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The Summer Guests
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Beach House series comes a heartwarming and evocative novel about the bonds and new beginnings that are born from natural disasters and how, even during the worst of circumstances—or perhaps because of them—we discover what is most important in life.
Late August is a beautiful time on the Southern coast—the peach trees are ripe, the ocean is warm, and the sweet tea is icy. A perfect time to enjoy the rocking chairs on the porch. But beneath the calm surface bubbles a it’s also peak hurricane season.
When a hurricane threatens the coasts of Florida and South Carolina, an eclectic group of evacuees flees for the farm of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips in North the Phillips’s daughter Moira and her rescue dogs, famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, makeup artist Hannah McLain, horse breeder Gerda Klug and her daughter Elise, and island resident Cara Rutledge. They bring with them only the few treasured possessions they can fit in their vehicles. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they must ride out the storm together.
During the course of one of the most challenging weeks of their lives, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters isn’t what they brought with them to the mountains. Rather, it’s what they’ll take with them once they leave.
With Mary Alice Monroe’s “usual resplendent storytelling” (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author), The Summer Guests is a poignant and compelling story of self-discovery, love, and redemption.
Late August is a beautiful time on the Southern coast—the peach trees are ripe, the ocean is warm, and the sweet tea is icy. A perfect time to enjoy the rocking chairs on the porch. But beneath the calm surface bubbles a it’s also peak hurricane season.
When a hurricane threatens the coasts of Florida and South Carolina, an eclectic group of evacuees flees for the farm of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips in North the Phillips’s daughter Moira and her rescue dogs, famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, makeup artist Hannah McLain, horse breeder Gerda Klug and her daughter Elise, and island resident Cara Rutledge. They bring with them only the few treasured possessions they can fit in their vehicles. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they must ride out the storm together.
During the course of one of the most challenging weeks of their lives, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters isn’t what they brought with them to the mountains. Rather, it’s what they’ll take with them once they leave.
With Mary Alice Monroe’s “usual resplendent storytelling” (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author), The Summer Guests is a poignant and compelling story of self-discovery, love, and redemption.
348 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2019
3192 people are currently reading
14219 people want to read
About the author
Mary Alice Monroe
71 books5,645 followersMary Alice Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 30 books, including her new novel, Where the Rivers Merge, the first book in a duology and her historical debut. The second book is titled The Rivers End. Release date has not been set yet.
Monroe has also published children’s books, which complement the environmental themes she is known for in her adult novels. Monroe’s middle grade series, written with Angela May, The Islanders, debuted #2 on the New York Times Best Sellers List in 2021. The second book in the series, Search for Treasure, debuted #3 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. And the third book in the series, Shipwrecked, is available everywhere books are sold.
Nearly eight million copies of her books have been published worldwide.
Mary Alice has earned numerous accolades and awards including induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame; South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing; the South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence; the SW Florida Author of Distinction Award; the RT Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Book Award for Green Fiction; the Henry Bergh Award for Children’s Fiction; and her novel A Lowcountry Christmas won the prestigious Southern Prize for Fiction.
Mary Alice is also the co-founder of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.
The Beach House is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie McDowell. Several of her novels are optioned for film.
Mary Alice has championed the fragility of the earth’s wild habitat. The coastal southern landscape in particular is a strong and important focus of many of her novels. For her writing, Monroe immerses herself in academic research, works with wildlife experts, and does hands-on volunteering with animals. She then uses the knowledge and experiences to craft captivating stories that identify important parallels between nature and human nature. Sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, monarch butterflies, shorebirds are among the species she has worked with and woven into her novels.
Mary Alice is also an active conservationist and serves on several boards including the South Carolina Aquarium board emeritus, the Pat Conroy Literary Center Honorary Board, and the Leatherback Trust, which she received the Leatherback Trust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. She is especially proud to be a state-certified volunteer with the Island Turtle Team for more than twenty years.
Mary Alice splits her time between her home on the South Carolina coast and her home in the North Carolina mountains. When she’s not writing a novel, she is with her family or busy working with wildlife somewhere in the world.
Monroe has also published children’s books, which complement the environmental themes she is known for in her adult novels. Monroe’s middle grade series, written with Angela May, The Islanders, debuted #2 on the New York Times Best Sellers List in 2021. The second book in the series, Search for Treasure, debuted #3 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. And the third book in the series, Shipwrecked, is available everywhere books are sold.
Nearly eight million copies of her books have been published worldwide.
Mary Alice has earned numerous accolades and awards including induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame; South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing; the South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence; the SW Florida Author of Distinction Award; the RT Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Book Award for Green Fiction; the Henry Bergh Award for Children’s Fiction; and her novel A Lowcountry Christmas won the prestigious Southern Prize for Fiction.
Mary Alice is also the co-founder of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.
The Beach House is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie McDowell. Several of her novels are optioned for film.
Mary Alice has championed the fragility of the earth’s wild habitat. The coastal southern landscape in particular is a strong and important focus of many of her novels. For her writing, Monroe immerses herself in academic research, works with wildlife experts, and does hands-on volunteering with animals. She then uses the knowledge and experiences to craft captivating stories that identify important parallels between nature and human nature. Sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, monarch butterflies, shorebirds are among the species she has worked with and woven into her novels.
