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    The Summer Guests
    The Summer Guests
    The Summer Guests
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Summer Guests

    Written by Mary Alice Monroe

    Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

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    About this audiobook

    This “authentic, generous, and heartfelt” (Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author) novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Beach House series explores how new beginnings can be born from disasters and how, even during the worst of circumstances—or perhaps because of them—we discover what is most important in life.

    Late August is a beautiful time on the Southern coast—the peach trees are ripe, the ocean is warm, and the sweet tea is icy. It’s the perfect time to enjoy the rocking chairs on the porch. But beneath the calm surface bubbles a threat: it’s also peak hurricane season.

    When a hurricane threatens the coasts of Florida and South Carolina, an eclectic group of evacuees flees for the farm of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips in North Carolina: the Phillips’s daughter Moira and her rescue dogs, famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, makeup artist Hannah McLain, horse breeder Gerda Klug and her daughter Elise, and island resident Cara Rutledge. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they must ride out the storm together.

    During the course of one of the most challenging weeks of their lives, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters isn’t what they brought with them to the mountains. Rather, it’s what they’ll take with them once they leave.

    “The Summer Guests in an intimate and wise novel about what matters most in our lives. Mary Alice Monroe writes with great wit and wisdom about what happens when both human nature and the natural world collide” (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author).
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJun 11, 2019
    ISBN9781508279136
    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.  

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    Reviews for The Summer Guests

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    • 5/5
      Wonderful story. The narrator brought it to life. Good book
    • 4/5
      I liked the multiple storylines but found the book slow in some parts.
    • 5/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this horse/hurricane story, even though I am truly horrified with horse racing---fortunately NOT any part of this novel! Monroe is so good with her characters and their relationships. Definitely a fascinating book and I really liked the human/animal relationships---both horses and dogs.
    • 3/5
      Monroe's books normally feature locations somewhere along the South Carolina coast. In this one, everyone is leaving the coast because a hurricane is forecast to hit. The characters share an interest in horses and are all moving inland to Tryon, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains where a friend's farm can accommodate the horses. One character "comes out." One reunites with an old friend. One couple ends up trapped on Isle of Palms when they take too long boarding up. The book simply wasn't up to the writer's usual quality. While I enjoyed revisiting characters from some previous novels, the story jumped too much, seeming to leave readers wondering when certain threads might be tied up--or if they would remain unresolved. I hope the author returns to the Charleston area for the next installment. I much prefer the beach setting for beach reads.
    • 4/5
      So, I was anticipating this one IMMENSELY, but once I got started, it was actually REALLY HARD for me to read. I think it falls under the "too much too soon" category, as in the subject matter deals with things a bit too close to home, i.e. a major hurricane barreling at the Florida coast and beyond with the power to destroy lives, dreams, and forevers.

      I can honestly say (from unfortunate first hand experience) that she did capture the moments leading up to its landfall remarkably well. Lived through it, as did may others, and the reality is scary enough to leave its mark.

      As for our cast of characters here...
      Grace and Charles find their way back to each other, learning to trust fully once again. Moira discovers that she can be herself while still giving of herself in a relationship, though taking time to follow her own passions is a must. Gerta and Elise find their way back to themselves, a longer road than you might think too, and in that rediscovery make their own ways in the world in rather surprising ways...and with surprising people. Hannah and Javier Angel de la Cruz realize what is truly important to them, and make the changes needed to follow their dreams come what may. Cara and David find that what they were always searching for was right in front of them, and that when love is found it should not be let go.

      All in all, I got caught up in all the connections forged through proximity and the carryover after the storm passed. Though it was not exactly what I expected, and the storm's changes unanticipated, it was enjoyable nonetheless. My only hang up was when generally kind souled Moira said something about "...and the residents who had decided, foolishly, to stay and ignore evacuation orders"...not all the decisions made in those situations are so black and white.


