Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Need a light beach read? This is for you! Kristy Woodson Harvey does an excellent job writing relationships in her books and this story about the importance of new friendships for both young and old was heartwarming but also packed with some suspense! Charlotte's "perfect" family finds themselves in financial trouble when her husband is being investigated by the FBI and they find support from the "mommune" in unexpected ways.
I did enjoy this but it didn't quite hit me as emotionally as other books she has written- however I do recommend it for those looking for a light. clean, summer read!

✨REVIEW✨

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This book is on every “must read” list this summer - and for good reason! Such an enjoyable read with friendship, second chances, romance, and lovable characters.

If you are an Elin Hildebrand fan you will love Harvey’s books! I also loved A Happier Life so definitely check that out too!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to @kristywharvey @netgalley and @gallerybooks for this opportunity!

Be sure to check out this perfect summer beach read! 🏖️

Another five star read from Kristy Woodson Harvey. Beach House Rules has all the components of a perfect beach read with Gossip Girl vibes on the North Carolina Coast. There is a little bit of mystery, strong female friendships, and a touch of romance. You will definitely want to pack this one in your beach bag this summer. I am starting a local beach reads book club and Beach House Rules is our first book. I look forward to discussing it more with the group.

5/5⭐️Another Southern Fiction gem by the amazing Kristy Woodson Harvey! This has to be one of my favorite reads of 2025! Between family happenings and life in general, it definitely takes a village. Run and grab this now and place it right up top your Summer reading list!!

This is a delightful book. It was a very happy moment when I picked it up, because it was just the book I needed. The relationships between all the characters are so enjoyable and really emphasize the way friends can support each other and build each other up. The Mommune was a fabulous concept and a really great idea. Gossip, instagram drama, family drama, and strong women supporting each other are the highlights with a nice dash of romance thrown in.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I absolutely love this author but this was not the premise for me. The mommune idea is a little odd and I just prefer her other stories, especially Under the Southern Sky. I think this one was just a miss for me.

Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a crime he says he didn’t commit. She is not allowed to go into her house or touch any of her family finances. An invitation to live in a bed and breakfast turned “mommune” seems to be the answer to her problems. She joins other single moms with their children who help each other on a daily basis. They are friends who become family. Did Charlotte’s husband commit the crime he is accused of? I kept changing my mind whether I thought he was guilty or not! Kristy Woodson Harvey does not disappoint!

3.5 stars!
This was my first book by this author but it will definitely not be my last. I very much enjoyed my time in Juniper shores. I loved the character's and the found family aspect. I also enjoyed the element of mystery when it came to Bill. Some parts seemed to be a little cheesy and repetitive. But overall, a very fun, enjoyable read. Perfect for summer!

Thank you Gallery Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I'm always curious to see what Kristy Woodson Harvey will write next, and the premise behind Beach House Rules really caught my eye. I mean, a mommune? For me, that was an irresistible hook. Iris and Alice were my favorite characters, and their dynamic points of view kept the pages turning for me.

Harvey has a gift for creating characters who feel real, complex, and relatable, and I was super impressed with how skillfully she weaved everyone's stories together. The mysterious @JuniperShoresSocialite account was such a fun and intriguing thread to follow, and the big reveal about who was behind it completely floored me. I never saw it coming, and I love when a book can surprise me like that!

What I appreciated most about Beach House Rules was how it balanced juicy twists with poignant themes that the modern woman can relate to. I also liked how each character had a moment of self-discovery. The themes of friendship, resilience, and finding family in the most unexpected places made for a satisfying read.

I did receive a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I also purchased my own copy and highly recommend you do the same. Five stars for sure!

Kristy is an auto-read author for me and Bech House Rukes may be her best work yet. I absolutely loved this book and all of the characters. A Mommune sounds like a great idea!!!

Highly recommend this fun book about love and friendships and found family that are sometimes the best family!

The premise for Beach House Rules immediately grabbed me! A heartfelt, dramatic, small town drama with women helping women during a time of heartbreak and trauma sounded like my kind of read and I couldn't wait to get to it. Until...I couldn't. Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at 66%. While I liked the characters for the most part, their development felt choppy, unrealistic, and exaggerated. And again, while the premise sounded like it would be fascinating, it came across more a story of suburban, high-class socialites with problems. I believe this is a me problem because I'm just not in the headspace right now. The friendships were there and I liked that, but there were just some things I wasn't a fan of.

The dialogue came across as younger than the characters were and it was difficult to get through. I was hoping something big would catch me and it would pick up, but even halfway through the book nothing really stuck out. I feel horrible for that and this may be the perfect book for someone else but it didn't work for me.

Thank you NetGalley & Gallery Books for the earc!

Charlotte had it all, building a beach house in a small town in North Carolina, leaving New York. When her husband is arrested for embezzlement and fraud, Charlotte’s world is turned upside down as she tries to survive with her fourteen year old daughter, Iris. A neighbor, Alice, invites her to move in to her house, a former bed and breakfast, with two other women and their kids, dubbed a mommune by the local social media. As Charlotte tries to prove her husband’ innocence, friendships are developed. This is a great beach read, with friends, great characters, a touch of mystery and more. Recommended, especially for fans of women’s fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their home and publicly humiliated by a local social media gossip account. Desperate and broke, Charlotte accepts a stay at a former beachfront Bed & Breakfast turned sanctuary for single moms in their highly judgmental coastal town. Despite the scandal, and everyone knowing everyone else’s business, Charlotte and Iris unexpectedly find joy, friendship, and support among the quirky residents of the “mommune”; however, a shocking shared secret threatens to upend everything.