Mary Alice is also an active conservationist and serves on several boards including the South Carolina Aquarium board emeritus, the Pat Conroy Literary Center Honorary Board, and the Leatherback Trust, which she received the Leatherback Trust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. She is especially proud to be a state-certified volunteer with the Island Turtle Team for more than twenty years.
Mary Alice splits her time between her home on the South Carolina coast and her home in the North Carolina mountains. When she’s not writing a novel, she is with her family or busy working with wildlife somewhere in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 933 reviews
February 15, 2020
The Summer Guests by Mary Alice Monroe is a 2019 Gallery Books publication.
The ‘Beach House’ series has been a favorite summer treat of mine for years. Unfortunately, last summer, I couldn’t manage to squeeze this book into my schedule, despite my very best intentions.
With the weather being especially cold and gloomy this past week, the thought of a nice, warm, ‘beach read’ sounded good- which reminded me I had a Mary Alice Monroe novel I had never gotten around to reading.
I was really looking forward to touching base with the characters I have grown to care for and checking in on those wonderful turtles. However, this book was not at all like the previous installments. For starters, there is a hurricane threatening the coast and everyone is headed inland, which could have been an interesting story line, but…
Cara Rutledge, the main protagonist of the entire series, is barely present in this story at all. Instead, we meet an entirely new group of people whose lives are centered around the equestrian world.
Unfortunately, the characters and all their dramas just did not resonate with me in the slightest. I can’t name one thread that struck a chord with me or touched me emotionally.
I finished the book just to see who ended up with whom, just out of curiosity, but overall the book was dull and uninspiring to me. This is the first book of the series that fell flat, but I will stick with the series if Monroe decides to continue with it- provided the story is once again centered around Cara and the beach house. I sincerely hope this series hasn’t run its course.
2.5 stars
The ‘Beach House’ series has been a favorite summer treat of mine for years. Unfortunately, last summer, I couldn’t manage to squeeze this book into my schedule, despite my very best intentions.
With the weather being especially cold and gloomy this past week, the thought of a nice, warm, ‘beach read’ sounded good- which reminded me I had a Mary Alice Monroe novel I had never gotten around to reading.
I was really looking forward to touching base with the characters I have grown to care for and checking in on those wonderful turtles. However, this book was not at all like the previous installments. For starters, there is a hurricane threatening the coast and everyone is headed inland, which could have been an interesting story line, but…
Cara Rutledge, the main protagonist of the entire series, is barely present in this story at all. Instead, we meet an entirely new group of people whose lives are centered around the equestrian world.
Unfortunately, the characters and all their dramas just did not resonate with me in the slightest. I can’t name one thread that struck a chord with me or touched me emotionally.
I finished the book just to see who ended up with whom, just out of curiosity, but overall the book was dull and uninspiring to me. This is the first book of the series that fell flat, but I will stick with the series if Monroe decides to continue with it- provided the story is once again centered around Cara and the beach house. I sincerely hope this series hasn’t run its course.
2.5 stars
June 17, 2019
3.5 Stars → THE SUMMER GUESTS is the first book I've read by Mary Alice Monroe. I know she's well known for her Beach House series, but I wanted to jump in with a summery standalone novel.
As a Category 5 hurricane is barreling toward the coast of Florida and South Carolina, a mix of different people from the equestrian community, as well as their horses and several rescue dogs, evacuate to the safely of Grace and Charles Phillips' farm in North Carolina. As they ride out the storm together, each faces personal and interpersonal conflicts that must be resolved for them to move forward.
I enjoyed how the cast of characters represented a range of age groups, from the early 30s to 60s. The characters were strong, though some of their stories felt rushed given the large number of them. The details of horses, horse riding, and the equestrian community were well researched. Maybe a bit too horse-heavy for me, though someone into that scene would appreciate it more.
I adored the descriptions of Grace and Charles' Freehold Farm, set in the gorgeous mountains of North Carolina. It was the perfect, magical place to take shelter from an impending storm. The amazing location was probably my favorite character. THE SUMMER GUESTS is a lovely warm-weather read, though I wish the focus had been on a couple of main characters versus having to keep track of so many.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
As a Category 5 hurricane is barreling toward the coast of Florida and South Carolina, a mix of different people from the equestrian community, as well as their horses and several rescue dogs, evacuate to the safely of Grace and Charles Phillips' farm in North Carolina. As they ride out the storm together, each faces personal and interpersonal conflicts that must be resolved for them to move forward.
I enjoyed how the cast of characters represented a range of age groups, from the early 30s to 60s. The characters were strong, though some of their stories felt rushed given the large number of them. The details of horses, horse riding, and the equestrian community were well researched. Maybe a bit too horse-heavy for me, though someone into that scene would appreciate it more.
