What’s more fun than getting a new book in your hands? Listening to a curated playlist while you’re reading! I’m so excited to introduce Charlotte, Alice, Iris, all the ladies and kids of “the mommune” within our beach house, and, of course, maybe most important, @junipershoressocialite, the snarky gossipgrammer who dishes the scoop about all the town’s residents—especially the badly behaved ones! I could have chosen dozens of songs for you to listen to as you read along, but these are my top-five favorites for getting you in the BEACH HOUSE RULES mood. I hope my brand-new novel gives you the feeling of, well, a day on the beach!
"Walking on Sunshine" – Katrina and the Waves
There are plenty of twists and turns—and oh so much drama—in BEACH HOUSE RULES. But, ultimately, I want this to be a feel-good novel that can’t help but put readers in a summer state of mind! What better song to set the stage than “Walking on Sunshine”?
“A Thousand Years” – Christina Perry
The instrumental version of this song is playing during a pivotal moment in protagonist Alice’s love life—in front of the entire town of Juniper Shores. With three dead husbands under her belt, (Yes, three. She didn’t get the nickname “Black Widow” for nothing!) Alice never imagined she’d have another chance at love. And, well, frankly, she’s terrified that what the town says is true: Maybe she is cursed. But this moment changes everything we think about Alice’s future prospects. Who is the first to comment on the scene? Why, Juniper Shores Socialite, of course.
“Toes” — Zac Brown Band
This is one of those laid-back, beachy tunes that can’t help but feel like summer fun, which I hope is what reading BEACH HOUSE RULES feels like too! Even during the toughest times in the novel, when the women and kids are together on the beach, they are able to forget about life for a while and savor those sunny-day feelings. This song reminds me of a scene where the moms are on the beach talking and Merit is teaching Iris how to surf and, for a moment, life just feels calm and good!
“Sunroof”—Nicky Youre & Dazy
Iris, our teenage protagonist, is one of my favorites. Going back to that time in my life, reliving those moments from my own teen years, was so fun! This song is the perfect one to play while reading the scene where Merit, another “mommune” member who just so happens to be the high school star quarterback and undeniable heartthrob, drives Iris to school for the first time. She thinks her life might not ever get better than that! It also speaks to the resilience of kids. Iris is going through a tough time but still manages to find herself caught up in my favorite love triangle of the book!
“Harvest Moon”—Neil Young
Summer at the mommune isn’t all fun and games… Charlotte is nursing the wound of being away from her husband—and trying to decide what the truth is and what her next steps should be. While she refers to the May Flower Moon in the prologue of the book, not the harvest one, I still think this Neil Young ballad is the perfect way to sum up how Charlotte feels for Bill. Well, there you have it. A handful of songs to get you in the BEACH HOUSE RULES state of mind! Want to round out the playlist? Try adding “Dancing in the Moonlight” (either the original King Harvest version or the Toploader remix), “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat, “Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson, “Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE, and finish it off with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. Happy reading—and listening!
“Southern bestselling sensation” (Katie Couric Media) Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a delightfully moving new novel about a mother-daughter duo learning to lean on their community of women—and each other—after their world is turned upside down.
When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.
Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?
“Perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner” (Country Living), Beach House Rulesis a charming exploration of the joy of friendship, the true meaning of family, and reclaiming the power to reshape our own destiny.
Women's Fiction Contemporary [Gallery Books, On Sale: May 27, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9781668074800 / eISBN: 9781668074824]
Great Summer Read Where Friendships Become Family
Settle in for an Enjoyable Sun-Drenched Feet-in-the Sand Summer Escape
THE BEACH READ FOR THIS SUMMER!
Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly best-selling author of nine novels including Under the Southern Sky, The Peachtree Bluff Series, and The Wedding Veil. Her Peachtree Bluff Series is currently in development with NBC with Kristy as co-writer and co-executive producer. She is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing, a finalist for the Southern Book Prize, and her books have received numerous accolades including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks, and Katie Couric’s Most Anticipated Reads.
She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic about how creating a beautiful home can be the catalyst for creating a beautiful life. Design Chic is the inaugural member of the design blogger hall of fame, sponsored by Traditional Home, and winner of Amara’s Best Luxury Blog, as chosen by Roberto Cavalli. She also loves connecting with readers her website.
Harvey is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism and holds a master’s in English from East Carolina University, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including Southern Living, Traditional Home, Parade, USA Today, Domino, Our State and O. Henry. She has been seen in Today.com, Women’s Health, The Washington Post, US News and World Report, The Huffington Post, Marie Claire’s The Fix, Woman’s World, Readers’ Digest, Bustle, New York Live and North Carolina Bookwatch, among others.
Kristy is a co-founder and co-host of the hit weekly webshow and podcast, Friends & Fiction, with fellow authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel and Patti Callahan Henry. She is a proud member of the Tall Poppy Writers, serves on the board of The University of North Carolina’s Library Board, the Beaufort Historical Association, and is a member of the University of North Carolina’s Women’s Leadership Council. She is a frequent speaker at fundraisers, book conferences and private events. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and ten-year-old son where she is working on her next novel.
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