The Summer Guest


Mary Alice Monroe effortlessly blends characters and nature, and captures the complexities of interpersonal relationships.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
A hurricane is threatening the coasts of Florida and South Carolina and evacuations are mandatory. An eclectic group of evacuees flee for the mountains of North Carolina and the home of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips. The Phillips’s daughter, Moira has brought eight rescue dogs with her from South Carolina. Hannah McLain a makeup artist living in Palm Beach, Florida brought her boyfriend, the famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, along with his prized horse. Also migrating from Florida to the Phillips’s ranch is horse breeder Gerda Klug, her Olympic bound daughter Elise, Elise’s spirited horse, as well as Karl, the horse’s trainer. Cara Rutledge is trying to get to the ranch as well but has to head to South Carolina first. They bring with them only the few treasured possessions they can carry. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they ride out the storm together.

During the course of a challenging week, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters wasn’t what they brought with them to the mountains: but what they’ll take with them once they leave.

REVIEW
There is quite the assortment of summer guests and animals evacuating to the Phillips’s ranch. The diversity in personalities adds substance and interest to this entertaining story. We are skillfully transported to the gorgeous mountains setting, as well as to the eye of a hurricane.

THE SUMMER GUEST is engaging and I loved learning a few things about horses, horse training, show jumping and dressage. My favorite part was how Hurricane Noelle brought this group of strangers together, and this gathering resulted in several characters making major life-altering decisions.

Author Mary Alice Monroe effortlessly blends characters and nature, and captures the complexities of interpersonal relationships. Monroe is a best selling author of 22 novels. Thanks to Netgalley, Mary Alice Monroe, Gallery and NetGalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher Gallery
Published June 11, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Mary Alice Monroe moves in this novel from the lowcountry of South Carolina to the mountains of North Carolina.
With a major hurricane threatening the southeast coast, the equestrian world rushes to evacuate their precious horses, and Freehold Farms offers sanctuary to a diverse group of friends.
Monroe tells each of their stories, navigating between relationships as the hurricane isolates them and forces them to evaluate the choices they’ve made in their lives.

This is another great Mary Alice Monroe read. A hurricane is coming. All up and down the coast People are evacuating and preparing. This book is heavy on the equestrian community but still had the magic of a MAM book!

Mary Alice Monroe is one of my very favorite authors and I adore her Beach House series. The Summer Guests is a spin-off of the Beach House series which I think definitely affected my reaction and perspective while reading this book.

Every year I look forward to another installment to this series and I love seeing what the Rutledge family is up to. Over the years new characters have joined in but the regulars were always there too.

The Summer Guests introduces us to a whole new crew of characters and also shifts from the usual focus of turtle rescue to the world of horses, dressage and rescue dogs. While interesting, I had a harder time connecting with these characters and the new themes. I do think that might have to do with my expectations for it being another Beach House book instead of a new stand-alone novel.

I did enjoy the involvement of Cara Rutledge but it was fairly minimal and the stories in the book didn't connect as well as they normally do with Monroe's storytelling. All in all this book was okay, just not my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer Guests was a great book that delved into friendships, romance, and the characters’ love of animals, horses and dogs. The back drop of a hurricane made an excellent reason for these characters to come together. I was a little distracted by the side story that occurred on the island, however. Overall a really good book that I will probably read again to see if the parallel plot makes more sense the second time through.o

This book is definitely perfect for the horse lover in your life. I don’t know much about horses except with their ability to be in tune with someone’s emotions. There was so much about horses in this story. I could imagine being on a farm with horse stalls everywhere. I loved imagining what the horses may have looked like and how they behaved. It was wonderful reading about all the different friendships and relationships in this book. I tend to love books that have multiple characters in them so you are never bored. There were friend, mother - daughter, husband and wife relationships. It was perfect. I disliked where Hannah ended up in the story. I feel like this story could have been told without what happened to Hannah. I felt like at the end they tried to wrap it up and give her a happy ending. Although scary, it was great that a storm brought all these people together who may otherwise never crossed paths. This book is perfect for someone looking for a good women’s fiction read!

