It was well written but I didn't love the storyline. It is a book about finding love, family issues, dealing with grief, and raising a baby. Cara is Linnea's aunt and they both go back to the beach house to help them. I felt a range of emotions from happy to sad. This isn't a typical romance but has romance in it. I received this book from Net Galley.

An Island Summer

Cara Rutledge is back on Isle of Palms, a small barrier island off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, in the house she inherited from her beloved mother, Lovie. Cara has always loved coming to the beach house, but now there’s a difference. She has an adopted baby. Cara is an experienced business woman, but she’s finding a baby, even a delightful baby like Hope, to be a challenge. She needs the support of friends and family.

Linnea, Cara’s niece, has just graduated from college. She’s back in her beautiful Charleston home, but being home also has responsibilities that Linnea isn’t ready to accept. When Cara offers her a job taking care of Hope for the summer, she jumps at it.

This is a beautiful story of women finding themselves. Cara, in addition to the baby, is trying to recover from her husband’s death three years ago. Linnea feels the weight of family expectations and wants to discover who she is and what she wants. The beach house is a catalyst for recovery from grief and anger. Family and friends join in supporting the new mother and her niece, and there are the turtles.

This is the fifth book exploring the lives of the Rutledge family of Charleston. It can be read as a standalone, but the family is so entertaining, you may want to go back and meet them in the previous books.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

You would never know it from the weather around here but it must be time for summer. The telltale sign? A new Mary Alice Monroe book! The Beach House series continues with this novel. The Rutledge family returns with some new characters and many old favorites.

In Beach House Reunion, Cara has returned to her beach house from working in Tennessee. She loved her time in Tennessee but since she has adopted a baby, she feels the need to come home to her beach house to take care of her new love and share her with the people she feels are the most important to her. Her niece Linnea joins her for the summer to help take care of the baby. Linnea needs some time to find out what she wants to do with her life post-college.

Can both women find love and happiness on the Isle of Palms? It is once again the restful and replenishing home that both need to make their life decisions. And when crisis hits the Rutledge family, can they bond and believe in their love to hold them through the crisis? Can they hold firm through life altering changes?

The plot may sound trite but it is handled well in the story. It is a beach read and beach reads hold a place in my heart. I need to read these kinds of stories from time to time (or more often…) just to remember why I love to read. With these types of books, you can get lost reading for a period of time. You may be able to figure out what will happen but that doesn’t matter. You get the feeling of the house, the Isle of Palms, the characters and even sometimes the humidity. I like Mary Alice Monroe along with Ann Rivers Siddons, Mariah Steward, Dorothea Benton Frank, Debbie Macomber and the grandmother of this type of book, Rosamunde Pilcher. They all write stories about strong, good women finding love and solving problems.

A wonderful story of two women at different stages in their lives but both struggling to determine what their next step should be. Cara is 53 and has just made some major life changes. She's adopted a baby girl and moved back to live in her family home on the Isle of Palms. Linnea is a new college graduate, who like most of us has no idea what she really wants to do next. Luckily her Aunt Cara is in need of childcare. Taking that job will give her some time to figure things out. These two women spend an incredible summer making new friends, striving to be better, and taking the time to explore and enjoy life.

A fabulous beach read that I highly recommend.

Readers get to pay a return visit to Isle of Palms, S.C., as Cara Rutledge comes home to the beach house left to her by her late mother, Lovie, who died 10 years ago.
Cara is still trying to move on from the loss of her husband, Brett, and the recent addition of a baby who has come into her life after a the death of a friend. Cara hopes that the move will allow her to take care of Hope while working from home.
Cara’s niece, Linnea, has just graduated from college with a degree in environmental studies and is casting about for a job. In the meantime, she agrees to act as a part-time nanny for little Hope. After all, anything is better than hanging around home. Her brother Cooper has just graduated from high school, and Linnea sees signs of a problem with alcohol not only in him, but her father Palmer as well.
Many of the original characters return to help tell the story, including Lovie’s friends Emmi and Flo, both of whom are active in the turtle rescue program.
This book stands on its own because the author includes enough background information for the reader to understand what occurred in earlier books, but you’re probably going to want to go back and read the others: “The Beach House,” “Beach House Memories” and “Beach House for Rent.” There are others that are also set on Isle of Palms that focus on characters other than the Rutledge family such as “Swimming Lessons
Monroe also wrote a three-book series set on Sullivan’s Island, S.C., that readers will enjoy.

Beach House Reunion by Mary Alice Monroe, book five in the Beach House series. I have loved every book in the Beach House series. With each book I don't think the storyline could be better than the last ones but again the author has given me a top read book for the year. I love the characters, the Rutledges and their friends. The storylines just pull me in from the first page and don't let go. Loved the setting and the turtles. There isn't anything that I can say that I didn't love about the story. A totally heart-warming feel good story that I will think about for days to come. I hope there will be more books in the series. I can't wait to read more by Mary Alice Monroe.

