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Swimming Lessons
(Beach House #2)
by
It's been five years since the original turtle lady, old Miss Lovie Rutledge, passed away, but her legacy lives on with some special women, especially Toy and her daughter, young Little Lovie.
Toy Sooner kept her graveside vow to her beloved mentor. She left behind an abusive, dysfunctional lifestyle to become a strong single mother and aquarist at the South Carolina Aquari ...more
Toy Sooner kept her graveside vow to her beloved mentor. She left behind an abusive, dysfunctional lifestyle to become a strong single mother and aquarist at the South Carolina Aquari ...more
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Clare
Yes it can. I did not realize it was book two in the series... But of course you will want to read all of the series!
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This is not a book I would have picked to read. But that’s how book club selections roll. It’s a bit too chick lit for me. Toy is a single mom of a five year old daughter, living on The Isle of Palms. She’s part of a loggerhead turtle rescue team and also works for the Charleston Aquarium. In typical chick lit fashion, you’re quickly introduced to several good looking single men.
I enjoyed learning about loggerhead turtles. In fact, I would have been happier if the book had delved more into the ...more
Swimming Lessons by Mary Alice Monroe is a 2007 Mira publication.
As we begin this second book in the “Beach House” series, we find five years have gone by, that Cara and Brett have married and are trying to start a family, which has been a very slow and painful process.
Toy is living in the beach house with her young daughter ‘Little Lovie’, and has a great job working at the South Carolina Aquarium.
Emmi has now divorced, but is taking it very, very hard, acting very impulsively as though she ...more
As we begin this second book in the “Beach House” series, we find five years have gone by, that Cara and Brett have married and are trying to start a family, which has been a very slow and painful process.
Toy is living in the beach house with her young daughter ‘Little Lovie’, and has a great job working at the South Carolina Aquarium.
Emmi has now divorced, but is taking it very, very hard, acting very impulsively as though she ...more
A perfect read to ease into summertime! About family and friendship in good times and bad, and learning about the concerns regarding the Loggerhead turtles and their plight. Beautiful all around story! 4 ☆
Did you ever read a book that you got so involved with the characters you didn't want the book to end? You felt like you could be there with them. This is the sequel to Beach House which at the time I read Beach House didn't realize there was a sequel. This book brings closure to the characters in Beach House. It's about family, family, friendship, good times, and sad times. And as a bonus you learn about nature and the low country. I think what really draws you to her books is the peacefullness
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I love this book, it continued on with the stories of Toy, Little Lovie, Cara and Flo, the famous turtle savers, they all come full circle and show what true love and true friendship really is...
Jun 23, 2009
Diane
rated it
really liked it
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review of another edition
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Swimming Lessons, by Mary Alice Monroe seemed to be the perfect audio book to ease into summer with. I generally love most books set on the shores of lovely South Carolina, and when I read that this one included a story about the cycle of life of the Loggerhead turtles of the Isle of Palms, it had a special meaning to me.
Several years ago while on vacation, we were fortunate enough to be able to see these magnificent creatures lay their eggs along the shore. It was fascinating even though the ar ...more
Several years ago while on vacation, we were fortunate enough to be able to see these magnificent creatures lay their eggs along the shore. It was fascinating even though the ar ...more
A sweet summertime romantic novel in the "Beach House" series by Mary Alice Monroe.
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Sequel to the beach house, continuing from one character's point of view. Immediately read this after the Beach House. Wonderful book, you really want to root for the main character's success, love interest and career as biologist. What a success story for a young female character who had an abusive boyfriend in book I and was estranged from her irresponsible parents. Loved this book and looking to read many more of Monroe's books. This is about the power of female friendships and the turns life
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Loaned to me by a friend who is on a mission to read all of Mary Alice Monroe's books. This is a sequel to _The Beach House_, starts with Toy Sooner and her child, now five years old, and of course with the rescue of a loggerhead turtle.
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I really didn't want to read another book about these Turtle Ladies and their families, but once I got started, the story pulled me in and I became very involved with them. Mary Alice Monroe is a good storyteller, and I ended up enjoying this so much. ...more
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I really didn't want to read another book about these Turtle Ladies and their families, but once I got started, the story pulled me in and I became very involved with them. Mary Alice Monroe is a good storyteller, and I ended up enjoying this so much. ...more
Nice book and very likable characters. This get in mood to be at the beach. Very informative about turtles. Love it. Want read more in the series.
I love a good romance, based at the beach in South Carolina. Total sucker for that combo and usually rate the book a three out of five stars. But this book was different because it had a lot of factual information about marine life in the area - particularly loggerhead turtles - and so that earned it a four star review for me! Great beach read!! On to the last in the trilogy....
Skimmed the first half but it finished strong!
Love this book!!
While this is a little "soppy" and perhaps more predictable than my usual reads - I loved this book!!!! I read he book, "Beach House" about 5 years ago, which I loved, and this sequel was also wonderful. I love the environmental messages and the sea turtle rescues are very interesting. I have been on Isle of Palms and also visited and continue to support the Turtle Hospital in The Keys. So -the subject resonates with me, and the author does such a good job of creating great characters, and I rea
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I hadn’t intended to read this book, let alone the series. The first book was in the condo we purchased on the SC shore, and then a Floridian friend gifted me the last two, so I was “in for a penny, in for a pound,” after breezing through Beach House.