I found this book to be a little slow and hard to get into. The back and forth between characters is somewhat confusing. I had trouble keeping all the characters straight and who went with who. Anyone into show horses will find this interesting however as I am not familiar with the different classes of show horses or the competitions I wasn't always clear what they were referring to.
The book does depict the work it takes to evacuate when a severe storm/hurricane is approaching, not only people but horses, dogs, etc.

I’m a big fan of Mary Alice Monroe’s books, so I was excited to read her latest, The Summer Guests. I thought I would miss her coastal setting and the sea creatures, but this turned out to be a special, pleasant surprise! I loved the mountain setting, as well as the equestrian twist! The story and characters drew me in and never let go. I laughed and cried and never wanted to see it end. I hope this story continues with these characters and horses. To be honest, although I love Cara and David in the Beach House series, I don’t think they “fit” in this story. They seemed extraneous, and I found myself wanting to hurry through their chapters to get back to the mountain crowd. Just my two cents. I can’t wait to recommend this book to all of my family, friends, and coworkers—especially the horse lovers—when the novel hits shelves. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me the opportunity to read this incredible book.

The Summer Guests brings a disparate group together (including old friend, Cara Rutledge from the author’s Beach House series) to ride out a potentially cat 5 hurricane. Cara and her friend, David were at his North Carolina house when news comes that the coming storm would most likely encompass her beloved beach house. The couple decide to go back to the Isle of Palms to board up Cara’s house and then beat a fast track back north to safety...except Murphy’s Law about things going wrong kicks in and...well, you just will have to read for yourselves to see how Cara and David survive. Meanwhile, the group of evacuees gathering at mutual friend Grace’s equestrian center don’t necessarily know each other personally, but as they are all participants or former participants in the world of horse competitions they have some knowledge about each other. The author’s extensive research will draw the reader into this world and into the minds not only of the human competitors, but those of the horses as well. As the storm intensifies so do the conflicts between and within the stranded individuals. The resulting tension makes for an unforgettable read. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book. Most highly recommend.

Great read!! Tracks several friends who while fleeing a major hurricane end up at the same house farm in the North Carolina Mountains. Keeps you on your toes as you follow each of their stories and the fate of their homes in the storm.

Friendship, family, and love are tested as a hurricane barrels down and they are forced to evacuate. The hurricane has them reevaluating what is truly important and finding a way to find happiness and being true to yourself.

This was my first read by Mary Alice Monroe. I enjoyed the ease of the book and how quickly it was for me to be able to get into it. I enjoyed hearing of her journey with the rescue of animals, starting with the turtles. It gave a new perspective for surviving a hurricane.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
The author switched from rescuing turtles to rescuing horses and dogs, which was interesting. Also, I enjoyed reading about the hurricane and different people's reactions.
But I didn't like the profanity and the ending was just a little to sappy for me.
However, if you like to read romantic novels with a little drama and profanity, you might enjoy this one.

Hurricane Noelle is the backdrop of multiple interpretations and facets of a storm. Changes, adjustments, relationships, lives, love, attitudes, tolerance, fortitude, hope, survival, anticipation, and pulling together are some of what these families and friends of Grace and Charles Phillips face together. Their graciousness in welcoming others to their horse farm in the North Carolina mountains was a relief to those in danger of loss, not knowing whether they will have a home to go back to once Noelle passes. Horses and rescue dogs also venture there with their owners. As important as their owners, the horses play a big part in the dynamics, as they are in a strange place away from familiarity and home. I always love the writings of this author who writes with her love of nature and all forms of life. [I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley and Gallery Books and my opinion is my own.]

