I can’t welcome summer without a new Kristy Woodson Harvey book.

Another delightful story from KWH, I was transported to the sparkling shores of North Carolina. Kristy has a gift for storytelling, one that invites you into the story, allowing you to become attached to the characters and a part of their world. In this remarkable story, we follow Charlotte and her fourteen-year-old daughter, Iris, as they navigate the challenges of a new home in the Juniper Shores beachfront house, known as the "mommune."

Charlotte and Iris’s lives were turned upside down when Charlotte’s husband was arrested, and rumors swirled. But soon the other moms and their kids living in the mommune became a tight-knit family, a testament to the power of community and friendship.

This story is a beautiful blend of friendships, both among the women and among the teens. There is a young first love that blooms, amateur sleuthing, and town gossip. All of this captures the essence and atmosphere of small-town life with perfection. As much as I loved spending time with Charlotte and the other moms, the moments with Iris and her friends were some of my favorites.


Told with warmth, humor, and charm, you’ll want this in your beach bag this summer!

4.5🌟

Thank you @uplitreads and @kristywharvey for the gifted book and ebook via #NetGalley.

Okaaaaaay. I read this because I liked her other books and I’ll be seeing her on her book tour soon. I absolutely expected to like it, but was caught off guard by how much I LOOOOOVED IT!!

Family, romance, a couple minor thrills, and a fun mystery element. I mean… who is the Juniper Shores Socialite?? It’s giving Gossip Girl and I’m here for it.

There’s no flashbacks. And you know I’m not a flashback person. So you get a here and now story from alternating POV.

Heartwarming. I have used that term countless times to describe books that are kinda sweet. But I don’t think I truly recognized the meaning until now. My cold dead heart was a puddle of mush those last few chapters.

Giving a little extra love to the Iris chapters cuz those were just fun and innocent and sweet. 🥰

NO NOTES! 🤌🏼

3.75. I think I've read one of hers at the end of the past two Mays. This one tied up nicely which I need sometimes. I put up with the teenager POV chapters which as I've said many times underage narrators are not my favorite but they weren't disastrous here. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

BEACH HOUSE RULES by Kristy Woodson Harvey is one of my favorite women’s fiction books so far this year. It is a small-town southern women’s fiction book full of family, both the ones we are born into and those that we make, love, second chances, friendship, and a bit of a mystery. Set in a former bed-and-breakfast turned “mommune” in an affluent small North Carolina beach town, a community of women come together as their personal world’s turn upside down.

Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime and she and her daughter, Iris, are shut out of their home and have all their bank accounts frozen. Down to her last few dollars, the town’s alleged Black Widow offers her a place for herself and her daughter in the former beachfront bed-and-breakfast turned mommune. The single moms and their children are the source of gossip throughout their small community.

Charlotte and Iris, to their surprise, find a sense of comfort and community at the mommune with the other women and children. As Charlotte works to get back their old life and prove her husband’s innocence, she and Iris discover their coming together may not have been by accident after all and secrets could destroy the new group of friends.

This book is beautifully written and pulls you right into the lives, trials, and tribulations of the mommune. The characters could walk right off the page. I enjoyed looking at the situation from both the adult women’s fears and triumphs and the teenager’s way of dealing with all the adult drama and their own high school drama. The mystery of Charlotte’s husband’s guilt or innocence had me guessing throughout and surprised me at its resolution. The addition of the on-line @JuniperShoresSocialite interspersed posts added a fun bit of laughter as well as intrigue as we tried to figure out the identity of the anonymous author. I feel this should be the top summer read this year.

I highly recommend this small-town southern women’s fiction! This is the first book I have read by this author, but it definitely will not be the last.

Loved this one! This ultimate summer read had me hooked from the start with the perfect mix of found family feels and coming-of-age magic that only KWH can deliver.

I absolutely devoured this one, and I didn't want the
story to end!

The character development is absolutely incredible!
The way Kristy weaves together these women's stories and shows how true friendship can heal and transform lives.

This contemporary fiction hits all the right spots without being overly dramatic or unrealistic. Do yourself a favor and grab this one for your next beach day or cozy reading session.

OMG this book is amazing!!!!!!!! It has everything in a beach read~ friendships, finding yourself, love, drama, and most of all- happy endings!!!!!!

