Beach House for Rent is a mini-vacation at the beach from the comfort of your own home. Mary Alice Monroe masterfully combines the natural beauty of the coastal wildlife with characters that are likeable. The characters have problems that are dealt with in realistic, heartfelt ways. I want to read more about Heather and Cara and know that they truly have turned their lives around.

This is a great summer read. The author does a great job of making you feel like you are actually at the beach. The story is about two women, Heather and Cara. Heather has never been the same since she was in a car accident with her Mother when she was in high school. She has panic attacks and is somewhat agoraphobic. Cara suffers a sudden tragedy and wants to return home to the beach cottage she has rented to Heather. They end up unlikely roommates.

This is a story about friendship, love, healing and finding yourself. There are some great characters that you will grow to love. I would give this book 4 1/2 stars. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Monroe's writing is always gently inviting, and reading this really made me want to visit the Low Country. I particularly liked the way Heather's painting of birds, and indeed imagery of various birds flying away, searching for food etc were all used to introduce chapters and draw out the themes.

The novel really explores two stories - Cara's and Heather's, which made the book interesting but a little frustrating as the split focus meant that sometimes the plot moved forward without clear development. The story was a little cliched, so I don't think this is a book I'd re-read, but I did enjoy it at the time.

This book touched on so many areas - sea turtles, birds, death, love, and anxiety​. I'm never disappointed by Mary Alice Monroe.

Whenever I feel the pull of the lowcountry, I turn to Mary Alice Monroe. Her books never fail to take me to the places I long to call mine, on the beaches and shores of South Carolina. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since Cara came home. Monroe writes Southern fiction and Southern families like no other and with her latest in the Beach House Series, reading this book was like coming home.

This book, as with all of May Alice Monroe's stories, is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. It will bring you both laughter and tears. It is filled with a setting and characters that will stay with you long after you have finished the last page. I highly recommend it.

I was given the chance to read this book early from NetGalley. As a fan of Mary Alice Monroe's books, it was already one I looked forward to reading.
I didn't realize this book was a series at first, it is from The Beach House series. It includes the recurring character Cara and adds a few new characters, namely Heather.

Cara and Heather are both at big turning points in their lives. Heather is afraid to be around crowds, people she doesn't know well, suffers panic attacks and is nearly housebound. She is in her late twenties and still lives with her dad, after losing her mother as a teenager. When her dad remarries and Heather is offered a very exciting job possibility, she moves temporarily to a beach house on the Isle of Palm, South Carolina. She has been commissioned to paint the local birds for a postal stamp.

I don't want to spoil Cara's storyline, because it took me by surprise. Cara is in her 50's and she is at a turning point in her life as well. In her life, she lacks passion for her job. Financially she's barely staying afloat. She was painfully facing the idea of selling her beach house when the opportunity to rent to Heather came along.

The setting in the story was beautiful. I can always picture Mary Alice Monroe's characters sitting outside on their balconies, watching the sunset and drinking a cold glass of white wine.
I also enjoy how she incorporates characters from her other stories (I caught that fun little cameo!).
I also love how her books always feature animal life prominently. In previous books she has included loggerhead turtles, dolphins, service dogs and now birds.
Canaries are the beautiful birds that Heather keeps as pets, pelicans make many cameos along the beach.

This book, while part of a series, could work as a stand alone book. That being said, I'd definitely suggest reading The Beach house because you will love Lovie and her turtles.

In Beach House for Rent we see a more vulnerable side to Cara. I also really enjoyed the characters Heather and Bo who just seemed like truly good people.

With words as lush as the scenery, passion for the lowcountry is written with heart and soul in this novel about multi-generational friends helping and guiding each other through hardships. Cara Rutledge inherited Primrose Cottage on the Isle of Palms from her mother, Lovie, who passed away ten years ago. David Wyatt rents the cottage for his daughter, Heather, to live in for the whole summer in order for her to complete her commissioned job of creating illustrations for postage stamps, using shorebirds as her focus. Living away from home for the first time is overwhelming for Heather, but with her three musical canaries and the beauty of the sea and sea life, there couldn't be a better setting for doing her work. She meets Cara, also a main focus of this story, Bo Stanton, who is finishing up the deck work at the cottage, and Flo, who lives next door with Cara's best friend, Emmi. Long walks along the beaches with camera in hand to capture the personalities of the shorebirds encourage her. Bo shows her laughter and love of life in the lowcountry. The loggerheads that continuously come back to lay their eggs in nests they build, and the creatures of the air and sea are all beautifully woven into this story of loss, anxiety, healing, the art of living, and love. I highly recommend this book to those of us that relish descriptive writings that have you slow down and devour every word in order to treasure the scenery wrapped around you. I loved everything about this novel. [I received an early copy for my honest review.]

Mary Alice Monroe has always infused some animal conservation into her writings and as we return to Isle of Palm and Lovey's beautiful summer cottage. Cara and Brett have married and are enjoying their life running their tourist boat and renting out her cottage for the income. Heather is this summer's renter and she is venturing into the world after being a recluse for years since her mother's death. As Cara and Heather become friends they find a shared interest in rescuing hurt shore birds and guarding turtle nests. This is a story of friendship and healing. This story is part of a series but you can read it as a stand alone.

