Starred review from April 1, 2025
Charlotte Sitterly and her daughter Iris' lives are flipped upside down when Bill, Charlotte's husband, is arrested for embezzlement. With her assets frozen and no home to go to, she takes acquaintance Alice up on her offer to stay with her. Alice's North Carolina beachside home is known in the community as the ""mommune"" and houses Alice's niece, journalist Julie, and her three children, and Grace, an internet-famous vegan chef, and her two children. Though Charlotte and Iris are hesitant at first, they soon come to feel that these once strangers are family. But all is not rosy: everyone's business is fair game to the town's vicious, anonymous Instagram account, and Alice, a three-time widow, feels like she must steer clear of love. Still, while each woman is facing her own battles, they are all thriving within their support system, which is sorely needed when it becomes apparent that Bill has been framed by a man from Alice's past. Woodson Harvey's latest (after A Happier Life, 2024) is full of well-thought-out characters and a plot that keeps readers guessing. Charming and beachy in the best way, Beach House Rules will appeal to those looking for an escape with emotional depth.
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