Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey @cassandracampbell @miahutchinsonshaw @suehylaeyoung @simon.audio @simonaudio.bsky.social @librofm @libro.fm #BeachHouseRules

the setup…
Charlotte Sitterly’s idyllic world in the beachfront town of Juniper Shores, North Carolina is turned upside down overnight when her husband Bill is arrested for financial crimes. She and her teenage daughter Iris find themselves barred from their home, almost penniless with bank accounts frozen and nowhere to turn. But an angel in the form of Alice Bailey comes to her rescue. She owns a former B&B now known as the mommune because it’s shared with two single mothers and their children and invites Charlotte and Iris to join them. Despite Alice’s whispered nickname as the town’s Black Widow (three dead husbands), Charlotte accepts the offer and it is far from the experience she’d imagined.

the heart of the story…
Despite all the town’s rumors about the mommune, it turns out to be a family sanctuary with the women supporting each other in the best of ways. Alice has some unconventional beach house rules and they strongly instill a sense of sisterhood and family that’s not only great for the self esteem of the women but the emotional safety and security of the children. It was lovely to see the women bond instead of fracture, determined to make it all work.

the narration…
Cassandra Campbell, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Suehyla El-Attar Young are the wonderful storytellers for Alice, Charlotte and Iris’s points of view. It was helpful to have distinctive voices for each and they delivered great performances.

the bottom line…
The whole concept of a “mommune” just feels brilliant. I absolutely loved how these women made it work despite their own angst and insecurities at times. There were moments of repetition that slowed the pace somewhat but overall, I enjoyed the story, which also included some snarky comic relief from the gossipy and anonymous Juniper Shores Socialite. The mystery surrounding Bill’s guilt or innocence added lots of intrigue. It works.

Book Info

• Release Date: May 27, 2025
• Narrators: Cassandra Campbell, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw & Suehyla El-Attar Young
• Audio Length: 11 hours, 43 minutes
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

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(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)