It’s summer time and Kristy Woodson Harvey has done it again! She has officially kicked off summer with a fantastic beach read! Last year, she did herself in with A Happier Life and this summer she amazed me yet again with Beach House Rules. If we were playing baseball, Woodson would have hit back-to-back home runs! She is the master of a cozy found family read. She is the queen of capturing coastal life in the state of North Carolina. Speaking of North Carolina, I’m participating in Kristy’s book tour and have the opportunity to hear her speak about Beach House Rules tomorrow night at Quail Ridge BookStore. I absolutely cannot wait!

Welcome to the Mommune! A safe haven for mom’s who have fallen down on their luck and don’t feel like they have anywhere else to go for support. What they don’t know is their luck begins when they enter the mommune. They gain faithful friends automatically, young children to help mentor their own, joy, laughter, new skills, new perspectives, and a place to call home. The rules of the mommune might seem tough at first but they end up teaching everyone how to live life and love one another to the fullest. You will fall in love with the children in the book and you will be left wishing you were friends with the mom squad!

A must read! Go ahead and get a copy from your independent bookstore or order it online. You absolutely will not be disappointed!

After Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested, her and her daughter, Iris, move into the “mommune”, a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast turned community of single mothers. The mommune certainly has the town’s attention, especially of the anonymous Instagram Account, @JuniperShoresSocialite, that delivers all the gossip to the town. The women bond through this unconventional family, finding solace in their bond and friendship.

With the town’s gossipy Instagram account, @JuniperShoresSocialite, this book definitely delivers total Gossip Girl vibes, and I was here for it! Told from multiple perspectives, the story is full of drama, secrets, and mystery, set against the perfect southern beach town backdrop. In addition to the juicy gossip and drama, the book also shines a spotlight on the themes of found family, friendship, and personal growth. Kristy Woodson Harvey truly packed a little bit of everything into this book, making it the perfect book to pack in your beach bag this summer!

Thank you to UpLit Reads, Gallery Books, NetGalley, and Kristy Woodson Harvey for my gifted physical + digital copies!

Kristy has done it again! Her books get better and better. And intriguing mystery and fiction story about a commune, with humor and inspiration, and even some moments of coming of age for the kids in the book, makes it a perfect beach read.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The most perfect beach read!

I devoured this book from start to finish. I was completely invested with all the characters and I couldn’t wait to see how each of their stories would unfold.

We get three POV’s, each chapter stating who’s POV it is. We get Charlotte who is Ben’s wife who is currently in jail for fraud. Everyone believes he is innocent but they have to wait for the evidence to come through.
Charlotte feels hopeless and is just trying to find a job for the time being to provide for her fourteen year old daughter since their assests are frozen.

The next POV is Iris, who is Charlotte and Ben’s daughter. We get her POV on high school life as well as her current family situation.

Lastly, we get Alice’s POV. Alice owns an beach house that was once a bed and breakfast, now has turned into what is imfamously called “The Mommune” around town. Alice gets a bad rep around town as well since we find out she was married three times and all three men are dead.

Alice takes in Charlotte and Iris to live with her at the Mommune to help them during their situation. Two other women with children live at the Mommune as well. Grace and Julie who we get to learn more about throughout the story.

I was skeptical at first with the Mommune but as the story went on I loved them. They became such a close knit found family that it warms your heart. This friendship these women form you can see is a bond that will be unbreakable. You could tell they all needed eachother at that point in time. It was meant to be. I absolutely loved that part of the story.

This may be one of my top summer beach reads!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Charlotte Sitterly is living the good life with her teenage daughter Iris and successful husband Bill at fictional beach town Juniper Shores, NC. When Bill is charged for a white-collar crime and lands in prison, Charlotte comes home only to find that she has no access to their house or their bank account. Trying to figure out a plan, good-hearted community leader Alice invites Charlotte and Iris to come live with her and other single moms and their kids at what is known as “the mommune”. Formerly a bed-and-breakfast, Alice has turned this seaside villa into a haven for women and their families to get back on their feet, and plan their next steps.

But was Alice’s invitation really just an accident, or was it planned? Is Bill innocent or guilty? And who is the author behind the snarky column @juniperhsoressocialite with all the deets on the goings-on of the community (think Lady Whistledown here, for you Bridgerton fans!)? For answers to these questions and more - pick up a copy of this book! A perfect tuck-in-your-beach-bag-don’t-bother-me-I’m-reading-KWH book!

