The Summer of Lost and Found

Mary Alice Monroe

May 2021 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

The New York Times bestselling Beach House series continues with this timely, tender, and compassionate tale of perseverance, love, and the bonds of family in the face of tremendous and sometimes painful upheaval.

The coming of spring usually means renewal, but for Linnea Rutledge, this spring is only bringing challenges. Linnea faces a layoff from the aquarium she adores, and her family’s finances, emotions, and health teeter on the brink. To complicate matters, her new love interest, Gordon, struggles to return to the Isle of Palms from England. Meanwhile, her old flame, John, turns up from California and is quarantining next door. She tries to ignore him, but when he sends her plaintive notes in the form of paper airplanes, old sparks ignite. When Gordon at last reaches the island, Linnea wonders—is it possible to love two men at the same time?

Love in the time of COVID-19 proves difficult, at times humorous, and ever changing. Relationships are redefined, friendships made and broken, and marriages tested. As the weeks turn to months, and another sea turtle season comes to a close, Linnea learns there are more meaningful lessons during this summer than opportunities lost: that summer is a time of wonder, and that the exotic lives in our own backyards.

Poignant and moving, The Summer of Lost and Found is “a novel of growing up, saying goodbye to the past, and learning to ask yourself the hard questions, including one of the most vital of all: ‘Who do you really want to be?’” (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author).

Ratings and reviews

LOVE, COURAGE & RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF COVID-19! Leave it to beloved author Mary Alice Monroe to pen the book of the year that truly paints the word picture of what life was like in the face of COVID-19! The 7th book in her wonderful Beach House Series, THE SUMMER OF LOST AND FOUND, is a story of love, courage and resilience for Linnea and the rest of her Rutledge family. They are fortunate to live on the beautiful Isle of Palms and they do not take that for granted. When COVID-19 strikes, Linnea faces a layoff from the job she loves at the aquarium. She is not alone as her family members are facing their own issues - illness, financial and emotional struggles are at the forefront of their minds. When your family lives close together, it can be a blessing but sometimes being in a “lockdown” situation may make you wonder! As time goes by they learn to rely on each other and discover new skills in certain family members. This would not be an excellent Beach Read without the element of Romance and Mary Alice Monroe has written a wonderfully, clever approach to romance during Covid! She has Linnea caught between an old love and a new love. John was the boy next door who grew up being the love of her life. He also broke her heart. Gordon is from London and has to quarantine for 14 days when he arrives for a visit. What better place to stay than at John’s! John has already been at work trying to win Linnea’s heart back just doing little things along the way. Another turtle season comes and goes and new circle of left begins. Linnea realizes that in spite of all the the testing that has taken place over the summer, she found much more than she lost. She found strength she didn’t know she had, she found a new life skills, she appreciates her family and heritage more than ever and she finally found that love wasn’t nearly as far away as she thought it was. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Goodreads. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

The Summer of Lost and Found by Mary Alice Monroe. One of my favorite book series. I keep thinking this series can't get any better but Mary Alice Monroe brings you as great a storyline or better with each new book. I hope the author keeps bringing you out new books in the series.

About the author

Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-seven books, including the bestselling The Beach House series. Monroe also writes children’s picture books, and a middle grade fiction series called The Islanders. She is a member of the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame, and her books have received numerous awards, including the South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing; the South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence; the SW Florida Author of Distinction Award; the RT Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Book Award for Green Fiction; the Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award; and her novel, A Lowcountry Christmas, won the prestigious Southern Prize for Fiction. The Beach House is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie MacDowell. Several of her novels have been optioned for film. She is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. Monroe is also an active conservationist and serves on several boards. She lives on the South Carolina coast, which is a source of inspiration for many of her books.