Welcome back to Primrose Cottage and Isle of Palms! Mary Alice Monroe has once again captured the Rutledge family, the beach, Charleston, sea turtles, grief and love all in one wonderful read that you will easily submerge yourself in. This is the fifth book in the Beach House series, and a stand alone book as well. Once you read this you will want to read them all. My favorite author is a storyteller that always incorporates environmental issues into her stories as well as in this series Charleston and the surrounding islands. She and her books are absolutely the best!

Beach House Reunion is a must read. Mary Alice Monroe brings back the wonderful characters from The Beach House and Beach House Memories and engulfs you in the waves of family, friends, love, laughter and even a few tears. The characters you loved, and some you didn’t know too well, will capture your heart in this terrific beach read. Linnea, Cara’s niece, has recently graduated from college and is trying to find herself in the real world, while Cara is navigating a new life of her own. The story of these two women will keep you hoping for their happily ever afters.

Beach House Reunion by Mary Alice Monroe is another stellar read. The Isle of Palms and the sweet beach house during a summer of changes has happened again. I love the rhythm of Mary Alice Monroe’s books. I love the care she puts in the writing and the knowledge she shares with us about the sea turtles. I think that the stories that she weaves are some of the best of the best.

This time Cara has a baby, Hope. She is figuring out the motherhood thing and trying to start her own business. She needs someone to watch Hope while she works. Linnae comes to help moving to the beach for a summer while she figures out her future plans. Meanwhile, Cara’s brother Palmer (and Linnea’s dad) is struggling with his business. Cooper does not want to go to the citadel. The beach with the sand dunes and sea oats wave. The slow summer season heats up. Linnea starts learning about surfing and finds an historic turtle on shore that needs saving. Oh and Irma, the horrific hurricane is on her way when things start to break down. And then there is David for Cara, a new love.

Beach House Reunion is just that - a reunion with one of my favorite authors. The summer season, the sweltering heat, the beach sand and the sea turtles. Mary Alice Monroe is one of my favorite authors and Beach House Reunion reminds me of love, hope and family, as well as the timelessness of the ocean and turtles.

Heartwarming story about returning home, New beginnings and overcoming the past. The characters are likeable and easy to relate with. This would make a great summer read. Recommended!

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy of Beach House Reunion. This is a great beach read. Reminds you also that you still always have your family around even if they aren't still living.

This is book #5 in the Beach House series by Mary Alice Monroe and I have a confession; I have only read book #1 and that was probably a decade ago and book #4.  However, I love this series and the characters in them.
 
I was instantly transported to the Isle of Palms with the nicest neighbors and a great group of people.  I loved the dynamic between Cara and her niece.  Their relationship was something really special to read about.  I highly recommend this series from start to finish even though I didn't read all of the books.

The central beach house as a home with generations of love and a safe haven is full of realistic warmth. The continuation of characters and the entertaining lives is riveting. The romances, past and present, engage the readers of many ages. The symbolism of the broken portrait pierces the hold of bitterness and anger, allowing love to win and renew with hope of survival as another season of the turtles hatch and begin their journey toward possible survival and return to the place of their birth.

I received this eBook copy of Beach House Reunion as an advanced reading copy from Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review, I would like to thank them for this opportunity.
This is the fifth book in Mary Alice Monroe's Beach House series, however; all of the books can be read on their own. But believe me, once you read one, you will want to read them all. MAM has never disappointed me with any of her books that I've read. This one was no exception. It is not necessarily a light-hearted, cloying beach read but deals with a few complex issues. But it is a very enjoyable read. We are introduced to a few new characters as well as some old sometimes mysterious friends and as always they all become our friends too. The beach house is as much a character in the story as the people. It would be wonderful to have such a sweet touchstone in our lives as Cara has in hers. Also, each of the books in the Beach House series informs us on a subject dealing with our environment, this one gives us insight into the lives of sea turtles. Just like all Mary Alice Monroe's other books, I didn't want this one to end

"Intuition guides us and the wise person listens.” is one of my favorite quotes from this book. I was overjoyed to learn that Cara was listening to the voice in her head that was telling her that it was time to return home to her beloved beach house and her family. This book brings Cara's journey full circle as she returns from 3 years working in TN at the aquarium. Even when she was far from home the call of the sea still had a powerful influence on her life. This is the 5th book in The Beach House series. Once again you can all but smell the salt air and hear the birds calling while reading these books. If you love the beach, sea turtles, and a story rich with family dynamics this book is one not to be missed!