      **copy received for review; opinions are my own
    • 3/5
      Hurricane Nicole is coming - projected to hit Florida as a category 5 and then proceed to ride the east coast all the way impacting the barrier islands. With warnings in place, numerous characters started preparations to evacuate inland to the farm of their friend, Grace and Charles Phillips, bringing with them their dogs and horses. My book club selected this for our end of summer "beach read" and I was looking forward to it, but it fell short for me. The writing was disjointed, jumping from scenario to scenario and different character to different character and it just didn't seem to really have a cohesive plot.I think I would have been more entertained if the book had centered more on the impact of the hurricane and how the aftermath effected the characters but instead i centered more on horses and who was going to ride what horse when and it just didn't do it for me.
    • 4/5
      Looking for a summer beach read? Look no further than Mary Alice Monroe's new novel - The Summer Guests!A hurricane is set to strike the Florida and North Carolina coasts. Grace Phillips lives inland and has offered a number of her diverse group of friends to take refuge at her inland farm. The one thing they have in common? Horses.The weather mirrors the lives of the large character cast. As the hurricane threatens, the lives of the characters are facing stormy times. When the storm hits, lives change and as the storm eases up, new paths are set for almost everyone over the course of ten days. (And a lot happens!)All types of relationships are explored - friendship, mother/daughter, romantic, working - and horses. I am completely in the dark about equine matters and I learned quite a bit from Monroe's descriptions and settings. Again, much of the equine situations mirror what's going on in the lives of the group.It is a diverse group and readers will gravitate towards some players (I really liked Moira and her mother Grace - maybe we'll see them in a future book?). And dislike others. With so many characters, the narrative changed often and I felt like I didn't really get to 'know' them as much as I would have liked.The Summer Guests takes inspiration from Munroe's own life and experiences through an evacuation, her knowledge of the horse community and of course, the Southern settings.This was a first read of Mary Alice Monroe for me. The Summer Guests engaged me, the story was entertaining and it just seemed right for beach reading.
    • 4/5
      There is a hurricane headed toward Florida. A mandatory evacuation is in effect. People are loading up their valuables and heading to high ground. Charles and Grace have opened their farm to family and their very eclectic friends and ALL their animals.Hannah and Javier, Gerda and Elise, Moira, Cara all arrive at the farm with horses and dogs. This creates a unique environment. It opens their eyes to what they need to change in their lives and what strength is needed to overcome many of life’s obstacles. Each person takes something new away from this experience and all of it is life changing.There are lots of characters in this read but each are unique and have their own set of worries and difficulties. Mary Alice Monroe always has the best characters. They are so relatable and real! I also enjoyed the horses and learning about dressage. No one does animals, nature and people like MAM!This is not my favorite Mary Alice Monroe book but it is still wonderful. I love that MAM changes her stories. She does not keep the same “beach reads”. She expands her horizons. And this novel fast paced and unique!I received this novel from Gallery Books for a honest review.
    • 5/5
      The Summer GuestsBy Mary Alice MonroeWhat it's all about...Horses and personalities! That’s what this book is about. Plus a lot of it is about the personalities of horses...what they like, whom they like and what they will do if they don’t actually like you! A hurricane is looming and friends have gathered inland at the horse farm of Grace and Charles. Everyone has issues as they come together. Horse issues, marriage issues, personality issues and what should I do with my life issues. Luckily the horse farm is large enough for people and horses and rescue dogs to spread out and eventually come to terms with their life choices. My thoughts after reading this book...I just simply enjoyed this book. The horse talk was fascinating, the people were both fascinating as well as annoying and I love every horse I encountered. What I loved best...I think I really loved best learning about the personalities of the horses. That truly surprised me but the horses were connected to these people in obvious as well as mysterious ways. What potential readers might want to know...This book was intense, delightful and filled with lively personalities. It was a great way to enter into a summer reading frenzy! I received this book from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my choice to read and review it.
    • 5/5
      Readers can always depend on Mary Alice Monroe to give them a fantastic story that is animal friendly. She is a very strong environmentalist and it shows in her stories. In the past, her books have taken place at the beach so we learned a lot about dolphins and sea turtles. For Summer Guests, she moves her story to the NC mountains at Tryon and the animals that are a main part of this story are horses. The consistent part of every Mary Alice Monroe book are the characters - characters who are so well written that you feel as if you know them in real life as you laugh with them and cry with them and empathize with them as their stories are being told.As Hurricane Noelle heads towards the United States, most of the residents of the southeastern coastal area make plans to evacuate. The main characters in this book all have horses so they are evacuating with their horses. They don't know each other but they are all friends with Grace and Charles Phillips and they all evacuate with their horses to the Phillips horse farm in the NC mountains to ride out the storm. The group includes the Phillips’s daughter Moira and her rescue dogs, famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, makeup artist Hannah McLain, horse breeder Gerda Klug and her daughter Elise, and island resident Cara Rutledge. During the week that they are together, several relationships are put to the test as other relationships are formed. As the hurricane makes landfall on US soil and possibly destroys their homes, they are all working on personal issues in the mountains. Will they be able to leave the mountains and return home with a better understanding of themselves and their goals for the future?I definitely enjoyed this book and the relationships between the main characters. I also learned a lot about horses and horse shows - especially dressage. It's a wonderful book about family and friendship, love of others and learning to love yourself and self-discovery of goals for the future. Mary Alice has done it again and provided her readers with a book full of unforgettable characters and a fantastic story line.Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.