The ULTIMATE beach read round up: 35+ books for your summer TBR
I cooked with this one, IMO.
I am the best person to ask about beach reads, I know this with great confidence, I feel it in my bones. I will not waste space here justifying this to you, but I am hoping the fact that I write this modestly successful newsletter about books and live on the beach proves my point well enough to any nascent critics.
When the weather turns, there is nothing I want to read but a beach read. I don’t care if it’s literary or acclaimed, if it’s not a beach read, I’m not reading it on my beach vacation, or in July. It’s just simply not… correct.
But what, exactly, is a beach read anymore? For me, it has to have at least 2 of 3 of the core pillars of beach-read-dom:
Takes place in a warm, summery, or beachy atmospheric setting
Has some of the book-ended and fleeting time capsule qualities of summer— maybe a main character with a seasonal summer job or sabbatical who has to return to “the real world” in September, or a college student who is going back to school in the fall
Errs more fun than serious… There might be deep themes around family or romance that are heavier, but generally, these books don’t end in heartbreak or devastation. Put simply: a happy ending!
As you can imagine, if I’m reading nothing but beach reads from June through September, at least two a week, I’m gonna need A LOT of beach reads on deck.
So here we are: a veritable treasure trove of beach reads for you! I’ve read these all and I recommend them, I’ll give you the quickest snapshot ever of why and we’ll keep it moving! This is a long post that is full of lots of good recs, so it will likely get truncated in your inbox. Click here to read in browser for optimal reading glory.
All The Summers in Between by Brooke Lea Foster // 1967, Sag Harbor— two very different girls forge an unforgettable friendship at a record store; then, ten years later, one shows up with danger in tow, turning their lives upside down. A little more literary than what you might think of a beach read.
Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein // Think Parent Trap-ish, but grown ups— with a lush, beautiful Maine setting!
The Castaways, Hotel Nantucket, Swan Song and The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand // Elin Hilderbrand is the QUEEN of beach reads— like all caps queen, not just capital Q queen. You can’t go wrong with a single one of these. Just start now.
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner // A mysterious death and intrigue at a Cape Cod wedding! I loved the set-up of the main character, an influencer who was somehow relatable.
Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum // This author is one of my summer read go-tos, because her books are like candy. Her books feel like Gossip Girl junk food for grown ups. In this one: a high-stakes corporate retreat in Miami goes off the rails in a darkly funny, mystery-laced satire where wealthy execs, backstabbing, and scandal make for one chaotic getaway.
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum // Rich grown ups behaving badly on Fire Island. Once again, Emma Rosenblum gives the people what we want.
Mean Moms by Emma Rosenblum // This is the Gossip Girl sequel we always wanted and a very thinly-veiled satire (so, so thin) of New York society.
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan // A satirical globe-trotting romance where runaway heir Viscount Rufus must balance family debt, maternal scheming, and true love.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune // No one writes a summer read like Carley Fortune! This nostalgic romance revisits Percy and Sam’s deep connection at a lake house. If you’ve never read Carley Fortune, start here and make your way down the list in order.
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune // I am not a lake girlie, so this would not typically have been my thing— but she just writes the summer so well. Queen of Beach Reads!
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune // This one is sort of a sequel to Every Summer After: when a photographer returns to the lake town of Barry’s Bay with her recovering grandma, she reconnects with the boy whose photo once made her heart beat. No surprise that of all the books I’ve mentioned in 2025, this one was the most clicked/ordered by First Rodeo readers.
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune // Live out your lush “falling in love with your best friend’s older brother while on summer vacation” fantasy on Prince Edward Island.
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune // Full review of this one coming in my monthly reading wrap up, but the gist is that our FMC goes on her honeymoon with her best guy friend after being left at the altar…
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood // This was a very highly recommended age gap romance, while not for me, it could be for you? At the ending, I was like.. 👀🫨😵🤐.
The Wedding People by Allison Espach // Phoebe shows up to a hotel with every intention of ending her life—but unexpected connections and comedic family chaos lead her back to hope in this touching, witty tale. I’m sure you heard about this one a lot last summer, but it’s worth the hype!
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey // An LA influencer (heiress?) gets banished to a sleepy crabbing town where she clashes with a grumpy, rugged local fisherman in this spicy, enemies-to-lovers rom-com. Five chili peppers on the spice scale.
It’s A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan // This one’s giving a bit of Jeannette McCurdy’s memoir (which is where the author got the idea!) meets the part of How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days where Andie goes home to Matthew McConaughey’s house on Staten Island. I love Annabel Monaghan’s Long Island core, she is another Queen of Beach Reads.
Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan // This is a post divorce novel sort of about coming back to yourself and love, it goes down very smoothly and easily— probably my favorite or one of my top 3 Annabel Monaghans!
Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan // Annabel Monaghan knocks it out of the park with a “first love” and “engaged to the wrong guy” summer plot line.
Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan // Full review of this coming at the end of the month in my reading wrap up, but this one is for the Rhode Islanders! (Most of her books have been set on Long Island.)
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry // Definitely my favorite Emily Henry book! I really didn’t see the twist coming.
Beach Read by Emily Henry // I mean… it’s IN the title. I had to include it. The book sells itself! (Also, Emily Henry sells herself, so she really doesn’t need my help.)
Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia // The vibe is a main character who loves reading romance and is so obsessed with a very Rhysand-from-ACOTAR-coded male main character that her actual love life is totally impeded. Set against the coastal backdrop of Mystic, Connecticut!
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren // A very crushable Christina Lauren novel, set between my hometown in California and a luxury resort in Hawaii…
Murder on Sex Island by Jo Firestone // Quick read for a beach day, not super memorable but may be chuckle-worthy for fans of Love Island, or as this book calls it, Sex Island, which is where said murder takes place!
Sandwich by Catherine Newman // I had steered clear of this, having been told it might be too heavy to be considered a beach read— but it’s no more heavy than Miranda July’s All Fours, if not significantly less heavy. Expect a slice of life, family dynamics, a perfect beach vacation and a lot of perspective on mid-life.
The Island Club by Nicola Harrison // Balboa Island in the 1950s, three women with very little in common find themselves drawn together to hide some of their secrets and save the local tennis club from certain ruin. A little Stepford-y and I Love Lucy-y, but very old-American-summer-nostalgia-y too.
The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson // Easily the most anticipated read of the summer for me— counting down the days.
Laws of Love and Logic by Debra Curtis // Torn between a great husband and a first love? In Rhode Island? Let’s go.
The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom // For sale: Greek cottage. One euro. (That’s all I needed to read, honestly.)
The Lake Club by Lina Patton // Two women in a wealthy lakeside suburb clash over a cute male nanny— described as propulsive, beach-y and firmly in the “rich people behaving badly genre”— so I’m sold.
The Shippers by Katherine Center // A destination wedding on a cruise (I’ll be honest, not a setting I am excited about), childhood besties, summer romance. (Ok, more excited about that part!)
The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent // A summer job set at a hotel in the Scottish Highlands!? I can’t think of a more ME sounding beach read than this.
Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer // Moving to the Italian countryside to become an assistant to a Baronessa, amid a “milieu of gin-swilling princesses” and “roaming boarhunters,” plus a little sexy affair? That’s all I needed to hear to add this to my TBR.
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle // An emotional mother-daughter story set on the Amalfi Coast.
Once and Again by Rebecca Serle // A “back to your childhood home” and surfer-y setting— and potentially a second chance romance?
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth // It’s a long hot summer in the early 90’s in the small town of Crossmore, Ireland, and there are secrets to keep…
Pink Sand Summer by Cassity Evans // A second chance summer romance set on the pink sands of Harbor Island… excited for this debut!
Our Secret Summer by R.S. Grey // Working your way through a fated bucket list while summering in Ibiza? Sign me up.
Man Overboard! by Kathleen Rooney // This allegedly hilarious forthcoming novel starts— !!— with a man falling off the side of a cruise ship, bobbing in the open ocean.
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume // Wow, to see Judy Blume’s name on a book spine again! Set in Martha’s Vineyard, a tale of two best friends somewhere between the present and the summer of 1977…
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach & Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly // Set on— surprise!— Martha’s Vineyard during WWII, a group of girls strive to create some normalcy in their lives by starting a book club. But when an alleged spy washes ashore, things take a turn…
Okay, what beach reads on your TBR (or your all-time favorites) did I miss?! It feels like I’ve got them all but surely I know inevitably you will say one that will make me smack my forehead and go “DOY!”…
If you like my reading round-ups, you can always find more here! I do monthly reading wrap-ups with book reviews, and ad-hoc round-ups like “20 Weird Girl Lit Fic book recs” or “13 books to break you out of a reading slump.”
You made this article so pretty 🤩 🤍
Thank you thank you thank you! I was looking for a roundup like this. I am currently reading „one golden summer“ (which I looove) and I need more books like this one. I also really loved „The Wedding People“. 💕