each dealing with their own troubles while raising children and being productive members of (a rather wealthy, bespoke) society. Perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, strong female friendships, and Lady Whistledown (represented here as a modern day Instagram account spilling all the secrets of posh society). As I did last summer when I read Summer of Songbirds, I fell in love with these characters and the alternating POVs allowed me to get to know Charlotte, Alice, and even teenaged Iris, quite well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book prior to its publication in exchange for this honest review. Now I'm off to catch up on last year's KWH and pick up A Happier Life!

KWH is an auto-buy author for me and often the books I give as gifts to friends - they are always stories that spark joy and bring me immense joy!
This one, however, really felt very different and off for what I associate with KWH. It just felt a bit forced and cringey in the dialogue and the "mommune" setting.

I will always read KWH and look forward to next year!

In Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey, Bill Sitterly is arrested and accused of wire fraud which results in the loss of millions of dollars for hundreds of his clients. He’s in jail awaiting trial.

His wife Charlotte and daughter Iris don’t know where to turn because they’re locked out of their house and car in the small southern beach town of Juniper Shores.

A woman she barely knows from church, Alice, offers to drive Charlotte home from the bank and offers her a place to live in her house on the beach , a former bed and breakfast where she has two other women with children living. They all share chores like cooking and cleaning and helping with homework. Charlotte agrees. The house is called the Mommune.

Iris and Charlotte get their suitcases from the motel they’ve been staying in and eat their first dinner in the mommune cooked by Grace, mother of Merit and Emma, with them and Alice and a reporter Julie and her kids Brenna Jamie and Audrey and learn the beach house rules.

The moms and kids become good friends and help Charlotte find a job; she’d been a stay at home mom since Iris was born; and also help her try to prove Bill’s innocence and get him home from jail.

Meanwhile Alice, who has been widowed three times, is afraid to marry her boyfriend Elliot because she thinks she’s unlucky in love.

Grace is separated from her husband and wishes they could reunite and Julie is divorced and not looking for love.

Iris is a freshman and good friends with a group of girls: Chloe and Dabney and Jessica and best friends with Ben. She has a crush on Merit who’s a junior and quarterback on the football team. His sister Emma is middle school but will be a freshman next year. They’re all at Juniper Shores Prep.


It’s fascinating to follow their daily lives as they all become close friends and enjoy life and love at the mommune. Kristy Woodson Harvey has written a beautiful and intricate tale of the lives of these three families that will tug at your heartstrings. It’s also tinged with suspense and a surprise that you won’t want to miss.

Kristy Woodson Harvey’s books are a summer staple. When Charlotte and her daughter Iris find themselves out of a home due to an FBI investigation into their husband/father, they take up residence at the mommune—a big house on the beach where a group of moms and kiddos live and do life together.
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I am so disappointed to say that this absolutely did not work for me. The dialogue was unbearably cringey, the characters were impossible to relate to, and the plot was wholly unbelievable. Calling it a mommune and comparing it to a cult was a risky decision. 😬 The “rules” set by Alice were wild and it was a huge stretch that these other grown, professional women would go along with them.
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Iris’s involvement as things unfolded was so hokey. The twist involving Alice was pure ridiculous. The final reveal was the last straw. 🫤🙄🙄🙄
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I liked the North Carolina coastal setting and the Instagram posts, but it just wasn’t enough to redeem the farcical plot. I settled on 1.5 stars rounded up to 2. While this wasn’t for me, I’m so thankful to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review early.

Love Love LOVE Kristy Woodson Harvey! She's done it again with a story full of heart, hope, and totally loveable characters. I flew through this book.

When Charlotte's perfect life falls apart after her husband's arrest, she and her daughter Iris lose everything including their house and suddenly become the talk of the town thanks to a snarky insta account. But then Charlotte finds a fresh start in the most unexpected place: a beachside house filled with single moms. Um, yes please - momunes should absolutely be a thing!

The friendships that form in this new "found family" are so special. There's laughter, love, secrets, and a big twist that connects the women in a way I never saw coming. I loved the coastal NC setting and strong female bonds. The story balances fun, drama, and emotion perfectly.

If you're into second chances, sisterhood, and a little small-town gossip - this one is a must read!

Charming & heartwarming

Those are the two words that always seem to categorize the author’s work. And this one is no different.

I’ll review more online when I get the book in hand but so grateful for an earc so I could read it first here.

I will say (not a negative) but it wasn’t my fav of hers. That has stayed with The Wedding Veil. Which was just a whole other level of love

3.75 stars rolled to 4

This one was a bit of a tough read for me, especially since I usually enjoy Kristy Woodson Harvey’s work. Beach House Rules just didn’t resonate the way I hoped it would. While I can absolutely see how fans of women’s fiction might enjoy it, I personally struggled to connect with the characters.

The story follows Charlotte, whose husband is arrested, leading her and her daughter to move in with a group of single mothers in a charming former bed-and-breakfast. The premise had potential, but the characters felt a bit flat to me, and the plot had a “been there, done that” feel that made it hard to stay fully engaged.

That said, I still appreciate Harvey’s storytelling voice and will definitely give her other books a try. I’d recommend Beach House Rules to readers looking for a light family drama or to book clubs who might enjoy diving into the dynamics of single women raising children together in a beautiful home in a wealthy town.

