I have to admit that I always look forward to Mary Alice Monroe’s South Carolina Low Country summer novels since I’ve been vacationing in the South Carolina Low Country every summer for over 3 decades. There’s something warm and comforting reading about Islands and places that you love and feel like are your second home, especially when Monroe has such a wonderful way of describing the glorious ocean breeze, warm ocean waves, the salty air, hot summer days, flying brown pelicans, and the preservation of loggerhead sea turtles that are so important to the Low Country’s ecosystem. Beach House for Rent is another delightful summer, beach read!

This book is number 4 in Monroe’s “Beach House” series, but it can be read as a stand-alone novel since the storyline is very easy to follow without reading the previous books. Some of the characters from the other books make an appearance, but one of the main characters is Cara Rutledge, daughter of Lovie from the 1st and 3rd books in the series.

In this novel, Cara has inherited Lovie’s beloved beach house, Primrose Cottage, on the Isle of Palm. Every year, Cara and her husband Brett rent Primrose Cottage out for the summer even though this year Brett wants to sell the house since they really need the money because they’ve invested money in a bigger fishing boat for his boat tourist business. Yet, Cara is emotionally attached to the house and the childhood memories of summers spent at Primrose Cottage with her mother, so she refuses to part with, what is to her, her only tie to her mother.

Thankfully, Cara’s brother Palmer finds them a renter for the entire summer, Heather, who is the other main character in the story. Heather is a beautiful and accomplished young woman who has suffered much loss and pain through the death of her mother at a young age. As a result, she suffers from severe anxiety, panic attacks, and is extremely shy. Heather is an artist and will be painting and be studying the local shorebirds while staying at the cottage, which she immediately falls in love.

Heather seems like the perfect solution to Cara and Brett’s financial troubles until tragedy hits the couple, and Cara is forced to move back to the beach house to heal in the place where she feels closest to Lovie, her mother. Cara obviously can’t make her renter move out, so the two women come to an arrangement to live together for the summer. The relationship that develops between these two very different women is very touching and beautifully written.

Even though this book is a summer read, it touches on some very deep issues that will stir your heart, and Monroe is not afraid to tackle some difficult topics like mental illness, which I thought she did wonderfully, or the pain and agony of dealing with grief and loss. Beach House for Rent is a story about love, grief, friendship, personal growth, learning to cope with the past and the future, and resilience. What a beautiful story!

I want to thank NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Mary Alice Monroe for providing me with an ARC of Beach House for Rent to read in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Well done. Easy read with a good story line. I enjoyed reading it with a cup of hot tea in front of my woodstove, but it would make a fantastic beach read as well. When the publication date arrives I will let my librarian know about it as well as my Mom and all my reading friends! Thank you for the opportunity to read it ahead of time.

I liked the storyline, quite a bit. Good location, I am familiar with the area, so that's always a plus to me. Nice pacing of character development. I would recommend to book lovers to read.

This book will be THE book of the summer. The characters are interesting and the descriptions of beach and its shore birds are spot-on. I had to keep reading until I knew how it ended.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. When I started this book and realized it was part of a series, I was sorry I had not read the previous ones first. It is a stand alone as there is good background info on the characters, but I can tell I have missed a lot. Cara Rutledge has one thing left that was her mothers; Primrose Cottage. The beach house is very special to her for many reasons. She rents it out every summer, and her husband Brett runs a tourist boat where they live in Isle of Palms, SC. When her brother Palmer brings her news that someone wants it for the entire summer, Cara is thrilled to have that worry off of her mind.
Heather Fordham is new to the area, having come for the chance to study and paint shorebirds. Here she meets Bo, who is working on the deck of the beach house. Heather has been through a lot in her life and suffers from extreme anxiety.
When tragedy strikes Cara's life, she needs nothing more than to sell her home and move into her beloved beach house. After a rough start, she and Heather decide to share the house. The story of their friendship, their changing lives, and self discovery set amid the beauty of the lowcountry make for a heart warming story. Even if you have not read the previous Beach House books, you will still really enjoy the story.

