When I’m on the beach, I like to read a book that’s fun and quick and relaxing. Preferably something with very good-looking people doing exciting or glamorous things. There should definitely be romance and friendship and it’s a bonus when the book is also taking place on the beach or during the summer so that I can really feel immersed in it.  I’ve put together a few of my classic reads and some new releases for this summer below.

The Summer Fletcher Greel Loved Me by Suzanne Kingsbury: 

One hot Mississippi summer, Fletcher Greel is home from boarding school, mourning the loss of his mother in a quiet house with his father, the local judge. While out one night with his friend Riley, he meets and instantly falls for local beauty and daredevil Haley Ellyson, a girl from a very different background with many secrets of her own. As their romance and the summer heat turn up, the violence, secrets and racism in their small town threaten everything they hold dear. (This is probably the most thoughtful book on my summer reads list, and it’s so good!)

Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin:

Claire is back in NYC and has just been kicked out of the band she helped create, right before their big break. When she attempts to climb out of her downward spiral, she gets talked into playing music for a glamorous playgroup on the Upper East Side. The gorgeous moms in the playgroup seems to have it all to Claire, from wardrobes to workout classes to vitamin cleanses, but behind closed doors, they have their own issues that they’re struggling with. Whitney’s striving for influencer status, Amara is mourning the loss of her producer job, and Gwen is trying to hold her old money values together. When secrets threaten the solidity of their group, all of the women discover where their true priorities and friendships really are. 

Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey: 

A story about an unlikely friendship between two very different women, this book brings all of Harvey’s signature southern charm and sensibility. Gray Howard is going through a tricky divorce with her business at stake when she meets Diana Harrington and inadvertently gets her fired. Diana is going through a rough patch herself and is currently homeless after discovering that her boyfriend is cheating her. When Gray invites Diana to move into her guest house, the women begin an unusual friendship, discover old and new loves, and learn about themselves and each other over a summer on the North Carolina beach.

If you like this book, I would also recommend Harvey’s Peachtree Bluff Trilogy as well, which begins with Slightly South of Simple. In this book, Caroline flees her sophisticated life in New York City after her husband leaves her for a famous model who’s documenting everything on a reality show.  She runs home to her mother and sisters, who are dealing with their own issues, and the women come together for a summer in their gorgeous family home in the charming town Peachtree Bluff, Georgia, which is filled with a Gilmore Girl-esque cast of characters.

You can click on any of the images above to be taken to their link in Amazon.

Additional Recommendations:

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner: See my full review here.

Anna K by Jenny Lee: Tolstoy meets Gossip Girl. Need I say more?

The Royal We and The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan: Had to put in a royal pick for Dinah! I loved the first book and am so excited to read the second, which just came out.

Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy and Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan: I loved the Crazy Rich Asians series and really want to read his new release, but I’ve heard mixed reviews of it. 

The Selection Trilogy by Keira Cass: The Bachelor meets Hunger Games. Another YA classic and I got sucked into them last weekend, spent three days reading, and loved them!

Thrillers:

If your beach read speed is more the thriller or mystery that sucks you in and keeps you reading until everyone else has packed up their umbrellas and gone home, I would recommend:

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

The New Girl by Harriet Walker

The Last Flight by Julie Clark