I adored the descriptions of Grace and Charles' Freehold Farm, set in the gorgeous mountains of North Carolina. It was the perfect, magical place to take shelter from an impending storm. The amazing location was probably my favorite character. THE SUMMER GUESTS is a lovely warm-weather read, though I wish the focus had been on a couple of main characters versus having to keep track of so many.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2019
Mary Alice Monroe effortlessly blends characters and nature, and captures the complexities of interpersonal relationships.
SUMMARY
A hurricane is threatening the coasts of Florida and South Carolina and evacuations are mandatory. An eclectic group of evacuees flee for the mountains of North Carolina and the home of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips. The Phillips’s daughter, Moira has brought eight rescue dogs with her from South Carolina. Hannah McLain a makeup artist living in Palm Beach, Florida brought her boyfriend, the famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, along with his prized horse. Also migrating from Florida to the Phillips’s ranch is horse breeder Gerda Klug, her Olympic bound daughter Elise, Elise’s spirited horse, as well as Karl, the horse’s trainer. Cara Rutledge is trying to get to the ranch as well but has to head to South Carolina first. They bring with them only the few treasured possessions they can carry. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they ride out the storm together.
During the course of a challenging week, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters wasn’t what they brought with them to the mountains: but what they’ll take with them once they leave.
REVIEW
There is quite the assortment of summer guests and animals evacuating to the Phillips’s ranch. The diversity in personalities adds substance and interest to this entertaining story. We are skillfully transported to the gorgeous mountains setting, as well as to the eye of a hurricane.
THE SUMMER GUEST is engaging and I loved learning a few things about horses, horse training, show jumping and dressage. My favorite part was how Hurricane Noelle brought this group of strangers together, and this gathering resulted in several characters making major life-altering decisions.
Author Mary Alice Monroe effortlessly blends characters and nature, and captures the complexities of interpersonal relationships. Monroe is a best selling author of 22 novels. Thanks to Netgalley, Mary Alice Monroe, Gallery and NetGalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Publisher Gallery
Published June 11, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
SUMMARY
A hurricane is threatening the coasts of Florida and South Carolina and evacuations are mandatory. An eclectic group of evacuees flee for the mountains of North Carolina and the home of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips. The Phillips’s daughter, Moira has brought eight rescue dogs with her from South Carolina. Hannah McLain a makeup artist living in Palm Beach, Florida brought her boyfriend, the famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, along with his prized horse. Also migrating from Florida to the Phillips’s ranch is horse breeder Gerda Klug, her Olympic bound daughter Elise, Elise’s spirited horse, as well as Karl, the horse’s trainer. Cara Rutledge is trying to get to the ranch as well but has to head to South Carolina first. They bring with them only the few treasured possessions they can carry. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they ride out the storm together.
During the course of a challenging week, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters wasn’t what they brought with them to the mountains: but what they’ll take with them once they leave.
REVIEW
There is quite the assortment of summer guests and animals evacuating to the Phillips’s ranch. The diversity in personalities adds substance and interest to this entertaining story. We are skillfully transported to the gorgeous mountains setting, as well as to the eye of a hurricane.
THE SUMMER GUEST is engaging and I loved learning a few things about horses, horse training, show jumping and dressage. My favorite part was how Hurricane Noelle brought this group of strangers together, and this gathering resulted in several characters making major life-altering decisions.
Author Mary Alice Monroe effortlessly blends characters and nature, and captures the complexities of interpersonal relationships. Monroe is a best selling author of 22 novels. Thanks to Netgalley, Mary Alice Monroe, Gallery and NetGalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Publisher Gallery
Published June 11, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
June 9, 2019
The Summer Guests tells the story of a group of people gathered inland as a hurricane threatens the coast. While this premise could have been interesting, the characters didn't really resonate with me. There was a ton of information on horses - dressage, jumping, etc. so perhaps someone with more of an interest in horses would appreciate this book more than I did. I also felt there were too many characters and not enough development with any of them. Grace and Charles are hosting all of the guests, and we start getting information about Grace, but that stops. Greta and her daughter Elise could have an interesting storyline, but it wraps up abruptly at the end. Moira and Elise have an interesting interaction, but then it's never returned to and just left open-ended. Moira's ability to connect with nature and animals was fascinating, but barely mentioned. Hannah is forgotten midway through the book and Angel's motivations are never clear. Karl disappeared about 3/4 through the book. The side story with Cara seems out-of-place and irrelevant. The ending of the book was very abrupt on its own and didn't really provide any conclusion.
Overall, this book was a miss for me. I would have appreciated more character development from a handful of characters (focus on Grace, Gerta and Moira, for example) and left the other characters as ancillary. It seemed that this is trying to write about too many characters plus horses and it just gets overwhelming.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, this book was a miss for me. I would have appreciated more character development from a handful of characters (focus on Grace, Gerta and Moira, for example) and left the other characters as ancillary. It seemed that this is trying to write about too many characters plus horses and it just gets overwhelming.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2019
I loved The Beach House series and this is another great story from Mary Alice Monroe where she’s also included Cara (from that series) and her new beau in its storyline. Racing against time to rush from hurricane Noelle brings people together at the Freehold Farm in NC. Old and new friendships, horses and loads of southern hospitality is the backdrop for this well told story.