Mary Alice Monroe writes the perfect beach read. Her knowledge of the Charleston area makes the stories as much about location as character and plot. Beach House for Rent is a "chick" book as it focuses on the relationships between women and how women from different generations support one another and help one another overcome life's obstacles.
This is a pleasant read and most women will relate to the characters in the book.

... " – This is an uncommon story, the tone is dynamic, the writing is frank, The book is really worth it. Must read!

This book is a fantastic summer read. Cara Rutledge and her husband Brett have fixed up Cara’s rental summer beach house on Isle of Palms in the South Carolina Low Country. Both realize they are short of funds, with the huge expense of Brett’s new, bigger boat for use in his tourist business. Brett wants to sell the beach house, but Cara remains steadfast in her refusal to sell her inheritance from her formerly estranged mother. Instead, they rent it for the entire summer to a banker from Charlotte, whose grown daughter Heather will stay there while working on artwork for the US Postal system to use in its new shore bird stamp series. Having been traumatized by her mother’s death in an accident years before, Heather is still agoraphobic, suffers from panic attacks and is extremely shy around people. Still, Heather falls in love with the beach house at first sight and settles in nicely. During the first days at the beach house, Heather encounters Bo, a friend of Brett, who is finishing the deck in the back of the house, and both are almost immediately smitten with each other. During this same time, Cara suffers a terrible loss that leaves her out of sorts. In addition, realizing she needs to get some money quick, Brett’s house is sold and Cara moves into the beach house with Heather. This is the story of their summer. Both women are searching for answers in their lives as well as learning to cope with all that has come before and will come after. This is a story of their searches and of their resilience.

I absolutely loved this book. In fact, after reading all of the author’s low country books, I am not sure which one is my favorite, as I truly loved this one as much as the others. The author definitely shows the reader her love of the Low Country and all it has to display, as the Low Country becomes the real star of the novel. There is a love of the land, the animals, the culture, the resident, the history—all of which play a role in this book. In addition, I was caught up in Heather’s and Cara’s story from the first page, and my interest did not lag until the last page. In fact, I loved the story so much, I wish it could have gone on and on and on forever. The two main characters, Cara and Heather, are very well done, as are all the secondary characters. Their stories are touching. The way each grows and meets the challenges their lives present is absorbing. I think anyone who enjoys a good story with great characters and an interesting setting will definitely enjoy this one. I highly recommend it. If you are looking for the perfect summer read, look no further. This is it. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

This book is third in a series, and it may be that I should have read the first two before reading this one. But my overall reaction is that it didn't pull me in. I didn't feel an emotional connection to Heather or Cara. Heather's anxiety was believable, but I didn't feel very sympathetic to this character (in contrast to The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth, which covered the same issue.) Maybe because she was ethereally beautiful and accomplished (somehow she had won a commission for her paintings from the US Postal Service). And Cara didn't give me any particular reason to root for her. I think the situations were too contrived and predictable to resonate. I appreciate the free digital copy I received of this book.

I just finished this book and it only took 2 days. I wanted to see how it ended but did not want it to end. I'll be looking for the next book by this author to see if the story will go on. The characters came to life the minute you read about each one. I would like to see Natalie get hers some day.

I have read all the books by this author!! I love the Low Country in South Carolina and she always takes me there in her books. Will definitely recommend!

I have to thank the publishers and Netgalley for offering me an ARC of this book in exchange for my opinion. I loved this book. All of MAM's work touches me. More than a "beach read", her books are comforting, full of old friends, with just enough drama and grief to make us appreciate the joys of life. And, as always, she educates us. And here, we learn about anxiety, shorebirds, the environment, canaries, and, the great sea turtle. Truly a standalone story, but for readers of the Beach House series, a handful of the old crew is here, with Cara being the main character. Heather is new, and she was delightful. These 2 women each face tragedy and difficulties, become friends, and help each other get though and triumph. Family, friendship, love. The things that really matter in life.