As an fellow SC beach person, I really loved the naturalist approach to Monroe’s books and felt I became as invested in the turtle knowledge as I did the characters.
As an fellow SC beach person, I really loved the naturalist approach to Monroe’s books and felt I became as invested in the turtle knowledge as I did the characters.
Jan 05, 2013
Barbara
added it
This was one of her best books....Probably because of the turtles. Miss Monroe has proven to do extensive research on all her books and although the outcome is somewhat predicable the knowledge learned about the underlining story is always worth the time spent. I had the opportunity to meet Miss Monroe and found her as enchanting as all of her books.
I enjoyed this and The Beach House so much, I bought Turtle Summer for my seven-year-old granddaughter for Christmas. Her family vacations on Topsail Island, NC and alway go to the turtle rescue center while they are there.
This is the sequel of Beach House, so it was interesting to find out what has happened to the characters. Toy has certainly grown, and her "Turtle Life" was interesting. Loved the Isle of Palms setting! Hope there is another sequel so we can keep up with the Turtle Ladies and Toy's life.
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I wasn't sure I would like this sequel to The Beach House, but once I got into it I really enjoyed learning Toy's story. It was very enjoyable to read how she went from a pregnant teenager to a responsible adult who is beginning a very good life for herself and her daughter.
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Love this series! I feel like I know the characters very well after finishing this second book in the series. Looking forward to more summer fun with the sea turtles!
I loved it as much as the first - cant wait to continue this series.
What I have enjoyed about the novels of Mary Alice Monroe is her emphasis on nature. In this one, she continues the story of the turtle ladies, a team of women, often assisted by men, who strive to save the lives of the loggerhead turtles just off the coast of South Carolina. Also in this story the main character, Toy Sooner, has a chance to assist with teams observing and helping the leatherback sea turtles as they come ashore to lay eggs in Costa Rica. I enjoyed the descriptions of both kinds
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The best things about Mary Alice Monroe's books are the descriptions of the South Carolina Lowcountry, which happens to be one of my favorite places in the whole world. I have a child obsessed with all sorts of turtles, so I really enjoyed reading about the loggerheads and the development of the turtle hospital at the South Carolina Aquarium.
The second best part of MAM's books are her characters. They are all well written, albeit slightly non complex, but you get caught up in their hopes and dre ...more
The second best part of MAM's books are her characters. They are all well written, albeit slightly non complex, but you get caught up in their hopes and dre ...more
Turtles, turtles and their fierce protectors on the barrier islands. This is also a family/friend saga of said protectors, with a new love story adding dimension.
I liked this better than Beach House, because it was more about saving injured turtles, as well as protecting their nests.
This is a sequel that takes place 5 years after the Beach House.
I liked this better than Beach House, because it was more about saving injured turtles, as well as protecting their nests.
This is a sequel that takes place 5 years after the Beach House.
Mary Alice Monroe delivers another five star novel. An eloquently written book about love, loss, and friendship. Monroe beautifully describes the South Carolina Lowcountry in this series. Her well developed characters come to life on the pages. I loved the story and I found it interesting to learn all about the loggerhead turtles. Can't wait to start the next book in this series.
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The second book of the Beach House series was as enjoyable as the first. This story focused on Toy and the progress she’s made during the past five years. After saving a turtle Toy cares for her at the aquarium where she works. The turtle’s recovery and growth mirrors Toy’s.
We also see difficulties and joy in the other Turtle Ladies. Friendship and romance are a given in this series.
We also see difficulties and joy in the other Turtle Ladies. Friendship and romance are a given in this series.
These books by Monroe are not hugely compelling or original story-wise but I like the pace and feel of the interactions between these women who hang out on Isle of Palms and rescue turtles.
Thoroughly enjoyed book #3 in this series which focuses on Toy and her changes since book #1.
I loved Toy’s story. It’s very entertaining, enjoyable, and educational. I highly recommended this book. 💕
This story was pretty predictable, but still enjoyable. I loved The Beach House, so it was nice getting to revisit the characters, and see how things had changed over the past 5 years.
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Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of nearly 30 novels and children's books, including THE SUMMER OF LOST AND FOUND, on sale May 11, 2021.
More than 7.5 million copies of her books have been published worldwide, and she’s earned numerous accolades and awards, including: Induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame; the Southwest Florida Author of Distin ...more
More than 7.5 million copies of her books have been published worldwide, and she’s earned numerous accolades and awards, including: Induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame; the Southwest Florida Author of Distin ...more
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Beach House
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“It gives us a better perspective of our place. We hold our history so dear, our politics so tight. But in the fullness of time, all histories fade. Rome, Ephesus, the Incan and Mayan cultures. The wheel of time turns round and round and proves change is part of nature. The problem comes in trying to interfere with nature or to think we know more than nature. Our failures are humbling. The more I learn, the more I see that, in the end, nature will prevail.”
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“To feel nature as a child is much more important than just being able to list names of birds, or plants or animals. That kind of heart isn’t something you can teach a child in books.”
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