Review will be posted on 5/30/25

Charlotte and Bill Sitterly appear to have it all in Juniper Shores, North Carolina, that is until Bill is investigated for fraud. His assets are frozen, his wife and daughter are kicked out of their beautiful family home and he is thrown in jail. Charlotte's comfortable world is turned upside down and now she has no place to go and no money. Thankfully, Alice Bailey, an acquaintance in town, takes her in as she has been known to do this for single mothers. She runs a "mommune" where women can get back on their feet and get their lives together after upheaval; that is just what Charlotte plans to do and it doesn't hurt that Alice's "mommune" is a gorgeous beach house. Charlotte has to find a job and plans to clear Bill's name, but there are many twists and turns during this process. Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a story about women, and found family, all with a touch of southern beach read charm.

At first, I thought Charlotte was going to be another vapid socialite, but there is so much more to her than readers first catch a glimpse of. Charlotte is an accomplished woman and should have no problem finding a respectable job, but thanks to her husband's fraud, things aren't as easy as they appear. She hopes to clear his name, but this may take a while. Alice Bailey, the owner of the "mommune" also has her own issues. She has been married many times and the town refers to her as "Black Widow." How can she ever move on romantically with that name attached to her? Plus, there is more to her story than readers initially thought. The last point of view in Beach House Rules is from Iris, Charlotte and Bill's teenage daughter. This provides a light narrative, but as things progress, so does Iris's interest in clearing her father.

While I love the idea of sharing a beach house, the whole concept of a "mommune" felt weird to me. I couldn't entirely get into it and it felt cringey at times. I also had difficulty with Iris's storyline as I didn't entirely believe she was a Veronica Mars type of character. However, I did appreciate the beachy elements of the novel as well as the excerpts from Juniper Shore's gossip page. This gave the story a lighter feel and reminded readers that in a Southern beach town, not much can stay hidden for too long. Lastly, Harvey did a good job with the various twists in the story; that aspect of Beach House Rules definitely kept me flipping the pages.

While I love Harvey's beach reads (the Peachtree Bluff series is my favorite), this one fell a little flat for me. But that may be just because of my hesitancy for a "mommune." I think readers who enjoy beach reads about strong women, found family, and the complex relationships with mothers and daughters will especially appreciate this one. Let me know in the comments if you are a fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey and if Beach House Rules is on your summer TBR list.

Review posted: 5.28.25

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

It’s no secret that I adore Kristy Woodson Harvey books and have been a fan of hers since Dear Carolina.

Each spring/summer, I look forward to the latest KWH book so I can read it by pool, ocean, or my front porch and just enjoy the fictional world of words that Kristy makes so vivid.

What I liked:

This cover is EVERYTHING.

I loved the mommune. It was great! Kristy’s descriptions of the ladies and kids was so great.

Juniper Shores Socialite was the cherry on the sundae of this great Southern family drama.



Bottom line: Beach House Rules is the book of the summer. The characters, the cover- it really is a book to remember.



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

Cute, beach read.

When Charlotte's husband gets arrested for stealing his clients money, Charlotte and their daughter, Iris, are locked out of their home and have no money. Her husband was set up, but by whom no one yet knows. When Alice offers her a place to stay in her home until everything gets cleared up with her husband, she's introduced to the Mommune. Grace, Julie, and Alice, all live together helping each other with each others lives and kids.

Meanwhile, Charlotte has to get a job again, and Iris, her 14 year old is going through the rituals of becoming a teenager. They flourish is the house, depending on each other for help. But when the person responsible for setting up Charlotte's husband is found, they realize that it's from someone in the home.

*I received an complimentary copy of this ARC via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

DNF at 15%

This book is not for me. I did not connect with or care about the characters and the storyline felt forced. I tried reading it both via ebook and audio copies. It didn’t work for me in either format.

Thank you @kristywharvey @gallerybooks and @uplitreads for my gifted book. Today is pub day for this beautiful novel! 🥳

This book is sure to be one of the biggest beach reads of the summer! A genuine story of a mother and her teen daughter who are down on their luck after their husband/father was arrested for financial crimes. They have no where else to turn and limited funds when Charlotte meets Alice and she offers the two ladies a spot in her “mommune.” This is a house of women and their children who need support and help with their families as they go through a difficult time.