June 15, 2019
Being from Indiana we are right in the middle of tornado country where you basically just cross your fingers or pray tornadoes don’t pop up or if they do they don’t do too much damage. Hurricanes aren’t something that happens where I am however I have had a couple of close vacation calls with Sandy and Matthew down in Florida so I couldn’t help but be curious when a storm is at the heart of this story.
The Summer Guests by Mary Alice Monroe is a women’s fiction or chick lit read that focuses on several characters who need to escape the path of an oncoming hurricane. But, not only do these people need shelter for the storm they also need a place to transport their animals where they will be safe so Grace and Charles Phillips who live in North Carolina have opened up their farm to these friends and strangers alike along with their horses.
This novel actually started out rather strong in my opinion with some great tension from the impending hurricane and slowly starting to introduce the various characters involved. However, the further and further I got into the story the more danger there suddenly was of it completely losing hold of my attention. I guess I expected more from the storm than there was but honestly I think there just may have been a few too many characters to keep track of when the second half turned toward more personal drama. Maybe it was me but more depth put into a few choice characters with life alternating decisions would I believe make it much more engaging than trying to spread out so much between so many. By the end I just felt this one was so-so or just OK.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The Summer Guests by Mary Alice Monroe is a women’s fiction or chick lit read that focuses on several characters who need to escape the path of an oncoming hurricane. But, not only do these people need shelter for the storm they also need a place to transport their animals where they will be safe so Grace and Charles Phillips who live in North Carolina have opened up their farm to these friends and strangers alike along with their horses.
This novel actually started out rather strong in my opinion with some great tension from the impending hurricane and slowly starting to introduce the various characters involved. However, the further and further I got into the story the more danger there suddenly was of it completely losing hold of my attention. I guess I expected more from the storm than there was but honestly I think there just may have been a few too many characters to keep track of when the second half turned toward more personal drama. Maybe it was me but more depth put into a few choice characters with life alternating decisions would I believe make it much more engaging than trying to spread out so much between so many. By the end I just felt this one was so-so or just OK.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
May 30, 2025
So if this book had just been a follow-up to the Beach House series it would have worked much better. Instead Monroe takes on horses in this one and a bunch of characters that either didn't make an impression on me, or ones that I ended up not caring for. My favorite parts of this book was a look into Cara Rutledge's life since the last book in the Beach House series. That said, I am still disappointed we didn't hear more about her brother, nephew, etc. in this one. Instead we hear about her, her daughter, and the new man she's been seeing since the last book "Beach House Reunion."
"The Summer Guests" follows a motley crew of people who live in Tyron, North Carolina who take in hurricane evacuees. The book follows Moira Phillips (who has rescue dogs), her two parents whose names escape me at the moment, Javier Angel de la Cruz (who is an equestrian rider and former/current Olympian) who is in a relationship with Hannah McLain (who is starting her own make-up line). And then there is Gerda Klug and her daughter Elise who are horse breeders. Mixed up in this is also Beach House favorite, Cara Rutledge. Cara, David, and some of the other Isle of Palms residents leave their homes to get away from a hurricane and end up staying with the Phillips at their horse farm. While there, secrets are revealed (dun dun dun dun dun).
The parts dealing with Cara and her adopted daughter and new love interest was great. We also get peeks at Heather and her now husband. Even though parts of the book feels samey (remember the first book in the series dealt with a hurricane as well) this feels a bit different since Cara now feels firmly rooted and doesn't want her home to be destroyed. I think if Monroe had kept the book focused on Cara and changes in her life that would have worked best. Instead the book jumps around to other characters and we are given the time/date and estimated landfall of the hurricane it feels like every few pages.
The other characters were a wash for me. I was interested in the character of Hannah and felt annoyed by how her story-line turned out. I disliked Javier and Gerda intensely. Why this got marketed as a romance is baffling.
The writing in this book was all over the place for me. It felt like three stories forced fit into one. The parts dealing with Cara and her fear of the hurricane and the damage it could potentially do to her mother's old cottage, now her home, was palpable. I also loved the scene of her and her boyfriend David in the eye of the hurricane.
Other than that the rest of the book wasn't great. I don't like romance reads where there is cheating and I felt turned off by most of the other story-lines due to that.
The flow wasn't great either. It just felt like an actual physical change kept happening to my brain every time we leap back from Cara's story to the other characters in this book.
Not too much to say about the setting. I can still picture the fabled Beach House in my head, but everything else was kind of blah to me.
The ending was a mess. It was a great resolution for Cara, but everyone else, that was a hard no. I don't even know what to say about it except it read as unfinished to me.
"The Summer Guests" follows a motley crew of people who live in Tyron, North Carolina who take in hurricane evacuees. The book follows Moira Phillips (who has rescue dogs), her two parents whose names escape me at the moment, Javier Angel de la Cruz (who is an equestrian rider and former/current Olympian) who is in a relationship with Hannah McLain (who is starting her own make-up line). And then there is Gerda Klug and her daughter Elise who are horse breeders. Mixed up in this is also Beach House favorite, Cara Rutledge. Cara, David, and some of the other Isle of Palms residents leave their homes to get away from a hurricane and end up staying with the Phillips at their horse farm. While there, secrets are revealed (dun dun dun dun dun).
