4.5 stars ( )

Excellant summer read as usual. I was so excited to discover last years book on my TBR shelf and have MAM's new one in my hand I read both! Continuation of the Beach House characters was so inviting. I love reading anything about the wonderful turtle rescue and nest watching team for year to year. ( )

Fall in love with the South Carolina low country in this pleasant day dream of a beach read.

Linnea has just moved from California back to her family home in Charleston after losing her job and breaking up with her boyfriend. Against fears that she is a failure, she looks to rebuild the future that she had planned before life went so completely off track. Bolstered by the inspiring advice from her Aunt Cara, Linnea finds that while the best laid plans may go awry, the unexpected may just be exactly what she is looking for.

Meanwhile, Cara, after mourning the passing of her beloved husband several years before, has, to her surprise, found love again and is planning a big, fancy wedding - all while tending to life's other amazing blessing - a young daughter all her own, after thinking that the opportunity of motherhood had passed her by. But, will this mean big changes ahead for Cara? And, at this point in her life, is she ready and/or willing for those changes?

All of this set against the backdrop of the soothing sand, cicadas, and beaches of South Carolina. Not to mention the loggerhead turtles who prove that they can beat all odds, just like Linnea and Cara.

Sit back in your beach chair, grab a margarita, and immerse yourself in the beauty of the Coastal South.

#OnOceanBoulevard
#MaryAliceMonroe
#GalleryBooks
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#GoodReads
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I received an advanced copy via NetGalley from Gallery books. All opinions are my own.

I have been a Mary Alice Monroe fan for a long time, and any new book in her The Beach House series and the Rutledge family is like catching up with an old friend. (That said, you don't need to have read the earlier books to jump into this story.)

This latest installment didn’t disappoint. It is a fast-paced, easy read. As always, it leaves me longing for the beach, as Monroe is always so lovingly descriptive with her setting, and her passion for sea turtles and the nuggets of information she drops at the beginning of chapters are an added bonus.

Like much of the stories involving various members of the Rutledge family, this one is about facing the roadblocks and curveballs life hands you and finding your place in the world. I will admit, I was surprised by Cara's reticence to speak her mind about not wanting a large wedding, as it felt a little out of character.

I am hopeful that the story will continue as want to know what is next for Linnea and Cara in particular, but I will say that it does feel like the story has come full circle.

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On Ocean Boulevard seems to have a problem with who is the main character. It begins with one person and concludes with another. It is a book about some spoiled women who cannot roll with the punches of life. They look to other people for support and claim that they are strong. The women must live in perfect lives. As far as an escape book, no this is not that. The author can and has done better. The three stars are a generous gift and should be less. ( )