Beach House Rules

Bestseller Harvey (A Happier Life) serves up an arresting tale of women working together to solve their hardships. With “hunky investment guru” Bill Sitterly under investigation for fraud, his and his wife Charlotte’s assets are seized. While Bill sits in jail, Charlotte and their 11-year-old daughter, Iris, are locked out of their sparkling new home in Juniper Shores, N.C. They check into thrice-widowed Alice Bailey’s nearby “mommune,” a former bed and breakfast that now hosts a handful of single mothers in varying circumstances. Believing that Bill is unjustly accused, Charlotte gets a job at a local insurance agency and sets out to clear her husband’s name with the help of fellow mommune residents and Alice. Along the way, Alice tries to find the courage to date again and lose the “black widow” tag following her around town. Harvey keeps the twists and turns coming with her well-constructed plot, including a shocking development on the charges Bill faces. This first-rate tale is perfect for summer reading. (May)