The Summer Guests

A hurricane approaches the South Carolina coast, forcing an eclectic group of strangers to evacuate to a horse farm in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. Grace and Charles Phillips welcome these coastal evacuees to their sprawling estate, where they must wait out the storm together. The guests include a renowned equestrian, a horseback riding instructor and her partner, and a grieving widow - each bringing their own horses, secrets, and personal struggles. As the storm rages on the coast, the displaced visitors confront their individual challenges while forming unexpected bonds with their fellow refugees. The characters grapple with issues of trust, grief, and second chances against the backdrop of competitive horse training and uncertain weather conditions. Their time at the mountain sanctuary leads them to reconsider their life choices and relationships. Through the lens of natural disaster and forced displacement, the novel explores themes of resilience, the healing power of human and animal connections, and the ways crisis can spark personal transformation.

Readers found this to be a slow-paced story focused more on character development than action. Many appreciated the authentic portrayal of evacuating from hurricanes and the details about equestrian life and horse training. Several reviewers noted the book helped them understand what hurricane evacuation feels like. Readers liked: - Accurate depiction of horse care and showing - Realistic hurricane preparation details - Character growth and relationship dynamics Readers disliked: - Too many characters to keep track of - Slow plot progression - Limited hurricane drama despite the premise - Predictable romantic storylines Multiple reviewers mentioned struggling to connect with or distinguish between the large cast of characters. One reader noted "the hurricane feels more like a backdrop than a central conflict." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (500+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.3/5 (150+ ratings)

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🌪️ Hurricane Irma, which serves as the backdrop for this novel, caused over $77 billion in damage in 2017, making it one of the costliest Atlantic hurricanes on record. 🐎 The equestrian elements in the book draw from Mary Alice Monroe's personal experience—her daughter was a competitive horse rider, giving her intimate knowledge of the horse show world. 🏡 The story's setting of Tryon, North Carolina, is a real-life equestrian haven, hosting numerous prestigious horse shows and serving as home to the Tryon International Equestrian Center. 📚 While most of Monroe's previous novels were set in the South Carolina Lowcountry, this book marked a departure by focusing on the Carolina mountains. 🤝 The novel was inspired by the author's own evacuation experience during Hurricane Hugo in 1989, when she and her family sought refuge inland with strangers who became lifelong friends.