This instant New York Times bestseller from the author of The Summer Guests is set on the Isle of Palms and offers “magical depictions of the lowcountry and the charms of her characters” (Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author) in a breathtaking novel that recounts one family’s summer of forging new beginnings against the enduring beauty and resilience of the natural world. It’s … beginnings against the enduring beauty and resilience of the natural world.
It’s been sixteen years since Caretta “Cara” Rutledge has returned home to the beautiful shores of Charleston, South Carolina. Over those years, she has weathered the tides of deaths and births, struggles and joys. And now, as Cara prepares for her second wedding, her life is about to change yet again.
Meanwhile, the rest of the storied Rutledge family is also in flux. Cara’s niece Linnea returns to Sullivan’s Island to begin a new career and an unexpected relationship. Linnea’s parents, having survived bankruptcy, pin their hopes and futures on the construction of a new home on Ocean Boulevard. But as excitement over the house and wedding builds, a devastating illness strikes the family and brings plans to a screeching halt. It is under these trying circumstances that the Rutledge family must come together yet again to discover the enduring strength in love, tradition, and legacy from mother to daughter to granddaughter.
Like the sea turtles that come ashore annually on these windswept islands, three generations of the Rutledge family experience a season of return, rebirth, and growth. “A heartwarming story of lowcountry love, loyalty, and longstanding friendships” (Booklist), On Ocean Boulevard is Mary Alice Monroe at her very best.
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On Ocean Boulevard is book six in the Beach House series and it is a summertime read worthy of its spot on your reading line up this season. The book takes place in a beachy town called Sullivans Island in South Carolina and is the story of a new beginning for the Rutledge family. The characters are multi-layered and the plot has little twists and turns around every corner that kept pulling me deeper into the story. If you can’t wait to jump into summer and need an escape this book and the whole Beach House series is a perfect answer.
Like so many of you, I start my summer season with the enchanting novels of Mary Alice Monroe. I’m a devoted fan of her magical depictions of the lowcountry and the charms of her characters.
Sign me up to be whisked away to Isle of Palms, South Carolina for summer vacation. Mary Alice Monroe’s sweet beach read “On Ocean Boulevard” is an inspiration to women’s relationships while showing us the natural instincts of the loggerhead sea turtles. Interspersed between the family dynamics of the Rutledge women are lessons on these threatened sea creatures.
This installment of Moore’s Beach House series revolves around Cara and her fiancé David’s upcoming nuptials with a side story on her niece Linnea’s return home from California. David absolutely adores Cara – even though she is getting cold feet regarding the big wedding and a little wobbly on moving from her beloved Primrose Cottage. Cara and David’s relationship goes thru a little drama when a family illness tests whether they actually make it to the altar. My favorite character in this story might even be our devoted David.
Linnea has come home to the low-country after both her dream career and boyfriend get cancelled in California. Feeling a failure, she picks up her loggerhead turtle protection program to get back in her groove while looking for that perfect job. Along comes the adorable British Professor Gordon with similar interests (surfing and sea turtles) and you have another sweet romantic connection. Her parents also have a few hidden dilemmas to resolve as she is working out her own self-awareness crisis.
“On Ocean Boulevard” is a delightful story that weaves these intimate family relationships together while nurturing all the strengths these women embody. The side benefit is an education in the environmental awareness of our coastal turtle friends. A fantastic summer read – preferably by a beach! This was my first Mary Alice Monroe read and even though it is part of a series, I did enjoy this book as a standalone.
It was wonderful to go back to Primrose Cottage on Isle of Palms near Charleston, SC , and catch up with what’s going on in the Rutledge family. As I read this book, I felt like I was spending time with old friends at the beach. This is a story about love – love of family and love for the world that we live in.
The Rutledge family was an old and respected family in the history of Charleston. Cara is living on the Isle of Palms in her mother’s old beach house. She in learning how to be a mother to her adopted daughter and is in the process of planning her wedding to David whose main goal in life seems to do whatever he can to make Cara happy. She is fretting over the wedding, over the time she gets to spend with her daughter and over family issues. Her niece Linnea has just returned from California after losing her job and ending her relationship. She is unsure of what she wants to do next and how she fits into her family. When a terrible illness affects Cara’s daughter, it makes everyone re-evaluate their plans for the future and make changes to help them all become happier. This is a season of return, rebirth and growth for Cara and Linnea as they face the future.
This is a beautiful story of love and family, new beginnings and learning to live in the future instead of the past. As with all of Mary Alice’s books, her love of the environment shines through her novel. In this book, it’s the loggerhead turtle and every chapter starts with a fact about sea turtles. There is also a lot of information about how pollution – especially plastic – in the ocean hurts the turtles and other sea animals. So along with my mental trip to the beach, I was able to learn more about sea turtles! I highly recommend this book!
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
The Beach House series was a series that my mom and I shared every summer. I feel in love with the series because it centered around sea turtles and my mom loved the setting. She was so excited about the release date but unfortunately, she did not get to read it before passing. I opened the book expecting to be too sad to read it but Mary Alice writes with such beauty that I felt comforted. The sense of family made me think of my mom and I felt like I was able to cross my first speed bump in the grief process.
