Mary Alice Monroe’s novels often take place along the beautiful coasts of the Carolinas. She is an author who tells stories about families, frequently across generations.
In her books, she includes themes about the environment and the importance of protecting it, especially the ocean and creatures such as sea turtles. If you enjoy her books and are looking for authors with a similar style, then this list should interest you.
Kristin Hannah writes stories filled with warmth, family bonds, and emotional depth, themes readers of Mary Alice Monroe will appreciate.
In her novel “Firefly Lane,” Hannah brings readers into the lives of two childhood friends, Kate and Tully, who share an unbreakable bond spanning three decades.
As they face life’s ups and downs, from career aspirations to personal struggles, their friendship becomes a lifeline. Hannah beautifully captures both the joy and heartbreak of deep connection and life’s inevitable changes, making the story feel authentic and relatable.
Readers who value emotional storytelling and vivid, relatable characters may find Kristin Hannah a satisfying new favorite.
Elin Hilderbrand is an author who deeply understands the close bonds within families and the charm of coastal settings, qualities fans of Mary Alice Monroe often appreciate. Her novel “The Identicals” takes readers to the beautiful islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
The story revolves around identical twin sisters, Tabitha and Harper, two women whose lives couldn’t be more different. After years apart, a family crisis brings them face to face again, forcing them to untangle the resentments and misunderstandings of their past.
It’s a heartfelt story of family, forgiveness, and second chances, set vividly against a warm island backdrop.
Readers who enjoy Mary Alice Monroe’s heartfelt family dramas and engaging characters will appreciate Susan Wiggs and her novel “The Lost and Found Bookshop.” This story revolves around Natalie Harper, whose life takes an unexpected turn after tragedy strikes.
She returns to San Francisco to manage her mother’s struggling bookstore and look after her grandfather.
While facing family secrets, financial pressures, and the challenges of caregiving, Natalie discovers meaningful connections, unexpected romance, and insights into her own heart.
Susan Wiggs creates warm, authentic emotions in this touching story about loss, legacy, and the surprising ways new beginnings can arrive.
Nancy Thayer is an author known for crafting engaging stories set against coastal backdrops, often featuring strong family dynamics and heartfelt relationships. Her novel, “Summer House,” centers around the Wheelwright family as three generations gather at their Nantucket home.
This reunion reveals unexpected family tensions, hidden secrets, and personal revelations. Thayer brings us right into the lives of Charlotte, her adult children, and grandchildren, each character facing their own challenges and dreams.
With warm storytelling and relatable characters, Thayer allows readers to experience the gentle tides of family life, love, and reconciliation.
Fans of Mary Alice Monroe’s beachside dramas and rich character portrayals will appreciate Nancy Thayer’s thoughtful narrative and seaside atmosphere.
If you enjoy Mary Alice Monroe’s stories about family, friendship, and Southern coastal life, you might appreciate Dorothea Benton Frank. Her novel “Sullivan’s Island” brings vibrant South Carolina charm and a warm sense of humor into the mix.
The book chronicles Susan Hayes’ return to her family home on Sullivan’s Island to confront her past after her marriage unravels. As Susan reconnects with vivid childhood memories, buried family secrets surface, and she discovers new strength within herself.
Frank’s engaging style brings readers into the colorful Lowcountry setting, filled with authentic Southern details, vivid characters, and meaningful insights about home and forgiveness.
Books by Debbie Macomber often follow characters who face life’s challenges with warmth, resilience, and a sense of community—a great match for anyone who enjoys Mary Alice Monroe.
In “The Inn at Rose Harbor,” Macomber introduces Jo Marie Rose, a woman moving to the picturesque town of Cedar Cove to start anew after personal loss. She purchases an inn, hoping to find comfort and healing in a fresh beginning.
Her first guests come with struggles and hopes of their own. Through shared stories and small-town charm, Macomber gently explores second chances and the healing power of friendship.
Readers looking for heartfelt stories about everyday people overcoming setbacks will feel right at home with Debbie Macomber.
Karen White is an engaging storyteller whose novels capture the beauty, emotion, and southern charm familiar to readers of Mary Alice Monroe.
In “The Sound of Glass,” White introduces Merritt Heyward, a woman who unexpectedly inherits her husband’s family home in coastal South Carolina after his sudden death.
As Merritt uncovers old family secrets and forgotten memories within the house’s walls, she’s confronted by truths that connect her past to another woman’s life decades earlier.
White skillfully weaves southern history, mystery, and deep family bonds into a narrative filled with emotion and healing.
Readers who savor Monroe’s authentic coastal characters and settings will appreciate the heartfelt storytelling that Karen White brings to life in her novels.
