I have learned in life that family doesn’t always have to come from blood. Sometimes, best friends and their own kids feel more like family than your own. Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey definitely proves that point. In the perfect beach house, with imperfect people, the “mommune” was created.
4/5 stars ★★★★☆
Published: May 27th, 2025
What Is Beach House Rules About?
It’s a perfect blend of friendship, family, mystery, humor, romance, and drama. In the truest sense, it shows how a small-town community can come together when times are tough.
Charlotte, and her daughter, Iris, are caught without a home nor money to spend. Charlotte’s husband has been arrested for fraud, and now they have no where to go. That is, until Alice, a random woman, offers them a place to stay at the “mommune.”
The mommune is at a beautiful beach house, and consists of women and children living together as a family. The rest of the community thinks it is strange. However, they are helping each other to survive in a world that is difficult for them at the moment.
It doesn’t help that there is a gossipy Instagram account that throws the town’s dirty laundry out like it’s feeding time for the wolves, and the writer seems to have it out for the mommune.
Will they be able to survive this time in their life or will the small town talk take them down?
My Thoughts on The Beach House Rules:
I love when books blend many different genres and themes together. While showing the drama of four different women in their lives, almost any reader can connect to some part of the story line. My favorite character in the story, though, was Iris, Charlotte’s teen daughter. I love a good coming-of-age romance, and her wit and intelligence just added more depth to her character.
There’s a good mystery of whether Charlotte’s husband committed the fraud or whether he is innocent. As a reader, you also try to figure out who is behind the snarky Instagram account. I cracked up each time the author of the account signed off a different way.
It is fun to read about female relationships. I wanted to wrap myself up with a quilt on the beach, and drink a glass of wine with these four women. They each have their own drama that brought them to the mommune, but they always have each other’s backs.
The book had a satisfying resolution, which I appreciate. It is going to make a great summer book for the beach.
Would you be able to live in a house like the “mommune”? I definitely would! I could help with the children’s homework, if someone else is willing to do the cooking and cleaning. 🙂
Extras:
Here are some other books by Kristy Woodson Harvey that I recommend:
- Slightly South of Simple – https://amzn.to/4dib2Lf (I loved this whole series about a mom and her daughters)
- A Happier Life – https://amzn.to/4mlKs8k (“A touching novel about eternal love and the places we call home”)
- Under the Southern Sky – https://amzn.to/43xcTbO (“Two childhood friends discover that love–and family–can be found in unconventional ways”)
You can buy Beach House Rules at: https://amzn.to/4dCdrkl
*If you want to read more of my book reviews, you can find them at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/
*If you missed my post about my Top Books of 2024, you can find it at: https://judiholst.com/top-20-books-that-i-loved-in-2024/
Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Kristy Woodson Harvey for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.
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