I have no idea if there are to be more in the series but in case there is not I felt like On Ocean Boulevard came full circle from book one. Cara, Emmi, Flo, and other characters are family. You fall in love with book one and never want it to end. I believe this will be a series that I will read over and over again.
If you love the ocean, the Lowcountry, sea turtles, and/or how to conserve our environment for our future generations this is the series for you. You can start with any book as each is written as a stand-alone. The books are best read with a glass of sweet tea in your hand.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Gallery Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
4.25 stars
“On Ocean Boulevard” by Mary Alice Monroe follows the close connections of a group of women in the lowcountry of South Carolina, who are not only bound by love and friendship, but who are united in their care for the loggerhead sea turtles that many of them are devoted to helping survive.
Linnea Rutledge has returned to her roots, but she’s far from settled, and it will be a challenge to navigate the personal and professional challenges, but her passion for the preservation of the environment never flags.
This contemporary women’s fiction story paints a vivid portrait of life on a special island and one of the families who are integrated into Charleston’s colorful history. Although I have never been to this area, I could almost smell the beach, and I was delighted to share the experience of the lives of these characters and fascinated by the complicated hierarchy of the families. Although there are several books that touch on the Rutledge family, there is no problem reading this story as a stand-alone tale.
A copy of this title was provided for review
While I own all of the earlier books in this series, I have not had time to read them. So I was very pleased that this book worked as a standalone. I adore books placed in the low country and the focus on the turtle teams and environmental conservation just added to the pleasure of reading this book.
There are moments of difficulty in relationships and yet moments of endearing family and friend relationships are touching. There are several subplots that are woven through the book. This was a lovely tale of life, love, family, friendships, insecurity fear, and developing a sense of where a person fits in the world.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Once again Mary Alice Munroe has written a perfect beach read that touches the reader’s heart and leaves you ready to read the next adventure in the beach house saga.
There is absolutely nothing like spending time in Monroe’s Beach House Series! This story was no exception! From the very first sentence, it is like putting on your comfiest clothes and being surrounded by dear old friends and catching up on their lives. Great writing, wonderful friends (characters), and the easy rhythm of the Lowcountry life. What more could one ask for – but another Beach House story?!? I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this Is my honest opinion.
Well, you know summer is right around the corner when there is a Mary Alice Monroe book to read. I haven’t read all of her books….. yet, but I have loved the ones that I have read. And this one was fabulous. I loved my trip back to the beach house. It felt a little bit like being on vacation but then I was also there among friends who needed to work through some things.
I also enjoy learning about the sea turtles, which is a passion of the people on the island and Mary Alice herself. Their life cycle is fascinating to read about.
On Ocean Boulevard will definitely put you in the mood for summer and the beach, with the interesting story-line and the great cast of returning characters. It’s like catching up with old friends, and at the perfect summer vacation spot. Check it out!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have read every one of Mary Alice’s books and through reading them I have become an advocate for sea turtles and the ocean. She subtly implants the importance of clean ocean water in her plots and with her wonderful characters. Our oceans are part of our life’s blood and we all need to help save our planet and the animals that live here. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!
Captivating, heartfelt, and sentimental!
On Ocean Boulevard is an enchanting, tender tale that sweeps you away to the idyllic South Carolina Lowcountry and immerses you into the lives of the Rutledge family and all the wounds, secrets, smiles, tears, compassion, strength, and loyalty that surround them.
The writing is fluid and clear. The characters are multi-layered, resilient, and authentic. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel into an optimistic, heartwarming tale about life, love, loss, family, friendship, romance, contentment, plastic pollution, sea turtles, and the importance of environmental conservation.
Overall, On Ocean Boulevard is a big-hearted, insightful, timely, family saga by Monroe that reminds us that life is comprised of not only the lovely, special, wonderful moments but all the complicated, messy, challenging, heartbreaking ones too.
I love this series, the characters, and this author. The story line is great and well written. In books by Mary Alice Monroe, you get a great story and you can learn some truths. She does love sea turtles and is very active with these wonderful creatures. I know this because I have had the pleasure of attending a couple of her book launches. She is so interesting to listen and talk to. This love comes through in her writing. If you haven’t read any other books in this series, I would like to suggest that you do. It’s not necessary to enjoy this book, but I do love to start a series at the beginning. This book has a lot of Cara and Linnea in it. I have so enjoyed following this family and their friends. There are certainly some openings to see what happens in the future. I can’t wait to see where certain story lines will lead. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
This is a well written book that holds your attention. The author brings the book to life with her words, you can see the beautiful scenery and feel all the emotions. I love how the author brings attention to the sea turtles. If you are looking for a wonderful beach read, grab this book! Thank you Gallery Books via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this wonderful book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I loved this book. Mary Alice Monroe brings the Rutledge family back to the beach and the sea turtles, which just seems to be where these characters and their stories resonate. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone, so I am hesitant to say too much, but for everyone who is familiar with this family and loves them, I am sure you too will be crying at the end. The strength of this book is the honesty of the relationships between brothers and sisters, lovers, friends, parents and children. Mary Alice knows and loves these people and through her words, we do too. I also love that characters from the Lowcountry Summer series dropped in and added to the story. So fun! When you pack your beach bag, you have to tuck this one in, but don’t get so engrossed that you forget to turn over!