The parts dealing with Cara and her adopted daughter and new love interest was great. We also get peeks at Heather and her now husband. Even though parts of the book feels samey (remember the first book in the series dealt with a hurricane as well) this feels a bit different since Cara now feels firmly rooted and doesn't want her home to be destroyed. I think if Monroe had kept the book focused on Cara and changes in her life that would have worked best. Instead the book jumps around to other characters and we are given the time/date and estimated landfall of the hurricane it feels like every few pages.
The other characters were a wash for me. I was interested in the character of Hannah and felt annoyed by how her story-line turned out. I disliked Javier and Gerda intensely. Why this got marketed as a romance is baffling.
The writing in this book was all over the place for me. It felt like three stories forced fit into one. The parts dealing with Cara and her fear of the hurricane and the damage it could potentially do to her mother's old cottage, now her home, was palpable. I also loved the scene of her and her boyfriend David in the eye of the hurricane.
Other than that the rest of the book wasn't great. I don't like romance reads where there is cheating and I felt turned off by most of the other story-lines due to that.
The flow wasn't great either. It just felt like an actual physical change kept happening to my brain every time we leap back from Cara's story to the other characters in this book.
Not too much to say about the setting. I can still picture the fabled Beach House in my head, but everything else was kind of blah to me.
The ending was a mess. It was a great resolution for Cara, but everyone else, that was a hard no. I don't even know what to say about it except it read as unfinished to me.
July 19, 2019
Sigh. As far as craft goes, this was a MESS but I was still entertained enough to read it in a day 🤷🏼♀️
July 16, 2019
The Summer Guests
Mary Alice Monroe
THE SUMMER GUESTS is the first book I've ever read by Mary Alice Monroe and it won't be the last! The twists and turns keep coming and I had to know how it was going to end! Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, a few pages later, Mary Alice Monroe threw me for a loop and I knew I was wrong! I'm kicking myself for not reading this wonderful novel sooner. THE SUMMER GUESTS is an engaging read and difficult on your emotions. It also left me wanting more, I wasn't ready for the story to be over as I wanted to stay with my new found friends.
THE SUMMER GUESTS is unputdownable! There were quite a few times when reading it that I wanted to reach into the pages and slap a few of these people with their silly ways of thinking. I found myself giggling one second and then tearing up the next. If you are looking for an emotional and raw story to pull you out of your book slump, you can’t go wrong with THE SUMMER GUESTS. I’m so excited to read more of Mary Alice Monroe as she is now one of my auto buy authors. The descriptions of Grace and Charles' ranch were so perfect that I actually felt like I was right there, breathing in all the smells of the beautiful North Carolina mountains.
The twists and turns in THE SUMMER GUESTS are going to keep you up late into the night trying to figure it out. One minute you believe you know what is going to happen and the next you are sitting there shaking your head, wondering what the heck just took place. I had my ideas, I had it all figured out, or so I thought, and BAM.......wrong again! Once you start reading, trust me, you aren't going to be able to stop! When everything is finally revealed, well, you won't believe it! Mary Alice Monroe sure knows how to draw her readers into her story to the point that you feel you actually know these people and really care for them. At least that is what happened to me.
THE SUMMER GUESTS begins with Grace and Charles Phillips preparing their ranch for quite a few visitors, human and animal. There is a hurricane hitting Florida and her family and friends are coming to her home in the mountains of North Carolina to take shelter. As they ride out the storm, they each face internal conflicts that must be resolved in order for them to move forward. The grief and pain along with loss that some of these people have gone through will break your heart. I thoroughly enjoyed reading THE SUMMER GUESTS. It is also heart breaking and filled with so many different emotions. There is so much going on in this story, but Mary Alice Monroe does a wonderful job of weaving all the pieces together. All of the characters will have you feeling sad and then giggling on the same page. Once you finish devouring this story, you are going to want to tell everyone you know about this awesome book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.
Mary Alice Monroe
THE SUMMER GUESTS is the first book I've ever read by Mary Alice Monroe and it won't be the last! The twists and turns keep coming and I had to know how it was going to end! Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, a few pages later, Mary Alice Monroe threw me for a loop and I knew I was wrong! I'm kicking myself for not reading this wonderful novel sooner. THE SUMMER GUESTS is an engaging read and difficult on your emotions. It also left me wanting more, I wasn't ready for the story to be over as I wanted to stay with my new found friends.
THE SUMMER GUESTS is unputdownable! There were quite a few times when reading it that I wanted to reach into the pages and slap a few of these people with their silly ways of thinking. I found myself giggling one second and then tearing up the next. If you are looking for an emotional and raw story to pull you out of your book slump, you can’t go wrong with THE SUMMER GUESTS. I’m so excited to read more of Mary Alice Monroe as she is now one of my auto buy authors. The descriptions of Grace and Charles' ranch were so perfect that I actually felt like I was right there, breathing in all the smells of the beautiful North Carolina mountains.
