Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)
Sara Steven:
I want a mommune like this one!
The women who inhabit the beach house are extraordinary characters, but their experiences are very relatable. While most of us might not know what it would be like to have a spouse arrested for a white-collar crime, we can relate to what Charlotte feels when she has to figure out how to take care of herself, and her daughter, Lily. Alice is the owner of the home the women live in, choosing to surround herself with other people’s families and children because she has shut herself off from that path, due to immense grief in her life. Grace is navigating a long-distance marriage while also raising her two children, and Julie (Alice’s niece) uses the mommune as a respite from unrelenting family members. All four women are navigating through their own issues, but are there for one another as a support system.
But no one outside of the mommune understands the mommune, which leads to various skeptics and gossip and added stress placed on Charlotte. She is trying to prove her husband’s innocence, but no one will listen or believe her. Told from three different perspectives, I felt it really gave me a better look inside, and I never felt lost within the plot. The secret link and the real reason Charlotte is part of the mommune was pretty pivotal, and when we find out who the Juniper Shores Socialite really is, it was a big reveal!
While Beach House Rules focused largely on the bonds of friendship and sisterhood, I also appreciated the coming-of-age viewpoint for Lily, too. Her can do attitude was infectious, and I loved the parts of the book where she showcases some of her Nancy Drew skills. The entire experience is worth five stars, all the way!
Melissa Smoot:
Beach House Rules was such a wonderfully heartwarming story. I am a sucker for a great summer read, but this was more than that. I found myself feeling sad when I finished it. The premise of several women living in a beautiful beach home and raising children together, sharing chores, and helping one another heal from their respective pain was such a cute idea.
All the women were going through different, but the same, types of personal trauma. They all had secrets and reasons to lean on one another. The friendships that came from sharing their lives and depending on others to make it through, are the kind of female bonds most women hope for in life.
I enjoyed the beautiful North Carolina beach setting, as well as the addition of giving us the POV of some of the teenagers involved. It really helped to set the tone for the plot and gave us more depth than just reading about how the adults in the story were feeling. The dichotomy between the two age groups really tied it all together and showed that there are multiple ways to assess a situation.
I felt like the character development was done in such a perfect way that it seemed I personally knew these people, and I rooted for each of them. There was a dash of mystery and suspense in this story that I was not expecting, and it made it even more enjoyable. I love that feeling of burning through the pages to find out what happens, and this book delivered. I loved this book and would definitely recommend adding it to your summer reading list.
Thanks to Angela Melamud for the book in exchange for an honest review. Enter to win a copy over at Goodreads! (US only, ends May 26th.)
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