beach reads
ah, a beach read! curled up on the sand with your toes in the water and a page turning book in your lap. there aren’t many places i’d rather be. if you’re planning a vacation & need a rec, look no further.
beach read by emily henry: i have to start this off with a no-brainer! it’s about two writers facing different road blocks. living in neighboring beach houses for the summer, augustus and january forge a deal to write something a little outside their norms. it’s a low stakes, high reward, warm summer read.
every summer after by carley fortune: when i say i ate. this. up!!!! in my opinion, the perfect beach read. percy and sam have been friends since they were kids and when percy returns to the summer village called barry’s bay for sam’s mother’s funeral, she can’t deny how good it feels to back in sam’s world. they had an indescribable connection all those years ago - can they get back to what they once had? or will the past continue to haunt their future?
honorable mention by carley fortune: this summer will be different
summer of ‘69 by elin hilderbrand: dubbed the queen of summer, elin hilderbrand takes new england and delivers it via writing to wherever you may be! i have never felt more immersed in a place i’ve never been, she does such a fantastic job of building the location. and as the name suggests, in this book, we’re experiencing one of the most chaotic summers in america—a lunar landing, the vietnam war, kennedy drama, just to name a few. this is a book you’ll want to read in one sitting.
honorable mention by elin hilderbrand: the rumor
the roughest draft by emily wibberley and austin siegemund-broka: i adored the plot of this story! two writers publish a smash hit but then refuse to work with one another because of a falling out. three years later, they’re forced together by their agents to write the second book in their contract. the two must now return to the cozy florida bungalow where they wrote the first book to quickly push out a second. the more time they spend together, the less likely completing the book feels until after a few rough drafts, they discover they may have something good, both from a literary standpoint and in their relationship.
the paper palace by miranda cowley heller: i read this three years ago and still think about this book. for years, elle and her childhood friend jonas would hang out all summer long at a home dubbed the paper palace. fast forward, both return with their spouses but find themselves tucked away for a steamy evening, questioning what went wrong between them all those years ago. the split timeline really adds to the nostalgia & emotion in the novel.
done & dusted by lyla sage: best. friend’s. sister. (one of my favorite tropes!) so off limits and so tempting. it’s been years since luke had seen his best friend’s younger sister emmy and when she unexpectedly returns to town, sparks fly. she’s .. uh .. all grown up and luke’s well.. luke—the town’s bad boy. emmy is smart enough not to fall for it, until she does, and then they’re both in trouble.
people we meet on vacation by emily henry: this was my first emily henry book and arguably my favorite! for a decade, alex and poppy have taken a week-long vacation to a new place every summer, until one trip ruined everything. they haven’t spoken since then but then alex agrees to a trip poppy planned. i really appreciated the authentic relationship they had & felt like i was listening to friends chat!
just for the summer by abby jimenez: believe the hype! every time i pick up an abby book, i’m unsure if i’ll like the plot and every time she wins me over. in just for the summer, justin and emma are cursed when it comes to relationships. whenever they break up with someone, the ex goes on to find their soulmate & ultimately get married while justin and emma roll their eyes at the universe. when they come across one another on the internet, they devise a plan to date each other, break up & then hope to find their happily ever after. her characters are so tender, emotional and goddamn sweet!
magnolia parks by jessa hastings: talk about getting lost in a book! magnolia parks ranks up there with one of my favorite series of all time. it’s gossip girl in london’s high society with the most toxic mmc/fmc you can imagine. there’s cheating and scandal and gang lords and an obscene amount of money and i was obsessed with every page.