6 books that are perfect summer beach reads
It's time for some fun in the sun — with a book in your hand!
Summer is nearly here, and we have six perfect books that will have you feeling the sunshine vibes.
From young adult to spicy reimagined fairytales and friends to lovers to romances, these books are lighthearted but will still tug at your heartstrings — easy reads for a breezy season.
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1. 'It Happened One Summer'
Author: Tessa Bailey
If you like: spicy, rom-com, grump/sunshine main characters
This book follows Piper, a Hollywood socialite who is a smidge out of control and a bit of a troublemaker. Her stepdad cuts her off and sends her (and her sister) to a small fishing town in Washington to run her late father's dive bar in order to teach her some responsibility. It's here she meets Brenden, a grumpy fishing boat captain.
While she doesn't want to give up her life in California at first, she slowly starts to fall in love with Westport...and might have caught feelings for a certain captain.
Second book: "Hook, Line, and Sinker," which follows Piper's sister Hannah and Brenden's best friend Fox.
2. 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Trilogy
Author: Jenny Han
If you like: summer romance, family, love triangles with brothers
Belly loves summer because that means she gets to go to Cousins Beach to spend the summer with her mom, best friends Conrad and Jeremiah and their mom. She's always been in love with Conrad, but one summer will have her torn between the two brothers, who both have feelings for her. Who will she choose — and whose heart will she break?
This young adult trilogy has also been turned into a Prime Video series. Season one is currently available to stream and season two will premiere Friday, July 14, 2023.
3. 'Malibu Rising'
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
If you like: dual timelines, sibling love, surfing vibes
This novel follows one night in the 1980s and four siblings: Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit, all extremely talented and well-known children of singer Mick Riva. It takes place during Nina's annual end-of-summer party (which she is dreading) — and by midnight, everything spirals out of control, family secrets have been spilled and it all comes to the surface.
4. 'Better Than The Movies'
Author: Lynn Painter
If you like: rom-coms, fake dating, "enemies" to lovers (kinda)
This sweet young adult book follows Liz, a teen who is obsessed with rom-coms and a hopeless romantic at heart. When the love of her life moves back to town, she is willing to do whatever it takes to win him over — including fake date her super cute but wildly annoying next-door neighbor, Wes.
While she tries to win over Michael, she finds she actually really likes Wes, and it leads her to rethink everything she ever thought about what her happily ever after looked like.
5. 'Second Star to the Left'
Author: Megan Van Dyke
If you like: Reimagined fairytales, spicy, treasure hunts
This is not your average Neverland story. Tinker Bell is banished from her homeland for selling her pixie dust, which leads her to steal from Captain Hook so she can find a way home. This event leads to a curse on Hook, and he tracks down Tink in order to reserve the curse.
The pair must work together in a very unlikely (and sexy) partnership in order to fix both of their problems.
6. 'People We Meet on Vacation'
Author: Emily Henry
If you like: friends to lovers, vacations, he fell first/she fell harder
Poppy and Alex are two best friends who both look forward to their annual summer trip they have taken together since college — but it's been two years since they last spoke on their final trip. Poppy, who is questioning her life (which is everything she has ever wanted), convinces Alex to take a trip with her. She hopes this fixes everything, but could it make things worse?