Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Beach House for Rent
    Beach House for Rent
    Beach House for Rent
    Audiobook11 hours

    Beach House for Rent

    Written by Mary Alice Monroe

    Narrated by Mary Alice Monroe

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe returns to her beloved Isle of Palms to tell the poignant, charming story of two women, one summer, and one very special beach house.

    When Cara Rutledge rents out her quaint beach house on Isle of Palms to Heather Wyatt for the entire summer, it’s a win-win by any standard: Cara’s generating income necessary to keep husband Brett’s ecotourism boat business afloat, and anxiety-prone Heather, an young artist who’s been given a commission to paint birds on postage stamps, has a quiet space in which to work and tend to her pet canaries uninterrupted.

    It isn’t long, however, before both women’s idyllic summers are altered irrevocably: the alluring shorebirds—and the man who rescues them—begin to draw Heather out of the shell she’s cultivated toward a world of adventure, and maybe even love; at the same time, Cara’s life reels with sudden tragedy, and she wishes only to return to the beach house that had once been her port amidst life’s storms. When Heather refuses to budge from her newfound sanctuary, so begins the unlikeliest of rooming situations. While they start out as strangers, as everything around the women falls apart they learn that the only thing they can really rely on is each other.

    And, like the migrating shorebirds that come to the island for the summer, these two women of different generations must rediscover their unique strengths so by summer’s end they, too, can take flight in ways they never imagined possible.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJun 20, 2017
    ISBN9781442394117
    Author

    Mary Alice Monroe

    Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of 27 books including her newest novel The Summer of Lost and Found (May 2021, Gallery Books), and her first Middle Grade book The Islanders (June 2021, Aladdin Books). Monroe’s books have been published worldwide. She’s earned numerous accolades and awards, including: Induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame; Southwest Florida Author of Distinction Award; South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence; RT Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Book Award for Green Fiction, and the prestigious Southern Book Prize for Fiction. Her bestselling novel The Beach House is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. Mary Alice Monroe is also the co-creator and co-host of the weekly webshow and podcast Friends and Fiction. Monroe found her true calling in environmental fiction when she moved to the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Captivated by the beauty and fragility of her new home in the lowcountry, Monroe’s experiences gave her a strong and important focus for her novels. Monroe and Dorothea Benton Frank were lowcountry neighbors. Dottie--as she was called among friends-- lived across the inlet from Isle of Palms on the neighboring Sullivan’s Island. Together they became part of a small tribe of Lowcountry writers who gathered together over the years for meals and conversation supporting each other’s careers and personal lives. Dottie’s energy and spirit will be forever missed.  

    More audiobooks from Mary Alice Monroe

    Related to Beach House for Rent

    Related audiobooks

    Contemporary Women's For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Speed of Mercy

      Jul 30, 2021

      Speed of Mercy
      10 min read

    • Article

      Page Turners

      Jan 5, 2023

      Page Turners
      2 min read

    • Article

      THE room Reading

      Feb 24, 2021

      THE room Reading
      3 min read

    • Article

      Great Reads

      Feb 17, 2022

      Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series

      2 min read

    • Article

      Come Stay

      Jan 16, 2024

      Come Stay
      23 min read

    • Article

      An ocean OF LOVE

      Jun 27, 2023

      An ocean OF LOVE
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Dream Uprooted

      Mar 16, 2020

      A Dream Uprooted
      5 min read

    • Article

      An Ocean Of Love

      Aug 17, 2021

      An Ocean Of Love
      6 min read

    • Article

      STEPPING Out

      Feb 12, 2020

      STEPPING Out
      9 min read

    • Article

      Guiding Presence

      May 18, 2020

      Guiding Presence
      7 min read

    • Article

      Never Lonely

      Aug 5, 2021

      Never Lonely
      3 min read

    • Article

      A Puzzle Of Nostalgia

      Aug 26, 2022

      A Puzzle Of Nostalgia
      5 min read

    • Article

      Lower Clarence Delights

      Oct 17, 2018

      Lower Clarence Delights
      7 min read

    • Article

      Grandma Ruth’s UP Truck Stop

      May 10, 2021

      Rachel’s last semester at the University of Michigan would have been easy if not for the news that reached her six weeks before her final exams. It wasn’t a phone call—the phone lines were still down from the most recent blizzard to hit Paradise, she

