This post contains links to products that I may receive compensation from at no additional cost to you. View my Affiliate Disclosure page here.
Book club questions for Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey takes an in-depth look at this charming novel about friendship, and community. There will be spoilers so for more context about the book, check out my spoiler-free review first.
This was such a fun read! I loved the writing style, and each character felt so vivid. Such an entertaining story that is perfect for summer reading.
Let me know what you think about the book in the comments section below!
The Synopsis
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?
Book Club Questions for Beach House Rules
- Charlotte’s life is turned upside down when her husband Bill is accused of a white-collar crime. And she and her daughter, Iris, are left with no where to go.What would have done if you were in Charlotte’s position?
- Alice invites Charlotte and Iris to live at the mommune until they get their feet back on the ground. Why did Charlotte agree to live there, despite not really knowing Alice?
- Why did Alice establish the mommune for single mothers?
- There are certainly a lot of rules at the place (hence the title, Beach House Rules), why did Alice establish these rules and tasks for those who live at the house? What did it help accomplish?
- What were your thoughts on the dynamics between all the housemates?
- Did you believe Bill did commit the crimes, or did you think he was innocent?
- How did this experience help Charlotte and Iris bond more?
- We read the story from the perspectives of Charlotte, Iris and Alice. Why was it important for us to read each of their viewpoints?
- Throughout the whole experience, an anonymous instagram account comments on all the gossip of the community, especially the members of the mommune. Were you surprised when it was revealed the account is run by Merit, the son of a woman staying at the mommune? Why did he start this account and talk so much about those staying at the house?
- Alice is in constant grief over the loss of her first husband, Jeremy. But it turns out Jeremy is actually alive, and he’s the reason Bill is in jail. Let’s discuss this reveal, and the impact it had on Alice.
- What happens next for all the main characters?
- The author Kristy Woodson Harvey says that in many ways, this book is an ode to female friendship and the ways it enhances our lives. Let’s talk about the importance of having a community of friends.
Additional Recommendations
Hope you enjoyed book club questions for Beach House Rules! Here are some more recommendations along with links to book club questions.
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand
If you’re looking for more reads set in beach towns, try out Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand. Check out my book club questions here.
Chief of Police Ed Kapenash is about to retire. Blond Sharon is going through a divorce. But when a 22-million-dollar summer home is purchased by the mysterious Richardsons—how did they make their money, exactly?—Ed, Sharon, and everyone in the community are swept up in high drama. The Richardsons throw lavish parties, flirt with multiple locals, flaunt their wealth with not one but two yachts, and raise impossible hopes of everyone they meet. When their house burns to the ground and their most essential employee goes missing, the entire island is up in arms.
The last of Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling Nantucket novels, Swan Song is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom and heart, featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself.
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
If you’re looking for another summer style read, consider One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle. Check out my book club questions here.
When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.
But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.
And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.
Happy reading!
