Monroe weaves elements of the fragile coastal environment into her popular books, writing poetically about nature and the South. Much of Monroe's best-selling fiction explores the compelling parallels between nature and human nature. Many of her novels deal with environmental issues. For example, The Beach House and Swimming Lessons refer to the plight of injured sea turtles. The Beach House was then adapted into a Hallmark Channel Hall of Fame Movie, which premiered in 2018. She has won numerous awards including a 2017 Southern Book Prize for fiction for A Lowcountry Christmas.
In The Summer Guests, an approaching hurricane drives an eclectic group of evacuees to seek shelter with friends in North Carolina, forcing them to resolve unsettled matters as they hunker down to weather the storm together.