      28 min read

    • Article

      Summer Reading Guide

      Jan 2, 2022

      Summer Reading Guide
      6 min read

    • Article

      My Favourite Memory Of…

      Jun 15, 2023

      My Favourite Memory Of…
      4 min read

    • Article

      Okay, Okay, Okay

      Dec 1, 2023

      Okay, Okay, Okay
      9 min read

    • Article

      HOT Beach Reads

      Jun 22, 2023

      HOT Beach Reads
      3 min read

    • Article

      Too Wild To Love

      Nov 24, 2022

      Too Wild To Love
      11 min read

    • Article

      Read It

      May 20, 2019

      Turning 70, Posy Montague has to make the agonising decision about her family home, Admiral House, set in the Suffolk countryside. Although full of memories of her idyllic childhood and of raising her own children, the house is in disrepair and the t

      2 min read

    • Article

      Best Books To Give

      Nov 17, 2021

      There’s nothing cosier than curling up with a good read over the festive period, so a book makes a wonderful gift for loved ones and your friends. From delicious cookbooks to compelling memoirs and Christmas stories, we’ve got you covered with this f

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Sound Of Music

      Apr 3, 2020

      The Sound Of Music
      5 min read

    • Article

      Paltry Gestures

      Jan 5, 2021

      Paltry Gestures
      6 min read

    • Article

      The season’s BEST BOOKS

      Jun 1, 2022

      The season’s BEST BOOKS
      6 min read

    • Article

      Spellbinding Reads

      Nov 11, 2022

      READ THIS BY RACHEL JOYCE DOUBLEDAY In The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, the title character set off on foot on his unlikely trek across England to find his old friend Queenie Hennessy, while 1his embittered and grieving wife, Maureen, was le

      3 min read

    • Article

      Christmas Q&A with K‘Lee

      Dec 7, 2020

      WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY TRADITION? Christmas Eve lunch/dinner. It’s the one time we can all catch up as a whānau to eat, watch the kids play and just celebrate the year and all that’s happened. FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS SONG? LEAST FAVOURITE? I love

      2 min read

    • Article

      Manhattan, 2035

      Mar 26, 2021

      There were problems with being the daughter of a former it girl. First of all, the designation, which, as her mother grew older, warped slightly across the society pages, affecting her mood. Most people remembered her mother’s modelling stints, brush

      4 min read

    • Article

      Too Wild to Love

      Dec 1, 2022

      Too Wild to Love
      11 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Beach House for Rent

    4/5

    122 ratings13 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      I did like this book…but am feeling frustrated!

      I’ve listened to MANY books on Scribd…and lots of this author’s books. I’ve always been satisfied with the quality. HOWEVER, this one seems to be missing pieces. It would start in one convo then it’s in another. Never did find out what Natalie (step mother) & Heather’s discussion entailed. Never heard about Heather & Bo’s first date after he left her at the dock to prepare.
    • 1/5
      No issue at all with the book or the author. An enjoyable story. Couldn’t listen to the end so more than a little disappointed to listen to 11+ hours and then not get the end. I assume everyone lives happily ever after.
    • 3/5
      Beach House for Rent is a book of self discovery for the female characters in the book. It takes place today. The characters are believable. There is nothing remarkable about the book. The book was not rushed by the author seemingly for a specific deadline and had a slow pace which made it easy to have a beginning, middle and an end.. A three star rating is a nice rating for a nice story.
    • 5/5
      What a wonderful story and anytime I can learn more about shore birds the better. I can keep reading about the Low Country forever.
    • 5/5
      What an enjoyable book. You have Heather, a super introvert who has panic attacks when dealing with anything. She has pretty much become a recluse. Her father rents the beach house for the summer so that Heather can work on her commission of painting beach birds as postage stamps. Then there is Cara, owner of the beach house. A tragedy sends her into a tailspin and she needs a place to live so she moves back to the beach house. The book covers what a family means and that doesn't mean blood relatives. It shows how you can grow and bloom and live again. This story will remind you not to take things for granted and to slow down, breathe and enjoy the moment.

      I won this copy through Goodreads.
    • 5/5
      Typical book from Monroe---fast paced with eventful happenings for more than one main character. Easy to read for a brief escape.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to return to the Beach House. I enjoyed reading about a female with PTSD since I suffer from it myself. I was glad to see Heather blossom in the Lowcountry and fall in love. I hated that Cara lost her husband but I was glad to see her befriend Heather and get back into the turtle team. I loved that she moved to Tennessee at the end to work for their Aquarium. Hoping for a sequel about that and Heather's life, too. I also enjoyed learning more about shorebirds.

      Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I still preordered a copy so I will have a copy for my collection.
    • 5/5
      BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT(Beach House #4)MARY ALICE MONROEMY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️PUBLISHERGallery BooksPUBLISHEDJune 20, 2017An enchanting beach story of two strong-willed women struggling to overcome emotional hardships while surrounded by good friends and the healing power of nature. SUMMARYCara Rutledge loved the quaint yellow cottage perched on a dune overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Primrose Cottage has weathered the storms and the sunshine on the Isle of Palms for eighty-five years. This isolated island is where Cara had learned to swim, fish and climb trees as she was growing up. This is where she met and married the love of her life. Primrose originally belonged to Cara's mother, who passed away and handed it down to Cara. Cara rented her beloved beach house to Heather Wyatt, 26, for the summer. Heather's anxiety has kept her indoors for years with her three pet canaries. Heather's summer at Isle of Palms is an exercise in living on her own, and completing an art commission painting shorebirds. Painting shorebirds requires her to go outside the confines of the beach house, an immense struggle for Heather. With help from new found friends Heather begins to flourish in this cozy cottage on the beach.After renting the beach house to Heather, Cara experiences an immense tragedy. She longs to go back to her sanctuary, Primrose Cottage, to recover. After an initial clash, Cara and Heather agree to live together for the remainder of the summer. The two women, despite age difference help each other through difficult times, and each are able to draw their strength from friendships, and from the beautiful nature that surrounds them. REVIEWTwo strong women, a comfortable yellow beach house, daily birdsong, good friends and romantic sunsets dinners, what could be better. Beach House for Rent was a most enjoyable read. The story was light, and it was a fabulous quick read. The characters were well developed and very likable. Mary Alice Monroe's writing is vivid and flawless. I loved how the birds and the beach were brought to life in this book. Reading about the long neck brown pelicans, the tall pink roseate spoonbills, and strong and graceful loggerhead turtles made me yearn to smell the salt air of the low country and feel the sand between my toes. Highly recommended for a summer beach or poolside read!Mary Alice Monroe is a New York Times best-selling fiction author known for richly textured books that explore the compelling parallels between nature and human nature. This is her fourth book in her Beach House series. Thanks to Netgalley, Gallery Books and Mary Alice Monroe for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      This is my first novel by Mary Alice Monroe. I didn't realize that this novel was the final novel in a series but I am happy to say it was great as a standalone. I considered it a "light read" with likable characters.The setting is the beautiful low country, the coast of South Carolina, Isle of Palms. Heather has been commissioned to provide sketches of shorebirds to be used as postage stamps. She is the renter of the title's Beach House, named Primrose, and the talented author provides us with an educational novel that includes the shorebirds, turtle nests, canaries, and the environment.This is a novel about two women, Heather, and the beach house's owner, Cara, who are trying to find their way after each suffers a tremendous loss. Together they realize that they can help each other, bond, and form a friendship through the healing power of nature. Very enjoyable summer read.
    • 5/5
      The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe is a 2017 Gallery Books publication. I’ve been dying to sink my teeth into this latest installment in the ‘Beach House’ series by Mary Alice Monroe! I’ve never been disappointed by one of MAM’s novels, but this one is especially poignant and is simply storytelling at its finest. Once again, we return to the magical beach house filled with special memories of Lovie, Cara’s mother, who stubbornly refused to sell it, eventually handing it down to her daughter. Over the years, Cara’s often overbearing and obnoxious brother, Palmer, has pushed her to sell the prime location, but Cara has firmly refused him. However, dark and ominous financial clouds are gathering over Cara and her husband, Brett, which makes selling the house very tempting, indeed. Yet, Cara stands firm against Palmer’s aggressive, hard sell, and declares the house is for rent. She just never thought she would find a renter so fast…Heather has been commissioned to do bird sketches to be used as models for United States postage stamps!! While she is very excited about this honor, her extreme social anxiety, and panic disorder keep her from living life to its fullest. To top it off, her father recently remarried- to a much younger woman, who does not want Heather living at home any longer. So, her father gently nudges Heather out of the nest by renting her Cara’s beach house for the summer. This will give Heather time to work with her birds, get her job done, and maybe learn to live on her own- at least for the summer. But, when a horrific and cruel twist of fate occurs, Cara finds she really needs to recover in the peace and comfort she can only find at the beach house. However, with Heather living in the house for the summer, Cara must make a compromise that will suit them both, which soon becomes the foundation for a very special bond between these two unlikely friends. I always find myself totally wrapped up in the drama, love, laughter, and friendship exhibited in this series. The characters are so real, they feel like people you would meet