The lowcountry is really the star of the story, the crabs and the shrimp, the ocean waves and the night breezes over the sand dunes. Mary Alice Monroe has a way of making me long for endless summer days, sunburns and salty hair.

Another A++ book by Mary Alice Monroe! Every Summer I wait for her beach reads and am never disappointed. This book was no exception it felt like the characters were old friends and their highs and lows were mine. Great book

This kept my attention from the very first page. It tells of love and loss and how to keep on going and finding new ways to live your life.
Excellent book.

Beach House For Rent is such a great addition to the The Beach House series! Not only do we reconnect with characters from previous books, but meet Heather and follow her journey as she finds not only peace in her life, but as she copes with her anxiety well enough to embrace life and meet it head on.

Having read and enjoyed the previous books in this series, I was definitely looking forward to this book and it's just as good as the others, if not better. Heather's story was just so touching and she was so damaged that I wanted to hug her and tell her it would be okay.

Mary Alice Monroe definitely has another winner on her hands. If you love beach settings, family sagas and books about strong women, her books are for you.

Thank you very much Netgalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read an early copy of Beach House For Rent.

Another winner from Mary Alice Monroe! Rest assured you don't need to have read her other books to follow along with the story here. Immediately we are drawn into the lives of Cara and Heather, two intriguing and likable heroines each with their own struggles. I was blown away at what happened to Cara (no spoilers here, I promise) and likewise sympathized with Heather's backstory that caused her to want to stay inside all the time. It's an interesting set-up, to have her taking this trip to a beautiful beach location (Isle of Palms) but feel so nervous about it. I really felt her anxiety as though it was my own. As the story progresses, we get to know these two women and the way they grow is extremely heart-warming. I especially appreciated Heather's decision-making process toward the end of the book and how she learned to trust herself. The Epilogue wraps things up nicely! The sense of place is very strong - makes me want to go to the beach ASAP. Fans of Mary Alice Monroe will surely not be disappointed with Beach House For Rent.

“Beach House for Rent” by Mary Alice Monroe. What a glorious read. I was there to feel the loss of loved ones.. and cheer the blossoming freedom as the power of grief abates. I will miss these characters and their low-country home land. This is a powerful story of loss, growth, and living one’s life to the fullest. I was very lucky to have been given the opportunity to read this free copy from the publisher via NetGalley. The only caveat being I publish an honest review as I have done. I surely hope that you love this book as much as I have loved spending time within its pages.

A story of loss, and family, and friendship, and finding the strength to be true to yourself while not giving up what you hold dear. Heather has never been on her own as a tragic accident left her devastated and mostly housebound until her father remarries and sends her to pursue her art at a beach house. Cara, the owner of the beach house, has been independent until circumstances had her return to the beach where she found love. The summer when Heather rents the beach house is life changing for both of them.

I loved reading "Beach House for Rent". Nothing like Palmer to get me mad, then Cara to feel bad for. Throw newcomer Heather into the mix, along with Bo & it's the perfect summer reading book! I enjoy how having characters from previous books still involved & how the books flow from one to another. Thank you so much~

Cara decides to rent out her mother’s beach house on the Isle of Palms. To be honest, she needs the money. Cara and her husband are in debt and need some relief. Heather is an introvert and needs a place to paint for her latest commission. It’s a win-win situation, until it’s not!

This is a sequel to The Beach House. I do recommend reading that one first, just so you can understand Cara and her attachment to the beach house a little better.

To me, Beach House for Rent is not quite as good as the first book. I had a difficult time relating to Heather. She came off as more spoiled than damaged! She is an introvert(which I totally relate to) but she has major insecurity. However, I didn’t feel very much empathy for her. I do not know if the writing did not take me there or if it was my hold up…probably me. She did not get better as the book moved along.

Just because I didn’t like Heather does not mean I did not like the book. The story develops a major twist and this affects Cara’s life. She moves back into the beach house with Heather. This is where the story becomes what it was meant to be!

What is it about MAM’s books? They are so calming. It is like coming home. Her settings are so charming and the stories surrounding these settings just keep you coming back for more!