The twists and turns in THE SUMMER GUESTS are going to keep you up late into the night trying to figure it out. One minute you believe you know what is going to happen and the next you are sitting there shaking your head, wondering what the heck just took place. I had my ideas, I had it all figured out, or so I thought, and BAM.......wrong again! Once you start reading, trust me, you aren't going to be able to stop! When everything is finally revealed, well, you won't believe it! Mary Alice Monroe sure knows how to draw her readers into her story to the point that you feel you actually know these people and really care for them. At least that is what happened to me.
THE SUMMER GUESTS begins with Grace and Charles Phillips preparing their ranch for quite a few visitors, human and animal. There is a hurricane hitting Florida and her family and friends are coming to her home in the mountains of North Carolina to take shelter. As they ride out the storm, they each face internal conflicts that must be resolved in order for them to move forward. The grief and pain along with loss that some of these people have gone through will break your heart. I thoroughly enjoyed reading THE SUMMER GUESTS. It is also heart breaking and filled with so many different emotions. There is so much going on in this story, but Mary Alice Monroe does a wonderful job of weaving all the pieces together. All of the characters will have you feeling sad and then giggling on the same page. Once you finish devouring this story, you are going to want to tell everyone you know about this awesome book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.
July 2, 2019
Started The Summer Guest with a different expectation. By the cover, I thought it was going to take place on the beach with a hurricane's impending doom. I should have paid more attention to the boots. The novel starts out with action pack suspense of what do you take with you when your home could be possibly destroyed. Then it changes direction, the reader finds themselves in the equestrian world. By the way, love the orange cat! It was a fun summer read.
April 1, 2019
The Summer Guests
By
Mary Alice Monroe
What it's all about...
Horses and personalities! That’s what this book is about. Plus a lot of it is about the personalities of horses...what they like, whom they like and what they will do if they don’t actually like you!
A hurricane is looming and friends have gathered inland at the horse farm of Grace and Charles. Everyone has issues as they come together. Horse issues, marriage issues, personality issues and what should I do with my life issues. Luckily the horse farm is large enough for people and horses and rescue dogs to spread out and eventually come to terms with their life choices.
My thoughts after reading this book...
I just simply enjoyed this book. The horse talk was fascinating, the people were both fascinating as well as annoying and I love every horse I encountered.
What I loved best...
I think I really loved best learning about the personalities of the horses. That truly surprised me but the horses were connected to these people in obvious as well as mysterious ways.
What potential readers might want to know...
This book was intense, delightful and filled with lively personalities. It was a great way to enter into a summer reading frenzy!
I received this book from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my choice to read and review it.
By
Mary Alice Monroe
What it's all about...
Horses and personalities! That’s what this book is about. Plus a lot of it is about the personalities of horses...what they like, whom they like and what they will do if they don’t actually like you!
A hurricane is looming and friends have gathered inland at the horse farm of Grace and Charles. Everyone has issues as they come together. Horse issues, marriage issues, personality issues and what should I do with my life issues. Luckily the horse farm is large enough for people and horses and rescue dogs to spread out and eventually come to terms with their life choices.
My thoughts after reading this book...
I just simply enjoyed this book. The horse talk was fascinating, the people were both fascinating as well as annoying and I love every horse I encountered.
What I loved best...
I think I really loved best learning about the personalities of the horses. That truly surprised me but the horses were connected to these people in obvious as well as mysterious ways.
What potential readers might want to know...
This book was intense, delightful and filled with lively personalities. It was a great way to enter into a summer reading frenzy!
I received this book from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my choice to read and review it.
July 11, 2019
Very disappointed!
I have to say that this is the first time I’ve ever given a one star review of a book. Ms. Monroe should stick with what she does best, writing about the Lowcountry. It was like she stuck Cara Rutledge in just for name recognition. There were too many characters and sub plots. It just didn’t hold my interest at all. Maybe if you’re a fan of the equestrian world, the book will appeal to you. Hopefully, next year’s book will have us back in the Lowcountry.
I have to say that this is the first time I’ve ever given a one star review of a book. Ms. Monroe should stick with what she does best, writing about the Lowcountry. It was like she stuck Cara Rutledge in just for name recognition. There were too many characters and sub plots. It just didn’t hold my interest at all. Maybe if you’re a fan of the equestrian world, the book will appeal to you. Hopefully, next year’s book will have us back in the Lowcountry.
April 9, 2019
I received a copy from Edelweiss. I just didn't enjoy it. I am not that interested in horses and it seemed choppier than her usual books.
Want to read
June 11, 2019Very excited to win a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway! Looking forward to reading it!
June 18, 2024
I like this author a lot but I had avoided reading this book because the Goodreads reviews were so low for it. Proving once again that you should ignore book reviews. I think at one point, the book was incorrectly classified as a part of the Beach House series. It’s not, so I can see why readers were disappointed if they expected to read about those characters. This is a standalone with new characters other than a few brief appearances by Cara Rutledge. I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than the most recent book that truly was part of that series.
