I read the fourth book in the Beach House series, Beach House for Rent, by Mary Alice Monroe, several years ago, and have finally made my way back to the series. I decided to read the first book, The Beach House, to see how things started. Reading a beach-themed book in July seemed like the best idea. It worked out perfectly, as The Beach House takes place over the course of one summer in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Caretta Rutledge, is called from her home in Chicago to visit her mother at the family beach house. Cara’s life has just taken an unexpected turn, so a visit to the Lowcountry is perfect timing. The relationship between her and her mother is strained, so it takes the women time to open up to one another about why Cara’s visit has been requested. Time and the healing attributes of the beach house help Cara process what happened in Chicago and navigate upcoming life-changing experiences. Over the summer, as Cara and her mother work on their relationship, Cara rekindles old friendships, takes on repairs to the beach house, and becomes a turtle lady. 

Mary Alice Monroe has written a beautiful story that gets better with every page. This is definitely a Chick Lit novel, considering the presence of romantic relationships. I enjoyed my fictional time at the beach house, weathering the storms with these ladies and experiencing their joyful celebrations. My favorite character was Cara’s mother, Lovie. She shared a lot of wisdom with the younger female characters and navigated her own life-changing experience with grace. I like how Monroe paralleled the characters' stories with the lives of the Loggerhead turtles. It was educational and sentimental. She even closes the book with helpful tips for visitors to the Lowcountry so that the turtles can continue to flourish. 

I purchased the audiobook of The Beach House with my Audible subscription. Surprisingly, Mary Alice Monroe narrated this audiobook. She did an excellent job changing her voice for each character. It was a pleasure to listen to her read her own story. 

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