You get three perspectives in rotating chapters in Beach House Rules - Charlotte, her high school aged daughter Iris and mommune leader Alice. The story is like a slow, lazy beach day with an ideal setting, a found family creating happiness together, character resilience and learning to start over, all combined with a layer of mystery and problem solving. It is a no fuss beach read if you’re looking for something that is easy to pick up and put back down.

Thank you to UpLit Reads and Gallery Books for the hard and e-copies of this novel!

This is a really fun, light hearted, and easy reading novel that is an essential to add to your summer tbr. I adored all the characters in the mommune and loved that this story is the perfect chick lit with a dash of romance and mystery

Told in alternating POV of three female characters, we find Alice, the head of the mommune and also know locally as the “Black Widow”. She’s quick to bring in moms and their children during hardships. Which brings us Charlotte and her teen daughter Iris. Charlotte’s husband has been imprisoned and quickly her family becomes the talk of the town

As these three main characters try and solve their own problems, they find that at the end of a hard day, all you need is love. And sometimes it comes from the most unlikely of people.

This story makes you feel like you are on a costal beach town, with a glass of wine in hand and the sunset in the distance.

Reading Kristy Woodson Harvey’s latest release is a new summer ritual for me, and Beach House Rules was a great escape into a lifestyle I’ll never experience - beachside home, communal living with a group of women and their children, scandal, and secrets galore.

Alice, a 45-year-old widow, created a mommune in her large beach house, welcoming women and their children in times of crisis. Together they prepare meals, do laundry, parent the children, and follow a set of community rules. Charlotte and her daughter Ivy are invited to stay at Alice’s home when their husband/father is incarcerated for a serious financial crime, leaving them with no access to their home or possessions. Is Alice’s household as dysfunctional as local gossip claims or will Charlotte and Ivy find peace and comfort amidst the uncertainty?

I love that the mommune was inspired by the author’s deep friendships that began years ago with a group of moms taking daily beach walks with their small children. The novel includes elements of women’s fiction, romance, mystery, and coming-of-age. Each adult, and some of the children, have their own story with conflict, secrets, and surprises. I could never predict where the plot was headed, and that really held my interest. I was very surprised by one twist in particular, and enjoyed the ending. Was everything in this novel realistic? No - but it was very captivating.

Many thanks to Gallery Books for the review copy of this novel about supporting one another through good and bad times and finding family in the most unexpected places.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The setting was one of my favorites. The characters were well developed and the story line kept me turning the pages!

I really love Kristy Woodson Harvey books so much. I love how unique her stories are from each other and Beach House Rules is no exception.

When Charlotte's world gets turned upside down, she gets invited to a "mommune" a home with numerous adult women, some moms, one not, who all help run a new version of a blended family.

This is the story of the ultimate found family. It's a hopeful heartfelt story that felt like a giant hug.

It's a great summer read and I loved the mystery layered in on top of the many love stories.

Loved this quote
"I knew that holding grudges was like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."

Perfect Summer Read. Kristy Woodson Harvey has hit it out of the park once again with Beach House Rules. I absolutely adore this entertaining story. It’s a 21st century Bridgerton novel with the Juniper Shores Socialite stepping in for Lady Whistledown. Highly recommend this tale of how the “mommune” comes behind the Sitterly family in their time of need. TNT ‘ Til Next Terriffic Tone from KWH

Thanks NetGalley and Gallery Books for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

Beach House Rules follows the story of Julie, a woman navigating major life changes as she returns to her beloved beach town of Beaufort, North Carolina. After a personal and professional shake-up, Julie seeks refuge in the family’s coastal cottage—a place filled with memories, both healing and haunting. As she settles in, Julie reconnects with her spirited mother, a colorful group of longtime friends, and a new community that welcomes her with open arms. Along the way, she finds herself rethinking what it means to start over, and how the people we choose to surround ourselves with can become just as important as those we’re born to.
Beach House Rules was a great beach read—light enough to breeze through in a couple of sittings, but with just enough emotional depth to hold my interest. Kristy Woodson Harvey has a talent for creating relatable characters and heartfelt stories, and this one was no exception. I especially appreciated the layered mother-daughter relationship, which felt honest and endearing without being overly sentimental. The strong female friendships added warmth and energy to the narrative, and the theme of found family really resonated with me. It was the kind of novel that reminded me of the importance of community, resilience, and starting anew—even when it's hard. A perfect pick for a sunny day by the water or when you're craving a dose of Southern charm and hope.

I’m convinced nobody can write female friendships better than Kristy Woodson Harvey and Beach House Rules cements that opinion. From the idyllic setting to the outrageously relatable characters, I was left feeling nostalgic for the mommune as though I had lived there myself. Motherhood can be such an isolating experience and this serves as a reminder of the beautiful necessity of friendship and community. Another solid five star read for Kristy!