The best beach reads of summer are here! Check out these hot new releases – your beach bag will thank you.
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Hello, Summer! It’s the perfect time to hit the beach, soak up some sun, and get lost in a good book.
If you’re a book lover like me, of all the beach bag essentials, packing a book takes top priority. Give me a low beach chair under a shady umbrella and time to read to the sound of waves, sea birds, and fellow beachgoers filling the background.
However, if a trip to the beach is out of the question and you want to recreate the beach experience, search for YouTube videos (like this one) to give you all the feels, minus the sunburn!
Whether sitting with your toes in the sand, lounging by the pool, or dreaming of an escape to the beach, I’ve compiled a list of the hottest new releases and all-time favorites. So grab your sunscreen, pack a towel, and dive into the best beach reads of summer!
What are the best beach reads this summer?
You don’t have to be sitting on a beach to enjoy this booklist of women’s fiction, rom-com, psychological thrillers, and memoirs – but I highly recommend a frozen drink with an umbrella chilling by your side!
The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
Elin Hilderbrand, “the Queen of Beach Reads,” has graced us with another fabulous story set on Nantucket.
After losing her husband, food blogger Hollis Shaw became inspired to host her own “five-star weekend” by organizing a gathering of one person from each decade of her life. What could go awry?
Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
Wyatt broke Sam’s heart at seventeen. Now, as she seems to have it all, a great job, a fiance, and a wedding to plan, she’s reunited with Wyatt after returning to her family’s beach house on Long Island.
As the memories of their past love affair sweep over Sam, she realizes she needs to make a choice about her future.
If you like this book, check Annabel Monaghan’s other wildly popular romance, Nora Goes Off Script.
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
Lather on the sunblock and settle into your beach chair because this darkly humorous, suspenseful mystery novel will keep you turning pages!
A body has been discovered face down off the side of the boardwalk on the exclusive summer haven of Fire Island. Who among a group of friends is capable of murder?
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
A group of college friends reunites in Big Sur every five years to celebrate the life of one group member with a “living funeral.” Only this year’s gathering will focus on Jordan, a friend with a secret that may change everything.
From the bestselling author of the much-loved novel, The Guncle, Steven Rowley gives us another book filled with humor and heart.
Save What’s Left by Elizabeth Castellano
When Kathleen’s husband leaves her and their home in Kansas to find his happiness, Kathleen decides she needs a change in scenery, too. So, she opts for the picture-perfect seaside town of Whitbey.
However, Whitbey isn’t what she expected from her friend’s postcards. Soon, Kathleen becomes involved in a fight with her neighbors who are building a monstrosity next to her cute little red cottage.
This one looks light-hearted, funny, and entertaining. It’s been called the perfect “un-beach” read!
Summer on Sag Harbor by Sunny Hostin
Yes, that Sunny Hostin from The View! Summer on Sag Harbor is the second book in the Summer Beach Book series that starts with Summer on the Bluffs.
This book follows Olivia as she moves into a summer home in Sag Harbor and the Historically Black Beachfront Community in this part of the Hamptons on Long Island. It’s a heartwarming novel about friendships, family, and community.
The Island of Lost Girls by Alex Marwood
La Kastellana is a beautiful, glamorous island in the Mediterranean. However, decades ago, a wealthy family moved in and forever changed the character of the island to something more sinister.
When Robin arrives on this “island of lost girls” searching for her missing seventeen-year-old daughter, she feels she’s being watched.
This one looks like a gripping and suspenseful read for enjoying on the beach or anywhere!
The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop
Rachel began her love affair with Alistair on a gorgeous Greek Island fifteen years ago. And although she’s now married, Rachel plans to return to the same island and relive the events of late-night parties and lost inhibitions.
However, the more Rachel remembers, the more she realizes she’s suppressed all this time. Perfect for fans of atmospheric psychological suspense.
Welcome to Beach Town by Susan Wiggs
The idyllic beach town of Alara Cove, California, is about to get shaken to its core. Class valedictorian and daughter of a surfer, Nikki Graziola, uses her commencement address to share the truth behind a shocking secret about her community.
You’ll get all the beachy vibes with this drama-filled, highly entertaining read set under the sunny California skies where the surf’s always up.
A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan
Lea Mortimer is quite good at taking old French country estates and flipping them into boutique hotels. She makes sure everything goes exactly as planned each and every time with no distractions from her non-existent personal life.
However, when her newly divorced friend and daughter join her on her latest renovation in the Loire Valley in France, Lea’s life takes some unexpected twists and turns, including falling for a younger man.
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
Add this fun, flirty romance to your beach bag!
Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is a beloved bestselling romance novelist that’s never fallen head over heels in love. Connor Prince wants to create a reality show, The True Love Experiment, designed to help Fizzy find her perfect match.
Did I mention Connor is a single father?
If you think these two ought to get together, then read this book!
Find the Best Beach Reads Here
- Get titles from this booklist and more from my curated shop on Bookshop.org. Give a Bookshop.org gift card!
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Meant to Be by Emily Giffin
Free-spirited, golden boy Joe III is the heir to American royalty and tragedy. Beautiful Cate Cooper has her face on the cover of magazines and blazed across billboards. When Joe and Cate meet, they bond over both growing up fatherless. Their love affair is instant, intense, and, perhaps, “meant to be.”
If the storyline sounds familiar, you’re right! JFK, Jr.’s and Carolyn Bessette’s love story inspired this novel. Although well-researched, Emily Giffin gives these fictional characters her unique, creative twist. Readers and reviewers are loving it – add it to my beach bag!
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Cutthroat literary agent, Nora Stephens, agrees to take a month-long trip with her beloved little sister Libby to the small, rural town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. While searching for a hot summer romance, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. Will these two learn something new about themselves and each other?
If you’re a book lover, you’ll love this delightful rom-com. It’s getting lots of buzz, making Book Lovers one of the best beach reads of this summer. I featured Emily Henry’s most recent novel, Happy Place, in my post on the best books of summer and her bestselling novel, People We Met on Vacation, in my post, 17 Books That Take You Places.
Gilt by Jamie Brenner
The Pavlin family built an empire as the first jewelers to sell diamond rings exclusively for proposals. However, one particularly famous and uniquely exquisite diamond ring set off a series of events that altered the lives of the three sisters running the family business. A decade later, the daughter of one of the deceased sisters wants to reclaim what she believes is hers, the Electric Rose diamond.
Gilt seems like a fascinating read, whether or not you’re a beach. The setting spans from the glamour of Fifth Avenue in New York City to the Cape Cod shores of Provincetown.
Island Time by Georgia Clark
The Kellys are boisterous Australians. The Lees are stuffy, uptight Americans. Only one reason brought these families on vacation together – their married daughters. When a nearby volcano erupts, the families become stranded on a remote tropical island off the coast of Queensland for six weeks. That’s a lot of “island time” to work through some issues.
Don’t we all want to be on “island time?” Well, maybe not if you’re stranded there. But this book set on an exotic island seems like a fun escape!
The Second Husband by Kate White
Emma has remarried after losing her first husband to what was concluded as a random street crime. Her new life with Tom along the Connecticut shore feels safe and secure – until a homicide detective knocks on their door with questions about Emma’s first husband’s death.
Add this to your beach bag if you want to sit in the bright sunshine and read a dark psychological thriller. The high tide could rise around your chair, and you won’t even notice. As your flip-flops float away, all you can think about is the plot twist and the nail-biting conclusion.
Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore
Violet was a famous magician who vanished mid-act, never to be seen again. In her absence, her sister, Sasha, and her daughter, Quinn, constantly question what happened to Violet. On the tenth anniversary of Violet’s disappearance, the pressure to discover the truth increases from a relentless podcaster and a few odd turns of events.
Acts of Violet seems like the type of book that draws you further and further in with tantalizing details. It has a unique format that alters between narrations, documents, and podcast transcripts.
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
After losing her mother, Carol, Katy takes the vacation they planned to Italy on her own. Their trip would have commemorated the summer Carol spent in Positano right before she met Katy’s father. While wandering the Italian coast, Katy meets the thirty-year-old version of her mother. Over the course of this magical summer, Katy gets to know her mother as the young woman she once was.
If you enjoy reading about magical realism, add this book to your beach bag! It’s one of the best beach reads for when you wish your summer travel plans included a trip to the stunning Amalfi Coast of Italy.
Going There by Katie Couric
Katie Couric has spent over four decades in the media world. During that time, she’s endured personal tragedy, witnessed historical events, and worked with various personalities (cough, Matt Lauer). In this memoir, Katie doesn’t hold back on the details of her life from childhood to finding love again later in life.
Although this memoir has been out for a while, the paperback version has just been released. So toss that paperback into your beach bag, settle in with your toes in the sand, and read the fascinating details of an American icon!
The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey
Discover behind-the-scenes details of the iconic show, The Office. In the nine seasons of the series, receptionist Pam Beesly, played by Jenna Fischer, and accountant Angela Martin, played by Angela Kinsley, had little in common. However, in real life, they forged an amazing friendship.
If you’re a fan of The Office, how can you not read this? Plus, these two BFFs host a podcast, Office Ladies, worth checking out. A fun, light-hearted read for the beach or anywhere!