This was a beautiful story about the value in true friendship. And a commentary on the ways modern society is breaking down the bonds of friendship through technology, gossip and isolation, Harvey does it again with her ability to create a world where we truly care what happens to her characters and are emotionally invested in their failures and successes! I found myself creating my own house rules after the inspiration this text creates, and looking to see where our family could show up for each other the way this one does.

This was a sweet story but one I just struggled to truly connect with. There were a lot of characters which kind of made it a struggle to keep track of. I loved the whole momune idea lol I found it endearing & I loved the theme surrounding community within it. I loved that Charlotte & her daughter were about to find hope & support through the community.

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey takes you on a heartwarming and gossipy ride through the coastal town of Juniper Shores, and I was completely hooked! Charlotte and her daughter Iris basically go from high society to locked out of their house thanks to her husband’s white collar scandal. But instead of wallowing, they end up in a cozy coastal mom commune, full of fierce and funny single moms. It’s messy, emotional, and totally uplifting. The mystery that unfolds between the women adds the perfect twist, and I loved how it explored the strength of chosen family and the power of starting over. Give me a sun hat and a porch swing, I’m ready to move into Juniper Shores!

After Charlotte’s husband is arrested for securities fraud, she and her daughter are locked out of their house and have no access to their bank accounts.

Charlotte only has enough money to last for a few days. She quit her finance job when her daughter was born and hasn’t worked for years.

What is she going to do?

And did her husband really do this? He is so honest.

As Charlotte is contemplating what to do she is befriended by Alice - a woman who owns a bed and breakfast turned into a mommune where women live together and help each other.

Can she do this? She wants to go back to her own home. Once she stays there, though, it seems like it will be ok.

How does it all turn out for Charlotte and all the women?

We find out in this somewhat confusing read that will have you laughing at the Instagram gossip column of this small town.

I was skeptical about the mommune and wasn’t that engaged with the book.

It just seemed to just drag on and had too many characters to keep track of, but the surprise ending raised the rating up a notch. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

I'm a big Kristy Woodson Harvey fan, and I'm a sucker for books about found family -- so BEACH HOUSE RULES was the perfect combination. The idea of a "mommune" where women lift each other up and help raise their kids together after their lives fall apart was paradoxically aspirational, especially set against such a gorgeous South Carolina beach backdrop. The friendships, the unexpected suspense (with not one but two key mysteries to solve), and the spot-on Southern dialogue made this an enjoyable, easy, quick read. Like sitting down for fresh-baked cookies with people you love spending time with.

4.5 stars
Kristy Woodson Harvey does it again! If you're looking for a new beach read, similar in style to Elin Hilderbrand, then look no further. I love her writing so much (the Peachtree Bluff series is a personal favorite). This book is everything you want in a beach read- multiple POVs, quirky characters, a little mystery and some scandalous parts straight out of Gossip Girl. Yes, there's a lot going on, but it all makes sense, I promise. I loved the character of Iris and the overall concept of a found family. Put this in your beach bag when it comes out in May.
I will definitely recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC!

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband Bill was arrested for embezzlement, she and her daughter Iris are left with nothing. With their bank accounts frozen and locked out of their home Charlotte has no where to go. In steps Alice, known around the community and an anonymous IG gossip account known as the JuniperShoressocialite, as the “Black Widow,” she offers to let them move into her beach house with her and 2 other single moms who call themselves the mommune. She quickly learns how much she needs these women in her life, but will secrets tear their little family apart?

I was so excited to get this arc! I love Kristy Woodson Harvey’s books, and this is the perfect beach read. This gave a bit of a Gossip Girl vibe, mixed with a bit of mystery, love, and sisterhood.

Three women, all needing a home, have found it. They have various aged children and the house is beautifully owned by a lovely woman haunted by tragedy. Grace, Julie, Alice, and Charlotte form a family with love and care, each bringing their unique personalities into harmony as each also deals with personal problems.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

KWH never fails to hit a home run. Her southern style beach stories are what everyone needs to escape reality. Beach House Rules was the perfect mix of friends, family and trust. What a great story!

Beach House Rules swept me off my feet with a premise that felt totally fresh and original—a mother and daughter duo starting over by joining a “mommune” (yes, a commune of single moms banding together to raise their families!). It’s heartwarming, empowering, and absolutely addictive.

This story delivers everything you’d want in a juicy beach read: strong, vivacious characters (with scandalous backstories!), twisty turns you won’t see coming, and a whole lot of southern charm. Set against the backdrop of a dreamy North Carolina beach, the atmosphere is just as compelling as the plot. You’ll find themes of found family, female friendship, healing, and second chances woven beautifully throughout.

There’s also a dash of mystery thanks to a buzzing gossip blog, and multiple love stories that add even more depth to the emotional landscape. It’s a little bit drama, a little bit romance, and a whole lot of summer magic.

This was my first book by Kristy Woodson Harvey, and it definitely won’t be my last—her writing style is warm, witty, and full of heart. Beach House Rules releases on 5/27 and is the perfect book to kick off your summer reading list!

KRISTY! HOMERUN!!!!

This is the most perfect beach read. It has friendship, second chances, coming of age, romance, and the beachy vibes of Juniper Shores. I loved Charlotte, Iris, Julie, Grace, Merik, and Alice. I'll be recommending this one a bunch this summer!

4.5 ⭐️

The mommune-- what a genius idea! KWH's southern fiction is the best! The friendship amongst this Brady Brunch type family was perfection. There were a few moments toward the end that made this book slip from a 5 to a 4.5, but it still fantastic.