Mary Alice Monroe is always a pleasure to read and her latest gem The Summer Guest is nor exception. This is not her typical South Carolina beach read this go round and we are transported to Grace & Charles Phillips horse farm located in the mountains of North Carolina. The impending category 5 hurricane Noelle headed towards the coast Phillip's horse farm becomes are the focal point as a safe haven for their friends, their horses, (&dogs) in the path of the storm. Once in the mountains, we are introduced to Grace & Charles friends and there personal drama, professional drama and all the things we love in a Mary Alice Monroe book. This is another MUST read and should be added to everyone's tbr list. I'd like to thank NetGalley, Galley books for an advance copy of The Summer Guest in exchange for an honest review.

Love this author!! A different story line this time, but loved it! It kept me hooked from page one. This will definitely be a great beach read this summer!

The Summer Guests is a well written story centered around fictional Hurricane “Noelle”. The story follows a group of lifelong friends that are linked together by friendship, heartache, the love of horses and the events that brought them together into one home, while they wait on the hurricanes eminent arrival. While each character has their own story and path to walk, there is a an entwinement with the other characters narratives. Some characters are developed more thoroughly and others are less focal. The book comes together like a puzzle. During a weeks time, the characters are changed, not only by the storms damage, but by the events leading up to the columniation of the story. A good read. 4 stars.

A new setting and cast of characters except for a small appearance of Cara Rutledge of Primrose Cottage, Isle of Palms, SC. Like Mary Alice Monroe 's (aka MAM) other books, it works well as a stand alone book.
There are vivid descriptions of the western North Carolina mountain region and the world of horse training, riding and competitions. You can feel the cool wet breezes, see the colorful sky and hear the horses hooves in her recounts. It is obvious a great deal of time and research has been spent in this realm . The terminology, use of colloquial language with expletives is different from MAM's other works, however, it fitting for these characters.
A variety of relationships are abound- mother-daughter, couples- both married and not, singles and even includes 'Casanova ' type fellow. It takes a while to 'get to know' these people and some of their risque' behaviors but they are complex and believable. They each have issues they are battling within , all the while loving their horses and waiting out a hurricane that may effect their lives and properties hundreds of miles away. While the book has an ending, it is left open to sequels.
A different kind of book for MAM, but quite enjoyable and especially so if you are fascinated with the horse world. Not to slight our four legged furry friends, they also play a role in waiting out the storm. Enjoy!

Many many thanks to Mary Alice Monroe and her great team Angela May et al. for the ARC. Looking forward to reading more of the challenges that await ''The Summer Guests'' as they return to their own domain or meet again in the mountains!

I received this book as an advanced copy for an honest opinion of the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

This is the first book by Mary Alice Monroe I've read. I will say that at first, I wasn't sure I would like it. But I really enjoyed the book.
Great book about friendship, animals and weathering the storms of life. I'm told that most if not all her books have animals in them. This time it was horses and dogs. A group of friends running from a hurricane end up together, and weather the storm and deal with some of their own issues. But in the end, I think everyone was happy when it was time to say bye.
Thanks to #NetGalley for letting me read #TheSummerGuests.

When you read a Mary Alice Monroe novel you know there will be strong characters (especially the females) with a turbulent mother daughter relationship thrown in, beautiful scenery, and some environment knowledge acquired. Summer Girls is no exception. This novel takes place in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina instead of our expected South Carolina coast. We do get to see an old familiar friend Cara as she is also in the mountains but she soon leaves to check on the beach house since a hurricane is approaching the east coast. A varied group of evacuees descends on a horse farm in the North Carolina Mountains. Some are bringing their horses to safety but they all have some ties to horse world. I enjoyed seeing the world surrounding horses and the interaction between human and horse. I also love when a book features dogs especially rescue dogs. I highly recommend getting this to read especially if you need a good read while vacationing. I always enjoy being drawn into the character lives and leaving knowing a little more informed about other living creatures. You feel for the non-human characters as much as the human ones.