May 29, 2019
Author Mary Alice Monroe has written another novel which grabs your interest and does not let go even after the last page has been read! The Summer Guests is filled with wonderful characters who are each having a personal crisis during a time of uncertainty due to hurricane Noelle. I won't post spoilers or repeat the summary, but the story focuses on how the lives of equine lovers, especially dressage riders are a very special community of caring and also competitive personalities.
Charles and Grace are owners of impressive seventy-five-acre Freehold Farm in Tyron, North Carolina. They have opened their home, stables, cottages, and hearts to friends needing a place of refuge from the oncoming storms. There are a number of characters in this story, so as I began the book, I noted names and how they related to each other and to Grace. I was happy to find Cara Rutledge in this story! The Summer Guests delves into the lives of a group of people who are being reunited with former friends and also meeting new people with their own set of priorities. I was so prepared to dislike Angel due to his seeming self-absorption. Gerta is a force to be reckoned with as she plans and schedules each day for her adult daughter, Elise. Moira is at a crossroads in her life and needs to find a passion for her future. Hannah is seeking her own identity with her new line of make-up, but will people always see her as only a companion to the famous Angel De La Cruz?
The story blends these interesting personalities, their horses, and also a load of rescue dogs together to weave an intriguing week of pivotal experiences which will direct new paths and careers.
I enjoy being immersed in each book Mary Alice Monroe has written. Over the years and through her books I feel I have revisited so many places I have been fortunate enough to have traveled in my past. I have learned about fly-fishing, raptor refuges, migration of monarchs, dolphin rehabilitation, and of course turtle nestlings. So many of the characters in her stories feel as if they are old friends. Mary Alice Monroe does not only write best-selling novels, but she is a master story-teller!
Publication Date: June 11, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Charles and Grace are owners of impressive seventy-five-acre Freehold Farm in Tyron, North Carolina. They have opened their home, stables, cottages, and hearts to friends needing a place of refuge from the oncoming storms. There are a number of characters in this story, so as I began the book, I noted names and how they related to each other and to Grace. I was happy to find Cara Rutledge in this story! The Summer Guests delves into the lives of a group of people who are being reunited with former friends and also meeting new people with their own set of priorities. I was so prepared to dislike Angel due to his seeming self-absorption. Gerta is a force to be reckoned with as she plans and schedules each day for her adult daughter, Elise. Moira is at a crossroads in her life and needs to find a passion for her future. Hannah is seeking her own identity with her new line of make-up, but will people always see her as only a companion to the famous Angel De La Cruz?
The story blends these interesting personalities, their horses, and also a load of rescue dogs together to weave an intriguing week of pivotal experiences which will direct new paths and careers.
I enjoy being immersed in each book Mary Alice Monroe has written. Over the years and through her books I feel I have revisited so many places I have been fortunate enough to have traveled in my past. I have learned about fly-fishing, raptor refuges, migration of monarchs, dolphin rehabilitation, and of course turtle nestlings. So many of the characters in her stories feel as if they are old friends. Mary Alice Monroe does not only write best-selling novels, but she is a master story-teller!
Publication Date: June 11, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!
July 18, 2022
I would give this a 2.5 rating. I knew this was based on an hurricane evacuation but was still hopeful it would be a usual Mary Alice Monroe novel. Instead it was mainly about the equestrian world along with a dog rescue theme. It certainly gave a lot of knowledge about horses but along with that it spoke mainly to the folks with lots of money and privileges. Spoiled and indulged young people together with the older characters and their moneyed lifestyle. I do love the author’s beach house series in Isle of Palms and I applaud her support of sea turtle conservation but this story was disappointing.
August 9, 2019
If you are a horse lover you may like this book. I just couldn’t get into into it.
July 25, 2019
This book was different than her usual books because almost all of it was set in the North Carolina mountains. The various guests had fled there to escape the wrath of Hurricane Noelle--some from South Carolina and others from Florida. Cara Rutlege plays a very minor part in this book; at first, I was disappointed in her absence.
The focus of the books was the world of horse showing and riding, particularly dressage and jumping. It was helpful that the author provided a glossary of terms at the beginning of the book instead of at the end, like most books do. While I wasn't so much interested in the horse aspect, the characters were very well-developed and they all went through some type of change, some more than others, during the short period of time that the book covered.
I listened to this audio book while driving.
The focus of the books was the world of horse showing and riding, particularly dressage and jumping. It was helpful that the author provided a glossary of terms at the beginning of the book instead of at the end, like most books do. While I wasn't so much interested in the horse aspect, the characters were very well-developed and they all went through some type of change, some more than others, during the short period of time that the book covered.
I listened to this audio book while driving.
June 17, 2019
There are never enough stars for one of Mary Alice Monroe’s books. She creates stories that draw me in and keep me engaged with every person in them. This one is filled with characters it is easy to recognize. The fact that they are horse people and horses made me really happy. I was (and still am) one of those ‘horse crazy’ girls. This book is a delight.
February 2, 2021
I was hoping that this story would be more about Cara, but she was only a side story in the book.
