Beach house rules A novel

Charlotte Sitterly and her daughter Iris' lives are flipped upside down when Bill, Charlotte's husband, is arrested for embezzlement. With her assets frozen and no home to go to, she takes acquaintance Alice up on her offer to stay with her. Alice's North Carolina beachside home is known in the community as the "mommune" and houses Alice's niece, journalist Julie, and her three children, and Grace, an internet-famous vegan chef, and her two children. Though Charlotte and Iris are hesitant at first, they soon come to feel that these once strangers are family. But all is not rosy: everyone's business is fair game to the town's vicious, anonymous Instagram account, and Alice, a three-time widow, feels like she must steer clear of love. Still, while each woman is facing her own battles, they are all thriving within their support system, which is sorely needed when it becomes apparent that Bill has been framed by a man from Alice's past. Woodson Harvey's latest (after A Happier Life, 2024) is full of well-thought-out characters and a plot that keeps readers guessing. Charming and beachy in the best way, Beach House Rules will appeal to those looking for an escape with emotional depth.

Bestseller Harvey (A Happier Life) serves up an arresting tale of women working together to solve their hardships. With "hunky investment guru" Bill Sitterly under investigation for fraud, his and his wife Charlotte's assets are seized. While Bill sits in jail, Charlotte and their 11-year-old daughter, Iris, are locked out of their sparkling new home in Juniper Shores, N.C. They check into thrice-widowed Alice Bailey's nearby "mommune," a former bed and breakfast that now hosts a handful of single mothers in varying circumstances. Believing that Bill is unjustly accused, Charlotte gets a job at a local insurance agency and sets out to clear her husband's name with the help of fellow mommune residents and Alice. Along the way, Alice tries to find the courage to date again and lose the "black widow" tag following her around town. Harvey keeps the twists and turns coming with her well-constructed plot, including a shocking development on the charges Bill faces. This first-rate tale is perfect for summer reading. (May)