I have read all of the books in the Beach House series, and always hope there will be yet more to come. If you’ve not read the others, the author includes enough of the back story so you wouldn’t be confused, and would enjoy each book as a stand alone. This series is about the prestigious Rutledge family of Charleston, South Carolina. Caretta “Cara” Rutledge’s wedding is in a few months and her niece, Linnea returns home after living in California for two years, unemployed and without her boyfriend, who is the son of Cara’s very best friend Emmi. Linnea will have to live with her parents until she can find a job. They are now living at their house at Sullivan’s Island, having been through an unexpected bankruptcy which necessitated the sale of their mansion on one of Charleston’s most prestigious streets. The plan’s for Cara’s second wedding to David Wyatt are in full swing. He’s a wealthy retired attorney, turned businessman and wants to give Cara the wedding of her dreams. Cara is 55, and this is her second marriage, having been a widow for a number of years and much prefers a small wedding with only family and a few close friends. Linnea, at age 25, isn’t thrilled about living with her parents, especially when she senses something is going on they don’t want to talk about. Over the years, the Rutledge family has weathered many storms, including the alcoholism of her father. This is a heartfelt story as this family once again pulls together to support each other.
On Ocean Boulevard is the latest book in Mary Alice Monroe’s Beach House series of books. In this installment, Linnea Rutledge has returned to Charleston after the nonprofit she left home for has folded and her boyfriend, John Peterson, has broken her heart. As Linnea searches for the next chapter in her story, her aunt Cara Rutledge is having a difficult time navigating her upcoming marriage to wealthy David Wyatt and what all that means for her life.
At 25, Linnea has her entire life before her but lacks direction and, with the limited market for her environmental skills, she finds more doors closing than opening for her. The things that keep her from being panicked are her surfboard and turtle team duties. In this, she makes new acquaintances with whom her path will again cross when opportunity does knock.
At 55, Cara was widowed some years back and has adopted a little girl, Hope, after the untimely death of the girl’s single mother. She has been back in the Charleston area for several years again living in the beach house she inherited from her mother, the original turtle team lady Lovie Rutledge. As her wedding date to wealthy widower David Wyatt approaches, Cara is having second thoughts, not about David, but about so many other things the marriage will bring.
In this story, the reader will become reacquainted with the Rutledge family. And there are special character visitations from members of the Muir family of the Lowcountry Summer series, as well as the introduction of several new and interesting characters.
As with all of Mary Alice Monroe’s stories, this is a story of family and futures, but there are also the underlying threads she has intricately woven so well. Of course, there is the environmental thread, but it is divided into the protection of sea turtles and the danger of plastics, especially microplastics. Also woven into the story’s fabric is the threat of easily communicable diseases and the value of vaccinations, an eerily timely topic.
This is yet another wonderfully told tale by an acclaimed southern storyteller, Mary Alice Monroe. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!
“On Ocean Boulevard” by Mary Alice Monroe
I truly enjoy being back in Charleston, South Carolina with the Rutledge family and sea turtle season. I learned more environmental facts while enjoying the growth of the characters as time and circumstances alter their paths to their next life adventure. I would love to go on, and on… and if I were in a book club that was reading this story… I could find a great many things to talk about. But alas should I go on and on here… I would most certainly spoil the story for you. So, I wish you…. Happy Reading ! !
Another great story about Cara, Linnea and the turtles. Linnea is coming back home and she feels like a failure. She defied her family to move to California for a job and a man. Now she doesn’t have either. Cara is making wedding plans and she doesn’t really like it. She wants to marry, but she just doesn’t really want the big wedding, etc. As Linnea looks for a new job, she finds someone who sparks her interest. She just left one relationship and isn’t sure she should be starting another. When a tragedy strikes, Cara puts everything else on hold just to hold on to her little girl. She is finding that maybe she was wrong about some things and has to rethink her life.
This books wraps its arms around you like an old friend. The kind of friend you don’t see often, but when you do, you can pick up right where you left off. Mary Alice Monroe’s Beach House Series is like that for me. I’m not sure if I’ve read them all, but I need to go back and read/reread all of them again! This series is a perfect beach escape anytime!
We revisit the Rutledge family, focusing on Cara and Linnea, and the beautiful Isle of Palms. The Turtles and conservation are again a big part of this book, as is a controversial topic. I did not find this book preachy, more informative. Loved the ecology facts at the beginning of each chapter.
Thanks to Ms. Monroe, Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
FABULOUS!
In Monroe’s latest offering to readers, she adds one more gift to her much loved Beach House Series. There is something special about Monroe’s ability to continue her story about three generations of the Rutledge family, particularly the women. Her writing is authentic and heartfelt and draws readers in as she continues the stories of love, legacy, heartache, tradition, and resilience. These are the novels we read to enable us to reflect on our own families and how our different generations of women ”measure up”. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Simon and Schuster and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.