The Beach House series by Mary Alice Monroe continues with The Summer of Lost and Found, out May 11, 2021. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ve got to pick this one up and keep up with the Rutledge family story. If you’ve never read any of the series, Mary Alice did a great job of welcoming in new readers by giving enough background to jump in here (although I recommend you read them all at some point!). This is a great summer beach read series!
The Summer of Lost and Found is filled with Rutledge family (and other recurring characters) interacting, but this time, Linnea is the protagonist. The pandemic of 2020 has hit and she has been laid-off from her job at the aquarium. I know, I didn’t think I’d want to be reading about the pandemic (especially so soon), but instead of turning me off, I found myself more connected to these characters who were socializing in small pods, keeping socially distant in public, quarantining when necessary, stressing about finances, and having concern for keeping loved ones safe and healthy.
The story focuses around Linnea’s ex-boyfriend John, who has returned to visit his mother next door to Linnea, and her current boyfriend Gordon who is struggling to get out of England to visit her and conduct a research project. Who could blame John for trying to rekindle lost love? But when Gordon arrives, Linnea is faced with tough decisions in this love triangle- who does she love and who does she want to be? And yet, there is so much more depth to this book than that! So good!
I just love this series. I wish Mary Alice had included more on the turtles and less background from the past books, but I sincerely hope she has many more adventures for the Rutledge family on the Isle of Palms. Pre-order your copy from your favorite book seller today!
(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. The review is my own honest opinion.)