anywhere, or that you might know personally, which makes their stories feel so real, raw, and emotional. I really took to Heather right away, understanding what it is like to live with a disorder few people understand, and are so quick to make judgements about. The more I learned about her, the more I liked her. She made so much progress, and Bo was a big part of her journey. But, what really sold me on her character was the way she took Cara in her arms and became a rock for her, even though Cara wasn’t having any of it in the beginning. ( I found her jealousy of Heather both amusing and curious- but it eventually it all becomes very clear what is bothering Cara) But, Cara’s story is the one that was the hardest to go through emotionally. Her fiftieth birthday has her taking stock of her life and her future, as she realizes that something is missing, something that has her feeling restless, and keeps her from feeling completely content. She’s been struggling to help Brett keep his business afloat, living out his dreams and passions while hers have all but disappeared. I think many people wake up at some point and realize that life’s twists and turns took them onto paths they weren’t expecting. While they may have found more happiness because of those surprising developments, it may also mean one's dreams were placed on hold or never realized. For Cara her hopes for motherhood were dashed,and she had also left her high- powered career behind to make a life with Brett, so she ended up working at a ‘job’ helping to make ends meet, but did not find it all that fulfilling. So, in part, Cara’s story is about her journey toward the discovery of her one true passion, even at this stage in her life. We all need something we are passionate about to keep us focused and centered no matter what other ups and downs, triumphs and failures, life throws onto our path. Of course, the story is also one of friendship and loyalty, about helping people through difficult periods, and coming together in times of need. This is a wonderful, heartwarming story, and it had the same effect on me as comfort food might, or chicken soup for the soul or something. I absolutely need these types of stories to lose myself in, to take me away from the world’s hardness for a while. No matter what, I always feel better after reading one of MAM’s novels.One more thought, before I finish- I can’t write a review about this series, without mentioning the ecology and animals the author weaves into her stories, which educates, but also serves as a reminder, that we are responsible for the well being of birds, and all beach life and aquatic creatures, no matter how superior you may feel, or how entitled you may feel about using the beach for your own enjoyment. As always, I came away from this story feeling humbled and deeply satisfied. Another outstanding job by this author! I do hope, like Cara promised, she will be back soon!
    • 3/5
      This was a decent read. I don't quite feel that it was the author's best, but it was okay for me.Throughout the whole book, I didn't get the beach read feel. Both of the main characters were experiencing loss or were just sad. It was kind of a downer for me with that going on. It just wasn't as upbeat as most beach reads. It was very different. A good read, just not what I expected.Thanks to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
    • 4/5
      Cara decides to rent out her mother’s beach house on the Isle of Palms. To be honest, she needs the money. Cara and her husband are in debt and need some relief. Heather is an introvert and needs a place to paint for her latest commission. It’s a win-win situation, until it’s not! This is a sequel to The Beach House. I do recommend reading that one first, just so you can understand Cara and her attachment to the beach house a little better. To me, Beach House for Rent is not quite as good as the first book. I had a difficult time relating to Heather. She came off as more spoiled than damaged! She is an introvert(which I totally relate to) but she has major insecurity. However, I didn’t feel very much empathy for her. I do not know if the writing did not take me there or if it was my hold up…probably me. She did not get better as the book moved along. Just because I didn’t like Heather does not mean I did not like the book. The story develops a major twist and this affects Cara’s life. She moves back into the beach house with Heather. This is where the story becomes what it was meant to be! What is it about MAM’s books? They are so calming. It is like coming home. Her settings are so charming and the stories surrounding these settings just keep you coming back for more!
    • 5/5
      I feel as if I have just taken a trip to the beach and spent time with friends. Mary Alice Monroe creates such wonderful characters that you feel as if you know them and the South Carolina low Country is always an important part of her novels. Cara Rutledge is the daughter of Lovie from book 1 and she inherited Lovie's beach house. She and her husband, Brett, rent the house out for the summer and just got a rental for the entire summer from Heather a young woman from NC who suffers from extreme social anxiety and has come to the beach to paint shore birds. As Heather works to overcome her anxiety, Cara suffers a life changing tragedy and wants to return to her mother's house. Can two women from such different age groups and backgrounds share the same home happily? This is a wonderful story about friendship and love and healing from tragedy.Mary Alice Monroe is a dedicated conservationalist and her love of animals is very apparent in this book with sea turtles as well as pelicans. I always learn new things when I read her books while I am enjoying her novel and taking my mini mental vacation to the beach.Thanks to the author for a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.