The Beach House

I did not like this book. By the third chapter I had already started skimming the pages. It is a very SLOW story, with alot of dragging conversations and draggy set ups for upcoming situations.

This was the first book I had ever read by Mary Alice Monroe. I am hooked!! I purchased the entire series of books in this collection. This series is a must read!! You will love the characters. I was sad for the series to end. You feel like you personally know the character personally. I look forward to reading more of Mary's books.

I read this book while vacationing at the Isle of Palms - it was wonderful! The settings, descriptions of the area, and especially the information about the loggerhead turtles - all were things I could identify and experience, and made me appreciate our week at the beach even more. A delightful read!

If you left home at 18 because your father emotionally abused you and you hated your mother for not protecting you, should you go home again? If you find yourself at the height of your career in fast-paced Chicago, should you return to the laid-back life of the South Carolina low country? If your name is Cara Rutledge, the answer to both questions is yes. When Cara finds herself ousted from her ad agency position, her ongoing love affair not fulfilling, and nowhere else to turn, she reluctantly answers her mother's call to come for a visit.The reader will be drawn immediately into this story mainly because of well-defined characters who tug at your heartstrings. From the headstrong yet vulnerable Cara to her terminally ill mother Lovie and the pregnant teenager Toy, readers will bond with these multi-faceted characters as they try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and each moves on with the support of the others.This book is a great tribute to the eternal bond between mothers and daughters as it examines the actions that part us from our loved ones and the painful road back to rediscovering love. It is also a great love story as Cara finds her soulmate in the most unexpected place, her mother reveals a long-held secret love affair,and Toy faces some serious truths about the father of her unborn child. It is also a story about turtles. Yes, turtles. Specifically, the loggerhead turtles who travel hundreds of miles to hatch their young along the South Carolina coast each year. Even if you've never given the first thought to turtles, you will be captivated by the turtle trivia that fills this book.I highly recommend you curl up in your favorite reading spot for a most enjoyable read about an unforgettable family. And don't forget the tissues.

This is the first Mary Alice Monroe book I've ever read-and let me tell you I definitely plan to read her other works, too. From the very first page it's like the story and characters catch your attention right away. The info that heads each chapter regarding the sea turtles is actually quite interesting, and I was saddened to read at the end of the book how they are quickly becoming an endangered species. This story of how Cara Rutledge, after losing her job at a Chicago advertising firm, returns home to her mother's beach house in Isle of Palms, SC, is a very warm, touching one that explains how she finally bonds with her seriously ill mother-Olivia(Lovie)Rutledge, having left home at 18 due to constantly fighting with her father. Cara reconnects with her childhood best pal Emmi, plus finds true love when least expected. Lovie's houseguest(and caretaker)Toy Sooner is another memorable character-her initial meeting up with Cara is not a good one but soon the two of them learn to accept one another as well as become fast friends. This story is one you'll definitely remember long after the last page has been turned. Very highly recommended.

I picked up this book on a whim, needing a beach book. It was a great choice. Having just returned from my bachelorette weekend on Isle of Palms it was like being there all over again. She describes the island and Charleston to a tee. The Turtle Ladies do really exist, not just there, but on other islands/beaches in the Carolinas. I've grown up watching the rituals of marking the nests, and then waiting for the hatch in Brunswick Co. N.C for many a summer. This is one you will not want to put down!!!