Mary Alice Monroe is one of my favorite authors and every summer I look forward to her new book. I was excited to see this was about Cara and I loved the addition of Heather and Bo. I feel though that the argument and the heart attack after the argument has been done before numerous times in this type of book. I would have liked to see something more original. I would have also liked to see me re development in the friendship between Cara and Heather. I really didn't like Cara in the end with her comments about Heather on her own and how she shouldn't leave her and live with Bo . Would have liked to know if Heathers dad ever knew about his wife's visit and how his first meeting with Bo went. Good book, fast read, but lacking in some areas.

I wanted to jump in the car and drive to IOP (Isle of Palms) or Sullivan's Island and 'rent a beach house'. as soon as I started reading! Most of the characters we already know and love with the introduction of a few new characters. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to enjoy reading their ongoing life events in the future. It can be read independently of other books about life at 'Primrose Cottage' because the characters are so well developed. (It just enhances the experience of "jumping into the book" if you already know the family members and neighbors.) Reading this book was like catching up with old friends and having an extended visit with them. (I didn't want to leave). In addition to visiting our friends at Primrose Cottage, we learn a little more about the loggerhead turtles, their habits, and the people that watch over them. An added benefit of this book was learning more about pet birds and birding on the east coast. It was an inspiration to learn more about our South Carolina coastal birds.
Great read and escape into a book anytime of year!

I received a copy of the book from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Alice Monroe’s Beach House books have always had the ability to take me away to Coastal South Carolina – I can practically smell the sea salt, see the sea grass, and feel the sand under my feet. These books are the next best thing to having a beach house to escape to myself.

If you have read the previous books in this series, the story opens up with familiar characters. The owner of the title house, Cara, and her brother Palmer having a discussion they have had before; he wants her to sell the Beach House Cara has loved all her life. Cara resists, and ends up renting the house out for the entire summer to a young artist named Heather.

This book focuses mostly on Heather, who is on her own for the first time. Heather has received a commission to paint pictures of shorebirds to be used as a picture on a stamp, and the cottage is a great place to find inspiration. Primrose Cottage provides a safe backdrop for Heather to begin to grow and push boundaries she never has before, to open up and spread her own wings. After tragedy strikes, Cara and Heather are brought together and connect in an unexpected way.

I enjoyed going back and revisiting the places characters I have grown to love, and the author even takes a brief detour over to Sea Breeze (for those of you who have read her other books). If you haven’t read the previous books in this series, don’t let that prevent you from picking this one up. The author provides ample background on the other characters to allow you to read this book by itself, though I do recommend picking the others up – they are fantastic stories, too.

Yes! I would rent this house! Wonderful and amazing things happen when you live at Primrose! Once again Mary Alice Monroe transports you to a beautiful, warm and fuzzy setting to overcome all your short comings. Love this book and whole heartedly recommend it.

I love the Beach House series by Mary alice Monroe!! One day I will go to the Low Country and see the sea turtles! This was a great, light read that continued the wonderful Beach House stories!

I loved, loved, loved this book. Beach House for Rent is certainly not your typical, light beach read. In this book, Monroe deals with issues of grief and mental illness head-on. However, it isn't a sad book at all. There is a hope and joy that is uplifting and inspirational.

Also, as a southerner, I typically don't read books that take place in the south. I find their depiction of southern living to be a bit over-the-top and cheesy. However, Monroe perfectly captures beach life in the south.

I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but I plan to right away. I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I had been so looking forward to this book. Sounded great, looked great, but it didnt live up to its expectation. i found it dull and uninteresting. Wouldnt recommend it sorry

A masterful visit to a beloved beach house. Ms. Munroe balances traditional elements of summer romance with insight into issues of social anxiety

This is a very touching book about a couple of women who are trying to find their path after experiencing great difficulties. The book was interesting, had some great characters, and a wonderful setting.

Cara and Heather are both trying to find direction in their lives. Cara is recently widowed and Heather has been almost agoraphobic since her mother's death during Heather's senior year of high school. Both of these women need and find healing over the course of a summer in the beach house that belonged to Cara's late mother. Cara has Heather and a few other dear friends to lean on, and Heather has Bo, who quickly becomes a guiding force in her life.

I loved this book, and am looking forward to more by the author. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Mary Alice Monroe does it again. I look forward to her books, and she never disappoints. I cried and I laughed and I felt hopeful for the characters in "Beach House for Rent." Now I'm already looking forward to the next one.

I am a huge fan of Mary Alice Monroe!! Her novels have the ability to touch my heart at the same time take my mind to my favorite place on earth...the beach! Beach House for Rent is the third book in The Beach House Book series, but I haven't read the first two and no trouble jumping in here! That being said, I enjoyed this novel so much, I will definitely be 1-click the prior two!

Beach House for Rent centers around Cara Rutledge and Heather Wyatt. Cara who at almost fifty is looking to find her passion. Because of that, Cara decides to rent her beloved family beach cottage so she and her husband can make some extra money. Heather, a twenty something who is looking to overcome her fears and spread her wings (with the help of her father) rents Cara's beach house for the summer. Everything seemed to be going perfectly...until it doesn't. Cara's life takes an unfortunate and unexpected turn which forces Cara to sell her primary house. That leaves Cara's only living option her beach cottage! Of course it's rented, but after discussing it with Heather, the seemingly unlikely duo decide to become roommates!!

What a fantastic read that combined of women's fiction and romance perfectly. I found the characters were very endearing and well-developed. There was a lot of realism and depth put into the storyline--loved that!! Mary Alice Monroe created a fresh and original novel about love, loss and finding friendship in the most unlikely places!! Beach House for Rent is a 4.5 star book that is a must read for the summer!