February 5, 2021
Horses, hurricanes.. oh my! A story set in NC, SC, and Florida as a group of acquaintances are travelling to escape from a Hurricane. The connection between all of them is there connection to horses and the horse industry. As a former rider I thought this would be interesting but I did not like the book at all. The horse industry takes center stage and is often described in great detail. I found myself just wanting the book to end as I predicted what would happen. If the book hadn't been to fulfil a prompt for a reading challenge I wouldn't have finished it.
July 9, 2020
. I've read many of Monroe's books, and really enjoyed the Beach series, but this one was a huge disappointment. Unlikable characters, pretty much no plot, a boring waste of time IMO. Just glad I got this from the library, and didn't pay for it
September 23, 2019
Drival...who cares what jewelry a wealthy woman decides to take with her when fleeing a hurricane, or the other things another man wants his girlfriend to put in for him.
June 23, 2020
Monroe's books normally feature locations somewhere along the South Carolina coast. In this one, everyone is leaving the coast because a hurricane is forecast to hit. The characters share an interest in horses and are all moving inland to Tryon, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains where a friend's farm can accommodate the horses. One character "comes out." One reunites with an old friend. One couple ends up trapped on Isle of Palms when they take too long boarding up. The book simply wasn't up to the writer's usual quality. While I enjoyed revisiting characters from some previous novels, the story jumped too much, seeming to leave readers wondering when certain threads might be tied up--or if they would remain unresolved. I hope the author returns to the Charleston area for the next installment. I much prefer the beach setting for beach reads.
July 15, 2019
Have to figure out if I'm giving it a low rating just because it's not what I expected. However, I don't feel characters were developed well where I could really step in to the story. It seems Cara was added in to the story to give MAM fans a taste of Isle of Palms and as bait to read about the characters of the low country. But, her storyline seemed out of place and not needed. The story was very slow moving on and I couldn't wait for the ending-not for a good reason.
May 21, 2019
I was so excited when I won this ARC.
I am a mystery/thriller fan and not really into chick lit or romance. However, do like to read Mary Alice Monroe novels.
I believe my expectation was too high as I just finished 2 disappointing novels.
I liked this novel but didn’t love it.
I am a mystery/thriller fan and not really into chick lit or romance. However, do like to read Mary Alice Monroe novels.
I believe my expectation was too high as I just finished 2 disappointing novels.
I liked this novel but didn’t love it.
July 4, 2019
Another decent beach read, except it wasn’t a beach read bc the author strayed from her usual format and wrote about the equestrian community. Once again it seemed all the characters were blue eyed blondes with the exception of the token Latin American rider, Angel.
Having grown up in Aiken County, SC, I am somewhat familiar with the horse-y set. Why once I even parachuted into a steeplechase event near Camden, SC, another equestrian community. We always thought they were snobby and clique-y and apparently they are LOL
Having grown up in Aiken County, SC, I am somewhat familiar with the horse-y set. Why once I even parachuted into a steeplechase event near Camden, SC, another equestrian community. We always thought they were snobby and clique-y and apparently they are LOL
October 22, 2020
I was so bored with this book. The hurricane build up did not meet the arrival expectations. The characters were flat. The best thing about the book (and this is a book about horses) was the dogs and the rescue. This was my first book by this author, and I was definitely not impressed with her story telling.
June 11, 2019
You can’t get a better summer read than a novel by Mary Alice Monroe. A story that exudes southern hospitality, The Summer Guests makes you feel instantly at home. For a little change in scenery, this story only has a few snippets of the Isle of Palms (and a familiar character). This time, we’re trading the beach for mountain views, the turtles for horses.
True to Mary Alice’s form, there is a heavy emphasis on the animals, their livelihoods, their personalities, and of course, a rescue mission. There’s Butterhead, Whirlwind, even a kindred spirit named Razzmajazz (aren’t horse names the greatest?). Taking place mostly on a horse farm in North Carolina, everyone is fleeing what could be the mother of all hurricanes. Horses and dogs need shelter, as do the human folk. Friends of the Phillips leave the coast to find a safe haven at their horse farm and together in a sort of fish bowl, they weather the storm. Both figuratively and literally. There are fears that need faced, relationships that need addressed, futures that need a change.
It is always a pleasure to read a book by Mary Alice Monroe. She is one of those authors who, without even having to read a synopsis, I will read their book. There’s never disappointment. You’re welcomed right in. Her books are like coming home.
I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
True to Mary Alice’s form, there is a heavy emphasis on the animals, their livelihoods, their personalities, and of course, a rescue mission. There’s Butterhead, Whirlwind, even a kindred spirit named Razzmajazz (aren’t horse names the greatest?). Taking place mostly on a horse farm in North Carolina, everyone is fleeing what could be the mother of all hurricanes. Horses and dogs need shelter, as do the human folk. Friends of the Phillips leave the coast to find a safe haven at their horse farm and together in a sort of fish bowl, they weather the storm. Both figuratively and literally. There are fears that need faced, relationships that need addressed, futures that need a change.
It is always a pleasure to read a book by Mary Alice Monroe. She is one of those authors who, without even having to read a synopsis, I will read their book. There’s never disappointment. You’re welcomed right in. Her books are like coming home.
I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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