Cara learns how much family and friends matter and that she needs balance in her life between work and fun. This lesson is one that her brother Palmer needed to learn even more than she did. They both tend to be workaholics and waste too much time and energy on things that do not matter. Another quote I like is “life was so much more than a job’s progress or a list of accomplishments. Life, if lived well, was enjoying random acts of kindness that elicited joy from the giver and receiver alike."

Lovie is defiantly smiling down from heaven at the way her family has finally united and realized the joys of being together and fully supporting one another. Make sure to have a box of tissues handy as this book tugs at your heart strings in all the right ways!

I absolutely love everything written by Mary Alice Monroe! This book is a great read about the family get togethers at the beach House. It also has a character from a prior book make a brief appearance. Carson. I loved her 4 books about the summer girls, glad to see them revisited in this book. It was very easy to follow and I felt like I was sitting on the porch in the low country admiring the views. I loved the tidbits about the seaturtles in each chapter. I hope to see many many more novels from Ms. Monroe as she has such an easy writing style and writes about real situations-alcoholism, mental illness and other conflicts we see in our world now. It's nice to see this stuff discussed instead of hidden behind closed doors.

I loved following Cara's journey after her loss of her husband to find new happiness. As well as her niece Linnea. with her new romance. I think this book was well written and easy to follow. I recommend it for good beach reading. It just flows nicely, the description of the background is not overly annoying but gives enough to make you imagine living in South Carolina on the coast watching the wild life and enjoying the slower pace of life.

Mary Alice Monroe is one of my many favorite authors. Her latest novel, 5th in the “Beach House” series, Beach House Reunion, is sure to be a bestseller. Monroe has a way of blending the environmental concerns of the low country of the southeastern U.S. with romance, history, and women’s and family issues. Her books teach us about the endangered loggerhead turtles through the passions and career choices of some of her characters in such a way that I want to move there and join the Turtle Team, or fight the big developers who are destroying the coastline. It is at our coastlines that the effects of climate change are most readily visible. She has won several literary awards, and it’s no surprise that, as an active conservationist, among them is the International Book Award for Green Fiction.

The continuing saga begins when Cara and her newly adopted daughter, Hope, return home to their cherished beach house on Isle of Palms. Even after 3 years, Cara’s grief for her late husband, Brett, is still raw. She meets David, an acquaintance from the previous book, who is caring for his infant grandson. Through a series of play dates for the kids, they become fast friends.

I always learn something from Monroe’s books. In this one, I learned that the colorful Carolina Parakeets are gone. They ate sandspur seeds which are toxic. Feral cats ate the birds, and also died. While this did help with the overpopulation of feral cats, the beautiful birds are gone. According to Monroe, deforestation, diseases, and hunting destroyed all of these beloved birds.

In Beach House Reunion, family issues are confronted. Cara, her brother, Palmer, and his family are finally able to break the cycle of dysfunction passed down from his and Cara’s father. This is a book you don’t want to miss.

Reading this book is like swinging on a porch swing with a glass of cold sweet tea on a sultry summer afternoon. It is just that comfortable. Maybe it's because I'm from the south & have grown up going to the coast nearly every summer of my life, or maybe it's because I'm a sucker for a good beach read, I'm not sure. I just know that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. For me, it was just a feel good story. There is something magical about salt, sand and sea breezes. When you add in a couple of love stories, some family drama and the bond of friendship, it becomes so much more. Definitely worth the time it takes to read. By the end of the book, the characters feel like friends. While this book is #5 in the series, I had no trouble reading it as a stand alone book. I do look forward to going back and reading the other books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this story of second chances. Great characters and I liked all the trivia about turtles. I got to scuba dive in Hawaii with turtles and enjoyed all the things I learned about turtles in this story. Cara has been a widow for three years. She has just adopted a baby girl and moved back home to her beach house in South Carolina to raise her new daughter. She runs into an old friend who is now single. She isn't sure that she will be able to care for anyone other than her husband, but something about David draws her in.
Cara's niece, Linnea, comes to the beach house to help her out with the baby and meets a man who not only becomes her friend, but someone she just might want to spend the rest of her life with. They deal with hurricanes, turtles, some family secrets and a lot of family drama. Can Cara let go and find room in her heart for a new love?

In the Beach House Reunion, I learned about three things: Sea turtles and their hatching habits; how to surf; Charleston and the Isle of Palms. While I'm not likely to ever apply the knowledge about surfing, a trip to Charleston and the Isle of Palms in the future could be more likely!
I've really enjoyed the books I've read in Ms. Monroe's Beach House series and this one is no exception. Reading about the lives, loves and adventures of Cara and her family made this an interesting and entertaining read. Ms. Monroe has a talent for weaving lots of factual information into her books in a way where the reader doesn't feel they're being lectured to and I learned a lot in this book, along with being entertained by the story. It's a quick and easy read and perfect for the summer!
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read Beach House Reunion!