Date: June 20th 2017
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 384
Genre: Southern Fiction
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
Mary Alice Monroe,bestselling author of the Lowcountry Summer series, returns to her beloved Beach House series with the highly anticipated follow-up to Beach House Memories and The Beach House.
Beach House for Rent is #4 in Mary Alice Monroe's Beach House series. I hadn't read the previous books so I can say this is a very good stand alone, and I am sure lovers of the series would also relish this beautiful addition to it.
The characters:
Cara is just turning fifty and she is having a life crisis. While happily married to Brett for the last ten years, she feels she is missing out on something, a passion and purpose in life over and beyond what she has now. Once a very successful advertising agent she is now questioning where her life is going. As the story unfolds and as it turns out her whole life is turned upside down in this book and it is a slow crawl out of the deep hole she finds herself in.
Heather is a young woman who lost her mother in a car accident that Heather too was in. Always a shy person she now suffers from panic attacks and social anxiety. However what she does have is a passion for painting and she has just won a commission to paint some southern seabirds for some stamps. When her father arranges for her to spend the summer in the beach house she is really anxious about it - however it turns out to be a very healing and growing time for her.
The setting:
If you love the beach and the sea and the sand and the romance of a beach house then you can indulge in this book - it is alive with the sights and sounds and beauty painted in words for you to envision by Mary Alice Monroe. The beach house - Primrose Cottage is delightful, who wouldn't want to spend a summer in it, no one in their right mind would sell it.
Nature:
As in all the novels I have read by Mary Alice Monroe the flora and fauna of the southern coast of Carolina is wonderfully brought to life. Through Heather's eyes we see the wonders of the birds and the turtles. We also get a peek into the life of canaries as Heather as three gorgeous birds that bring her so much joy. And of course there is a strong theme of environmental care running through the story.
The Extras
I liked the small cast of secondary characters, the men in Heather's and Cara's life, the friends they both make or already have. I especially enjoyed having a little mention of a couple of characters from the lowcountry series. All in all a very enjoyable read.
I have only read one by her but I really liked that one
ReplyDeleteI have not read any Beach House series.This reminded me of the book ' Nights in Rodanthe'
ReplyDeleteLoved the review
Regards
www.shaletrjimmy.blogspot.com
I'll be reading this in the next few weeks so I'm glad to see you enjoyed it, Kathryn!
ReplyDeleteOh what a fun beach/summer read Kathryn but you'll probably be enjoying it by the fire ;-)
ReplyDeleteNice review...love the cover.
ReplyDeleteI am loving all of these summer books with pretty covers.
I am almost done with THE SUMMER HOUSE by Hannah McKinnon.
Elizabeth
I loved this book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds absolutely lovely. This is an author I've really been wanting to read. They all seem to be light reads but with enough heart to keep them from being fluffy.
ReplyDeleteShe sure is a great author. I enjoyed The Beach House and her first Lowcountry book.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of the beach or sea but I certainly like the story, the characters and the setting.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover, always hear great buzz about her books.
ReplyDeleteNow that I'm moving next month to the area set up in this series, well, I feel that it would make the best beach book for me to read... while lying on the beach there, lol.
Seriously, thank you for a good review. I'll have to pick up a couple of her books.
Great review Katheryn. It's nice to know this can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed Monroe's Low Country series. As your header Kathryn B above says it was 'a light read with heart' . (BTW, I do like the icons you created to describe books.)
ReplyDeleteOpps...I meant your reader above, Katherine P ...
DeleteThanks Pat, I enjoy making them.
DeleteVery cute icons. Love them. Very creative.
DeleteIt sounds wonderful. Both really sound like characters you can root for. I've not tried her so appreciate the heads up!
ReplyDelete