Looking for the perfect summer book to accompany you on sun-soaked beach days and lazy afternoons while you wait for fall's crisp arrival? We have you covered with this roundup of 14 breezy and page-turning novels. Dive into the ocean waves and stories about unexpected romance, 1950s Hollywood stardom, secret histories, and more. Whether you are planning to lounge by the water, relax in your yard, or just sit on the couch, these 14 easy reads will make your end of summer reading list one that you cannot put down.
Amazon
This Used to Be Us by Renée Carlino
After twenty years of marriage, Danielle and Alex decide to divorce but choose to share a nesting apartment to avoid shuttling their teenage boys between homes. Living separately gives them time to reflect on their past love and the reasons for their marriage breakdown, leading them to rediscover their individual selves and enter the dating world again. Despite their new lives and differences, they can’t seem to stay away from each other, and a family crisis brings them back together. Read This Used to Be Us to find out the tear-jerking conclusion to Dani and Alex’s story.
Amazon
Rip Tide by Colleen McKeegan
Fifteen years after vowing never to return to Rocky Cape, Kimmy Devine comes back to the beach town she grew up in, haunted by past scandals and heartbreak. With her sister Erin, who is dealing with fertility issues and a divorce, Kimmy gets caught up in nostalgia while helping their father run the family hardware stores. But their peaceful and heartwarming return home is disrupted when a body is found near their parents’ yacht club, revealing long-buried secrets and someone from their past who seeks revenge.
Amazon
All the Summers In Between by Brooke Lea Foster
In the summer of 1967, Margot, a wealthy and impulsive summer girl, and Thea, a hardworking local girl, form an unlikely friendship while working at a record store. After a devastating accident, they lose contact for ten years until Margot reappears in Thea’s life, seeking help and hiding dangerous secrets. Thea, feeling unfulfilled as a housewife, is drawn to Margot’s sense of adventure but must confront the truth about their past and decide if their friendship is worth rekindling. Set between 1967 and 1977, All the Summers In Between is a novel about friendship during a transformative era in the Hamptons.
Amazon
You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Influencer Meredith Lee feels betrayed when Aspen Palmer, whom she mentored, surpasses her fame and ditches her. Resorting to “Stalking Lite”, Meredith swipes one of Aspen’s kids’ iPads, gaining access to Aspen’s social media and calendar, and begins sabotaging her by attending meetings in Aspen’s place. As Aspen’s life unravels with sponsors dropping her and personal relationships crumbling, she becomes determined to uncover who the saboteur really is, especially when Meredith goes missing and mysterious threats start appearing.
Amazon
The Design of Us by Sajni Patel
Bhanu, an absolute sunshine and full of positivity, is vying for a promotion against her work nemesis, Sunny, who has a Denzel-like voice and a grumpy demeanor. Unexpectedly, they both end up in Hawaii for separate reasons, and Bhanu impulsively claims to be Sunny’s girlfriend to avoid his ex’s judgment, only to find out that Sunny is there for a friend's wedding. Forced to keep up the charade, they go through the wedding festivities, deal with Bhanu’s meddling family and Sunny’s supportive friends, and struggle to keep their growing feelings in check amidst the growing tension of their upcoming promotion competition.
Amazon
Elk Love by Lynne Spriggs O'Connor
Lynne Spriggs O’Connor has spent ten summers studying Native American art history on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and chooses to relocate from the East Coast to Montana seeking a fresh start and a deeper connection to nature. In Great Falls, a town quite different from her expectations, Lynne finds her dreams of the American West coming true through her relationship with Harrison, a rancher thirteen years her elder. As she immerses herself in the rhythms of his secluded valley and the natural world, Lynne discovers a calming and peaceful sense of connection, finding solace and meaning in a world where true listening is rare.
Amazon
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
Ember Lee Cardinal, struggling with job rejections, decides to embellish her qualifications and falsely claim to be a different ethnicity to secure a coveted accounting position in Oklahoma City. While she excels at work and begins a secret romance with Danuwoa Colson, a fellow Native IT guy, their relationship is jeopardized when a colleague discovers them and threatens to expose their affair. Faced with blackmail and her growing deception, Ember must choose between maintaining her lies and current life or risking everything by revealing the truth.
Amazon
Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle
Molly Marks, a Hollywood rom-com writer who views romance skeptically, unexpectedly reunites with her high school ex, Seth Rubinstein, now a successful divorce attorney who still believes in true love. At their fifteenth high school reunion, they drunkenly agree to a bet that if Seth can predict the outcomes of five couples, including their own, Molly must admit he’s right about love. Over the next five years, their hilarious and heartfelt journey will test whether their connection is a story of heartbreak or a genuine romance.
Amazon
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
In 1950s Hollywood, the coveted role of Salome in a major film sparks fierce competition among actresses. When the unpredictable director chooses Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican actress, for the role, she becomes the town’s sensation and the target of envy for Nancy Hartley, a struggling actress desperate for fame. With a backdrop of intrigue and gossip, their story intertwines with that of Salome herself, a princess torn between desire and duty, leading to a dramatic and tragic tale of three women.
Amazon
Sandwich by Catherine Newman
Rocky has cherished her family’s annual trips to their modest Cape Cod rental for 20 years, a place with fond memories and various emotional and plumbing messes. This year’s vacation, with Rocky caught between her growing children and aging parents, everything seems normal except for her struggle with menopause. As a series of events force Rocky to remember and revisit the past summers’ joys and sorrows, she realizes that she must confront her family’s history and her own secrets.
Amazon
Veridian Sterling Fakes It by Jennifer Gooch Hummer
Newly graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, Veridian Sterling dreams of showcasing her art in New York galleries, but only lands a job as a personal assistant. Struggling to support her mother’s business dreams, Veri seizes an opportunity to find a lost Van Gogh, using her art copying skills to track it down. But when she becomes entangled with a dubious art dealer and his mysterious driver, Veri finds herself in over her head, needing to clear her name and secure her and her mother’s futures.
Amazon
Between Friends & Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi
To her Instagram followers, Josephine Boateng is the inspiring Dr. Jojo, promoting health, self-love and zero tolerance for foolish men. But, behind the scenes, she struggles with depression, career pressures, and a massive crush on her best friend, Ezra Adelman. When Ezra arrives at his thirtieth birthday with Jo’s childhood bully, she decides to prioritize herself, leaving her to meet debut author Malcolm Waters at a party. Now the lines are blurred between friendship, love and public and private life.
Amazon
The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan
A secluded Victorian house on a bluff, filled with a century’s worth of secrets, becomes a refuge for Jane Flanagan as a teenager. Twenty years later, Jane, now a Harvard archivist, returns to Maine after a career-threatening mistake and finds the house remodeled into a white, plain monstrosity by its new owner, Genevieve, who believes it is haunted. Hired to research the house’s history, Jane uncovers many stories about lost lovers, artistic awakenings and the long shadow colonialism, revealing secrets older than Maine itself.
Amazon
All Signs Point to Malibu by Jennifer Snow
Life coach Hailey Harris, who can see the future to guide her clients, leads a lonely life as her gift makes forming real friendships difficult. When her ex, Liam Jensen, gets engaged, Hailey foresees a disastrous ending for him and his fiancée, prompting her to intervene. But complications arise when she meets Warren Mitchell, Liam’s suspicious and handsome best man. As Hailey’s plans unravel and she grapples with unexpected feelings, she must decide whether to keep fighting fate or embrace the love she never anticipated. Pre-order now to follow Hailey’s journey of fate, friendship, and unexpected romance.
Looking for more reading recs? Be sure to check out our storefront for our fave books!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
Header image via Amazon
