Beach House Rules, Kristy Woodson Harvey (Review by Renee Casella)

When Charlotte’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter are locked out of their house by the FBI and thrust into the spotlight of Juniper Shores Socialite, the town’s anonymous Instagram account. Feeling anxious with nowhere to go, she takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers (now called the “mommune”) and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal town. Charlotte and her daughter, Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. Here they explore the joy of friendship and the true meaning of family. Family isn’t always blood but the people you surround yourself with. Kristy Woodson Harvey is one of the best southern fiction writers. This book read like a Southern Gossip Girl meets the Gilmore Girls. A small town that loves their gossip, finding connection in the most unlikely places and rekindled love is at the heart of this wonderful novel. A perfect beach read this summer. “I looked around this table at all these people I loved, and I realized that the rituals and routines of family life hadn’t saved me; the people had.”