This fancy town of Juniper Shores, NC is no stranger to gossip. In fact, they have their own version of Lady Whistledown who is sharing hot gossip and secrets all over Instagram. Do you want to be one of the chosen people who is gossiped about? Or is better than you stay off their radar?

Beach House Rules is incredibly charming and perfect for your beach bag or book club. The idea of the mommune took a little getting used, especially all the rules. But rules create order and that’s what these families need. I love a story about women helping women and found family.

Honestly, half way through I considered DNF, I am glad that I didn’t.

I see this book as three parts. First part, building of the characters, plot and setting. It’s good! I keep thinking there could be something juicy here.

Second part was … too long. Lacked any real events or interesting parts. I thought it was just a bunch of “poor” wealthy white folks that live on the beach whining about their problems.

Last part is like, finally!!! The details come, the good stuff and the book is redeemed.

Advanced reader copy provided by Gallery and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

Who’s ready for summer? This book is the epitome of what I think of as a beach (or summer for those of us with no travel plans) read.

I did an immersive read with the book and audio and loved every minute of it. Either way would be a great choice.

I loved that this had two of my favorite tropes: found family and second chances. KWH is so great at writing characters with depth and then interconnecting them in complicated relationships.

I was immediately pulled into the story with the bang of Charlotte’s husband going to jail. I’ll admit to spending the entire book waffling over whether he was guilty. I’m a thriller reader so this struck a chord with me. Add in the uniqueness of this choice versus a divorce, breakup or death to showcase the women of the book.

I loved this cast of characters that were so different but ultimately fit together so well. They were all equally interesting to read. Charlotte trying to hold her family together. Iris coming of age and dealing with the equivalent of new siblings. Alice is the creator of the beach house family and dealing with her own demons. I loved her rumored backstory. I almost wished I had some trauma that threw me in their path and had them scoop me up into their unconventional family.

Cassandra Campbell, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, and Suehyla El-Attar Young narrated Charlotte, Alice and Iris. Their voices fit perfectly with how KWH described the characters and the created the same warm, inviting atmosphere. The audio matched the book.

Whether reading, listening or both, you can’t go wrong spending time with the women of the beach house.

Charlotte's husband is charged with a crime, she knows he's innocent, but she and her daughter have to leave their home, and she needs to find a job. An unlikely woman offers them rooms in her beach house, nicknamed by the locals as a mommune--it's home to several women with children. To top it off, an anonymous poster on social media has shared details about everyone who's anyone in town.
As Charlotte starts to rebuild her life and helps to prove her husband's innocence, she holds her head high in town and makes the best of life, even having fun. There are rules at the house, and after a bit, they're a new way of life. It's a new found family and friendships, and each has secrets to keep, but they have each other's back.
The closer they get to the truth, danger lurks, and finding the culprit will shock everyone. Life at the beach will never be the same.
This is the quintessential summer beach book to read!

“That’s the thing about protection, though. It’s fleeting. Because the people who know best how to protect you also know the very thing that will rip your heart out.”

A story of friendship, family, trust, and resilience, Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey is another stellar summer read!

Charlotte Sitterly has her world knocked out from under her when her husband is imprisoned for a white collar crime, leaving all of their assets frozen. Living in a small, southern beach town powered by insta gossip doesn’t help her situation or her fourteen-year-old daughter, Iris. Fortunately, Charlotte isn’t alone in her plight to navigate a new reality while working through loss. She finds herself landing at the “Mommune,” a fabulous beachfront property with pretty effective rules and an incredible support system for survival.

Beach House Rules is packed with a deep cast of intriguing characters. I wanted to unwind on the beach with the ladies with a glass in hand. No phones needed. Away from all of the drama and gossip. Can we really get away from gossip? Not when there’s someone watching the town’s every move and thrives on sharing all the “TNT and juicy deets.” Is Charlotte’s husband innocent? Is there a black widow looking for her fourth victim? What other seaside scandals have presented themselves?

Thank you, NatGalley, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Gallery Books for an ARC of this perfect summer read in exchange for an honest review!