Books by Kristy Woodson Harvey capture the warmth and heart of family and friendship that fans of Mary Alice Monroe often appreciate. Her novel, “Slightly South of Simple,” introduces readers to Ansley Murphy and her three grown daughters—Caroline, Emerson, and Sloane.
When circumstances bring them all back together in the coastal Southern town of Peachtree Bluff, secrets begin to surface, and family bonds are tested.
Harvey skillfully portrays the dynamics between mothers and daughters against a backdrop of Southern charm, coastal beauty, and relatable family drama.
Those who enjoy Monroe’s tales of family connections and second chances will likely find Harvey’s storytelling equally inviting.
If you enjoy Mary Alice Monroe’s heartfelt storytelling about family relationships and coastal settings, you may appreciate Beatriz Williams.
Williams writes engaging historical novels that often blend romance, mystery, and family drama against vivid early-20th-century backdrops.
Her book “A Hundred Summers” follows Lily Dane’s return to Seaview, Rhode Island, in the summer of 1938, where memories surface of a long-lost friendship and a complicated romance.
As Lily faces secrets from her past involving her former best friend and a lost love, a sudden hurricane threatens her beloved seaside community, raising the stakes for truth and reconciliation.
JoAnn Ross crafts heartfelt stories filled with family, relationships, and seaside charm that fans of Mary Alice Monroe will appreciate. In her book “The Homecoming,” Navy SEAL Sax Douchett returns to his coastal hometown after years away.
Sax reconnects with his past love, Kara Conway, whose dreams of restoring her family’s historic inn set the stage for new beginnings. Together they face challenges and reconnect with family, friends, and their roots.
Ross builds a warm and inviting world, blending romance, personal growth, and picturesque coastal life. “The Homecoming” delivers an emotional and satisfying story about second chances and returning home.
Readers who enjoy Mary Alice Monroe’s novels about complex relationships and emotional journeys will likely appreciate novels by Luanne Rice. Rice is known for heartfelt storytelling that draws readers into the lives of characters facing tough family challenges.
Her novel “The Secret Language of Sisters” explores the powerful bond between two siblings, Roo and Tilly. After Roo suffers a devastating accident that leaves her paralyzed and unable to communicate, the sisters’ connection is put to the ultimate test.
The story beautifully portrays themes of sisterly love, resilience, and healing after tragedy. Rice skillfully weaves emotional depth into everyday experiences, which makes readers truly care about the journey each character takes.
Books by Patricia Gaffney often explore heartfelt stories about friendship, family ties, and life’s second chances, similar in feel to novels by Mary Alice Monroe.
In “The Saving Graces,” Gaffney introduces readers to four close friends, Emma, Lee, Rudy, and Isabel, who form a group called the Saving Graces.
Each friend has her struggles, from complicated relationships to health issues, but together they support one another through life’s ups and downs. Readers can relate to the authentic portrayal of friendship, finding comfort in the genuine bond these characters create.
Anyone who enjoys Monroe’s stories focused on women’s lives and emotional connections might appreciate Patricia Gaffney’s thoughtful storytelling and warmhearted characters.
Cassandra King is an author whose novels blend family drama, southern charm, and heartfelt storytelling, qualities readers of Mary Alice Monroe will appreciate.
Her book “The Sunday Wife” explores the life of Dean Lynch, a pastor’s wife who struggles to fit into her husband’s demanding congregation.
Dean often feels overshadowed by expectations, but when she meets Augusta Holderfield, a woman with her own intriguing past and colorful personality, her world begins to change.
Their friendship brings challenges into Dean’s marriage and introduces her to new experiences and discoveries about herself. It is a story about friendship, self-discovery, and the courage to live authentically in the face of societal pressures.
Anita Shreve was an American novelist known for her emotional storytelling and believable, relatable characters. If you enjoy Mary Alice Monroe’s novels, Shreve’s “The Pilot’s Wife” might be of interest.
This novel follows Kathryn Lyons after she learns that her husband, a pilot, died in a tragic plane crash. She thinks she knows him very well. As the details of his secret life emerge, Kathryn must confront how little she actually knew.
This novel explores complex family relationships, trust, and betrayal. It reveals how well secrets can hide beneath the surface of a seemingly perfect life.
Wendy Wax writes engaging stories about friendship, second chances, and personal growth. Her novel “Ten Beach Road” follows Maddie, Avery, and Nikki as they unexpectedly inherit a rundown beachside mansion. Each faces personal setbacks and daunting challenges.
Together, they tackle the massive renovation project of the old house on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Along the way, they form a powerful bond, confronting past struggles and discovering their inner strengths.
For readers who enjoy the emotional depth, coastal settings, and family pressures found in Mary Alice Monroe’s novels, Wendy Wax offers that same authentic warmth and hopefulness in characters you root for and settings you can almost feel.